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While a weekend in Napa Valley makes for a wonderful getaway, not everyone has the time to take that long of a trip. Plus, hotels in Napa are expensive. Don’t worry though, other options are available that don’t require an overnight visit to Wine Country. There are a variety of Napa Valley wine tours from San Francisco to fit every budget & schedule. Given how much it can cost to stay in Napa, these wine tours from San Francisco to Napa can actually save you money!
How far is Napa Valley from San Francisco?
Napa Valley is only about 50 miles away from San Francisco. The drive takes about an hour to an hour and a half depending on traffic & your destination winery. It’s an easy distance for a day trip.
However, if you’re planning on wine tasting in Napa, you’ll then have to deal with the consideration of not getting back behind the wheel. I highly recommend taking a wine tour from San Francisco to Napa Valley & leaving the driving to someone else. Then you can properly enjoy the wine as well as the beautiful scenery along the way.
Napa Wine Tours from San Francisco
There are plenty of different Napa wine tours to suit every budget. These first tours are larger group tours. Tickets for these wine tours of Napa are cheaper, making them the best value options for those who want to go to Wine Country. Many of the tours also include stops at popular local highlights such as Muir Woods, Golden Gate Bridge, and Sausalito.
There are also small group tours to Napa available further below, as well as private Napa tours. If you’re traveling with a larger group, be sure to check out the latter options as they might actually be more economical than buying individual tickets on a group wine tour, and you can also customize your trip.
Book your hotel in San Francisco Bay Area now!San Francisco: Redwood & Wine Country Tour with Lunch & Wine
This wine tour from San Francisco to Napa and Sonoma by Extranomical Tours is an especially good choice for foodies. While many of the Napa wine tours on my list don’t include lunch, instead opting for free time for you to get food on your own, this tour includes a gourmet lunch with wine pairings at Plaza Bistro on Sonoma Plaza. For those who aren’t interested in the lunch, they also offer the same tour without it.
Before lunch, the Napa wine tour heads from San Francisco to Muir Woods, one of my favorite places in the Bay Area.
Muir Woods National Monument is a gorgeous redwood forest located just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. While there are many tours that focus on Muir Woods & Sausalito, there are also tours such as this one that combine a visit to Muir Woods with wine tasting in Napa & Sonoma.
In addition to Muir Woods and the lunch with wine pairings, there are also visits to 3 local wineries, including wine tastings.
Book a Redwood & Wine Country Tour with Lunch & Wine from San Francisco
San Francisco: Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour
Grey Line San Francisco offers a group bus tour to Wine Country that is purely focused on wine tasting. The tour stops at 3 wineries in Napa & Sonoma, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge. Read reviews of the tour here.
Along the way, you will learn about the history of the area & the winemaking process. There is also a stop for lunch (self-selected).
Some of the potential winery tour stops include Madonna State Winery, Roche Winery, BR Cohn Winery, Muscardini Winery, and Ru Vango Winery.
Book a Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tour San Francisco
From San Francisco: Napa & Sonoma Valley Full-Day Wine Trip
Tower Tours offers a full-day wine tour of Napa & Sonoma from San Francisco. The tour stops at 3 different local wineries, as well as a lunch break at Downtown Sonoma Square. You can either get lunch on your own or opt for their included lunch option. Read reviews of the tour here.
The winery visits include tastings & estate tours, along with learning about the wine-making process.
If you are short on time or budget, they also offer this similar half-day tour that includes stops at two Napa & Sonoma wineries.
Potential wine-tasting stops include Madonna Estates, Muscardini Cellars, Sutter Home, and Ru Vango Winery.
Book a Napa & Sonoma Valley Full-Day Wine Trip from San Francisco
San Francisco: Muir Woods, Sausalito, and Wine Country Tour
This Wine Country tour from Tower Tours includes stops in the beautiful Muir Woods & Sausalito as well.
After meeting the bus, the tour heads across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods to see the coastal redwoods. This is followed by a lunch break in the seaside town of Sausalito.
Following lunch, the tour heads north for tastings at two wineries in Napa & Sonoma.
Book a Muir Woods, Sausalito, and Wine Country Tour from San Francisco
Small Group Napa Wine Tours from San Francisco
If being on a larger tour bus isn’t your style, there are also plenty of small group tours from San Francisco to Napa. These small-group wine tours offer the benefits of not being in a crowd while still being reasonably priced.
San Francisco: Small-Group Napa Valley Tour for Wine Lovers
For those looking for a great full-day wine tour of Napa, Extranomical Tours offers this tour that includes several local hotspots.
After being picked up at your downtown SF hotel, your driver will head to Napa Valley, telling you all about Wine Country on the way. Tour guide Randall is especially well-liked by reviewers. The first stop of the tour is the famed Castello di Amorosa, designed in the style of a 13th-century castle.
Following a tour & wine tasting, there is a photo stop at the Napa Valley Welcome Sign. Then it’s time for lunch in Calistoga.
The next portion of the Napa Valley winery tour from San Francisco includes stops at a couple of other Napa wineries such as the award-winning V. Sattui, Ru Vango, Madrigal, Tamber Bey, and Kieu Hoang.
Finally, on the way back to San Francisco from Napa, the bus stops for photos at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Book a San Francisco Small-Group Napa Valley Tour for Wine Lovers
From San Francisco: Muir Woods Wine Tour with Napa & Sonoma
For those who are looking to enjoy some of the natural beauty of the Bay Area, look no further than this Wine Country tour from Incredible Adventures. Their small group wine tours from San Francisco include Muir Woods in addition to stops at two wineries.
The tour has a maximum of 13 guests and travels in a petroleum-free biofueled mini-coach.
After being picked up at a San Francisco hotel, the tour begins by heading to Muir Woods for an hour of hiking. This is followed by a lunch stop at Sonoma Plaza.
The afternoon continues with wine tasting in Napa & Sonoma. The wineries visited are subject to change but can include Larson Family, Cline Cellars, Kiue Hoang, Robledo Family, Roche, Ru Vango, and more.
Finally, there is a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge before being dropped off back in San Francisco. This tour is a great way to see some of the highlights of the area while still getting to go wine tasting.
Book a Muir Woods Wine Tour with Napa & Sonoma from San Francisco
Private Napa Wine Tours from San Francisco
For those who are looking for a more intimate & customizable experience, I recommend one of these private Napa Wine tours. These tours let you set your own schedule without having to be rushed or waiting for a busload of people. If you are traveling with enough people, these private Napa tours can actually be even cheaper than booking tickets on a larger tour!
Napa Valley Tour by Private Car from San Francisco
This private wine tour from San Francisco by Dingo Tours is fully customizable. You can select two or three Napa (or Sonoma) wineries that you want to visit, and they will take care of the driving. Pick-ups are from the location of your choice. They also can help recommend great local restaurants.
Book a Napa Valley Tour by Private Car from San Francisco
Guided Private Wine Tour to Napa and Sonoma Wine Country
Edge of the World Tours offers exclusive, private wine tours to Napa and Sonoma wine country from San Francisco or other nearby locations such as Marin.
You can book a private tour for up to 13 people, customizing your winery tours in Napa & Sonoma. If you have particular wineries that you want to visit, they will be happy to work with you to create the perfect wine-tasting day trip to Napa.
Each tour generally includes 3-4 different wineries to suit your desires and budget. You can choose to visit small boutique wineries, larger wineries, or a combination of both. They also offer add-ons such as a cave visit or Muir Woods, as well as lunch recommendations.
Book a Guided Private Wine Tour to Napa and Sonoma Wine Country
As you can see, there are plenty of great Napa Valley wine tours from San Francisco available. Click here for even more Napa tour options.
Here are some great San Francisco tours & other things to see & do in the city.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out these San Francisco hotels.
