Your Perfect Napa Valley One Day Trip Itinerary

Napa in a day? Explore the best wineries, spas, and scenic spots with this perfect Napa Valley one day itinerary from San Francisco.

As I have been in San Francisco Bay Area for over a decade now, I’ve had time to visit the famous Napa Valley Wine Country numerous times.

Wines are also what originally brought me to this area, as I was writing my Master’s thesis of California wine tourism. One thing led to another, and here I still am, enjoying everything that California has to offer.

Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) which is home to over 400 wineries. It’s considered one of the top wine regions in the world and is undoubtedly the number one in the United States.

Napa Valley is located about 67 miles north from San Francisco and 55 miles from Sacramento. It makes a great destination for a day trip as long as you know where to go.

I highly recommend getting a driver for your trip so you don’t have to worry about how much wine you drink. They also know Napa Valley inside and out; where the traffic jams are, which wineries are the best and who to call to get you a reservation. Some offer luxury car, while others are happy to drive your own vehicle.

My favourite places in Napa Valley are definitely Calistoga and St Helen, where you’ll find many wonderful wineries and spas. Since it is a volcanically active, many spa hotels use the mineral-rich hot springs to fill their pools. They also typically offer many kind of treatments like mud baths.

For a one day visit, you shouldn’t pick more than 4-5 wineries so that you’ll have time to really enjoy the experience. Keep in mind that wineries close early, usually around 4.30 or 5 p.m. It’s also a good idea to make reservations ahead of time, as Napa Valley can get very crowded.

Best Wineries to Visit in Napa for a Single Day

Chateau Montalena Winery

This is where every first-timer should start their tour in Napa Valley as this vineyard is important to the area. You might have heard of the so-called Judgement of Paris in 1976 which was a wine tasting contest organised in France and done blind folded.

Normally the French were kind of laughing at Americans and their wines, but this year they had to admit that there was actually something better than French wines. To everyone’s surprise, a Chardonnay from Napa Valley won, and the winning wine was from Chateau Montalena Winery.

This is really what made Napa Valley, and California wines in general famous. So what would be a better place to start a winery tour than this!

👆Pick Chateau Montalena if you want to experience history! 🥂

📍Location: 1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515

Jericho Canyon Vineyard

This is one my favorite vineyards I have ever been to, if not THE favorite. Jericho Canyon is at the most scenic location surrounded by steep hills and beautiful views to the vineyards. Their wines were also very good, the one that we really enjoyed was their Sauvignon Blanc.

The tasting at Jericho Canyon includes a short walking tour at the vineyard and we got to meet people working at the winery. We learned a lot about wines during this visit and as a cherry on top, our tasting was held in a cave.

They do only a limited amount of tastings and they don’t take walk-ins, so make sure to make a reservation early.

👆Pick Jericho Canyon Vineyard if you want more private experience in a scenic setting. 🏆

📍Location: 3322 Old Lawley Toll Rd, Calistoga, CA 94515

Sterling Vineyards

Sterling Vineyards is different from most traditional wineries at Napa. It has a more relaxed atmosphere, modern vibe and they aim to keep their wines affordable for wider audience.

Their Mediterranean-style main building has gotten its inspiration from Greek Islands and people are taken up the hill to the winery in a gondola. The views are great of course.

The wines here didn’t really strike me well, but like so many other wineries in Napa Valley, you are paying for the experience rather than the tasting itself.

The tasting includes a self guided tour at the winery, gondola ride and a wine glass to take home.

👆Pick Sterling Vineyards if you want to experience something modern and fun! 🚡

📍Location: 1091 Larkmead Lane, Calistoga, CA 94515

Frank Family Vineyards

For this winery, Frank Family Vineyards, we had planned a picnic lunch. Before leaving on the tour, we stopped at a little market in downtown Calistoga and got some salads and sandwiches. Our driver was well prepared for this too; she had brought a picnic basket with plates and everything.

From the winery we bought a couple bottles of wine for the lunch and enjoyed their picnic area outside. So we didn’t actually try their tasting menu, but the wines we chose for the lunch were excellent. And their garden was beautiful!

👆Pick Frank Family Vineyards if you want to bring your own picnic.🍴

📍Location: 1091 Larkmead Ln, Calistoga, CA 94515

V. Sattui Winery

This is one of the most popular wineries in Napa due to its beautiful estate and family friendly atmosphere. It is also a great place to have lunch as they have a huge picnic area in their garden. They have a great deli, and on the weekends they usually have food trucks and bbq. However, all food must be purchased from there.

V. Sattui Winery can get extremely crowded but you can easily spend there hours just by eating and enjoying the whole experience.

👆 Pick V. Sattui Winery if you are touring Napa Valley with kids! 👶

📍Location: 1111 White Lane (Hwy 29), St. Helena, California 94574

Spring Mountain Vineyards

If you are really into wines, then Spring Mountain Vineyards should be on your list. This winery has a long history in Napa Valley and has become known for two specific reasons.

One of their wines was also part of the Judgement of Paris in 1976. When Chateau Montalena’s wine won, a Chardonnay from Spring Mountain Vineyards got in to the fourth place.

Another thing that made this winery famous is a television show from the 80’s called Falcon Crest. It was filmed here and even the main house from the show is at the vineyard.

Spring Mountain is a very private and calm place, and they only take a handful of visitors who have made a reservation beforehand. And the wines? Amazing! But also very pricey. Many of them can only be bought straight from the winery.

👆 Pick Spring Mountain Vineyards if your main focus is to find great wines and the cost is not a factor! 🍷

📍Location: 2805 Spring Mountain Road, Saint Helena, California 94574

Mumm Napa

Even though it is often recommended to start with lighter wines, I think sparkling wines are a great way to end your tour at Napa Valley. By now, you have tried so many different wines, that your taste buds will thank you for getting in something bubbly.

Mumm Napa is a fun but extremely popular place to visit, so make sure to make a reservation beforehand.

Location-wise it is also the furthest of all the recommended wineries so a visit there is best to be either in the beginning or at the end of your tour.

👆Pick Mumm Napa to end your day with some bubbly! 🍾

📍Location: 8445 Silverado Trail, Rutherford, CA 94573

*Note that you should only pick 4-5 wineries from this list for a one day wine tour and keep the order from top down to enure that they are located close to each other.

Where to eat in Napa Valley

There are many small, nice restaurants in downtown Calistoga and St Helen. If you are looking for something more casual, then Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery is great. The food is great and the atmosphere is very relaxed. If you are looking for a great fine dining experience, then I would recommend Solbar.

On our latest trip we had a brunch at Sam’s Social Club which had a great outside patio. After bathing and swimming at morning, their avocado toast with a mimosa was to die for.

As I used to be a teacher in a culinary school, I often take my guests to visit Culinary Institute of America when we are in Napa. Their restaurants are a great choice for lunch or dinner, and the facilities and market place alone are certainly worth seeing.

Where Should You Stay the Night?

If you are staying the night in Calistoga, you should absolutely choose one of the spa hotels, so you can try out the warm mineral pools. They are amazing! Both Up Valley In Hot Springs and Calistoga Hot Springs are great, but our absolute favorite has been Indian Springs Resort & Spa.

The water in mineral pools comes from hot springs underground and can look a little different from the regular pool water. They say it can be a different color at different times of the year. Some of these hotels also offer mud baths with volcanic mud and other treatments. Last time we did try the mud bath and it was a fun experience.

If you don’t care about the spa, then I would recommend The Bergson, BW Signature Collection or Best Western Inn Stevenson Manor.

🍷🍷🍷

There are definitely many other great wineries at Napa Valley as well, but these are the ones I would recommend. Other wine regions in California, such as Sonoma, Paso Robles and Livermore are well worth a visit.

California is truly a wine lover’s paradise!

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