Luxury California: San Francisco to Napa Valley with the wine train

Itinerary in brief:

• 3 nights San Francisco
• 3 nights Napa Valley

Day 1: Arrive San Francisco

On arrival you will make your own way into the city and check into your hotel for 3 nights.

Day 2 & 3: San Francisco

Take your time exploring San Francisco – start by exploring Union Square where you’ll find designer shops and restaurants before hopping on the cable car down towards Fisherman’s Wharf where you can eat clam chowder on the harbour front overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. We’ve included a trip over to Alcatraz where you can learn about the history of the island before using the hop on hop off bus service to further explore the city – you can stroll through the Mission district searching for the best burrito, check out the Palace of Fine Arts near the marina, wiggle your way down Lombard Street or soak in the Beat Poetry at City Lights Books. Finish your time with a dim sum dinner in Chinatown before driving over the bridge for evening views back towards the city.y.

Day 4: Drive to Napa Valley 

Today you will collect your rental car and drive to Napa Valley. It’s only an hour’s drive to Napa so you can either today enjoying San Francisco and head over in the afternoon or you can could head north and visit Point Reyes National Seashore, where you’ll find windswept beaches and beautiful views over the Pacific Ocean. Whatever time you arrive in Napa, you’ll check into your hotel for 3 nights and get ready for a few days of wine tasting!

Day 5 & 6: Napa Valley 

Spend your 2 days here exploring the vineyards and learning about the viticulture in Napa Valley and neighbouring Sonoma, one of the most famous wine regions in the world. We’ve included a trip on the luxury Wine Train, a restored locomotive that snakes through the valley giving you spectacular views over the vines as you enjoy a gourmet meal. Napa Valley is also famous for its food – local chefs raid the farmers markets for the best produce, resulting in some of the finest restaurants in the USA; a restaurant in Napa called French Laundry has twice been voted best restaurant in the world.

Day 7: Depart San Francisco   

Today is your final day in California – take one final stroll round your favourite vineyard and pick up any last minute purchases before driving back to San Francisco Airport and dropping off your rental car in time to catch your onwards flight.