8 Things Not to Miss in Downtown Napa

Best Things to do in Downtown Napa, CA

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Napa, CA is wine, and while there is plenty of that, there is also so much more to do and see in this quaint little city! I had been once before while visiting San Francisco a couple of years ago, but I only visited a few wineries so it didn’t really count. I didn’t even realize there was a “downtown” to Napa!

City of Napa Downtown

Some trips I genuinely enjoy adventure and the constant go, go, go, but other times, I really enjoy just getting away and taking it easy. If you’re looking for the latter,  downtown Napa, California is a great option. There are so many tasting rooms within walking distance of any hotel (I stayed at the River Inn and loved it), which takes the hassle of arranging a car or designating a sober driver to go out to the vineyards that are a bit further away. The food is also fantastic!

River in Downtown Napa

I was invited by the City of Napa to stay and explore the downtown area for 3 days and 2 nights, and it was a fantastic trip! These were my 8 favorite things to do:

This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting onechelofanadventure.com!

Downtown Napa Art Walk

The city has this wonderful program in place that helps support artists and encourages/requires more art in the community! The Napa Art Walk changes every couple of years and has a self-guided audio tour you can take! As a gal from Austin, TX which is known for their street art, I really appreciated this!

basket sculpture in Napa
sculpture in downtown napa

This was one of my favorite wine tasting venues that we visited! Dick Vermeil, the owner, is a former NFL coach. I’m typically a white wine kinda girl, but their red blend was my absolute favorite wine of the whole trip! I’m also a football fan so it was cool that they have the XXXIV Superbowl Trophy in the wine tasting room (OK it might be a replica but still cool).

Vermeil Wines

Kayaking on the Napa River

This was one of my favorite parts of the trip! It was amazing to hear just how much the Napa River has changed and grown over the last 50 years. Most people don’t even realize that A, Napa has a river, and B, that you can kayak on it! 

Napa River Kayaking

The guide was very knowledgeable, and it was a great way to learn about the city’s history outside of wine. Read more about Kayaking on the Napa River HERE.

Napa General Store

We had lunch one day at the Napa General Store, and it was lovely out on their patio! The food was delicious too. 

Napa General Store

They do wine tastings, but what’s fun about doing it here, is that you have the option to do a “blind tasting”! They blindfold you and then you have to try guess what it is you’re tasting. I didn’t get any right… oops!

Blind wine tasting Napa General Store

Culinary Institute of America at Copia

During my trip, I took a cooking class at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia where all the recipes were inspired by wine, of course!

CIA Napa Cooking Class

Our chef/instructor was fantastic, she taught us some really helpful techniques for cooking in general. If you’d like to book a class, visit their website.

Things to do in Downtown Napa - CIA Cooking Class

Sky and Vine at the Archer Hotel

Oxbow Public Market in Napa

The Oxbow Public Market is a 40,000-square-foot marketplace (like those you see in Madrid!) that includes many different cafes, food vendors, shops, and produce from local farms. It’s a great place to get breakfast and browse around in the shops. 

Oxbow Market in Napa

Some favorites are Anette’s Chocolates (her chocolates are legendary), Five Dot Ranch, Kara’s Cupcakes, Model Bakery, Whole Spice, and Napa Valley Distillery. The market is located at 610 and 644 First Street along the river.

Gordon Huether Downtown Napa Art Gallery

If you walk down any street in downtown Napa, chances are you’ll run across a piece of art by Gordon Huether. He is an incredible artist, his pieces can be found all over the country! 

Gordon Huether Hand of the Land

Even cooler? He’s extremely down to earth and chill in person as well. We were lucky enough to get a personal tour of his studio which was really amazing to see. We even got a signed copy of his newest book! I would absolutely recommend taking some time to go out to his studio, I believe you can set it up by contacting him on his website.

Gordon Heuther's Art Studio
Gordon Huether Art Sculpture

Planning a trip to Napa, California and have additional questions? Let me know in the comments or DM me on Instagram!

You Might Also Like:

xx Chels

Liked this post? Pin it to Pinterest!