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From Travel Information and Popular Attractions: TravelName.com

Napa Valley in California is one of the most popular wine growing regions in the world with hundreds of wineries nestled together, most of which are open for visitors. No amount of time is enough for exploring this countryside with world class restaurants, spas and a romantic lifestyle along with world's best and famous wineries. As compared to Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley is more commercialized with a larger number of Wineries and population hence, attracting more tourists. It is just 35 miles long and is relatively more condensed. Wineries of Napa Valley offer some of the most interesting and edifying wine tours in North America if not in the world making Napa the ideal place for a ultimate Wine Country experience. Most of the large wineries, popular restaurants, hotels and shops are located along a single road, CA 29. Silverado Trail is another popular road for wineries and runs parallel to CA 29, this road is less crowded and therefore sometimes it is preferred over CA 29 since the traffic moves faster on this road.

Any time of the year is a good time to visit Napa Valley but September to October is the best time when the grapes are being pressed.

It is best to got to the "Napa Conference & Visitors Bureau" first in order get complete information on the Napa Valley and its Vineyards and then plan your trip accordingly. You could also call in advance and order a $10 package that includes a Napa Valley guide and several Brochures or simply log on to www.napavalley .com and get all the information for free. Wine tasting is the most popular attraction of these wineries and the best way to do that is by randomly stopping at any of the wineries and enjoying the country wine. Most of these wineries offer FREE wine tasting up to four selections and further premium wine tasting costs apx. $2 to $5 each.

Getting to Napa Valley:

Starting from San Francisco, head north on U.S. 101 and then turn east on CA-37 towards Vallejo and then north on CA-29 on to the main road of Napa Valley. Another option is to take the scenic route of CA-37 to highway 121/12 and then CA-29 following the signs towards Napa.

Napa Valley has over 250 wineries and each one of them is unique in itself offering distinct wines and ambience. Since it is not possible to visit all the wineries in one trip, it is best to talk to the locals and go to wineries that suite your interest. It is better to cover not more than 5 to 6 wineries in a day in order to enjoy the real essence of each one of them and have a more intimate experience. Most of the wineries operate daily between 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. However, some wineries do require a reservation whereas most of them entertain walk ins without any reservation. If you have a particular winery in mind that you would like to visit, it is best to call first. Even though each winery is special in its own way, some popular wineries of Napa Valley are -

Napa tourist attractions and popular activities

Napa Valley Wineries and Wine Tasting:

With over 250 Wineries, Napa Valley is one of the largest and the most popular wine producing regions in the world. It is just 35 miles long with over 40,000 acres of land planted to grapes. Most of these Wineries are open for visitors and offer Wine Tasting and Wine Tours providing excellent wine education. Some of the Napa Valley Wineries also offer picnic facilities with memorable opportunities to celebrate any occasion with family and friends. Most of the wineries are located on CA 29 whereas Silverado Trail also has popular wineries and has less traffic. While most of the wineries do not require a reservation, it is best to call in first if you have any particular winery in mind. Since Wine Tasting is a major Napa Valley attraction, most of the wineries offer some FREE Wine tasting with an additional charge of $2 to $5 each for other premium wine tasting. Besides wine tasting there are several other things to do in Napa.

Petrified Forest
The magnificent Petrified Forest in Calistoga will take you back to an era of more than three million years ago. It consists of giant redwood trees that turned into stones millions of years back after being covered from the ash of the Volcano that erupted three million years ago. According to Geologists it is one of the finest examples of a Pliocene fossil forest in the world. The area also has a small famous museum with interesting fossils and a small gift shop with crystals and petrified wood that make good souvenirs to take back home. It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm in the winters and 9 am to 6 pm in the summers, it is best to call in first for group tours.

Old Faithful Geyser
Throwing hundreds of gallons water high up in the air like a giant fountain, the spectacular performance of the Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga is a must see natural wonder and famous attraction of Napa Valley. Boiling hot water shoots up to 60 feet up in the sky at regular periods of half an hour, while spectators gather around it, trying to catch a good picture. It is one of the three Geysers in the world that perform at regular intervals and have earned the name of "Old Faithful". Along With the Geyser, the area also has a small gift shop and a picnic area for family get together and fun. It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm in the winters and 9 am to 6 pm in the summers.

Napa Premium Outlets
Napa Factory Outlets are located at 629 Factory Stores Drive, Napa, CA 94558 (In the city of Napa; First Exit off Hwy. 29 ). The stores are open daily 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sundays. Being close to San Francisco with over 50 stores, the Napa Premium Outlets are more popular than Petaluma Village Premium Outlets and Vacaville Premium Outlets. You will get a opportunity save 25% to 60% on popular brand stores. Some of the popular brands at the outlets are Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Barneys New York Outlet, Gap Outlet, Calvin Klein, Coach, Cole Haan, Jones New York, Kenneth Cole, Liz Claiborne, Banana Republic, Timberland, Bass, Fossil Company Store, Zales and more.

Napa Valley Hot Air Ballooning
Floating high up in the air is probably the dream of any one of us, Napa Valley Air Ballooning has made this dream come true and is a popular attractions of Napa Valley. With excellent weather for Hot Air Ballooning, rides are possible almost all year round. The one hour Napa Valley Hot Air Balloon flights begin in the morning when the winds are gentle, air is cooler and the Valley shines like a jewel due to the rising sun. It is one of the most romantic and adventurous ways of exploring the beauty of the Napa Valley and enjoying the spectacular views of the region. Most balloons launch early in the morning from the Yountville area. Several companies offer Hot Air Balloon rides and the package usually consists of the ride first followed by a glass of traditional Champaign and authentic breakfast after the ride. Depending upon the package, the cost of the ride ranges anywhere from $195 to $260 per person.

Napa Wine Train
Being one of the most famous attraction of Napa Valley, the glorious wine train journey begins at Napa to St. Helena and back to Napa. Since this Wine Train offers breathtaking views, relaxed atmosphere, elegant surrounding along with food and wine, it is one of the best ways to explore the Napa Valley which is one of the top wine producing areas in the world. The three hour round trip covers 36 miles of Napa Valley vineyards along with the options of Brunch, lunch and dinner. There are three seating arrangements all serving gourmet food and premier wines. One of the settings is a open air arrangement where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Napa Valley Wineries along with outstanding food and sparkling wine. This elegantly decorated wine train is also an ideal place for celebrating any occasion with friends and family.

Along with the above famous attractions of Napa Valley, there are several Art Galleries and Museums also, the most popular is the Volakis Gallery in Yountville. There are several other things to do like Bicycle tours, Kayaking & Boating, Shopping, Spas, Golf Courses and hiking trails to add some more fun and adventure to your trip.

Popular wineries in Napa:

Artesa Vineyards & Winery
(707)224-1668

The Hess Collection Winery
(707)255-1144

Trefethen Vineyards
(707)255-7700

Clos Du Val
(707)261-5200

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
(707)944-2020

Popular Wineries in Yountville:
Domain Chandon
(707)944-2280

Popular Wineries of Oakville:
Plumpjack Winery
(707)945-1220

Robert Mondavi Winery
(707)226-1395

Opus One
(707)944-9442

Popular Wineries in RutherFord:
Swanson Vineyards
(707)967-3500

Sawyer Cellars
(707)963-1980

St. Supery Winery
(707)963-4507

Niebaum-Coppola
(707)968-1100

Popular Wineries of St. Helena

V. Sattui Winery
(707)963-7774

Prager Winery
(707)963-7678

Charles Krug Winery
(707)963-5057

Popular Wineries of Calistoga:

Frank Family Vineyards
(707)942-0859

Schramsberg
(707)942-2424

Clos Pegase