• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Placing Stars

Organizing, Minimalism & Traveling.

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Free Resources
  • Blog
    • Organizing
    • Minimalism
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
  • About

The Ultimate Napa Valley Guide

July 19, 2018 By Narkis 13 Comments

Napa Valley was the best birthday weekend getaway I could have imagined! There’s more to do then just wine, not that wine needs anything else. 

But I have to admit, I was a bit confused when trying to research and plan for the weekend. I didn’t really realize how close our hotel was to the center and to a beautiful indoor market. I also didn’t realize how drunk you can get from one flight! 

So I decided to share my favorite experiences from Napa Valley and also the things I wish I knew before traveling there. 

Napa Valley guide post pin

The perfect Napa Valley guide includes:

  • Where to stay
  • What to do
  • Where to eat
  • Special occasions
  • Favorite wineries
  • Extra handy Information
Napa Valley River Terrace Inn View

Where to stay In Napa Valley

We stayed at the River terrace Inn and absolutely loved it.

This gorgeous boutique hotel is all we needed for our getaway weekend. It’s a beautiful hotel that is located perfectly by the river in Yountville. It’s a small hotel which was perfect for us, and I think is perfect for couples going to Napa.

The rooms are big, feature a full bath, comfy bed, free wi-fi, free parking and much more. The hotel has its own restaurant and bar which can come in handy (just in case you’re hungover at 4pm and need to eat lol). We only had happy hour there, but their breakfast looks great as well.

The River Terrace Inn can get pretty expensive but we googled the dates we wanted to go and found a great deal through secret escapes.

Napa Valley River Terrace Inn View
The view from the river terrace inn
Napa Valley River Terrace Inn View
More views from our Napa Valley hotel

where to eat in Napa valley

Auberge du Soleil

If there’s anything you’re celebrating – it will be the perfect excuse to go for brunch at this beautiful, Michelin-star restaurant. The views at Auberge Du Soleil are unbeatable, service is impeccable and the food… Well the food is AMAZING. We went for my birthday and I loved the experience. It’s not cheap by any means, 75$ a person for a fixed price menu. But I think you easily get your money’s worth for 4 courses and a cocktail. By the time dessert has arrived I couldn’t even eat anymore.

Napa Valley auberge du soleil brunch cocktail
Start with bread, butter and lemon curd.
Napa Valley auberge du soleil foie gras
foie gras at AUBERGE DU SOLEIL
Napa Valley auberge du soleil short rib
Short rib at AUBERGE DU SOLEIL
Napa Valley auberge du soleil risotto
Shrimp, bacon & lemon risotto at AUBERGE DU SOLEIL
Napa Valley auberge du soleil desert
Dessert at AUBERGE DU SOLEIL
Napa Valley auberge du soleil desert
Another dessert at AUBERGE DU SOLEIL

Gott’s Roadside

This famous Napa Valley restaurant is not in the fancy category but it’s just as good. During rush hour they have a line all the way out of the restaurant but we went late and got our food fairly quick. I think it’s worth a wait.

Napa Valley Gott's roadside burger
My guy's burger at Gott's roadside

what to do in Napa Valley

Oxbow Market

Just upon arrival to Napa Valley, we asked a friend for recommendations. He quickly let us know about the wonderful indoor market and we were thrilled. We love markets and this one did not disappoint. The Oxbow market has so many cool food spots, a wine and cheese bar, specialty stores and a market full of beautiful produce and specialty items (Like alfajores dipped in chocolate! Yumm!).

This market ended up being our favorite place in Napa! It had the best food and atmosphere. We sat there so much it was kind of funny. 

Our favorite places at the market were C Casa for tacos and nachos, Five Dot Ranch and Cookhouse for steaks, Ritual Coffee Roasters for coffee (Duh), and the Cheese & Wine Selection Merchant. We are not dessert people, but their bakery and ice-cream shop looked incredible! 

Napa Valley Oxbow market C casa tacos & River
Breakfast tacos from C Casa with a river view
Napa Valley
Custom cheese selection and wine at the Cheese & Wine Merchant.
Napa Valley Oxbow market coffee
Morning coffee at the Oxbow market

walk Yountville

you can have a relaxed day around Yountville, checking the local business and maybe go for bar-hopping.

bicycles routes

We were actually surprised to see that there are many cyclists all over Napa which made sense when we though about it. Napa is gorgeous and riding a bicycle is a wonderful way to explore the town, the wine routes and the views. But be careful, don’t drink and cycle! 

Wine Tours

You can choose a winery and book a tour at their location. A standard tour goes through their wine production, cellars, and explanations on their grapes, etc. I recently had a tour like that in Jerusalem, Israel, so I skipped this activity, but I highly recommend getting a tour! 

Wine Train

The Wine Train is a famous Napa Valley activity that people rave about. It can be a bit pricy but for such a one-of-a-kind experience it might be worth it. I chose to skip this activity since the thought of motion sickness with drinking wine already made me nauseas lol. But if you’re up for it, it seems like an amazing ride! (pun intended).

Napa Valley V. Sattui picnic
Watching the Wine Train passes by while sitting at V. Sattui Winery picnic area

Wineries & Flights. 

artesa

Artesa Winery is defiantly a place of art. With its breath-taking scenery of nature and unique architecture, you’re guaranteed to have a one-of-a-kind experience. 

Visiting Artesa is worth your while for the views alone, but the wine does not fall short. At this point we were pretty hungover all the time, so we decided to share a flight. Our server was kind and built us a flight for our liking. We didn’t know that’s a possibility, but he had a list we could choose from, which was very nice. 

We didn’t make a reservation on time, so we arrived early Sunday and they were kind enough to have us at their bar. Reservations are needed to be placed before the weekend. 

Napa Valley Artesa Winery View
Driving up to Artesa Winery with these views
Napa Valley Artesa Winery View
Artesa architecture and views
Napa Valley Artesa Winery Fountain
More beauty at Artesa Winery

Domaine Carneros Chateau

Domaine Carneros Chateau is one of the most well-known and popular wineries in Napa Valley, naturally we had to check it out. The chateau is beautiful and the patio is welcoming and relaxing. 

We ordered a flight each and some food. They poured beyond a flight quantity, and since it was our first winery, we were very excited. They have a nice selection of flights that comes with cute explanations for each wine! Their wine was wonderful, the food was tasty and this was a great start for our Napa Valley Weekend! 

All and all, Domaine Carneros Chateau did not disappoint us, it can get busy but service and quality are still high. 

Napa Valley domaine carneros chateau wine flight and salmon
Our table at Domaine Carneros Chateau
Napa Valley domaine carneros chateau porch
The view from the porch at Domaine Carneros Chateau
Napa Valley domaine carneros chateau
Me and the Domaine Carneros Chateau

V. Sattui

V. Sattui is known for its deli and picnic area, which are full of goodness. We could barely resist ourselves from buying the entire deli. We got cheese, fig jam, sardines, crackers, olives and more snacks. Everything was wonderful. 

The picnic area can get a little crowded and it took us a few minutes to score a place on an actual picnic table. You can defiantly get your own blanket and sit on the grass. The place is so beautiful and calm. We didn’t get a flight there but prices are low and you can easily get a bottle for your picnic. 

Napa Valley V. Sattui
V. Sattui entrance
Napa Valley V. Sattui picnic
V. Sattui picnic area views

Things I Wish I Knew before traveling to Napa valley

  • If you stay at Yountville, you’re walking distance from a lot of places. I didn’t realize how small the town is. It’s basically a few streets with shops, restaurants and bars. It’s great to just walk and enjoy your day. 
  • Vineyards require reservations before the weekend. I knew vineyards require reservation, but I tried to make a reservation on Friday for Sunday, but it wasn’t an option. Some wineries will let you make a reservation on the same day, but to stay on the safe side, I recommend making the reservation at least few days before. 
  • You CAN get drunk from a wine flight. I did not realize how drunk I can get from just tasting wine. On our first day we drank too much and regretted it. We weren’t feeling great so we took a nap and woke up for a very late dinner at around 10pm lol.  Consider sharing a flight. For more wine tasting tips click here. 
  • There’s endless things to see. I love doing my research before I travel, so I found in advance all the places I wanted to visit. But while driving the wine road, we realized how many beautiful wineries there are. We stopped at a few just to look at their views but it was endless. We would have incorporated more wineries if I would have known how many there are to see. 
  • It gets really cold after the sun goes down. I brought a cardigan but even for late May it was cooler than I expected. Bring some warm clothes. Click here for my summer capsule wardrobe that will be perfect for Napa Valley. 
Napa Valley Winery Fountains

Are you going to Napa Valley soon? Was this helpful? I would love to hear, share your thoughts down in the comment section! 🙂 

signature

Read More Travel Content: 

How to pack like a pro

Las Vegas in 24 hours

Cabo San Lucas – a perfect weekend

Summer capsule wardrobe

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Travel Tagged With: Travel, vacation

« Aqua Kitchen
How To Declutter Your Closet »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole

    July 19, 2018 at 12:29 pm

    I’ve always wanted to see Napa Valley. Your photos don’t disappoint. Looks like the perfect relaxing getaway!

    Reply
  2. Kate Kreates

    July 19, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    This is a great guide on what to do and where to stay in Napa Valley – it sounds like an amazing place to visit!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie

    July 19, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    I’ve never been to Napa Valley but it looks gorgeous! It’s fun to plan big trips, but definitely can be hard when you don’t know the area. Your photos are wonderful and glad you had a great time.

    Reply
  4. Christa

    July 19, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous photos! I’m hoping to make it to Napa for a girl’s weekend soon!

    Reply
  5. Helene

    July 20, 2018 at 1:16 am

    I have always dreamt of a trip to California and Napa Valley! Your guide is superbe, you cover literally everything! Great work!

    Reply
  6. Holly

    July 20, 2018 at 10:10 am

    What a fun trip. It looks like you had a great time. Such beautiful photos…I definitely want to visit!

    Reply
  7. Flossie McCowald | SuperMomHacks

    July 20, 2018 at 3:59 pm

    Wow, what a fabulous birthday weekend trip! Lucky you!!! Everything you did/saw/ate/drank is incredible and has me a tad jealous, but I totally want that risotto and dessert at the French restaurant! Magnifique!

    Reply
  8. Trang Trang

    July 21, 2018 at 7:22 am

    Your pictures are so cool. I love the food, it is so well decorated

    Reply
  9. Kayla

    July 22, 2018 at 9:18 am

    Kappa Valley is on my top 5 places that I really want to visit someday with just my hubby and nor kids lol

    Reply
  10. Becca Wilson

    July 23, 2018 at 8:31 pm

    I have always heard such amazing things about Napa Valley. Your photos do it so much justice to what I have heard. I would love to go one day!!

    Reply
  11. Linda Edwards

    January 31, 2019 at 4:45 am

    Wow, such a beautiful post! I love that you include a lot of pictures, especially of the food. One day I’ll make it to Napa Valley and see if you can really get drunk on one wine flight 😉 Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Bri

    October 29, 2019 at 6:18 pm

    Hi very helpful info. I’m headed in two weeks and need to get planning, I’m wondering how you got around town? Rental car? Uber? Thanks

    Reply
    • Narkis

      November 14, 2019 at 12:05 pm

      Hey Bri, sorry for the delay, we got around mostly by foot, but we did rent a car and drove for some of the places, if we weren’t drinking! 😉

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me

Hey there! I’m Narkis. I love organizing, creating a warm home, and traveling! I would love to share with you my favorite tips & hacks for a beautiful, organized life!
Read more…

Let’s be friends

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Serach

Recent Posts

Free 2019 Printable Calendar + A Daily Planner

best organization youtube channels to follow. Organization, journaling, productivity, minimalism, and decluttering videos.

10 Best Organization Youtube Channels

fall capsule wardrobe 2018. placing stars. minimalist wardrobe.

Fall Capsule Wardrobe

bathroom organization right cabinet general

My Bathroom Cabinets Organization

reasons to be organized

10 Reasons To Get Organized

Disclaimer

Placing-Stars is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Copyright © 2023 · Placing Stars · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in