Small Group Winery Tour of Napa
5
Small Group Winery Tour of Napa
By Platypus Wine Tours
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About
No one wants to be the designated driver on a winery tour, so instead of worrying about arranging transportation, book a small-group tour that transports you to three different wineries and ensures you make it back to your Napa Valley accommodations at the end of the day. Along the way, indulge in wine tastings (at your own expense) and enjoy a provided picnic lunch served with winery views.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 21-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 6h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Visit three Napa Valley wineries on a small-group tour
- Learn about the area’s history and the wine-making processes
- A picnic lunch ensures you aren’t drinking on an empty stomach
- Napa Valley hotel pickup and drop-off make logistics hassle-free
Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024
- 3 winery stops
- Driver Tour Guide
- Transport by small shuttle
- Picnic lunch
- Bottled water
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within towns in tour region (Not San Francisco)
What's not included- (Optional) Wine tasting fees ($20-$25 at each winery) per person to participate in wine tasting
- Optional gratuity for the guide (Suggested 18-20%) per person.
- Start:Traveler pickup offered.
- Main Street & 5th Street, Main St & 5th St, Napa, CA 94559, USA
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6285P4- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum age is 21 years
- Please call local operator after booking to provide a mobile phone number and an email address
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- A maximum of 4 people per booking
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Where is the departure location for the Small-Group Wine-Tasting Tour through Napa Valley?
- This tour includes hotel pickup from most hotels in the Napa area. After your reservation is confirmed, call the phone number on your ticket to provide your contact information, so the office can contact you to coordinate pickup.Answered Aug 2021
- Can I be picked up from my hotel in San Francisco for the Small-Group Wine-Tasting Tour through Napa Valley?
- Unfortunately, there are no hotel pickups in San Francisco.Answered Jun 2021
- Which wineries will we visit during the Small-Group Wine-Tasting Tour through Napa Valley?
- During the tour, you will visit three different wineries. The wineries are selected in advance by the tour guide and change daily.Answered Aug 2021
- Can I pick the wineries that we visit during the Small-Group Wine-Tasting Tour through Napa Valley?
- The tour guide selects the wineries you will visit in advance, so guests do not pick the wineries. If there are specific wineries you have already seen or plan to visit, let the office know and we can avoid those wineries on the day of the tour.Answered Aug 2021
The tour operator has provided the following answers to customers’ questions.- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6285P4
From
$129.69
per adult
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Itinerary
- 1Your tour will begin with pickup from your Napa Valley hotel. Where you are staying will define the tour region that you will be visiting. If your accommodations are outside of the winery region, you can arrange to meet us a general meeting spot. You’ll visit three charming, backroads wineries and be served a picnic lunch in an idyllic winery setting. Your tour guide will tell fascinating stories and share many interesting tidbits about local history, culture and wine making. This is not a smarmy or touristy activity. Our specialty is intimate, light-hearted and truly memorable. This tour is sure to entertain with a very approachable and easy-going style. Discover and savor new experiences tasting some of the world’s most celebrated wines. Our typical guest is not necessarily a wine expert but keen to learn a bit about wine and wine-making, and is open to sharing the experience with a few other like-minded wine adventurers.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- oscarsG4878MV0 contributionsGood times good people good wineI will have to say a wine tour will always be good if you have friendly people with you. We had an expert in the tour show us around and had a wonderful experienceWritten September 29, 2024
- lrinramona0 contributionsFantastic wine tourWe visited three wineries, it was a beautiful day, one of the best was Notre view, that was by far my favorite winery and what a view. We enjoyed the entire six hours immensely. I would recommend it to anybody.Written September 13, 2024
- djodway0 contributionsAmazing wine tour!Our wine tour experience was amazing. Our tour guide was awesome and we met the best couples! We went to 3 family owned wineries that you can’t find in stores and loved that experience!Written August 19, 2024
- Q3099BRcameronb0 contributionsHighly recommend Platypus Tours!We are so glad we found Platypus Tours! Linda, our driver and guide, did a great job of picking three great wineries for us. She made the day so fun for us.Written August 11, 2024
- PaulaP_MN870 contributionsA fun day in wine countryThis was a great tour! Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable and he chose a variety of wineries to try. It was really nice to enjoy the wine without worrying about drinking and driving. The lunch was tasty, especially the quinoa salad.Written August 10, 2024
- JJack20 contributionsGreat time in Sonoma with PlatypusLovely experience! Linda was a great guide—very friendly and informative. We had a fantastic time and visited three great wineries that we otherwise would not have. The boxed lunch was nice, and the Platypus team was accommodating with dietary restrictions. Loxton was our favorite winery, but all were very nice! Would highly recommend this tour.Written July 9, 2024
- Leslie D0 contributionsDrinking wine and feeling fine in Sonoma.Our tour guide, Courtney, was amazing. Very personable and answered all of our questions. She suggested places to go to shop and restaurants for dinner. She took the most amazing pictures of us. We went to three wineries, and all were informative and personable. .Written June 21, 2024
- MonaJags0 contributionsGreat tripWe had a great time! Our tour guide, Kyle, was friendly and very knowledgeable and made the day fun. He selected 3 small boutique wineries where we got to meet owners and taste some great wine. I would highly recommend this tour!Written June 2, 2024
- TonyP5220 contributionsA great tour of the Sonoma ValleyWe had a great tour of three vineyards and learnt a great deal about both wine making and the Sonoma Valley. Lewis ('sorry if I've spelt that incorrectly - it's phonetic British spelling) was a wonderful guide with a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for wine and it's making. All three vineyards were small, local producers and well chosen. I'd recommend Platypus Tours.Written May 29, 2024
- 159manleyf0 contributionsPlatypus Wine Tour Rates a 100 Points in Our Experience!Gary, our stalwart guide/driver, picked us up at a convenient spot near where we were staying and took us (along with one other couple and a trio of friends) to three unique properties in the Sonoma Valley. So by Platypus standards it was a small group which made it that much more pleasurable, I expect. Each of the visits were amazing in their own way. The back stories of the wineries we visited were interesting, the spokespersons were engaging, and the selected wines were amazing. Clearly the highlight of our six-day visit to the area!Written May 23, 2024
- jal0nng0 contributionsFun day and good wineThe tour was fun and a nice way to experience some smaller wineries that we wouldn’t have explored on our own. Sara was a great driver/guide- even took a little detour to stop at a French bakery in Glen Ellen. Lunch was good as the group was fun.Written May 20, 2024
- brigittebJ8209KS0 contributionsBEST TOUR GUIDE! Thank you RobRob was such a great tour guide. My sisters and I had such a great time on this small group tour. We went to some real cool wineries. I felt the wineries they chose were small and intimate which made the experience better. I had bad allergies and Rob continued to check in on me. He was very thoughtful to all of his guests. I loved that Rob kept track of all our wine and we didn't have to pack any wine out, Rob did that for us. Thank you Rob for a great experience! Highly recommend this company if you are looking for a wine tour.Written May 19, 2024
- 704maddil0 contributionsCheers to Sam!The wineries were wonderful and the wine was delicious! It is clear Sam our driver had relationships with each of the winemakers which made each stop informative and special. We absolutely loved our day and would recommend the experience to anyone! Especially recommend Sam—great driver, great humor, great host for the day!Written April 28, 2024
- frankdL23EK0 contributionsSonoma small group tourGreat tour! Our guide Dave was knowledgeable, fun and accommodating. Enjoyed the vineyard tours and tastings. Highly recommend it!Written April 15, 2024
- wendywM600MH0 contributionsSonoma Wine TastingWe had a wonderful day! The 3 tastings were relaxed, informative and fun. Our driver Linda was very knowledgeable of Napa and Sonoma.Written March 24, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
548 reviews
Excellent
514
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20
Average
9
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Marilyn M
Laguna Niguel, CA17 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
We had a mixed group of wine connoisseurs, casual wine drinkers and a non-drinker. Everyone had a wonderful time! We were a group of six and were joined by three others, a nice small and fun group. Our driver and guide Dave was humorous and knowledgeable and there was not a dull moment in the very comfortable van. We went to four wineries, one famous and three small boutique wineries, all excellent. We were served cheese and crackers on the way and a lovely lunch at the second winery. Water was available on the van and Dave encouraged us to drink to keep from getting a hangover. Tasting fees were reduced because of the tour and several waived because we bought wine. It was a thoroughly entertaining day and Dave returned is to our pickup places, a home and a hotel. No driving thank goodness!!
Written January 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Verona Marie
Los Angeles, CA2 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
Due to COVID-19, my group & I were unable to make it for our wine tastings (or NAPA in general). Not only were we fully refunded for our deposits, we were kindly followed-up with a call asking if we received those funds back in our account. Although we didn’t get the opportunity to encounter this wonderful group of people and staff, they have made us highly likely to come back and recommend their services to everyone. This is the way you should treat your customers... they definitely left an impact on our group and we will be back when it’s less chaotic! Thank you Platypus Wine Group!
Written November 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheers, Hiverona: We're ready whenever you decide to reschedule your trip. Thanks for helping to illustrate how comforting it is to deal with people who are understanding when your plans sometimes go sideways. Hope to see you soon!
Written February 23, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jerryhub1
Sulphur Springs, TX23 contributions
We meet your bus at the visitors center Napa City and went to St. Helena area to visit 4 wineries. Three would have been plenty.
James our guide was fantastic. We learned how the wineries operated and the growing techniques. Very informative. Most wines were red. All the Vinyards were small family operations.
Most charged $15/person tasting fee.
Lunch was served by James.
Would highly recommend
James our guide was fantastic. We learned how the wineries operated and the growing techniques. Very informative. Most wines were red. All the Vinyards were small family operations.
Most charged $15/person tasting fee.
Lunch was served by James.
Would highly recommend
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margot Aicklen
Atlanta, GA18 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
We had a great time exploring the 3 wineries that were chosen for this tour. Our guide, Gary, was very knowledgeable about the wineries and about wine in general. We had a great time with the other people on our tour. The wineries that we visited were not the typical touristy wineries you think of in Napa. They were more boutique and each of them gave us a little bit of a different experience which was great. We learned a TON about wine and the different vineyards of Napa valley. We ended up buying a few bottles at every winery which waived our tasting fees. It was a great deal! Gary made it super easy for us to ship everything back safe and sound with our airline. Highly recommend doing this tour if you are in Napa for a short period and don’t want to worry about driving around and picking wineries to go to.
Written February 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy P
1 contribution
Sep 2020 • Couples
Our bus driver Army was amazing! Very friendly and caring. The spots for the wine tour itself are so authentic and private. They are all so informative. You gain a taste and appreciation for wine!
This wine tour was during Covid With my husband. We felt very safe with sanitizing procedures to get on and off the bus. The winemakers at places we tasted the wine always had their mask on and practiced social distancing.
This is an experience you should definitely have! We ended up having to switch to a different wine tour due to cancellations and the organizer suggested we join a different tour for the social interaction. It was one other couple and by the end of the tour we became friends. We were glad we didn’t do the tour by ourselves.
This wine tour was during Covid With my husband. We felt very safe with sanitizing procedures to get on and off the bus. The winemakers at places we tasted the wine always had their mask on and practiced social distancing.
This is an experience you should definitely have! We ended up having to switch to a different wine tour due to cancellations and the organizer suggested we join a different tour for the social interaction. It was one other couple and by the end of the tour we became friends. We were glad we didn’t do the tour by ourselves.
Written September 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim S
Philadelphia, PA26 contributions
Sep 2021
We went to 3 small wineries and a very small group. Only 10 people. Our tour guide Steve was awesome. Very knowledgeable and seemed to love his job. My son and his girlfriend arranged this trip for my husband and I and themselves. The 4 of us had a wonderful day. Everything was perfectly timed and organized. We had lunch at our 2nd winery. We visited the Varozza, Hans Fahden and Madrigal wineries. Steve said they were selected because they were small wineries and we could sample some small batch wines. Everywhere we went the service was excellent and very individual. I would highly recommend Platypus Tours and especially Steve!
Written September 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve Hunter is our master story-teller. You will never meet a kinder or more easy-going tour guide. He has lots of information to share, but you'll never realize you're learning so much because he is just so low-key about it. I'm really glad you got to experience Steve's tour, Kim. Thanks very much for posting about it!
Written October 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chantel G
13 contributions
Apr 2021
Booked the join-in tour with Platypus Wine Tours for my birthday and it was such a great time! We went to 3 boutique wineries that were all amazing, our tour guide (Gary) was very friendly and knowledgeable, and the included lunch was delicious. I really liked that we went to smaller and family owned wineries because it's hard to find places like that when you are not from the area. I think this tour is reasonably priced and, although the wine tasting fees are not included in the tour price, every winery we went to was an affordable tasting price with really great value. We had a lot of fun and I highly recommend this tour!
Written April 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob L
Maumee, OH2 contributions
Very basic tour. Guide gave a little background on the region the first 30 minutes and then was pretty much radio silent for the rest of the trip. She played the music pretty loud on the way home which made it a little more difficult to converse. She pretty much turned into a bus driver after the very beginning of the trip. Tastings were average at best at the three wineries we stopped at. Our small group of 10 were lots of fun with good interaction throughout the day. Box lunch was good.
As it was our first trip to Napa we expected to get a little more of the “Napa feel”from the experience. We stopped at the Castillo di Amorosa today and it was a night and day experience. Guide was very knowledgeable and engaging and provided a much more quality experience.
As it was our first trip to Napa we expected to get a little more of the “Napa feel”from the experience. We stopped at the Castillo di Amorosa today and it was a night and day experience. Guide was very knowledgeable and engaging and provided a much more quality experience.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yikes. I am so sorry our tour guide was not a heck of a lot more engaging that day. This exactly the experience we always try to avoid. I will try to figure out which of our staff hosted your tour so that I can work with her to make sure such a thing won't happen again. If you are willing to reach out to me, I would be very grateful to speak with you about this directly. Thanks so much for making me aware that we have this issue!
Written July 20, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tom L
Sunnyvale, CA29 contributions
Mar 2023
Our host, Kelly, was superb! With an outstanding service attitude, friendly, but professional demeanor. She planned our day very well, well thought-out, picking a variety of wineries with different personalities, and of course, all with excellent wine! Clean, comfortable large van, excellent, comfortable driving, she ferried us from place to place while keeping us informed of what will be happening and managing our expectations. The price was very fair, and I think I made a smart choice hiring Platypus and would hire them again next time. Heartily recommended!
Written March 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jade J
Norwich, UK26 contributions
We had a great time on our Napa wine tour with Dave J. He was punctual for pick up time, courteous and professional throughout the entire day. He was very knowledgeable about the area and was extremely helpful too. We had a great group of 10 - be prepared to chat to others as this really makes the experience!
Water was provided throughout the day as was a (much better than expected) Turkey Club.
We visited some great wineries: Varozza, AuburnJames and Girard. We loved Varozza and AuburnJames in particular due to the passion they had for their wine! We really enjoyed our experiences at the smaller wineries and this was what we were looking for but it was too overwhelming to find these ourselves!
There are fees on top of the tour - as advertised - but these are considerably less than other tours at around $25 and can usually be waived with a purchase.
We couldn’t recommend this enough. Do it. We will when we visit again!
Water was provided throughout the day as was a (much better than expected) Turkey Club.
We visited some great wineries: Varozza, AuburnJames and Girard. We loved Varozza and AuburnJames in particular due to the passion they had for their wine! We really enjoyed our experiences at the smaller wineries and this was what we were looking for but it was too overwhelming to find these ourselves!
There are fees on top of the tour - as advertised - but these are considerably less than other tours at around $25 and can usually be waived with a purchase.
We couldn’t recommend this enough. Do it. We will when we visit again!
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you do hotel pickup from union square?
Written September 12, 2024
The tour details and departure return do not state the departing time and arrival time. How can I find out this info?
Written June 5, 2023
The tour details and departure return do not state the departing time and arrival time. How can I find out this info?
Written June 5, 2023
The tour guide noted that they change/rotate the wineries they visit. They generally visit smaller family owned vineyards. This tour, we visited Ghost Vineyards, Auburn James and Varozza. All very good. Vineyard hosts were extremely welcoming, eager to share their knowledge. Taste rooms had a very cozy feel. We had a great time and would do again. If we had another day, we would have visited at least one of the bigger vineyards. .
Written March 26, 2023
Are you required to do Winetasting at each location?
Written September 5, 2022
Do you pick up and drop off at Best Western plus inn at the vines in Napa?
Written July 11, 2022
hi can you tell me the name of the winery we go to ? do we get to pick? we are a group of 7 can we higher one of your guides for about 4.5 hours for winery near Meritage resort for Friday July 8 10 -2;30.
thanks
Written June 10, 2022
Probably not as you would not have enough time to complete what we did ie 3 tastings at 3 diferent Vineyards spead along the valley.
However you should approach the company and see if they would be prepared to customise a tour for you.
Written April 4, 2022
About 10:00 am. They will contact you ahead of time to let you know what time the shuttle will pick you up from your hotel. Our guide was actually about 10-15 min. early.
Written June 14, 2021
hi, I would like to book a tour, do i have to book each vinery separately ?
Please let me know
Written March 24, 2021
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