A honeymoon in Napa Valley will sure be a beautiful and memorable one — but it can really get pretty expensive! However, it is not impossible to have a honeymoon in the Wine Country on a budget — because you surely can, if you are smart, resourceful, and creative. Here are some tips to help you avoid paying the full price and still be able to enjoy a lovely honeymoon in Napa.
First, you should decide what activities you want in your honeymoon. If you and your new spouse mostly want to be pampered in Napa Valley, you can book hotels or any other lodgings nearby spa and wellness resorts in advance. If both of you love wines and winemaking, make sure to choose a suite that is near lots of wineries. Or if nature-tripping and adventure is more of a priority, make sure that you have enough money for week-long hiking and camping trip — Napa Valley offers miles of hiking trails and many of them have nice picnic spots to have some gourmet lunches.
Do you want to spend your honeymoon in the Napa Valley on Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Valentine’s Day? Look for hotels that offer seasonal/holiday packages which may include deluxe rooms with a large bed, a romantic dinner for two, a Jacuzzi or a spa, and some wine tours. You should also keep an eye out for all-inclusive romantic packages in Napa Valley no matter the season, and they come in prices that can fit your budget.
Although Napa Valley is notoriously expensive, you can snag great deals by visiting the Napa Valley Welcome Center (or Napa Valley Visitor Center) in downtown Napa. If your main priority for your honeymoon is tasting wines (especially if you and your spouse are wine lovers), you will be able to get wine tasting coupons and incredible discounts for wineries and tasting rooms. If you want to max out your wine-filled honeymoon, purchase a $30 wine tasting card from the Napa Valley Welcome Center or the Napa Tourist Information Center and enjoy sampling at twelve complimentary tastings from tasting rooms.
Booking early at hotels in Napa means that not only can you snag available rooms, you can also take advantage of the special deals and discounts as well. For example, if you book a room early at a certain hotel you can save up to 15% to 20%! Booking a hotel or airline online also greatly helps as they also offer awesome bonuses like airline miles.
You may also want to have a honeymoon in Napa Valley during the off-season. Summer is Napa Valley’s peak season with crowds, jam-packed hotels, restaurants and tasting rooms — not to mention rising prices. Napa during the off-season means sparse crowds and incredible discounts offered by hotels and other lodgings. Winter in Napa can be really quiet and a lot of the wineries and other establishments would be closed for most of the season (especially during Christmas and New Year’s Eve/New Year). But for wineries and tasting rooms that are still open in the winter, take advantage of the sparse crowds and for a quiet, hassle-free visit to these wineries and tasting rooms. You will be able to concentrate and really enjoy the wines and learn the process of winemaking.
A lot of transportation operators also offer packages with popular prices to match. Of course, you will want to choose packages made for couples that are also budget-friendly. Some hotels and lodgings partner with transportation companies and together they offer special tour packages. The Napa Valley Wine Train, for example, offers free rides for couples plus a romantic on-board dinner for two when you book a stay at one of its partner hotels.
Riding a hot air balloon over Napa Valley could be the most romantic thing any honeymooners have ever done. Flying over the gorgeous Napa landscape in a hot air balloon could be really symbolic — it’s like taking your love to the next level!
View the neat and lush rows of vineyards and the famous valleys. Take lots of your first “just married” selfies with the stunning Napa landscape in the background — the neat and lush rows of vineyards, the famous valleys, the mountains, and the rolling hills. Any season could be a good time for hot air balloon ride in Napa, even in the winter! In addition, take lots of pictures or even yet make your first toast as a married couple — but be careful not to get tipsy!
Hot air balloon rides can be pricey. But if you want to make the most of the moment, you might as well choose a hot air balloon ride package that will also include other activities such as conventional wine tours and lovely outdoor picnics. Choose Balloons Above the Valley (BATV), which has been offering top-rated hot air balloon rides for over 40 years. We feature hot air balloon packages that will suit your preferences:
- Sunrise Balloon Flight & Brunch ($209 per person)
– Pre-flight breakfast
– Sunrise hot air balloon flight
– Post-flight brunch with champagne - Sunrise Balloon Flight – Champagne Brunch – Wine Tour $608 for two passengers
– Pre-flight breakfast
– Sunrise hot air balloon flight
– Post-flight brunch with champagne
– Six-hour wine tour
– Picnic lunch - San Francisco Balloon & Wine Tour Package ($836 for two persons)
– Seven-hour wine tour from San Francisco aboard a limousine PLUS onboard Continental breakfast with mimosa
– Stop at vista point to view the Golden Gate Bridge
– Visits to 2 wineries in Napa and 2 wineries in Sonoma
– Picnic lunch
– Olive oil tasting
– Vineyard and production tour at one winery
– Pre-flight breakfast
– Sunrise hot air balloon flight
– Post-flight brunch with champagne
– Options for shopping and sightseeing in downtown Napa
– Transfer to ferry terminal
– Ferry tickets
If you want more intimate moments with your new spouse, you can choose BATV’s “Exclusive Flights” option where you can enjoy the hot air balloon basket space virtually alone and a private table at the post-flight brunch. You may contact BATV’s office for Exclusive Flights pricing and assistance.
If you follow these tips, you will realize that it is really possible to enjoy a honeymoon in Napa Valley on a budget. Make the moments between you and your loved one count the most, not the cost!