Last Updated: 2/2/2020 | 2. februar 2020
Napa Valley is easily one of the most well-known wine-producing regions in the world, and last year nearly four million people headed there — it is big company for northern California!
Of course, if you plan on spending some time in Napa Valley and nearby Sonoma, you’ll many likely want to explore some of the 600 wineries in the area. A great way to do this — both to get some local, insider knowledge and so that there’s no need to drink and drive — is to take a Napa red wine tour.
There are nearly as numerous red wine trip options as there are vineyards. I’ve noted some of my favorites here, and you can decide which fits your style and, much more importantly, your budget. just remember that you’ll typically also have to pay tasting fees on top of the trip costs — these vary between $20 and $40 — though numerous will waive that fee if you purchase some wine. also don’t forget, especially if you’re coming from outside the United States, that you’ll need to be 21 or over to join these tours, though some allow children to label along.
1. Napa Valley red wine Trolley
If you’re after something a bit different, then the Napa Valley red wine Trolley is a good way to go. instead of a regular trip bus, you’ll ride on a replica of a cable television car. It’s an open-air car, of course, so make sure you pick the best weather to try this.
Tours leave from the Oxbow Market in Napa; a $99 trip includes four wineries and a casual picnic-style lunch, plus limitless bottled water and soft drinks between tastings. You can upgrade to the full-day Castle trip ($139), which includes a two-hour stop and tasting at Castello di Amorosa.
2. Napa Valley Bike trips
Of course, being a valley full of vineyards, Napa is a really beautiful place, so exploring it by bicycle is a great option. Napa Valley Bike trips provides either guided or self-guided rides, leaving from their store in Yountville. The popular half-day guided trip is $124 per person, with two winery visits and a great guide who’ll give you the full story of the area.
The useful part about the self-guided trips is that besides being able to visit the wineries you choose at your own pace, you still get a box lunch, and any red wine you purchase will be picked up for you (riding with red wine in your backpack gets old really fast). Self-guided trips cost $114 per person and also include comfy bikes, helmets, and all the planning info you need.
3. Calistoga Bikeshop
Another bicycle option is Calistoga Bikeshop, a popular rental shop that also runs guided day trips for $150, including a hybrid bike, a picnic lunch, and pick-up for any red wine you buy. The guides plan a distinct route depending on what the group members want, starting from their shop in Calistoga.
If you have an extra day in the area and don’t need much more wine, Calistoga also provides great mountain biking trips to the Palisades or along the Oat hill Mine Trail.
4. Platypus red wine Tours
Platypus brands itself as the “anti-wine-snob red wine tour,” so if you want to have a fun day learning much more about wine, then this is a good choice. (The name is memorable, but you won’t actually see a platypus anywhere in Napa Valley, in case you’re wondering.)
Platypus runs small-group trips, taking in four wineries for $110 (including a picnic lunch), focusing on small and medium-sized, typically family-owned wineries. You can choose from trips centered on Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, or North Sonoma.
5. active red wine Adventures
As the name suggests, active red wine Adventures provides trips that include much more than just red wine tasting, so it’s a great way to explore Napa Valley. For example, the Hike & red wine trips start with a two-hour hike in some of the valley’s beautiful landscapes and relocation on to a lunch and winery tasting experience. These cost $139 plus lunch because you can choose from a high-end restaurant lunch or a vineyard picnic. They offer similar trips in the Sonoma area, too.
6. green dream Tours
Try some red wine and help the world. green dream has a focus on sustainability: besides using green company practices, it also purchases carbon offsets to balance its use of fuel. Their Napa Valley trips ($144, $154 on weekends) are among the few where the tasting fees at three boutique wineries are included.
Green dream also provides a combo tour, taking in three wineries across Sonoma and Napa Valley, with lunch at the Oxbow Public Market ($139 weekdays, $149 weekends). For visitors to San Francisco, there’s a combo with a trip of Alcatraz plus two Sonoma boutique wineries, for $179.
7. small lot red wine Tours
If you’re coming by car to the Napa Valley region, then small lot can be a really budget-friendly way to delight in a red wine tour. They offer a trip guide who’ll drive your car for you for the day, and design a trip route just best for you, depending on the kind of red wineDu vil smake, hva du vil gjøre for lunsj, og om du planlegger å kjøpe vin. Til $ 50 per time (med et fire timers minimum), hvis du har en bil full av venner, kan dette fungere som en av de rimeligste måtene å utforske Napa, men fremdeles ha lokale ekspertråd.
8. Napa Valley Red Wine Country Tours
Napa Valley Red Wine Country Trips tilbyr heldagsturer fra San Francisco, inkludert en Golden Gate Bridge-fotomulighet, til fire vingårder i Napa- og Sonoma-regionene. Turene inkluderer en piknik lunsj og er vanligvis $ 119 per person (noen ganger er det $ 99 spesialiteter på nettstedet).
For noe litt annerledes, kjører de også rødvinturer rundt Napa-dalen i en åpen kabriolet limousin, inkludert et slottbesøk, for $ 150.
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Det er så mange alternativer for å turnere i Napa -dalen og oppleve all rødvinkulturen området har å tilby, avhengig av din smak og preferanser. Disse forslagene burde garantere at du har en flott dag å utforske en av verdens mange kjente rødvinregioner.
Bestill turen til Napa Valley: Logistiske forslag og triks
Bestill flyet ditt
Bruk Skyscanner eller Momondo for å finne en billig flytur. De er mine to favoritt søkemotorer fordi de søker på nettsteder og flyselskaper over hele kloden, slik at du alltid vet at ingen stein er igjen. Begynn med Skyscanner først, men fordi de har den viktigste rekkevidden!
Bestill overnatting
Du kan bestille vandrerhjemmet ditt med Hostelworld, ettersom de har den viktigste varelageret og de beste tilbudene. Hvis du vil bo et annet sted enn et herberge, kan du bruke booking.com, da de konsekvent returnerer de rimeligste prisene for gjestehus og billige hoteller. Mine favorittsteder å bo er:
Ikke glem reiseforsikring
Reiseforsikring vil ivareta deg mot sykdom, skade, tyveri og kanselleringer. Det er omfattende beskyttelse i tilfelle noe går galt. Jeg drar aldri på tur uten det, da jeg har måttet bruke den flere ganger i fortiden. Mine favorittbedrifter som tilbyr den beste servicen og verdien er:
Sikkerhetsving (for alle under 70)
Forsikre min tur (for de over 70)
MedJet (for ekstra hjemsendelsesdekning)
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Sjekk ut ressurssiden min for de beste selskapene å bruke når du reiser. Jeg lister opp alle de jeg bruker for å spare penger når jeg er på vei. De vil spare deg for penger når du reiser også.
Vil du ha mye mer informasjon om USA?
Sørg for å besøke vår robuste destinasjonsguide for USA for enda mye flere planleggingstips!