Biking in Napa: The Best Self-Guided Napa Valley Bike Tour

Biking in Napa Valley is one of the best ways to get up close and really see the true wine country. Renting a bike in Napa allows you to explore streets not frequented by visitors and go at a slower pace without being herded on and of a bus with ours at each stop. It creates a more intimate experience.

Biking in Napa Valley

During my recent 7 Day California Coast Road Trip, my friend EJ and I did a Self-Guided Bike Tour with Napa Valley Bike Tours. It was an amazing decision, and I can’t imagine spending my day any differently!

 napa bike rental

Napa Bike Trail

The Napa Bike trail, better known as the Napa Valley Vine Trail , when completed will be 47 miles of paved, class I, bike path. At the moment there are only a few wineries on the trail and not all 47 miles are complete. Click here for updates on trail openings. I can’t wait to go back when all 47 miles are complete and make a trip out of biking the entire trail.

 napa bike shop

Because not all of the Napa Bike Trail is open and there are so few wineries on the trail, it can be difficult to plan an unsupported day or days of biking in Napa Valley. While we did get to ride the section in Yountville, the Vine Trail not being fully open is the reason why EJ and I decided to go with Napa Valley Bike Tours.

The routes in the document pictured below was one of the first things I saw when doing research about biking in Napa. It really shows how well the folks at Napa Valley Bike Tours know their area and how to enjoy it by bike.

Napa Bike Tour and Renting a Bike with Napa Valley Bike Tours

With Napa Valley Bike Tours you can do several things:

 biking in napa

Their shop is located in downtown Yountville, CA with a second shop in Downtown Napa. If you arrive early (at least the Yountville location – that’s were we rented from) you should easily be able to find parking right next to the bike shop. You can even pick up your bike at one shop and drop it off at the other! They’re connected by the Napa Valley Vine Trial too.

The staff at the Yountville shop were amazing and they made renting a bike in Napa so easy! They helped me adjust my bike and made sure I was completely comfortable before we left on our ride.

The Self-Guided Tour included the bike and the helmet. This was my ride for our day of biking in Napa Valley.

Biking in Napa: Self-Guided Wine Tour

Go online before your trip and book your self-guided Napa Valley bike tour. Once you do you’ll receive an e-mail to fill out a waiver; do that beforehand so when you arrive at the shop you can et your bike and go. You’ll also receive an amazing planning guide to help you figure out where you want to go during your tour.

 wine bike tour

Self Guided Bike Tours with Napa Valley Bike Tours are fully supported meaning if you have issues with your bike all you have to do is call and they’ll come resolve the issue. In addition, they will pick up and bring any wine you purchase back to the bike shop so you don’t have to carry it with you.

Out of everything that is offered with the Self-Guided Tour the best is the lunch, and not just because it’s delicious! Before booking my trip and speaking with the shop directly I didn’t know that vineyards in Napa do not sell food. This makes it difficult biking as many places don’t have stores or restaurants nearby.

The day of the tour EJ and I ordered our lunch before we set off and picked a winery to have it delivered to. YES, our lunch was waiting for us in a cooler with everything we needed inside at the second winery we visited. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Napa Valley Wine Tours: What to bring with you

You won’t need much on your tour and the less you bring with you the happier you’ll be.

drinking wine

Here is what I brought with me:

bike in napa

Napa Valley Bike Tour Map

Here is the map of where we biked the day of our tour. We visited 3 vineyards, taking our time at each one and enjoying the scenic ride.

 napa bike rental

We stopped at:

  • Cardinale Estate
  • Saddleback Cellars (MY FAVORITE!)
  • Cliff Lede

Please note that some wineries in the area have tastings a certain times of day. Other are by reservation only. The team at Napa Valley Bike Tours can help you pick out wineries that will work for you.

Have you been biking in Napa? What are some of the best wine tours in napa valley you’ve experienced? Let me know in the comments.

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16 thoughts on “Biking in Napa: The Best Self-Guided Napa Valley Bike Tour”

  1. Looks like tons of fun! I live near Napa too so I have got to check this out!

    <a href=“http://www.hannahthemaddog.com>Hannah the Mad Dog</a>

    Reply
  2. Looks like tons of fun! I live near Napa too so I have got to check this out!

    <a href=“http://www.hannahthemaddog.com>Hannah the Mad Dog</a>

    Reply

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