The Best Napa Valley 2-Day Itinerary For First Time Visitors
Are you dreaming of a trip to Napa Valley where you can stroll through lush vineyards, explore grand estates, and indulge in gourmet dining without breaking the bank? This 2-day Napa Valley itinerary is great for first-time visitors looking to experience the essence of Napa.
After spending a weekend in Napa Valley, I finally understand what all the wine country hype is about. Napa Valley is one of the best places to visit near San Francisco and is synonymous with world-class wine.
However, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to plan the perfect trip for your first visit, especially if you don’t have much of a wine preference to justify spending too much.
In this article, I’ll share our laid back and relatively budget-friendly itinerary to help you enjoy Napa Valley’s food, wine, and various neighbourhoods.
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Summary of our 2-day Napa Valley itinerary
Day 1
- Breakfast at Bouchon Bakery
- Wine tour and picnic lunch (covering 3 wineries in various regions)
- Dinner at Bistro Jeanty
- Stay at Napa Winery Inn
Day 2
- Breakfast at The Model Bakery
- Wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa
- Lunch at Oakville Grocery
- Sunset at Alston Park
- Dinner at Olive & Hay
Where to stay in Napa Valley
Napa Valley offers various types of accommodations, from luxury hotels to charming inns, to suit different budgets and preferences.
Downtown Napa
Staying in downtown Napa is ideal for first-time visitors as it’s a vibrant hub with lots of tasting rooms, restaurants, and boutique shops. You’ll be able to explore the area on foot and experience the local scene. Here are my top picks for where to stay here.
Napa Winery Inn (Most affordable)
We booked this place because it’s cheaper than staying in a hotel. Even though it’s not walking distance away, it’s only a 10-minute drive from both Yountville and downtown Napa. The rooms are really spacious and there’s complimentary breakfast provided.
- Rating: 8.7
- Price: From $169/night ($269/night in summer)
Archer Hotel
One of the couple we met on our wine tour said they were staying at Archer Hotel and really liked it. It’s a boutique hotel with rooftop views and modern amenities, which appeals to those who looking for a stay that’s comfortable and stylish.
- Rating: 9.0
- Price: From $260/night ($400/night in summer)
The Meritage Hotel
We had dinner at the Olive & Hay in The Meritage, and were very impressed by how luxurious and grand the entire hotel was. Since it was the holidays, the decorations here were on point and really created a warm atmosphere.
- Rating: 9.0
- Price: From $330/night ($505/night in summer)
Yountville
Looking for a quieter alternative to downtown Napa? Yountville is a haven for foodies and wine lovers because of its world-class dining and small town charm.
Staying here means that you’ll be in close proximity to the Michelin-starred restaurants and some of the more well-known wineries. However, it will be quite a bit more expensive.
Hotel Yountville
This boutique resort combines rustic charm with modern luxury, with spacious suites and an on-site spa. It’s close to The French Laundry and Bouchon Bistro.
- Rating: 8.7
- Price: From $560/night ($650/night in summer)
St Helena
If you like the idea of staying in a slower-paced area with boutique wineries and beautiful scenery, St. Helena might be perfect for you. It reminded me of Carmel-by-the-Sea when I went there because of its artistic atmosphere and speciality shops.
There are several inns here, though if you have hotel points you can try to redeem them for Alila Napa Valley.
Alila Napa Valley
If you’re looking to indulge in a serene and luxurious experience, Alila Napa Valley is the perfect choice. This is an adults-only resort and offers views of the vineyards and mountains. You can also look forward to the infinity pool and proximity to top wineries like Beringer Vineyards and Charles Krug Winery.
- Rating: 8.5
- Price: From $1,100/night
2-day Napa Valley itinerary
Here’s an ideal itinerary to help you make the most of 2 full days in Napa Valley as a first time visitor. The goal is not to hit all the best spots in this short trip since that could cost a lot and might feel rushed.
Instead, we’ll be getting a sample of various types of wine in Napa Valley for a sense of what wine we like. Good food is important too, and fortunately we’ll have lots of amazing restaurants to choose from in Napa.
Day 1 early morning: Breakfast at Bouchon Bakery (Yountville)
Let’s start your Napa adventure in Yountville with breakfast from Bouchon Bakery. This is one of the most popular breakfast spots, and the line tends to get long.
Come early for first picks of the freshest pastries and grab a coffee to go along. We tried the danish and the ham and cheese croissant – which sound so simple but taste amazing. There are seating areas in the patio with heaters above each table so you can enjoy your breakfast outside.
Day 1 late morning to evening: Join a wine tour (pick up from hotel)
We signed up for a wine tour for Day 1 with the pick up time at 10:30 am from our lodging at Napa Winery Inn. The timing was just perfect since we had time to get breakfast before any wine tasting.
Why join a wine tour
Before deciding on the wine tour, I was researching endlessly and getting winery recommendations from various sources.
It was actually exhausting, especially since I had very little knowledge on wine and had a hard time differentiating each winery. I only knew of the popular ones that have won awards – but their wine tasting fees start from $100 per person.
I was also concerned about having to drive between winery visits, because each wine tasting probably amounts to 1-2 glasses of wine. If we wanted to visit 3 wineries in a day, one way to avoid driving is to hire a private driver.
However this is the most expensive option for 2 people as it would cost $300-$400 for the day ($50 per hour).
We eventually decided to join a small group wine tour for $129 per person. This included curated winery selections and a guide that taught us about Napa Valley.
Best of all, the wine tasting fees (not included with the tour), have been pre-agreed at $25 for each winery visit. This is definitely much cheaper than the minimum $40 we see even for smaller wineries. If you end up buying a bottle of wine, the tasting fee might even be waived.
Overall, this is a great way to sample a variety of wines while leaving the driving to someone else. You might even make some new friends from the small group tour. We were joined by mostly other couples, and there were about 11 of us in total.
Do note that your winery visits may not be the same as ours as it differs each time. If there are wineries you have in mind to check out, you can even request them when signing up for the tour.
Ru Vango Winery
- Location: Carneros
- Wine type: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Tasting fee: $45 ($25 through the group tour)
Our first stop was Ru Vango Winery in the Carneros AVA. This is in the southern region of Napa Valley where it’s the cooler due to the bay fog – the perfect climate for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
We were taken around the winery which included the vineyard, the crusher, the fermentation room and even got to taste wine straight out to the barrel. Afterwards we were free to roam around and enjoy the rest of our wine.
What impressed me the most here was the fine art collection, mostly in the existential surrealism style. In terms of wine, I enjoyed their Chardonnay the most.
Backstage Winery
- Location: Oak Knoll
- Wine type: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Rutherford Cabernet, Oakville Cabernet (sourced from various AVAs)
- Tasting fee: From $45 ($25 through the group tour)
Our next stop was Backstage Winery, now located on property that was previously owned by Andretti Winery. This is the place where we had lunch on the outdoor picnic table where we could enjoy the vineyard view.
While we ate, our Backstage wine educator took us through the wine tastings and various stories about Napa Valley and the family running the business. The interesting thing about Backstage is that they actually source their grapes from several micro-vineyards in various regions all over Napa Valley.
If you’re coming here, you can expect to taste “big and bold” (expressed by our guide) Cabernet Sauvignon that are in the $120 to $160 range per bottle.
Rutherford Ranch Winery
- Location: Rutherford
- Wine type: Cabernet Sauvignon, Red blend, Chardonnay,
- Tasting fee: From $55 ($25 through the group tour)
The last winery is Rutherford Ranch Winery and you’ll hear a lot about the “Rutherford dust” that people love in the Cabernet Sauvignons from this AVA (region). To start, we picked up a glass of white wine and began our tour of the estate.
The wine educator took us through the serene garden and onto the vineyard where he pointed out the famous Auberge restaurant on the hillside. He then asked a volunteer to pick a grape from the vine, and used a refractometer to show us the sugar level of the grape.
This was the only place we ended up buying a bottle of wine, so that we could bring back high quality Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for our Christmas dinner. It could also be that drinking wine through the day made us more impulsive towards the end.
Day 1 dinner: Bistro Jeanty (Yountville)
We got dropped off at our hotel at 5:30pm, and had just enough time to rest before our 6:30pm reservation at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville.
It was a tough one to pick between Bistro Jeanty and Bouchon Bistro, but decided on Bistro Jeanty for a more casual and home-style French dining experience. Do make reservations in advance because this place is popular and will fill up – especially on weekends.
We started with some escargot and French onion soup, followed by a seasonal duck dish and Coq au Vin (chicken). The service was amazing and this meal showed me how good French cuisine can be – outside of France at least.
Day 2 early morning: Breakfast at The Model Bakery (St Helena)
I recommend starting the day early on your second day and get breakfast from The Model Bakery in St Helena. The drive from south to north via the Silverado Trail is way more peaceful and scenic than the busy highway 29, and features vineyards on both sides of the road.
There were quite a lot of people at The Model Bakery when we went there, and barely managed to get a seat for our usual slow breakfast with coffee. The menu had a lot of options, and it felt like there were so many things I could’ve ordered.
It was thanksgiving weekend when we were there, so the streets were filled with festive decoration. Overall, St Helena felt quite laid back and it was a convenient stop before we went further up to Calistoga for our main event of the day.
Day 2 late morning: Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga)
Castello di Amorosa is located in Calistoga, just north of St Helena, and it is one of the most well known attractions in Napa Valley. This is also near where you’ll find the “Welcome to Napa Valley” sign on the northern end of the valley.
This was built by the famous winemaker Dario Sattui, who brought in all the materials from Europe to recreate a 14th-Century Tuscan castle style. There are more than 107 rooms here, with features including a moat, drawbridges, and even a torture chamber.
You’re greeted by Italian Cypress trees as you enter the driveway of the castle grounds, and seeing this medieval castle somehow makes you think you’re in Europe for a brief moment.
Wine tasting in the courtyard
We booked our wine tasting slot at 10:30am so that we could take our time to explore before lunch. It costs $60 per person for the seated tasting experience, and this includes a self guided castle tour.
Compared to the smaller wineries you typically visit on a small group wine tour, Castello di Amorosa would seem to have more of a touristy appeal. I saw mixed reviews about the quality of wine here, but my friends who’ve been here all raved about how cool it was to taste wine in a castle.
As we settled into our seat at the courtyard, our server explained that we could make 5 choices to taste from the menu of reds, whites, and sweet wines. I was skeptical at first, but found myself really enjoying the experience at the end of it.
My favorite was the Gewurztraminer (a dry white wine), and we purchased a bottle to take home. It was also pretty amazing that the server had a story for each of the wines – and we tried 10 different types in total.
Exploring the castle ground
The best thing to do after wine tasting is to take a slow walk, and even better if you get to walk around a castle. We were free to explore on our own, which was nice for us introverts and we aren’t that big on castles and the medieval times anyway.
That said, if you’re interested to see more of the castle, you could pick the wine tasting experience that comes with the Diamond Estate Tour. You’ll get to see the wine production area, the armory, and the torture chamber together with your wine educator.
Day 2 late lunch: Oakville Grocery (Oakville)
Just as our stomachs started rumbling, we drove southwards to Oakville for lunch at the famous Oakville Grocery. They have outdoor seating including picnic benches and a lawn with sofa seats, looking out to the hills around the valley. The famous Opus One Winery is right next to Oakville Grocery too.
This is a great place for a budget-friendly meal as their deli sandwiches are amazing. You can also get coffee here among other beverages. It is also a grocery store where you can purchase wine, spreads, olive oil, and other ingredients local to Napa Valley.
Day 2 evening: Sunset at Alston Park (Oak Knoll)
If you’re visiting in fall or winter when the sun sets before dinner time, it would be nice to watch the sunset at Alston Park just outside downtown Napa. As you climb up the hill you’ll get a glimpse of the surrounding residential neighborhood as well as the vineyards in the distance.
Day 2 dinner: Olive & Hay at The Meritage (Downtown Napa)
Before leaving Napa Valley, grab a last dinner at Olive & Hay at The Meritage as you make your way south. There was a festive atmosphere with the Merry Meritage ice rink and Christmas tree across the road which made it feel really lively.
We ordered a burrata starter, seafood pasta and margarita pizza. The staff were very attentive and having farm-to-table Italian cuisine in this relaxing ambience was just what we wanted.
How much does a trip to Napa Valley cost?
Based on how much we paid for our Napa Valley trip, here’s the cost you can expect for this 2-day itinerary. This excludes the cost of flights or renting a car. We travelled during off-peak season in late fall, so prices might have been lower.
- Accommodation: $485 (for 2 nights)
- Small group wine tour: $154 per person (including tip)
- Tasting fees: $150 per person
- Dining: $225 per person (including tip)
The total cost for two people is around $1,500 USD for a mid-range budget (or $770 USD per person). In contrast, trips here can easily cost more than $1,100 per person.
If you’re planning to buy some wine, budget about $100 to $200 for one or two high quality bottles.
Wrapping up the 2-day Napa Valley itinerary
That’s our itinerary for how you can spend 2 days in Napa Valley without breaking the bank and feeling too rushed. I went away from this weekend getaway with a full stomach and a new appreciation for wine.
If you’re also looking to dip your toes into wine appreciation and to indulge in gourmet dining, Napa Valley is the perfect place for you. Hopefully this post gave you a good starting point for planning your trip here.
If you’re thinking of upgrading some of the options, consider some of these top wineries which are up next on our list places to visit:
- Opus One Winery
- Stag’s Leap Winery
- Chateau Montelena
- Domaine Carnero
- Del Dotto wine caves
When it comes to food, you won’t be able to try it all in just 2 days. If I were to visit again, here are the top restaurants I would look to book:
- Bistro Don Giovanni
- French Laundry (if we’re celebrating something really important)
- Bouchon Bistro
- Auberge
- Ad hoc
- Brix