Best Things to Do in Napa Valley

Even if you aren't a wine connoisseur, Napa Valley pairs architectural estates and historic trains with geothermal hot springs, redwood mills and Michelin-starred bakeries. Here are the ten experiences that define a visit.

1. Tour the 13th-century Tuscan castle of Castello di Amorosa & ride the aerial gondola at Sterling Vineyards. Cross a drawbridge into a 107-room stone fortress built from 8,000 tonnes of hand-chiselled stone, then ride North America's only winery aerial tramway 100 metres up a hilltop knoll.
2. Board the vintage 1915 Pullman cars of the Napa Valley Wine Train (or the open-air Wine Trolley). Enjoy a multi-course lunch while gliding 58 kilometres round-trip through the vineyards from Downtown Napa to St. Helena.
3. Sip sparkling brut on the château terrace of Domaine Carneros, Chandon or Schramsberg Caves. Start your morning with a flight of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine overlooking rolling Carneros hills.
4. Drive the scenic Silverado Trail & taste world-famous Cabernet in Oakville and Rutherford. Visit Opus One, Robert Mondavi, Inglenook and Stag's Leap.

5. Stroll culinary Yountville (The French Laundry Gardens & Bouchon Bakery). Walk through Thomas Keller's culinary gardens across the street from The French Laundry and pick up macarons and croissants at Bouchon Bakery.
6. Float over the valley at dawn in a Sunrise Hot-Air Balloon or pedal the car-free Vine Trail. Lift off at sunrise over geometric rows of grapevines and rent an e-bike between Napa and Yountville.
7. Explore St. Helena: 1876 Beringer Rhine House & the Culinary Institute of America (Greystone). Tour California's oldest continuously operating winery and the massive 1889 stone castle of the CIA.
8. Soak in volcanic mineral pools & mud baths in Calistoga. Relax in naturally heated 38°C geothermal pools and watch California's Old Faithful Geyser erupt.

9. Graze through Downtown Napa's Oxbow Public Market & First Street. Sample Hog Island oysters, artisan cheeses and tacos beside the Napa River.
10. See the 1846 waterwheel at Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park & hike redwoods. Pack a picnic from Oakville Grocery.