In Travel + Leisure's 30th annual World's Best Awards, two Wine Country destinations were ranked among readers' all-time favorites.
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Two Napa Valley destinations earned national recognition in Travel + Leisure’s 30th annual World’s Best Awards for 2025. The annual roundup, selected by readers, highlights the top-rated hotels, spas, cities, transportation and more around the globe. The awards reflect travelers’ favorite national and international spots and, this year, two Wine Country locations won three awards.
This luxury wellness retreat in Calistoga landed the No. 9 spot in the “Readers’ 15 Favorite Resorts in the Continental U.S.” category and also earned a spot in “Readers’ 100 Favorite Hotels in the World.”
The resort features 100 studio-style rooms and spacious suites with private patios, outdoor showers and sleek interiors inspired by the surrounding landscape. Guests are welcome to a 130-foot heated pool and the 20,000-square-foot wellness center with geothermal soaking pools, steam rooms, saunas and various spa treatments.
Solage, Auberge Resorts Collections has two places to dine: Solbar, which offers local, seasonal fare with indoor and al fresco dining areas; and Picobar, the poolside eatery serving contemporary Mexican cuisine.
A stay at Solage includes complimentary yoga and fitness classes, cruiser bikes, pickleball courts and curated outdoor experiences. The resort is a family- and pet-friendly space with thoughtful amenities, views of the Mayacamas and plenty of Wine Country charm.
Rates start at $765 per night. 755 Silverado Trail N., Calistoga, 866-942-7442, aubergeresorts.com/solage
The Napa Valley Wine Train rolled in at No. 3 in the “Readers’ 5 Favorite Trains in the World” category.
This Wine Country leisure transit staple delivers an elegant regional journey that blends gourmet dining, vineyard views and vintage luxury aboard restored 1915 Pullman railcars.
Guests are welcomed aboard then treated to multicourse meals prepared by executive chef Rodrigo Cuadra, with optional curated wine parings from Napa Valley’s top wineries. The six-hour Legacy Experience includes three winery stops with onboard narration about the region’s history. Other trips last up to three hours and include a variety of immersive, seasonal experiences.
A trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train starts at $202, depending on the experience and date selected. 1275 McKinstry St., Napa, 707-253-2111, winetrain.com
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]]>Summer is almost here but before you know it, Santa Claus is coming to town.
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As we head toward Memorial Day weekend — the unofficial start of summer — the Napa Valley Wine Train wants folks to get excited for the holiday. The Christmas holiday, that is.
After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the one-of-a-kind Wine Country tourist attraction recently announced the beloved Santa Train is making a comeback.
“The Santa Train brings so much joy and excitement and with years missed due to Covid, this will be the best year yet,” said Nathan Davis, general manager of the Napa Valley Wine Train.
The Santa Train will run from December 1 to December 23. Tickets for the seasonal adventure are being sold exclusively to Napa residents through June 30. Locals must make bookings over the phone, as tickets can’t be purchased online. General ticket sales begin July 1.
Guests who hop aboard in 2022 can choose from a variety of new experiences and price points. Santa’s Cookie Car includes hot cocoa, a cookie and a photo with Santa. Tickets start at $50.
Guests who purchase the Gourmet Holiday Express are invited to arrive early to the train station in downtown Napa for hot cider, caroling and photo ops with Santa in his workshop. Once onboard, they will enjoy a three-course kid-friendly meal that includes a tableside visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Tickets start at $75.
The Very Merry Vista Dome includes the same pre-journey festivities and visits with Santa as the Gourmet Holiday Express, along with a three-course holiday inspired dinner served in the train’s observation-style dining car. Guests will also receive a box of homemade sweets to enjoy at home. Tickets start at $95.
The Napa Valley Wine Train is partnering with Napa-based foster youth organization Expressions of Hope for the holiday season. Donations of holiday socks, holiday-themed coloring workbooks and backpacks or suitcases are encouraged.
Napa Valley Wine Train, 1275 Mckinstry St., Napa, 707-253-2111, winetrain.com
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]]>Love it or hate it, the Napa Valley wine train is rolling into its fourth decade.
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In honor of its 30th birthday, the Napa Valley Wine Train is throwing a party, and you’re invited.
It seems like everyone in Wine Country has an opinion about the wine train and its tenure in the valley — some good, some not so good — but there’s no denying the giant tourism magnet it has become since its inaugural passenger trip on Sept. 16, 1989.
Each year, the train ferries some 100,000 passengers through Napa Valley in its restored Pullman rail cars, with special events like the Hop Train, the Tequila Train and the annual holiday Santa Train.
If nothing else, surely that’s a feat worth applauding. All the more reason to celebrate: proceeds from the 30th anniversary event will go toward the Children’s Museum of Napa Valley.
To kick the party off, the Wine Train is hosting a reception on Sept. 16 at the Downtown Napa station. For $25, attendees can take in music, a tour of the train and hors d’oeuvres.
For those interested in celebrating in a more extravagant way, $250 tickets to the Wine Train’s 1980s-themed murder mystery party on Sept. 26 are now on sale.
The evening trip aboard the train will feature a four-course meal and a mystery for the guests onboard to solve: Who murdered singer Poison Ratenstein before he could perform for his fans?
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]]>Just in time for Halloween, a wine country take on the classic whodunit (wine included).
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Halloween is fast approaching. Before you know it, it’s the end of October. If you need an incentive to get a jump on that costume, how about a night out on the town with vino, good eats, and a wine country take on the classic whodunit?
Just in time for the haunting holiday, the Napa Valley Wine Train is rolling along the rails with its Murder Mystery tour. The evening event, described as “real life theater,” features characters roaming the vintage cars, providing clues as they create menace on the rails.
Riders are transported back to 1915; San Francisco has risen from the devastation of the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906, and Napa and Sonoma wine country is making a name for itself. The Grand Duchess Anastasia Petrovska Nybom, a Russian aristocrat, is the widow of “the owner and promoter of the Inglenook winery.” Senator Thurston Desmond III, is a corrupt U.S. Senator who is somehow both “for and against Prohibition.” Miss Valerie La Veaux is a captivating actress that stars in a mystery film entitled, “The Bottle Breaks.” Lt. Max Hohenberg is a Navy lieutenant who, while on leave, is serving as “the head winemaker for the Charles Krug Winery.”
Bring your best sleuthing skills to Napa Valley, and use the evening as an excuse to get into character as you don an early 20th century costume. Event attendees work in teams to solve the murder mystery onboard the train – they are welcome to ask questions; but you just never know if a character is telling the truth… An added perk: getting dressed up ensures you’re ready for whatever parties Halloween throws your way. And remember, there will be wine. Lots of wine.
The Murder Mystery Wine Train rolls along the tracks before and after Halloween, on Friday, October 19th, and Saturday, November 17th. The evening lasts around three hours; the train departs at 6:30pm, and returns around 9:30pm. (It’s recommended guests arrive by 5:45pm; the fun kicks off at the station before the train departs.)
Tickets start at $195 per person and include a welcome glass of sparkling wine, and a three course meal including options like Sliced Roasted Tenderloin of Beef, Brown Sugar Glazed Port Tenderloin, Lemon Thyme Roasted Chicken, and Kale & Quinoa Salad. Parties of two may be seated at a table for four with another party of two. 1275 Mckinstry Street, Napa, 707-253-2111, winetrain.com/events/murder-mystery
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]]>It is not just the wine that makes a wine tasting exceptional. Here are a few tasting experiences that stand out from the crowd.
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From old vine rieslings to cool climate syrahs, there is no shortage of mind-blowing wines to taste in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino. But it is not just the wine that makes a wine tasting stand out, the tasting experience also counts. We went in search of the exceptional and lined up a selection of wine tasting experiences to try right now. From train rides to fine art exhibits to drinking in the winery owner’s house, click through the gallery above for all the details.
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