Your Napa Valley CME conference.

Napa Valley after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Pacific time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a kayak on the Napa River, a visit to Oxbow Public Market, or a drink at a downtown tasting room. Leave time for getting there, and plan how you will get back to your accommodation.

Travel, accommodation and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests; the valley is simply the setting you choose for it.

Downtown Napa, Yountville or St. Helena?

The City of Napa is the largest town in the valley. Its downtown has locally run restaurants, tasting rooms, places to hear music and works of art, and visitors can rent kayaks to paddle the river. Oxbow Public Market, at 610 and 644 First Street, is open daily.

Yountville is a small town known for its restaurants, its walkability and wine experiences. St. Helena’s Main Street has boutiques, galleries and restaurants, and two landmark wineries sit just off it. Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park is a few minutes away.

Trails and art near Napa

Skyline Wilderness Park, at 2201 Imola Avenue in the foothills, is open daily, with shorter hours in winter and no entry shortly before closing. That leaves a short window after a 2:00 PM finish in winter, so check the current hours first. Dogs are not allowed on the trails.

di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, at 5200 Sonoma Highway, has galleries, a sculpture meadow and a nature preserve. The Napa campus opens Friday to Sunday, so it suits a weekend study day better than a weekday one.

Sparkling wine near Yountville

Domaine Chandon is at 1 California Drive in Yountville, reached from Highway 29 by taking the Yountville exit and turning west. Its site says reservations are required for all tastings and experiences, with tasting seatings from Thursday to Sunday, so it suits a late afternoon on those days better than an unplanned stop. On Mondays the winery lists sparkling wine by the glass or bottle during the same hours. Check the current schedule when you book.

Calistoga and the upper valley

At the northern tip of the valley, Calistoga is known for its geothermal hot springs and nutrient-rich volcanic-ash mud, and local spas offer soaks and mud baths. Lincoln Avenue, the main street, has shops, wine tasting spots and places to eat. Sonoma County Airport is about 30 minutes from Calistoga.

Choose either the southern or the northern end of the valley for an afternoon rather than trying to cover all of it in one day.

When to visit Napa Valley

Spring brings bud break to the vines, with average highs of about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer highs average about 82 degrees and harvest starts in August. Fall highs average about 78 as crush continues. Winter is the rainy season, with rain falling a few days at a time between bright sunny days. Evening temperatures can be as much as 30 degrees cooler than the daytime, so bring a layer.

Getting to Napa Valley and your study setting

Oakland International Airport (OAK) is the arrival point shown in this guide, about 1 to 2 hours from the valley by car according to the valley’s tourism board. San Francisco International takes about 1½ to 3 hours depending on traffic, and Sacramento International takes about 1½ hours. Sonoma County Airport is about 30 minutes from Calistoga at the north end of the valley. Napa County Airport handles charter and private aircraft only. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.