Platypus Wine Tours

Platypus Wine Tours: wine tours in Napa Valley and Sonoma

Platypus Wine Tours is a company specializing in wine excursions through Napa Valley and Sonoma Wine Country, in California. It operates daily small-group tours and customized private tours, with pickup at the client's lodging and picnic-style lunch included in the group option.

The company presents itself as a laid-back alternative to conventional wine tourism and focuses its offering on small, historic, family-owned wineries, many of them little known to the average visitor. Its team is made up of experienced guides and support staff.

Tour options

The company distinguishes two main service formats:

• Small-group tours (join-in): daily excursions in shuttle-type vehicles, with pickup at your lodging and picnic-style lunch included. The price listed in the catalog is $139 per person.
• Private tours: vehicle and driver-guide exclusively for couples or groups of any size, with a customized itinerary. The company has vehicles for groups of 2 to 50 people.

Itineraries and areas covered

The small-group tour catalog includes the following routes:

• Napa Valley Wineries (4.9 out of 4,877 reviews).
• Sonoma Valley Wineries (4.8 out of 1,748 reviews).
• Napa Hideaway Mountainside, available only on Fridays (5.0 out of 46 reviews).
• Napa Valley Wineries from San Francisco, available only on Mondays and Thursdays (4.8 out of 367 reviews).
• Russian River / Healdsburg area, available only on Fridays and Saturdays (4.9 out of 532 reviews).

In addition to Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, the company notes that it organizes routes through other local wine areas such as Carneros, Russian River, Dry Creek, West Side and Alexander Valley.

Complementary and group services

Along with its wine tours, the company offers services aimed at specific groups and at organizing stays in the region:

• Corporate packages and customized corporate tours.
• Wedding guest tours.
• Bachelorette tours and group getaways.
• Gift cards.
• Balloon flights.
• Lodging partners.
• Region map and designated meeting point for tours.

Company profile and experience

The company states it has been operating in the region for more than twenty years, a period during which it has built a network of relationships with wineries and trained its guides. According to its own presentation, nearly one in five reservations comes from guests who have previously taken a tour with the company.

Platypus Wine Tours presents itself as the recipient of various industry awards and has accumulated 8,035 five-star reviews, a fact the company itself uses to position itself as the highest-rated wine tour company in the region. Its recognitions include being named in TripAdvisor's Top 10 Tours in the United States.

Practical information

The company serves Napa and Sonoma Wine Country and offers phone assistance and live chat, as well as an online booking system. The website includes information on cancellation policies, frequently asked questions and a winery directory organized by area: Calistoga, Dry Creek, Healdsburg, Napa Valley, North Sonoma County, Russian River, Sonoma Valley and St. Helena. It also has sections dedicated to Hispanic wineries and historic wineries.

Location and contact

182 Camino Oruga Napa, CA 94558 · Phone: 707-253-2723