Before boarding the Grand Princess for the Pacific Northwest, we carved out a few days in Wine Country and San Francisco. Here’s a quick recap of our stay, plus everything we’d tell a friend planning their own version of it.

Quick guide to our stay:

• Arrival in Napa — a delayed landing and a feast at Morimoto
• Napa Wineries — Duckhorn, B Cellars, and Oxbow Public Market
• Worth Every Bite: St. Francis Winery — a wine-first pairing lunch in Sonoma
• San Francisco — a bay cruise, a VW bus tour, and Wayfare Tavern

Arrival in Napa

We flew into San Francisco, picked up a rental car, and got stuck on the tarmac for over an hour waiting for a gate — pushing our drive to Napa straight into rush hour. Once we checked into our river-view room at the Napa River Inn, the day turned around fast with a feast of small plates at Morimoto: tuna toro tartare, wagyu carpaccio, sticky ribs, and more, all beautifully paced by a great server.

Read our full post: a delayed landing and a feast at Morimoto.

Napa Wineries

A full day of wine touring started with Duckhorn, a Napa staple known for its reds, followed by the Oakville Trek at B Cellars — a multi-course format of wine and food pairings paired with a tour of the facilities. We closed the day at Oxbow Public Market for oysters and a big shared charcuterie board.

Read our full post: Duckhorn, B Cellars, and Oxbow Public Market.

Worth Every Bite: St. Francis Winery

Our second day of touring took us to Sonoma for something different: a reserved-in-advance wine and food pairing lunch at St. Francis Winery, seated at horseshoe-shaped tasting tables while a sommelier walked us through each pairing. Rather than building a menu and matching wine to it, St. Francis flips the process — selecting peak wines from multiple vineyards first, then building seasonal dishes around them. The result was one of the standout meals of the trip.

Read our full post: a wine-first pairing lunch in Sonoma.

San Francisco

Our last day before boarding was a fun one exploring the city on our own: a bay cruise past Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate, and Alcatraz, a VW bus tour with Vantigo Tours, and dinner at Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tavern, where his signature steak tartare and fried chicken lived up to the hype.

Read our full post: a bay cruise, a VW bus tour, and Wayfare Tavern.

Final Thoughts: Is a Napa & San Francisco Pre-Cruise Stop Worth It?

Absolutely. Splitting the time between Napa, Sonoma, and San Francisco gave us the best of both — relaxed wine touring followed by a full day back in the city — without feeling rushed before boarding. If your cruise departs from San Francisco, this is a great way to ease into the trip rather than flying in and boarding the same day.

Pre-Cruise Tips for Napa & San Francisco

• Build in buffer time from San Francisco Airport — a delayed gate and rush hour traffic can easily eat into your first evening.
• Dining suggestions worth building your stay around:
  • Morimoto — Napa, order a spread of appetizers rather than committing to one dish, and let your server help pace it out.
  • St. Francis Winery — Sonoma, reserve well in advance; seating at the tasting tables is limited, and it’s worth planning a full day around.
  • Wayfare Tavern — San Francisco, a must if you’re a Tyler Florence fan; the steak tartare and fried chicken are his signature dishes.
• Pair your Sonoma day with a morning in town before the St. Francis lunch — an easy, relaxed way to fill the hours beforehand.
• Consider a VW bus tour with Vantigo Tours for an easy, fun way to see San Francisco without driving yourself.

FAQ

Is Napa or San Francisco a good pre-cruise stop before boarding in San Francisco?
Yes. Both are close enough to the port to make for a relaxed pre-cruise stay, and splitting time between wine country and the city gives you a nice mix of pace before boarding.

How many days do you need in Napa and Sonoma?
We spent two full days of wine touring across Napa and Sonoma, which felt like enough time to hit a few wineries in each without rushing.

Is a wine pairing lunch like St. Francis Winery worth booking in advance?
Yes — seating is limited at the tasting tables, and it’s the kind of experience worth reserving well ahead and planning a day around.