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I took my teenager to Napa. Here’s what we did instead of a typical wine trip

By | October 26, 2026
Rows of grapevines bearing dark grapes beneath a blue sky in Napa Valley.
Grapevines grow in rows at a vineyard along the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, California. Credit: Pedro Costa Simeao/Getty Images

“You’re bringing your teenager… to Napa?” was the bewildered reaction I got from everyone from friends to my hairdresser when I said I was heading there earlier this summer with my 14-year-old. In many ways, I don’t fit the profile of a typical Napa visitor. I barely drink, and I decided to bring my son along because he’s too old for camp and too young to work. 

Rather than plan an itinerary around downtown Napa’s more than 40 tasting rooms, we explored the city in our own way. We focused on outdoor adventures and good food, ate every meal outside and ordered more mocktails than cocktails. Here are four ways we experienced downtown Napa outdoors.

E-bike to the vineyards

Bicycles parked outside Laird Family Estate as visitors walk toward the winery entrance.
Bicycles line the railing outside Laird Family Estate, a winery stop accessible from the Napa Valley Vine Trail. Credit: Courtesy of Napa Valley Bike Tours

My son is e-bike obsessed, so renting bikes from Napa Valley Bike Tours was an easy win. He took the lead, navigating us through town and along the car-free Napa Valley Vine Trail to reach Laird Family Estate. The winery welcomes guests under 21, and we relaxed on the patio with a Coke for him and a glass of sauvignon blanc for me, then refueled with a charcuterie plate.

Explore downtown on foot or two wheels

Colorful buildings and outdoor dining patios overlook a paved walkway along the Napa River in downtown Napa.
A riverside walkway and outdoor dining patios line downtown Napa’s waterfront. Credit: Courtesy of City of Napa

Downtown Napa is compact and easy to explore on foot, so I easily hit my 10,000-step target as we admired the Victorian buildings, poked around shops and sampled everything from chocolates to ice cream. My son joined local teens popping wheelies under the bridges near the historic Oxbow Public Market, then tried horchata for the first time. I made an impromptu picnic from the market and ate it by the culinary garden at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia.

Kayak along the Napa River

A mother and son wearing life jackets pose for a selfie while kayaking on the Napa River.
Christina Valhouli and her son explore the Napa River by kayak during their trip to Napa. Credit: Christina Valhouli

A kayak tour with Napa Kayak gave us a fresh perspective on downtown and the Napa River. Napa Kayak founder and guide Justin Perkins kept my teenager’s attention with stories of Napa’s colorful characters and bits of local history and ecology while we worked up a sweat and spotted wildlife.

See art without going to a museum

A large mural depicts two children lying on their stomachs, one reading a book, on a building beside railroad tracks in Napa.
A mural depicting two children covers a building beside the railroad tracks in Napa’s Rail Arts District. Credit: Courtesy of City of Napa

While it can be tough to convince a teen to spend time in a museum, downtown Napa makes it easy to experience art outdoors. We checked out the sculptures along Napa ARTWalk, a rotating public art exhibition, and explored the Rail Arts District on foot and e-bike, passing large-scale murals painted on former warehouses. Best of all, both were free and gave us the flexibility to linger if something caught our eye or move on.

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Filed under: Beyond the Trail · California · Explore · Kayaking · On the Water · Outdoor Travel · Paddling
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