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Experience · Napa, Napa Valley

Napa Valley Wine Train

Starts in Napa$$$$

The short answer

The Napa Valley's signature rail excursion: a vintage dining train that runs up-valley from downtown Napa while serving a multi-course meal. It isn't a picnic, but it's a staple wine-country outing, and several packages bundle in winery visits. Price: Meal included in the ticket; extra drinks and wine-pairing flights cost more.

Checked September 2026 from winetrain.comStated on the venue's own website

Burgundy-and-gold vintage Pullman car of the Napa Valley Wine Train, with arched windows, waiting at the Napa station platform
Photo: Jim G from Silicon Valley, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Details

Price
Meal included in the ticket; extra drinks and wine-pairing flights cost more
Food on site
Multi-course meals cooked and served on board. The Gourmet Express Lunch is three courses with a welcome sparkling wine, and Tasting on the Rails is a seven-course tasting menu. The six-hour Legacy Experience includes breakfast and lunch plus two winery visits.
Groups
Most experiences are sold for two or more guests, but solo riders can book the Gourmet Lunch, Gourmet Dinner and Afternoon Tea online.
Kids
Children are welcome on most experiences; kids 12 and under ride the Gourmet Express Lunch for $109. Some seasonal journeys and winery-stop tours have restrictions.
Hours
Lunch trains daily 11:30am–2:30pm; Legacy train daily about 10:15am–4:15pm; dinner trains on weekends, 2.5 hours
Season
Year-round; holiday specials (Santa train, New Year's Eve) run in winter
Prices
Booking engine shows 'from' totals next to a two-guest minimum: about $284 (Gourmet Express Dinner), $320 (Gourmet Express Lunch) up to about $833 (Legacy Experience) — roughly $142–$416 per person if the totals cover two guests
House rules
Board at the McKinstry St. station; check-in is 10:30am for the 11:30am lunch departure. An event fee that supports the onboard staff is built into the ticket price, and tipping is customary only for alcoholic drinks bought onboard. Pricing changes with demand.

What to expect

Not a picnic: you're seated in restored early-20th-century Pullman dining and dome cars for a 36-mile round trip from downtown Napa to St. Helena and back, with vineyard views out the windows. Grgich Hills tasting and grape-stomp packages add a winery stop.

  • Vineyard views
  • Restrooms
  • Parking

Good for: Romantic · Groups · Views

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About Napa Valley Wine Train

The Napa Valley's signature rail excursion: a vintage dining train that runs up-valley from downtown Napa while serving a multi-course meal. It isn't a picnic, but it's a staple wine-country outing, and several packages bundle in winery visits.

  • Restored 1915-era Pullman cars on a 36-mile round trip
  • Lunch departures daily; six-hour Legacy option with two winery stops
  • Departs from downtown Napa near the Oxbow Public Market
  • Seasonal themed trips (murder mystery, afternoon tea with Chandon, holiday trains)

More picnic spots nearby

Family picnicking on the green lawn beside the Napa River at Oxbow Commons in Napa
Park

Oxbow Commons

Napa· 0.2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

Oxbow Commons is the open green between downtown Napa and the Oxbow district. Buy food at Oxbow Public Market across the street, then spread a blanket by the river. There are no listed tables or grills, and the city bans alcohol here.

Oxbow Commons

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
no
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Yes
Fee
Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Fatted Calf · 0.1 mi

Details: Oxbow Commons
Park

Veterans Memorial Park

Napa· 0.4 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

This downtown riverfront park is the most convenient patch of grass for a quick takeout lunch between Main Street tasting rooms. It's a lawn-and-steps spot with river views, not a table-and-grill park, and drinking there is not allowed.

Veterans Memorial Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
no
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Yes
Fee
Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Napa Farmers Market · 0.1 mi

Details: Veterans Memorial Park
Paved path, bench and towering old trees on the lawn of Fuller Park in Napa
Park

Fuller Park

Napa· 0.8 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

Fuller Park is Napa's historic, shady neighborhood park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in Old Town near downtown. Nine tree-named picnic sites and a new inclusive playground make it an easy family lunch stop, but alcohol needs a reserved site and permit.

Fuller Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
no
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Outside
Fee
Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Contimo Provisions · 0.4 mi

Details: Fuller Park
Park

Westwood Hills Park

Napa· 2 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK

Westwood Hills pairs a shaded picnic table by the trailhead with a hike to hilltop views over Napa. The free Carolyn Parr Nature Center next door makes it a good family outing. No alcohol.

Westwood Hills Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026
Own food
yes
Wine allowed
no
Reservation
Not needed
Dogs
Yes
Fee
Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Butter Cream Bakery · 1.4 mi

Details: Westwood Hills Park

All picnic spots in Napa →

Frequently asked questions

Is Napa Valley Wine Train good for kids?

Children are welcome on most experiences; kids 12 and under ride the Gourmet Express Lunch for $109. Some seasonal journeys and winery-stop tours have restrictions.

Sources & accuracy

We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: Official site accessed Sept 2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Napa Valley Wine Train before you go. How we verify.

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