Napa Valley Bachelorette Party Itinerary and Ideas: All of the Wineries and Restaurants We Visited and Reviews
Thinking about visiting Napa Valley for your Bachelorette Party and looking for some ideas of where to go? Or just planning a Napa Valley trip and need some help with your itinerary? You’ve come to the right place!
When I got engaged and started thinking about where to visit for my Bachelorette Party, Napa was immediately one of the first places that came to mind. I love wine, and this has been a Bucket-list location for me for the longest time. I’m 29, and the rest of our group is also late 20s/early 30s, so this seemed like it would be a good place for a somewhat older crowd. We are all the type that prefer day drinking and being in bed by 10pm haha. (But don’t be fooled, wine tastings WILL get you tipsier/drunker than anticipated). When I asked my friends, everyone was really excited about Napa Valley for my bachelorette trip, which made this location a no-brainer for me. We went in early August, about two months before the wedding.
I have to give a big shout out to my two older sisters for planning and arranging everything for our trip to Napa! I had some specific requests of wineries and vibes, but overall I left it in their hands and they did an amazing job. Also, thank you to my bestie Bri for being the content queen for the weekend and capturing most of these photos! While I was researching for my own trip, I wasn’t able to find much about planning a bachelorette party in Napa Valley. So my hope is sharing this will be helpful for anyone considering Napa Valley as a bachelorette party destination!
Day 01 | Arrival into San Francisco, Checking in at our Airbnb, & Exploring Downtown Napa
Checked into AirBNB in downtown Napa & GOT SETTLED IN
We flew into SFO and arranged for a sprinter van to drive us into Napa. By the time we got our luggage, it was around noon, and seriously, people are not kidding when they say the traffic is insane! Depending on your arrival time, I would recommend grabbing a bite to eat before you depart or plan a stop along the way.
We checked into our AirBNB, linked here. It was the perfect location and price, but apparently it is not Bachelorette party friendly. One girl in our group arrived before us, and the host’s husband dropped by to take out the trash and asked what we were here for. My friend mentioned we were visiting Napa Valley for a bachelorette party, and shortly after I received a text from the AirBNB host saying that bachelorette parties are not allowed. There was no mention of it in the description or house rules. It ended up being alright, but we felt pretty unwelcome from the beginning and it started the weekend off on a really stressful note for me.
If you take any advice from this entire blog post - if you are visiting Napa Valley as a bachelorette party, do NOT mention it to anyone. Be conspicuous about it, and just tell people it’s a girl’s weekend! I had read this advice while researching Napa Valley as a location for my bachelorette party, but I didn’t realize how true it actually was til we were there. Bachelorette parties in Napa can get a bad rep because people assume you’ll be overly drunk and causing a scene, and even if that is not case, like us, it’s better to err on the side of caution and keep it on the down low so you don’t risk bad service or being denied reservations.
Drinks at Wine Girl Napa
Wine Girl Napa was a place I found on Instagram and sent to my sisters, because it seemed like it would be the perfect vibe to kick the weekend off and looked bachelorette-party-friendly. It was very Instagrammable, but honestly the service was pretty terrible and slow. Which is not something I’d say very often! We made a reservation but were crammed onto two small couches and had to pull up a chair to fit us all around a coffee table that was awkwardly short for us, and just overall felt a little uncomfortable. I had an aperol spritz which was okay albeit a little watered down, and we ordered a round of Barbie shots (I mean, we had to) that were pretty gross and warm. It could have just been our experience / a busy afternoon / they didn’t want to deal with a bigger group, but this is the one place I wouldn’t recommend. If you check out their Google reviews, there are quite a few negative ones like this.
The Verdict: Wine Girl Napa is good for bachelorette parties and cute pics, but not good for much else. I can’t say I recommend it, beyond stopping by for a drink if you have no other options.
Dinner at Celadon IN DOWNTOWN NAPA
Celadon is highly recommended on most Napa Valley Itineraries, and for good reason! The food and wine are delicious, and the vibes are immaculate. After our not-so-great experience at Wine Girl Napa, this was a welcomed reprive. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgable, and answered any questions we had about the menu and wine. We ordered a few bottles, and decided to order several dishes and share them. The pasta was so good, and overall it was just a cozy and charming atmosphere.
The Verdict: Be sure to check out Celadon restaurant on your trip to Napa Valley for a rustic atmosphere, delicious food, and wine!
SUNSET VIEWS & aFTER-DINNER Drinks at Sky & Vine Rooftop
After dinner, we went to Sky & Vine Rooftop for a nightcap before heading home. It was a really fun atmosphere, where you can take in the sunset and gorgeous views of Napa Valley from the rooftop bar. Sky & Vine Rooftop was very accommodating of our group of 8 girls, and it gave us that perfect amount of “nightlife” without the temptation of staying out too late and ruining the next day!
The Verdict: Definitely check out Sky & Vine Rooftop in Napa Valley for your bachelorette party or trip. Plan to get there around sunset to take in the beautiful views!
Day 02 | Winery hopping in a retro Volkswagen Van, & dinner out in downtown Napa Valley
Riding in STYLE in a VW Bus WITH West Wine Tours
One of my sister’s friend’s had just planned a bachelorette party in Napa Valley for her own sister, and one activity they did was go on a wine tour in a retro Volkswagen van. When my sister told me about this, I was sold. This was one of my main requests - because how cute is it?! Growing up, I was always obsessed with these retro vans and wanted one of my own haha, so this seemed like a good alternative and such a unique experience. The price was pretty reasonable at around ~$120/person for 3 winery stops, and included sandwiches from a local deli that we ate along the way. I was having the best time, so I didn’t really notice, but some of the girls did get a little hot later in the afternoon. There’s no AC, so we had to drive with the windows down, which I didn’t mind at all! Just something to keep in mind if you are planning a trip for the summer months and have anyone sensitive to heat.
The Verdict: West Wine Tours is such a cute and unique experience, and I do recommend it!
Del Dotto Historic Winery & Caves (My Fave!)
Our first winery stop was Del Dotto Historic Winery & Caves, and before you even read the rest of our itinerary, let me tell you that this was by far my FAVORITE winery we visited. The grounds and building itself are absolutely breathtaking and make you feel like you’ve been transported to a castle in Italy or France. This was the only stop that had a cave tour, and it was an incredibly cool experience. Our guide was helpful, friendly, and answered all the questions we had. Oh, and did I mention the wine was amazing?! Almost everyone in our group ordered a bottle or two. We ended the tour with pizza and tater tots (lol) which were great to help soak up the wine and prepare us for the tastings ahead of us.
The Verdict: You have to go. Trust me on this one!
Benessere Vineyards
Our second stop was Bennessere Vineyards, a quaint family-owned vineyard that offers Italian-inspired wine. We sat outside in their beautiful patio area. The entire atmosphere at Bennessere Napa Valley was relaxed and slower-paced, which suited us perfectly. I personally really enjoyed the wine here, but some of the girls in our group weren’t particularly fond of the Italian styles and varietals. It did get a little bit toasty sitting outside towards the end, but the sun shades helped keep us cool.
The Verdict: A great option for a relaxed and charming wine tasting experience, particularly if you appreciate Italian-style wines.
Castello Di Amarosa
Castello di Amarosa was one of the wineries I was looking forward to the most on my bachelorette party in Napa Valley. The drive leading into the grounds was absolutely STUNNING and the castle itself looked like something out of a movie. We sat outside on the patio. It was nice because we got to choose our tastings from a long list of wines, giving us all the option to find something we’d enjoy. While I liked the wine and the castle itself was very cool, it did feel a little touristy, and not as authentic as our first two stops. Nonetheless, I’m glad we checked it out!
The Verdict: If you’ve been dying to go here or you have a big group, then it’s worth visiting. Otherwise, skip it as it is a little touristy.
Our original plan was to have dinner at C Casa, a Mexican restaurant downtown that had amazing reviews. I had read that we would be a little tired of wine at this point, and that margaritas might be a good change of pace. But unfortunately, they had a fire in their kitchen and had to shut down for a few days. I cannot remember where we ended up for dinner, but we were lucky to find another option downtown that could accommodate our group of 8, and everyone really enjoyed their meals.
Day 3: More wine tastings in Napa, a delicious lunch at Gott’s Roadside, and dinner at home
THE Prisoner WINE CO
Our original plan for this day was to head to brunch at RH Yountville, followed by Caymus Winery. But the next morning, we were all moving pretty slow after all of the wine tastings the day prior, so we decided to Doordash some breakfast to the house instead. Caymus was on our original itinerary since it is so well known, and who doesn’t love Caymus?! But a few girls in the group who had been there before, said they didn’t necessarily recommend it. So, last minute we decided to call Prisoner and see if they had any availability, and it was our lucky day, because they were able to fit us in! Being inside at Prisoner was a nice reprive from the heat, and it was a very calm yet sophisticated atmosphere. Our server was incredibly friendly, and one of our favorites from the entire trip! Along with a white and red tasting, we grabbed some small plates to hold us over til lunch.
The Verdict: highly recommend The Prisoner Wine Co for your Napa Valley bachelorette party or large group!
Lunch at gott’s Roadside
Gott’s Roadside was another recommendation that came up on nearly every Napa Valley itinerary I found prior to our trip. I am so glad we were able to make a stop after a slight change to our plans. It was relatively inexpensive (compared to our higher end meals anyway), quick, and delicious. Our driver for the day was kind enough to let us eat in the van, so we all grabbed cheeseburgers and fries and ate them on the way to our next stop, Frog’s Leap winery.
The Verdict: You have to try Gott’s Roadside, so make sure you build it into your Napa Valley itinerary!
FROG’S LEAP WINERY
Our last winery stop in Napa was Frog’s Leap Winery in Rutherford. You may know them from their relation to Stag’s Leap! This was an incredibly quaint and charming winery, a working farm that our entire group loved.
The final rankings, and places you can’t miss on your bachelorette party or group trip to Napa VALLEY
Can’t Miss STOPS IN NAPA VALLEY:
Del Dotto Historic Winery & Caves
Gott’s Roadside for lunch
Frog’s Leap Winery in Rutherford
Celadon restaurant in downtown Napa
Benessere Vineyards in St Helena (depends on your taste in wine though!)
Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Prisoner Wine Co
Castello di Amorosa Winery
Really, the only place I don’t recommend out of everywhere we went is Wine Girl Napa.
A consolidated guide to Napa: The perfect itinerary for a Bachelorette Party in Napa Valley
Day 01
Fly into SFO or OAK and arrange for a private driver to take you to Napa. Grab a bite before you leave or plan a stop on the way
Check into your AirBNB - ideally somewhere walking distance to downtown Napa Valley. Order Instacart to arrive when you do
Grab a drink and cute photo at Wine Girl Napa before dinner
Enjoy small plates, dinner, and wine at the rustic and charming Celadon restaurant
Watch the sunset and enjoy an after-dinner drink at Sky & Vine Rooftop overlooking the valley
Day 02
HYDRATE and make breakfast at your AirBNB before starting the day - most wine tastings start at 10am!
Arrange for a retro Volkswagen van to pick you up and drive you around for the day with West Wine Tours
Book a tasting in the wine cave at the historic Del Dotto Winery & Caves
Enjoy the patio at a quaint, family owned vineyard with Italian-inspired wines at Benessere Vineyards
Finish your wine tastings at Castello di Amarosa
Day 03
Breakfast at home or make reservations for brunch at RH Yountville
Wine tasting at The Prisoner Wine Co
Lunch on the go at Gott’s Roadside
Wine tasting at Frog’s Leap Winery
Dinner at home and enjoy a night in before traveling home the next day