Platypus Wine Tours

This tour seems to be a bit pricy at $ 110 however you do receive a complimentary picnic and a driver/​town tour guide. (BTW ROXANNA IS THE BEST. She takes care of her customers and really makes it an enjoyable experience.) Next heads up, Each winery that you go to you do have to pay a tasting fee that ranges from about $ 15– $ 20 HOWEVER if you purchase a bottle they wave the fee!
Let me remind you that for each wine tasting, you do get a good amount of wine to taste so as for the boozers, YOU ARE FINE.
ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE! :D

Karri from Platypus Tours was the most enjoyable woman to plan a great day with friends. 13 friends from college were in Sonoma for a wedding and I gave few details as to what we would want — she filled in the blanks, like she read our mind! She picked unique wineries, all different from one another, timed everything perfectly, suggested a great deli where she picked us up an incredible lunch. She provided a wonderful fruit and cracker tray at the exact moment we needed it! She ran to the store for us while we were in a winery to get us cold drinks for the trolley. On top of all of that– the trolley was salon seating and perfect. We could play our own music, had plenty of room, etc.
The planning process was a breeze as well– she was easily available via phone, email, text. I would HIGHLY recommend both the company and KARRI!
Enjoy!

Platypus is the way to see Napa. We went to 4 hidden gem wineries where the wines were fantastic as well as the scenery. Our tour guide Alicia was an added delight. She was knowledgeable and fun. Her enthusiasm was contagious and made our experience that much more enjoyable.

This was a wonderful tour. My friend and I came to Napa and had read about Platypus on TripAdvisor and booked it. We were a perfect sized group of 9. Sandy our tour guide was knowledgeable without being intrusive and full of information on the area.
We went to 4 small vineyards, all with a different flavor and all with a different view on wine/​vineyards/​Napa.
There was a nice pacing between wine tastings so that you weren’t backloaded. There was plenty of time at each vineyard to explore and ask questions without feeling rushed. There was sufficient water and snacks to help you pace yourself. There was no pressure to feel the need to buy anything which was greatly appreciated. I left feeling a greater appreciation of what there is in the Napa Valley as well as other options for the next visit.

We had a fantastic time! As Napa-​newbies, we had the opportunity to visit four unique wineries. One of the perks of this group tour was that the wineries were chosen for us; my fiancé and I would have had a difficult time deciding on the wineries ourselves (there are way too many to choose from!). Each winery had a different feel and a new/​interesting vibe to offer. It was a great opportunity to visit some of the smaller and more intimate wineries, several of which do not distribute outside of their tasting rooms. The setup of the group tour was a lot of fun, and Kristina did a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and welcome! She was incredibly kind and extremely knowledgable, really making an effort to make this a fun and personal and experience for every person in the group.

Perfect wine tour!
Scott was an amazing driver and guide to all things wine and the wineries. Enjoyed a wonderful lunch and loved every winery we visited. I loved visiting all the barrel rooms (got to see three). Even got to taste wine straight out of a barrell (omg… so good)!
A must do in Napa! You will not regret it.

We had an excellent day with Chris. We had 12 people on our bus of various ages (we were the oldest!). We all became best friends very fast. We visited four wineries that we never would have known about if it wasn’t for the tour. Chris ended at a great winery where we were able to hang out and relax. Definitely a thoroughly enjoyable day and the best way to see wine country!!!

What an awesome day we had! We visited four smaller wineries and had a very nice lunch at Casa Nuestra. We met some amazing people on our bus and had the most wonderful driver Kristina. She was so kind in helping us all find places for dinner and told us about some of her favorite wineries to visit. Did I mention how comfortable the bus was? Circular seating! I would definitely recommend this tour!

We loved the small, scenic and secluded vineyards that our upbeat and knowledgable driver Rachel took us to. The tastings were plentiful and well priced — with a good combo of white, red and dessert wines.
We also loved that we weren’t rushed and were able to enjoy every stop — wine tasting, walking around, sitting down to revel in the vineyard views.
Lunch was simple but tasty.
Overall excellent value for money and a great way to start discovering the many charms of the Napa valley.

We just got back from a weekend away in Napa. We did the Platypus Tour for the second time, Phil was our guided he picked us up from our hotel on time and we went on our way. I enjoy not having to think or work and just get shuttled around this beautiful place. We enjoyed the cheese platter and lunch at one of wineries. The other guests were fun and Phil was interactive and informative. It was an all around good group to spend the day with.
I unfortunately did not enjoy the wineries we visited this time around, they felt very «commercial» not much like the traditional Napa wineries I have come to love. I was hoping to find a secret gem, I guess not this time around. I will definitely be booking again the next time around had a great time anyways.

Excellent tour, completely worth the cost. Visited four wineries and all were wonderful. Tour guide was extremely knowledgable. Highly recommend!

We used this your yesterday, it was awesome. I really enjoyed our tour guide –Louis. He was very friendly and told us a lot about the valley, dos and don’ts of wine, and overall of the wineries we went to. He was pretty knowledgable and gave you his opinion on the wines as well.
They provide lunch and is included in the tour price, I’m Vegetarian, I had a pretty good sandwich made by him!!! Ha, I was wondering when I booked what the vegetarian meal
Would be.
I recommend this to anyone that would like to be bussed around between the 4 wineries they take you to, meet random new people who are on the tour with you, and also learn a bit of the area and wineries along the way. The only thing I didn’t like was they don’t know what wineries you will be visiting when you book until the driver/​guide arrives I guess. I think it’s cool that the guide gets to make his/​her own schedule in terms of what wineries will be visited on a given day but maybe having an idea of what I would be seeing would’ve been nice before I booked/​gave them my CC info.
Overall, I think this was a really good experience and would totally recommend it to any new bees in the Napa area.

We had a fantastic time on our private tour with Neil! He was a great guide. Knowledgeable about the area, enjoyable company and gently reminded us to drink water. Everything we were looking for! And he took pictures of us! I’m actually in photos for once! Neil is worth his weight in gold!
We loved the wineries on our itinerary, with Bremer Family being the absolute highlight of our day.
The reservation process with Platypus was easy and communication great!
We loved it so much we’re already talking about a tour for next time!

I booked a Sonoma estate vineyard tour last minute (less than a day in advance) for me and my mom with Platypus through the recommendation of our hotel in Healdsburg, and it was a fabulous experience.
The transport van was comfy and roomy, we had exceptional snacks between vineyards (hello fancy cheese), and greatly enjoyed the company of our fellow tour-​goers. The vineyards we visited were all off the beaten path estate vineyards, and were so unique and lovely. I never felt rushed, and the wine makers seemed to genuinely enjoy our visit. It felt like we got to go all over Sonoma and explore a wide variety of wine culture, all while having a perfectly indulgent wine country day.
Our tour guide, Andy Hyman, was absolutely wonderful and definitely deserves his own note: Andy had all the aspects of a great guide (friendly, insightful, wonderful facilitator, etc.), but was also very proactive in helping us learn about wine without making us feel silly. He even self-​printed his own wine tasting guide and notebook that we could each fill out and keep throughout the day! So above and beyond, and really a wonderful person to learn from and spend the day with.
No regrets, and for the price, I doubt you could find a better tour. Cheers!

My first trip to Sonoma and it’s been wonderful. We took the tour today and our driver, Chris was awesome.
He brought us to four wineries that were all amazing in their own way. Chris was very knowledgable and answered all of our questions.
Lunch at the second stop was great and the snacks on the bus were great. We had 12 total on the bus, not everyone knew each other. Chris facilitated a great ice breaker and by the second stop we were all having a ball, like we had known each other for more than an hour.
I would totally recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting Sonoma. Salut!

Tour guide was friendly, came and picked us up at Napa River Inn. A total of 9 people and went to 4 wineries. Lunch was provided, which was sandwiches and other small snacks. On the bus we had free water, cheese, and crackers. Wished lunch was a bit more fulfilling. Majority of the wineries were red wines, bummer because I like whites. Tasting fee ranges from $ 15 – 20, unless you plan to buy.

This was my first visit to Napa and while there my sister and I did a private tour and this tour. We loved both experiences but Platypus was a lot of fun in many ways. We had a great driver– Alecia was funny, and allowed us to enjoy while she handled all the details. The wineries we visited were great, small boutique places and were nice intimate experiences. One we even met and were poured wine by the winery owner.
We had fun with the other people on our tour even being very diverse in age and some single and some married and some couples and some friends. We all got along great. I’m sure the wine doesn’t hurt that but it didn’t feel forced at all. I would definitely recommend this tour and I hope to be back to do it again.

I’ve now gone on two tours w/​Platypus — Napa and Sonoma — with the same guide (hey Chris!) and each time has been extremely informative and fun.
I highly highly recommend this company because…
1. They focus on visiting smaller wineries where your experience is more personal and you’ll end up discovering gems you never otherwise would have found. Even if you don’t end up using Platypus, this is a rule you should follow across the board — go small.
2. You get to see wine country from a variety of different angles, from the cave/​barrel room to the vineyard to the usual tasting room.
3. The size of the group is just about ideal for socializing. (We were teamed up with 7 Brits this last time and they were awesome)
4. Lunch is included. Cheese and crackers and water bottles are plentifully provided as well.
5. Every tour itinerary is kind of a surprise, so if you keep an open mind, you’re bound to enjoy the experience and find something completely new and interesting and great.
6. The two times we’ve toured w/​Platypus, we’ve gotten some degree of special access or special treatment. For example, when we went to Loxton, we were hosted by Chris Loxton himself and had a great conversation with him while he told us about his winemaking experiences, shared some great stories and Aussie jokes and poured us tastings.
7. The price is right.
8. There is no snobbery.
Note…
–Plan to pay tasting fees, any wine you decide to buy, and the tip for your guide on top of the fee for the day.
–A lot of places will waive their tasting fee if you buy a bottle/​two bottles/​three bottles — it varies by location. But IMHO, if it’s one bottle, you absolutely should buy one to take home.
–If you’re flying to get home, Platypus can sell you a shipping box for $ 10 that you can check with your luggage. We’ve had no mishaps with this in our experience of checking 4 boxes. If you plan to do this, just pack some packing tape so you don’t end up having to buy any.
–If you’re staying in the general vicinity of your tour, they will pick you up right at your hotel/B&B!

Me & 3 of my girlfriends booked a tour in Napa. We were picked up at our hotel – absolutely no worries, no driving! We were joined with 2 other groups of 4 and had a delightful and handsome guide/​driver named Mike. He took us to 4 different small wineries. It was so intimate and personal. Really great. Even served us lunch in a beautiful setting at one of the vineyards. Our group was a blast! If you want a worry free all day tour of Napa, go with Platypus. Outstanding!

Like all the other reviewers we had an excellent time touring Napa Valley with Platypus.
My husband and I came to the valley in our honeymoon looking to visit some great places. We aren’t local so we needed some assistance finding the best that Napa has to offer. Enter Platypus wine tours. They charge a fair rate that INCLUDED LUNCH! Most other tour companies I looked into did not provide food.
This is a small group your so we were grouped with 4 other couples that we didn’t know but once we had a few tastings we all knew each other well!
We toured four great wineries that we had never heard of and otherwise would not have known about. The best wines I tasted during my trip were from small boutique wineries and I am so glad I got to visit these little gems. All tastings were $ 15 or less and some wineries waive the fee if you purchase a bottle.
Lunch tasted good and consisted of salad, sandwiches, cheese, dessert cakes, and fruit.
Our tour driver was excellent! He was so knowledgable about the valley and wine making process. He shared a lot of interesting Napa history with us and gave us great recommendations on where to eat and visit on the rest of our trip.
Overall AWESOME!!! This tour is a must when visiting Napa valley.