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North America : United States of America : California : Bay Area : Napa Valley : Napa

Napa

Napa is in the state of California. Napa is located 50 miles north of San Francisco in the southern end of scenic Napa Valley.

Additional Websites

Local Wally's Guide to Napa (www.NapaTouristGuide.com[1]) is a local guide written for the first time visitor.

Get in

By plane

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO), 650-821-8211, [2].
  • Oakland International Airport (OAK), 510-563-3300, [3].
  • Sacramento International Airport (SMF), 916-929-5411, [4].
  • Napa County Airport, 2030 Airport Road, Phone: 707-253-4300, [5]. No scheduled service. Useful for private planes.

By car

From San Francisco:

Highway 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge (toll), to Highway 37;
Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121;
Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North to Napa.

From San Francisco or East Bay:

Interstate 80 East Over Carquinez Bridge (toll), to Highway 37;
Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121;
Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North to Napa.

From Sacramento and points East:

Interstate 80 West to Highway 12 West;
Highway 12 West / Jamison Canyon Road toward Napa to to Highway 29 North to Napa.

By bus

Get around

  • The Vine [6] Public bus service with several routes in Napa County
  • Downtown Trolley, Phone: +1 707 255-7631, [7]. Daily except Tu 11AM-7PM (F,Sa until 10PM). Stops at 14 locations, including the downtown Napa plaza, Napa Town Center, Napa Premium Outlets, Napa Valley Expo, Wine Train, Fuller Park in Old Town and the public library.
  • Shayne One Limosuine Service, 253 #B Walnut St., Phone: +1 707 258-9999, [8]. Full day tours (4-5 wineries) from Napa $79 per person.
  • Evans Airport Service 4075 Solano Ave+1 707 255-1559 [9] Daily bus service to Oakland and San Francisco Airports. Service also stops at 1000 Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo Courtyard By Marriott across from Marine World for passenger pickup. Other services include scheduled and chartered tours of Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and San Francisco.

See

  • Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, 500 First Street, Phone: +1 707 259-1600, [10]. W-M 10AM-5PM. Note: Copia unexpectedly closed in October of 2008 due to budge problems, and is not expected to re-open any time soon.
  • Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage, 151 Camino Dorado, Phone: +1 707 252-3408, [11]. Watch skilled coopers craft wine barrels.
  • Bridgeford Flying Services, Napa Valley Airport, Airport Rd. (Halfway between Napa and Vallejo), Phone: +1 707 224-0887, [12]. See Napa Valley from the air?
  • Napa Firefighters Museum, 1201 Main St, Phone: +1 707 259-0609. W-Su 11AM-4PM (Call first). Free.
  • Labyrinth at the Methodist Church, 625 Randolph Street at Fifth Street, Phone: +1 707 253-1411. M-F 11AM-2PM. Cool replica of the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral. Walking the labyrinth is considered a sacred act. Donation.

Do

  • Napa Valley Wine Train, 1275 McKinstry Street, Phone: +1 707 253-2111, Toll free: 1-800-427-4124, [13]. Various types of train rides offered for the 36 mile round trip to St. Helena, with or without gourmet dinner. Buy the "flight" of wines at the tasting car. Make this institution part of your trip.
  • Napa Valley Symphony, 860 Kaiser Rd., Phone: +1 707 226-6872. Performs classical and pops repertoire (recent guests include Neil Sedaka, Wynona, Glenn Campbell and Johnny Mathis). Performances are at the Lincoln Theater of Yountville.
  • Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main Street, Phone: +1 707 226-7372, Fax: +1 707 226-5392, [14]. Not just opera.
  • Westwood Hills Park, Browns Valley Road and Laurel St., Phone: +1 707 257- 9529. Nice views of the valley from this park's trails. Children's nature library.
  • Napa River Adventures, Streblow Dr. at Kennedy Park, Phone: +1 707 224-9080, [15]. Guided cruises on the Napa River in quiet electric motor boat ($40). Also kayak rentals.
  • Aerostat Adventures, 603 California St., Toll free: 800-579-0183, Phone: 707-433-3777, Fax: 707-258-8889, [16]. Hot air ballooning.
  • Napa Valley Trail Rides, Phone: +1 707 255-2900, [17]. Horseback riding. Closed in 2006.
  • Go to a wine tasting (or two) at one of the many Napa Valley wineries. Get free "two for one" wine tasting coupons [18]here.

Golf

  • Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park, 2295 Streblow Drive, Phone: +1 707 255-4333, [19]. Eighteen hole, par 72 course.
  • Chardonnay Golf Club, 2555 Jamieson Canyon Road, Tel: 800-788-0136, [20]. Three nine hole courses.
  • Silverado Resort - North and South Courses, 1600 Atlas Peak Road, Toll free: 800-362-4727; Phone: +1 707 257-5586, [21]. Two Robert Trent Jones, Jr. courses.
  • Eagle Vines Golf Club, 580 South Kelly Road, Phone: +1 707 257-4470, [22]. Eighteen hole, par 72, 7,283 yards.

Buy

Napa Premium Outlets off Highway 29 - famous name outlet stores at great savings. [23]

Eat

Budget

  • First Squeeze Deli and Juice Bar, First St. Breakfast and lunch until 3PM.
  • Asia Cafe, 825 Main Street. Phone: +1 707 224-0840. It looks like a hole in the wall, but the food is fantastic. Two people can eat for roughly $7. Tip nice though because they are trying to put their girls through college.
  • Andie's, 1042 Freeway Dr., near the Outlet Mall. (707) 259-1107. Little hamburger stand that shares its location with a detail car wash. Appearances can be deceiving, though. It has the well-deserved reputation of having the best hamburgers in the Napa Valley. It can be very busy around lunchtime though, so it is recommended that you call in your order.
  • Vallergas, a local supermarket. There is one on the corner of Silverado Trail and 1st Street (now JV liquors), and one near Highway 29, in the Redwood Shopping plaza, located at the Redwood and Solano intersection. It has a very fine deli. It is a good place to pick up things for a picnic.

Mid-range

  • Ristorante Allegria, 1026 1st Street, Phone: +1 707 254-8006, [24]. $12-$20. Italian. Recommended.
  • Celadon, 500 Main St, Phone: +1 707 254-9690, [25]. $15-$25.
  • High Tech Burrito, 641 Trancas St., Phone: +1 707 224-8882, [26]. Tex-Mex. $18.
  • Zuzu, 829 Main Street, Tel: +1 707 224-8555, [27]. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM; Fri 11:30AM-12AM; Sat 4PM-12AM; Sun 4PM-9PM. Popular place serves terribly tasty tapas. $10-$30.
  • Taqueria Las Palmas 1730 Yajome St, (707)257-1514. Good all around Mexican food restaurant with a pleasant outdoor dining area. $5 to $15 dollars per person.
  • Mary's Pizza Shack 3085 Jefferson St. (707) 257-3300 Pizza and italian food.
  • Downtown Joes Restaurant & Microbrewery 902 Main St. (707) 258-2337. Downtown, over looking the river. Lively atmosphere, good beer, excellent food, a bit pricy. The menu is very limited. Entrees tend to be $15 - $20 dollars.

Splurge

  • Bistro Don Giovanni
  • FARM at The Carneros Inn 4048 Sonoma Highway +1 707 299-4890, [28]. A relaxing and elegant location, FARM offers both indoor seating, and an outdoor lounge, complete with fire pits and heaters. Extensive wine list with varying prices, currently open for dinner only. Reservations recommended for weekends.

Bakery

  • Sweetie Pies, 520 Main St., Phone: +1 707 257-8817, [29]. Cookie?

Drink

  • The Wineries of Napa Valley, 1285 Napa Town Center, Phone: +1 707 253-9450, [30]. Taste from a selection of 40 wineries, including some of the smaller family vineyards.
  • DG's Nightclub, 530 Main Street, Phone: +1 707 253-8474, [31].

Wineries

  • Artesa Winery, 1345 Henry Road, Phone: +1 707 224-1668, [32]. Built into the mountain, the caves are nice and cool.
  • The Hess Collection, 4411 Redwood Road, Phone: +1 707 255-1144, [33]. Daily 10AM-5PM. Enhanced by the art gallery and self-guided tour. Cabernet Sauvignon and chardonnays shine.
  • Domaine Carneros, 1240 Duhig Rd., Phone: 707-257-0101 ext. 108, [34]. Beautifully landscaped surroundings add to the tastings here. Champagnes, sparkling wines and pinot noir.

Sleep

Budget

  • Napa Valley Travelodge, 853 Coombs Street, Phone: +1 707 226-1871. In Downtown Napa.

Mid-range

  • The Beazley House Bed and Breakfast Inn, 1910 First Street, Toll free: 1-800-559-1649, [35]. Napa Valleys first bed and breakfast located downtown near wineries, vineyards, gourmet restaurants, outlet shopping and Napa's picturesque, Wine Country.
  • Candlelight Inn — a romantic Napa Valley bed and breakfast., 5 Star rated B&B on TripAdvisor and the only California Bed and Breakfast voted a Top 10 Most Romantic Inn in 2007 or 2008. Away from the noisy downtown area, secluded on the bank of the Napa Creek this 1929 Tudor Style was the home of the Napa postmaster. Heated swimming pool & 3-course gourmet breakfasts. 1045 Easum Drive Napa, CA 94558 (707) 257-3717, [36].
  • The Daughters Inn, 1938 First Street, Toll free: 1-866-253-1331, [37]. Historic Bed and Breakfast in downtown Napa. It has sumptuous rooms, luxurious amenities, delightful food & wine, beautiful scenery and gracious hospitality.
  • Embassy Suites Napa Valley Hotel, 1075 California Boulevard, Phone: +1 707 253-9540, [38].Three story, Tuscan, Mediterranean-style full service hotel featuring a millpond and park-like atmosphere. Complimentary full cooked to order breakfast and evening beverage reception. One indoor and outdoor swimming pool, complimentary passes to nearby health club, on-site spa services and sundeck. Meeting space for 10-200pp. Restaurant, Lounge and Business Center.
  • Hawthorn Inn & Suites, 314 Soscol Avenue, Phone: +1 707 226-1878, Fax: +1 707 226-1448, [39]. A swimming pool, free WiFi.
  • John Muir Inn, 1998 Trower Avenue, [40]. John Muir Inn, an affordable Napa Valley, CA resort hotel at the gateway to wine country.
  • Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, 3425 Solano Avenue, Phone: +1 707 253-8600, Fax: +1 707 258-1320, [41]. Just off Highway 29, the Napa Valley Marriott is a modern business hotel.
  • The Napa Inn, Historic Downtown Victorian Bed and Breakfast, 1137 Warren Street, Toll free: 1-800-435-1144, [42].
  • Vino Bello Resort, 865 Bordeaux Way, Phone: +1 707 251-1900, [43]. Wine country is relaxed and peaceful. Your Vino Bello suite is designed to complement your Napa Valley getaway with quiet space and luxurious appointments. Choose from 64 studio, one bedroom or two bedroom condominium-style suites, all decorated with Old World Tuscan charm.

Splurge

  • Silverado Resort, 1600 Atlas Peak Road, ☎ +1 707 257-0200(fax: +1 707 257-2867), [44].  Beware: this hotel shows its lovely antebellum-style mansion on the website but houses guests in 1970's-era condos, a bait-and-switch tacitly acknowledged by the doorman, who rushes to inform you that "no one stays in the mansion," and then drives you 1/4 mile to your room.

Get out

After exploring the other towns in Napa Valley, San Francisco is a good next destination for a day-trip or longer.

This page was last edited at 05:48, on 24 March 2009 by Peter Fitzgerald. Based on work by Amanda, John Curley and Rob Krause, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.