Home > Travel Guide > Marin County Scenic Drive > Napa Valley Scenic Drive
Napa Valley Scenic Drive
Exploring the Napa Valley and Sonoma Wine Country
Visiting Calistoga Hot Springs
Driving the Silverado Trail
This wonderful scenic drive highlights the most beautiful portions of the Napa Valley and Sonoma Wine Country, but is not meant as an in-depth connoisseur’s tour of wineries. You don't need to love wines in order to enjoy this scenic drive. At times, you’ll feel as if you’re driving in France, Italy, Portugal, or Spain.
Although many people visit only the most southern portions of the California Wine Country nearest San Francisco, we urge you to explore the northernmost and most scenic parts of the Napa and Sonoma valleys on this drive. These are the most rugged and least commercial.
During this drive, you'll also follow the scenic Silverado Trail along the eastern edge of Napa Valley. This takes you back to what all of Napa Valley was like years ago.
You'll travel through historic and picturesque towns like Yountville, Calistoga Hot Springs, St. Helena, Rutherford, Napa, Sonoma, and Glen Ellen, with the chance to stop at the most prestigious wineries and restaurants.
With an early start, you can easily do this drive in one day. You'll be driving just over 200 miles—under five hours excluding stops. However, spend extra days if you want to explore the Wine Country in depth.
Starting your Napa Valley scenic drive
For most travelers, your Napa Valley scenic drive starts northbound on the Golden Gate bridge. For directions to the bridge
- from downtown San Francisco (Union Square) or Fisherman's Wharf , see Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II a.
- from San Francisco International Airport, see Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II b
From the Marin County scenic drive, begin at Santa Rosa below.
Or, you can start the drive from Charles M. Schulz Sonoma Country Airport in Santa Rosa.
Just head east on Airport Boulevard, then south on the U.S. 101 freeway, and then east on scenic Highway 12 to begin the tour.
Golden Gate Bridge
As you leave San Francisco, stay in the right lane as you travel northbound over the Golden Gate Bridge. You are on U.S. Highway 101.
This is the most scenic exit from San Francisco.
At the north end of the bridge, take the off ramp on your right marked “Vista Point” for fantastic views of the bridge, bay, and San Francisco skyline. Even in fog, you may be able to glimpse these.
Get back on northbound 101.
As you travel quickly north on the 101 freeway, you'll begin to pass vineyards. These produce sweeter wines than the drier Napa Valley region.
Santa Rosa
Soon, you'll arrive in Santa Rosa, the hometown of the Peanuts cartoon strip, and the largest city in Napa or Sonoma counties. (Have "pop-up windows" enabled for these helpful links to work.)
In Santa Rosa, Luther Burbank found a climate ideal for creating new plants. He tested 30,000 new types of plums alone in this area and especially loved to work with roses, including his creation, the popular Burbank rose. Santa Rosa has hosted the Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival in his honor for over 100 years.
Santa Rosa and Sonoma were as far north as most Spanish settled. In the coastal towns north of the Bay Area (as well as in a few neighborhoods of San Francisco), you'll find a distinctly New England influence, which seems so unlike California. Because no transcontinental railroad reached California during the gold rush period, prospectors sailed around South America—often from New England ports—and bought their tastes in architecture with them.
Northern Sonoma Valley
When you reach central Santa Rosa, exit Highway 101 onto the eastbound California Highway 12 freeway. If you're arriving from our Marin scenic drive, just stay eastbound on Highway 12.
Continue on Highway 12, which soon becomes a two-lane road. Driving here can be slow during the grape harvest season.
You'll soon reach the rustic upper region of Sonoma Valley, one of the most scenic portions of your trip.
This is nice countryside.
In late August and September, you’ll see plump clusters of grapes on the vines ready for harvest. During October and November, the leaves turn to autumn colors. However, any season is a nice time to visit.
As mentioned, this itinerary suggests scenic routes. It does not critique the wineries you pass. However, this area and adjacent Napa Valley produce most of the finest California wines, although our "Sideways" friends in the Santa Ynez Valley might disagree a bit.
Please be sure to use a designated driver if you stop to sample wines.
Sonoma
Highway 12 brings you to Sonoma.
The newer areas of Sonoma may not make it the most picturesque city in the California Wine Country, but Highway 12 takes you past its venerable plaza, a nice area for walking.
The Sonoma State Historical Park website offers limited information. You're best just to walk around the plaza and its side streets, the heart of the historic area.
Napa Valley
From Sonoma, continue south and then east on Highway 12 towards Napa.
At Napa, take the California Highway 29 expressway northbound toward St. Helena.
This brings you into the heart of Napa Valley.
The railway that runs parallel to Highway 29 hosts the Napa Valley Wine Train, one of the most popular tourist railways in the country.
From Highway 29, take the exit marked Yountville on your right.
This runs into Washington Street, the main commercial street.
You'll travel through the heart of Yountville, an especially attractive small Napa Valley town.
Continue on Washington Street to its junction with Highway 29.
Go right—north—on 29.
After passing Rutherford, another Napa Valley trading town, you'll reach St. Helena, the quintessential Wine Country town and commercial center of the northern Napa Valley.
St. Helena
Besides an attractive downtown, St. Helena has two must stops. While here, also be sure that you have ample gasoline for the next portion of your drive.
Just after entering St. Helena, you'll notice "Taylor's Automatic Refresher" on your left at 933 Main Street. This pre-MacDonald's era fast food place may have the best "fast food" in the U.S. Taylor's receives outstanding coverage in the food press.
Upscale Taylor's serves all the regular burgers and such, and does them really well, but it's the unusual items (for a fast food place) that attract us most.
Look for absolutely delicious fish tacos made with grilled Mahi Mahi, sweet potato fries "dusted in chile spice," an ahi burger "rare with ginger wasabi mayo," a rich white pistachio malt (I'm addicted), and on and on.
Vegans and Vegetarians are well served, and there's an extensive and well thought out wine list by the bottle, half bottle, and glass. May we suggest Taylor's Rombauer Chardonnay with your fish tacos? (Just kidding.)
In lieu of wine, drivers may wish to enjoy the excellent fresh lemonade while sitting at one of the sheltered picnic tables that surround this spot.
Past downtown St. Helena, just before you leave St. Helena, look for the graduate school of the Culinary Institute of America, the premier cooking school in the U.S., on your left. This is where the best chefs in the country come for advanced training, and you can sample their dishes.
On the Internet, check out the Greystone Restaurant of the Culinary Institute open to the public. See the pages of the California Branch. If serious about dining here, book early. There's also a very nice gift shop you can visit, cooking demonstrations to attend, and the grounds of this former monastery explore.
Calistoga
From St. Helena, continue northbound on Highway 29 toward Calistoga Hot Springs.
When you reach the main intersection in Calistoga, turn right onto Lincoln Avenue toward the town center, where you'll continue to follow Highway 29.
Calistoga is a true hot springs spa town. Hot springs lace the area. If you wish, “take the waters” at any place that appeals to you. Coed public areas at these spas require swimsuits, so please don’t forget to pack these.
Because these are not super deluxe spas, don’t worry if you’re dressed informally. You won't pay a lot either.
See the excellent Calistoga Chamber of Commerce website for descriptions and directions.
Continue eastbound on Lincoln Avenue, Highway 29, through Calistoga.
Silverado Trail
Just past the commercial area of Calistoga, make a sharp right turn onto Silverado Trail. If you start going steeply uphill on Highway 29, you've missed this turn.
The Silverado Trail takes you away from the commercial areas of Napa Valley—and, note, also away from service stations and restaurants.
You'll follow the base of the mountains that adjoin the eastern side of the Napa Valley, and go back to another era. This pleasant wine country will be a highlight of your scenic drive.
Napa
Eventually, Silverado Trail reaches a "T" junction on the outskirts of the town of Napa.
- OPTION ONE - BYPASSING CENTRAL NAPA
If you're tired by now, turn right onto Trancas Street, and follow it to southbound Highway 29. (Be in the left lanes once you pass the Safeway and Target.)
Take the southbound Highway 29 onramp to your left.
Then join our Napa city center group below.
- OPTION TWO - NAPA CITY CENTER
If you wish to visit Napa, carefully turn left onto Trancas Street from the Silverado Trail.
Almost immediately, turn right onto the continuation of Silverado Trail. This is now California Highway 121.
Go southbound on Silverado Trail, Highway 121.
Turn right on First Street. (This is one way. People traveling the other direction use Second Street.)
After crossing the Napa River and a major intersection at Soscol Avenue, you'll reach the pleasant and very upscale Napa city center, a great area to explore on foot. There are many fine restaurants in this area that serve both visitors and a large and wealthy retirement community.
Several blocks after the town center, turn left onto Jefferson Street, and head southbound.
Then turn right onto Imola Avenue, which puts you back on Highway 121.
Stay in the right lane.
After crossing under the Highway 29 expressway, immediately take the southbound Highway 29 onramp on your right.
- EVERYONE now should be driving southbound on Highway 29.
Returning to San Francisco or San Francisco International (SFO)
We have three great routes to get you back to San Francisco or San Francisco International Airport from Napa. Fast or scenic. Your choice.
Go to Returning to San Francisco or San Francisco International from Napa.
For hotels, resorts, or camping, check our Marin, Napa, and Sonoma accommodation suggestions.
All best wishes for an fantastic trip!
Save up to 75% on 4-star Marin County hotels!
Save up to 75% on 4-star San Francisco hotels!
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part I (Introduction)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II a (Reaching Marin from S.F.)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II b (Reaching Marin from SFO)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II c (Reaching Marin from Oakland)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part III (Marin County scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part IV (Napa Valley scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part V (Accommodation suggestions)
