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12 Things to do in Napa, California (Without a Car)

My list of things to do in Napa are some highlights of this gorgeous California city, but there’s so much more you can experience, and best of all, you won’t need a car!

Napa Arch

DISCLOSURE:  Thanks to DoNapa and the Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel who graciously hosted my mother and me for a short stay. Several places were not in operation, or were closing early due to the beginning of the travel restrictions (March 2020).

Napa, California

Is it Possible to Visit Napa Without a Car?

Absolutely, yes! Downtown Napa has so much to see and do and is completely walkable. The last time I went to Napa, I didn’t have a car either, but had gone on the Napa Valley Wine Train.

Where Should I Stay in Napa?

andaz napa

Well, I just happen to know about this wonderful 141 room boutique hotel in Downtown Napa called the Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel (91 of the rooms are suites.)

Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel

Mum and I arrived one day last month in the early afternoon and were greeted by such lovely staff. We were offered a glass of wine even before checking in.* That’s a lovely welcome to Napa! Our room had a spacious bathroom with marble shower and such comfortable beds.

Andaz Napa room

One of the nicest parts of our room was the balcony overlooking Napa. I couldn’t stop going out to admire the view when we were in the room. We even watched hot air balloons one morning.

view from Andaz Napa

The Andaz Napa offers a dining option at the Mercantile Social bar in the lobby and the Mercantile Terrace offers a cosy space of outdoor fire pits or cabanas. 

Mercantile Terrace

Downstairs, there’s the Farmer’s Table where mum and I had a fresh and tasty breakfast each morning, including freshly squeezed juice and English muffins from world-famous, Model Bakery. 

breakfast at the Andaz napa

I would highly recommend the Andaz Napa as your home base while exploring Napa, and if you have any questions while you’re there, the staff are more than happy to help.

Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel

12 Things to do in Napa, California (Without a Car)

1.  Napa ARTwalk. 

Napa Art Walk

The Napa ARTwalk is a biannual, rotating exhibition of sculptures by artists from the Western US and displayed in Downtown Napa. The current theme is: sense of place.

2. Restaurants Galore! 

ca'momi restaurant

There are over 80 eateries in Napa, so you won’t be limited with choices! I immediately found a restaurant I wanted to go to because their logo is, “Obsessively Authentic Italian.” If you know me, you know why I wanted to eat here! Mum and I were not disappointed; so yes, it’s Nonna approved!

ca momi Napa

Mum and I had a difficult time narrowing down our choices on where to eat because there were simply too many restaurants for less than three days of dining! However, we managed to try all of these delectable dishes!

Food in Napa

As you can see, from Asian food to Greek and American, as well as incredible cheese and charcuterie boards, we happily ate our way through Napa! Top row from left to right: lettuce wraps at Eikos, buttermilk biscuit from 5 Dot Ranch and Cookhouse, angioletti alla pizzaiola from Ca’ Momi, dumplings and salad from Napa Noodles, fries from Gott’s Roadside,  and ice cream from Three Twins.

Bottom row, left to right: local board with salumi from Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant, mint chocolate ice cream from Anette’s Chocolate Factory, vermicelli noodle salad with prawns from Napa General Store, fruit salad from The Farmer’s Table (Andaz Napa), almond pastry from The Model Bakery and gyro from Tarla. My mother flipped for a bread pudding from Basalt, but it was very dark, so the photo isn’t very good.

3. Walk, Walk, Walk!

Napa theatre

Napa is such a walkable city, it’s a shame if you don’t walk it! My mother and I were very fortunate that the weather was simply glorious and trees were blooming as well as many flowers. You can also learn to do the cha cha on your walk! 

Napa Walk

napa

I want to add that Napa was just as lovely and walkable in the evening, too.

Napa at night

4. Visit the CIA at Copia.

CIA at Copia Mondavis

There’s so much to see and do at the Culinary Institue of America at Copia! One of my favorite parts for me was visiting the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum. Over 4000 specialty culinary items are on display, so you can imagine how much I enjoyed this museum! These are just a few of the items we saw. I was so happy to see the scale (on the far right) because I have the exact same one!

Chuck Williams CIA Copia

There are gardens filled with culinary delights, from fruit and vegetables, to herbs and even flowers. You can also enjoy a meal at the Restaurant at CIA Copia.  See the lifesize couple toasting on top of the building? That’s Robert and Margrit Mondavi, the vintners who planned and mostly funded the center. I loved this fork sculpture, and was elated to be able to visit the artist’s studio (see #13.)

Fork in front of CIA Copia Christina Conte

5.  Enjoy Napa’s Riverfront.

glass of wine in Napa

Besides walking to take in the views of the river, there are also many shops and restaurants along the riverfront.

riverfront Napa chair
My mum is smiling here because she leaned back and had a bit of a tumble on this massive chair! I even snapped a photo, but she’ll kill me if I post it! :)

We had lunch outside at the Napa General Store one day as it the weather was simply too splendid to eat inside. 

Napa General Store view

A view of the Riverfront shops and restaurants from across the river.

Napa Arch

6. Visit the Oxbow Public Market.

oxbow public market exterior

I cannot encourage you strongly enough to visit the Oxbow Public Market, especially if you are a foodie! It’s a culinary dream and Mum and I visited several times. 

Oxbow Public Market interior

As you can see, it’s a mix of restaurants and shops. You can stop by for a beer, some oysters, some spices, or a bar of chocolate as well as doing some grocery shopping. When my mother and I first spotted Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant, we both knew we’d have to return for one of their cheese and charcuterie boards! We did and we were overjoyed. 

Cheese and charcuterie board from Oxbow Cheese and Wine Merchant

And I’m unabashedly showing you the plate when we finished. #nowaste

empty cheese plate

Everything was top quality, from the cheese to the prosciutto to the bread and olives. We had a glass of wine to enjoy with this gorgeous plate and were simply over the moon! Ellie was our server who was just lovely, so the service went hand in hand with the quality of the food. I’d definitely recommend the Oxbow Cheese  and Wine Merchant. 

7. Go Shopping.

shopping in Napa

Shoppers will delight in all the places there are to shop in Napa. There are over 60 boutique and specialty shops! Mum and I did a lot of window shopping, but also did some buying, too.

8. Pop into a Museum or two.

Napa History

The Napa County Historical Society, located in the Goodman Library is centrally located in Downtown Napa, so mum and I went in to peruse the exhibitions, photos and old maps. Napa was incorporated as a city in 1872, so it definitely has some history to share.

9. Eat Amazing Bread and Pastries at Model Bakery.

Model Bakery collage

Definitely one of the best bakeries I’ve been to recently, and I highly recommend that you visit! Mum and I liked it so much, we made two trips there!

10. Wine Tasting, of Course!

The Wine Thief wine tasting in Napa

I did some wine tasting at The Wine Thief which had been recommended to us by a Napa local. The nice thing about coming here is that you are able to taste wines you may not find anywhere else in the world. Jerrod, the owner, was lovely and we chatted about wine and food while I tasted several wines. The one I enjoyed most just happened to be his own: a 2018 AJ Pearce Sauvignon Blanc, which had lovely and  refreshing stone fruit flavors.

Napa General Store wine tasting

Did a trip to Napa even happen if there wasn’t any wine tasting? We enjoyed wine tasting at Napa General Store. I enjoyed some white and red wines, which my mother chose to sample some Port which was paired with delicious chocolate truffles.

11. Take a Cooking Lesson.

cooking class at the CIA at Copia
Photo courtesy of CIA at Copia

Unfortunately, due to closures and restrictions, Mum and I weren’t able to take a cooking lesson while we were in Napa, which we would have loved to do. They are available at the CIA at Copia and other locations.

12. Napa Gondola Tours.

Napa Gondola Tours
Photo courtesy of DoNapa

Yes, this is Napa, not Venice! This was one of the fun things my mother and I had wanted to do, but were unable to due to limited schedules. It’s something we can look forward to doing on our return trip!

poppies by the railroad

The 12 things to do in Napa listed above definitely do not require a car as they are all within walking distance of downtown. However, on our way out of town, my mother and I stopped at one more place that I would feel terrible withholding from you! It is not within walking distance of Downtown Napa, but if you do happen to have a car, please don’t miss my virtual #13 (just think of it as a bonus, much like a Baker’s Dozen!)

(13. Gordon Huether Studio)

Gordon Huether studio Napa

I feel that we were so fortunate to have just made it into the studio before they closed for the day! I called before visiting and Taryn welcomed us in. She gave us a little tour of the studio and shared some highlights about Gordon and his artwork. I highly recommend stopping here if you can. Gordon’s art is featured all over the world, but can be found in several places in Napa. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my virtual tour of our trip to Napa, and my wish is that we are all able to travel again,  very soon. There’s so much more to discover, from craft breweries, nightlife and many annual events like the Downtown Napa Culinary Crawl and classic car show. When we are ready, and able to travel, Napa is ready to welcome us back!

Welcome to Napa collage

Please visit the following websites for more detailed information ~

DoNapa

Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel

You can also see more of our trip via this link to my Instagram stories
from last month. Enjoy!

* A destination fee of $30/night applies at The Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel. This fee covers a multitude of amenities including a $10 food and beverage credit, complimentary featured winery lobby pour, shoe shine, self parking, and much more.

Pinterest pin for Napa

I was hosted by Andaz Napa Hyatt Hotel and DoNapa to visit the city of Napa, California, however, as always, all opinions are solely my own. I am adding this in accordance with FTC regulations.

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21 Comments

  1. Napa has changed so much since the 70s! I used to visit a few times a month when I was in culinary school. Now I’m fortunate to have a sister-in-law who lives in Napa. We love to wine taste (of course!) but the downtown has transformed so much! Can’t wait to go back visit when this craziness is all over!

  2. I totally agree with David – we need your travel posts more than ever! How wonderful to be able to visit Napa virtually with you – especially as I was last there about 25 years ago and I can see that so much has changed. The riverfront looks fabulous – and, of course, I particularly adore the winery tastings, stopping and learning about each individual producer. Gorgeous photos as always, Christina – thanks for the trip this weekend!

    1. You’re so sweet, Jill, thank you so much. I’m sure you’re due for another visit to Napa, then! Let’s hope we’re able to travel soon! Thanks, Jill!!

  3. First, I want to say that I love reading your travel posts, maybe more now than ever! I know it’s frustrating to some,, but for me it’s a sign of normalcy, which we all need very much!

    The hotel looks beautiful, and everything you did looks like lots of fun. I haven’t been to Napa since we moved to Tucson. I know that because Napa was high on our list of places to consider, but once we got to Tucson we decided it was home

  4. I love your travel pics!!! I have saved them all. Keep them coming because we will travel again when this virus is over!

  5. What fun! I can’t imagine anyone unsubscribing! We will all enjoy traveling once again. We have a trip planned in July and I’m kind of doubting that will happen. This is a great post, very informative.

    1. Oh, let’s keep our fingers crossed, but it’s good to have a realistic view and not be completely heartbroken if it must be postponed, too. Thank you for your kind words!

  6. I love your travel posts. They are not only beautiful, but very uplifting during this sad time. Please don’t stop publishing them.

    Kathy

  7. I went to Napa on a day trip when visiting my son in San Fransisco. Fell in love with it. We were hoping to come back this year, as my son wants to marry his long time girlfriend, but with everything the way it is, this wedding will have to wait for another year. I look forward to some of the beautiful eateries and The Market to buy some beautiful cheeses and good wine. Some wonderful places to see, thanks to your travel posts with your mum.

    1. Congratulations to you and your son! That’s lovely news, and I’m so glad you’ve already discovered Napa and the wonderful food and wine they have to offer! I hope the wedding will be even more enjoyable when it happens. I think we will all be so much more appreciative of everything when life gets back to normal. Thank you so much, Alison. Stay safe! CC