Join-in Wine Tour of the Napa Valley
SIT BACK, ENJOY WINE COUNTRY
Join the Fun ~ Napa Valley
$119 per person – $129 on Saturdays
Picnic lunch included – winery tasting fees are extra
Napa Valley is the most celebrated wine region in North America. World-renowned wine, cuisine and scenic landscape make this a must-visit destination for visitors from all over the world. At Platypus Tours, we strive to accomplish an overview of the ideal Napa Valley day for our guests.
“We have taken Platypus tours several times and they never disappoint! Great pride is taken in providing new and different wine tasting experiences based upon what the group wants. Sure, some groups prefer the large and well known wineries, which is fine. But, Platypus provides the group with options to explore smaller, unknown wineries which is why we continue to return to Platypus…it’s never the same tour. They also have a wide variety of drivers thus that too adds to the diversity of the experience.”
Our small-group guided wine tours are organized Join-in style, so on this tour, you’ll share your day with a few other friendly, wine-interested travelers. This will be an intimate, yet social and light-hearted journey through the Napa Valley. We’ll show you three charming, hidden gem wineries (many of which are still family-owned), with an up-beat and well-informed tour guide. Along the way, you’ll enjoy a very tasty picnic lunch and have the opportunity to taste some wonderful wines.
- Visit three wineries – rich in charm and history
- Take in awesome and inspiring views
- Taste some of the world’s most delicious wines
- Learn tidbits of local wine making history and culture
- Dine on a scrumptious picnic lunch – served at a winery
- Share the experience with other fun people
- Personable, informed tour guide
- Feel you’ve experienced the real Napa Valley wine country!
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This tends to be very social, yet civilized tour. You’ll board a small-group shuttle, usually with eight to twelve wine-interested adventurers on board visiting an ever-changing selection of smaller, intimate wineries – ideal for individual travelers, couples and small groups of friendly people. Your guide/driver will point out notable landmarks and wineries along the way. You’ll tour a winery, take in some extraordinary views of Napa Valley, maybe stroll through the vines, get a flavor of wine country history, hear stories and learn about wine making. This is not a boilerplate tour – it’s different every day, it’s informative and it’s fun!
The Napa Valley Join-In Wine Tour price is $119 per guest ($129 Saturdays), and is offered every day, subject to availability. Tasting fees at the wineries are not included and are charged extra by the wineries. These fees typically run about $15 per person, per winery. All Join-In Wine Tours include a tasty picnic lunch served by your tour guide/driver on the grounds of one of the wineries. Our tours usually last from about 10:30am to about 5:00pm. Pick-up is from local Napa-area hotels, rentals and from selected meeting spots for those driving in for the day.
Here is an example of a recent Napa Wine Tour Itinerary: Merryvale, Tedeschi, and Hans Fahden. We customize all of our tours and the wineries change each day. Itineraries do vary depending on availability.
Wine Tasting Fees
Tasting fees at the wineries are not included and are charged extra by the wineries, compensating them for the wine they pour for guests. These fees typically run about $15 per person, per winery. Some tasting fees can be higher in the region, but Platypus works hard to cultivate relationships with our winery partners in order to keep the fees at an average of $15 per person, per winery. Because of our partnerships, almost any of the wineries on our Join-In Tours will often waive a tasting fee with a bottle purchase or wine club membership.
You are not required to taste at the wineries, or pay tasting fees for wineries at which you do not taste. There are a couple of wineries that are exceptions to this rule, so if this is your intention, be sure to consult your driver. Most of the wineries we visit will allow our guests to share a tasting.
If you have any additional questions about wine tasting fees, please don’t hesitate to call us at (707) 253-2723 or see our Wine Tasting Fees FAQs page.
Meeting / Pickup
For our Napa Valley Tours we can usually pick you up from your hotel or inn or almost any location in the Napa Valley within the towns of American Canyon, Napa, Yountville, or St. Helena, and drop you off at that same place.
Otherwise, we’ll meet you at a pre-arranged public place that has parking. Our meeting place is in downtown Napa located at 600 Main Street (along the riverfront). There is a free parking garage right across the street on levels 2 and 4. Pick-up time for the Napa Valley Tour from this location is 10:15am. Select “Napa Valley Meeting Location” if you want to book this pick up location online.
If you are staying at some other Napa Valley location, we may still be able to pick you up. Please contact us and let us know where you’re staying and we’ll do our best to accommodate you and see if that option is available on your tour day.
Check out some of our favorite Napa Valley Wineries.
General Questions
Which Wineries Will We Visit?
There is no set schedule of wineries for tours. Our guides customize the tours for the best winery experiences available on any given day.
May we pick the wineries?
On Join-In Tours, your tour driver will take responsibility for planning the best tour day possible for the entire group. Private tours can choose the wineries they wish to visit.
How much time do we spend at each winery?
There is no set time. The average is about an hour at each winery.
Learn more about these questions as well as many others on our Join-In Wine Tour FAQs page.