Marie Claire

After a difficult pandemic year, Northern California’s wine country is welcoming the public back to its vineyards, wineries, and tasting rooms—just in time for harvest season August through October. Napa Valley is at the top of many travelers' lists, attracting oenophiles with its more than 375 winery tasting rooms and another 90 urban tasting rooms (off-site locations that aren't on winery grounds). Although the idyllic small towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga that make up Napa Valley are used to accommodating surges of out-of-town guests, it’s more important than ever to secure reservations and confirm activities in advance due to capacity limitations and high demand.

Napa Valley may be known as a wine and culinary mecca, but the activities and sightseeing don’t stop there. Bike tours, river expeditions, spa treatments, and art galleries make for a needed break between winery visits. While private tours and the Napa Valley Wine Train are a solid option for transport, a rental car offers the most flexibility. Some hotels even offer guests complimentary car service and bike rentals. Napa County technically has its own small airport, but the majority of visitors opt for one of the larger nearby hubs: Oakland (63 miles), San Francisco (70 miles), or Sacramento (75 miles).