French-inspired chateaus, castles, and scenic vineyards are some of the main attractions in California’s wine country. Visitors to the region have a range of options for exploring these sites beyond traditional tours.
For those interested in aerial views, companies such as Napa Valley Aloft and Napa Valley Balloons offer hot-air balloon rides over the vineyards. These trips can be booked as group excursions or private flights for two people.
The Napa Valley Wine Trolley and Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley provide tours using replicas of early California streetcars. These all-day trips include stops at several wineries and a gourmet picnic lunch. For an evening experience, visitors can dine on the Napa Valley Wine Train.
Adventure seekers may consider skydiving with NorCal Skydiving in Cloverdale, which offers tandem jumps from altitudes between 8,000 and 15,000 feet. Options include both parachuting and accelerated freefall programs.
Another unique way to see Napa is by electric tuk-tuk with Laces & Limos. These open-air vehicles take guests on customized routes to boutique wineries, often including a chef-prepared vineyard lunch. Most tours begin at the Archer Hotel in downtown Napa and require advance reservations.
Horseback riding is available through Triple Creek Horse Outfit at Jack London State Park, where riders travel past grapevines and redwoods before stopping for a tasting at Benziger Family Winery. Sonoma Valley Trail Rides also offers similar experiences in different locations.
In Paso Robles, Third Wheel Tours gives visitors motorcycle sidecar rides through vineyards with stops for tastings along the way.
West Wine Tours operates vintage Volkswagen van excursions around Sonoma, visiting three wineries during their five-and-a-half-hour outings. Pickup is available in Downtown Napa or at accommodations within Sonoma or Napa Valleys for group bookings.
Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga features an aerial tram that transports guests to its hilltop tasting room located 300 feet above the valley floor.
Cyclists can use the car-free Napa Valley Vine Trail—12.5 miles from Yountville to South Napa—using bikes from local rental shops like Napa Valley Bike Tours or their own equipment. Wineries such as Laird Family Estate and Domaine Chandon are accessible along this route.
Glidesdale Adventures offers Glide bike tours along a roughly 15-mile section of the trail using electric bikes that do not require pedaling; participants stop at three wineries with lunch included at one location.
At Dry Creek Vineyard in northern Sonoma County, farm tours take guests via 4WD vehicle through sustainable vineyards as part of their habitat restoration project; each tour includes wine tastings from grapes grown onsite.
Big Bus Tours runs half-day wine country trips departing from San Francisco after midday that cross the Golden Gate Bridge into Northern California’s wine regions. The six-hour tour visits two notable wineries with multiple tastings per stop and provides behind-the-scenes insights into winemaking processes led by knowledgeable hosts.
Families visiting Belden Barns Farmstead & Winery near Santa Rosa can keep children engaged with nature scavenger hunts while adults participate in wine tastings; kids receive backpacks filled with guides and tools for exploring local flora and fauna.
Active Wine Adventures leads hiking tours through vineyards and redwood forests around Sonoma Valley followed by outdoor tastings and lunches.
