Berkeley in a day
A one-day plan for Berkeley: the University of California campus, Sather Tower and the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology first, then the Museum of Paleontology, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the Berkeley Rose Garden and the University of California Botanical Garden. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Berkeley in 1 day
Day 1
University of California Botanical Garden
Botanical garden in Strawberry Canyon with thousands of plant species from around the world, including a large collection of California natives.
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
University museum of anthropology with collections from California Native peoples and cultures around the world, open on set days.
Sather Tower
Campus bell tower of 1914, known as the Campanile, rising 307 feet, with an observation deck and a carillon.
University of California, Berkeley
The flagship campus of the University of California, with Sather Tower, lawns, museums and a creek running through the grounds.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
University art museum with modern and contemporary art, and a film archive that screens classic and international cinema.
Berkeley Rose Garden
Terraced public garden in the Berkeley hills with thousands of rose bushes, an amphitheater and views over the bay.
University of California Museum of Paleontology
Campus museum in the Valley Life Sciences Building with dinosaur skeletons and fossils.
Watch: Berkeley
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Berkeley
Berkeley has a mild climate: spring and autumn are the clearest and most pleasant, while summer days are often cool and foggy near the bay. The rainy season runs from about November to March, and the hills can be windy. Cal football games in autumn and graduation in May fill the streets and hotels.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Berkeley on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Berkeley on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Berkeley on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for United States from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Berkeley
- Sather Tower, the Campanile, has an observation deck with views of the bay; it is open on set days and closed during university events, so check the day before.
- The Berkeley Rose Garden is a terraced garden in the hills north of campus; it is free and at its best from late spring to summer.
- The University of California Botanical Garden is in Strawberry Canyon, uphill from campus, so allow time for the climb or take a ride.
- The Hearst Museum, the Museum of Paleontology and the art museum keep limited opening days, so check them before fixing the order of stops.
- BART from Downtown Berkeley reaches San Francisco in about 25 minutes if you want to add the city on another day.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive: Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive, Public domain
- Berkeley Rose Garden: Jef Poskanzer from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology: Berkeley Center for New Media, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sather Tower: John Galen Howard, Public domain
- University of California Botanical Garden: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0
- University of California Museum of Paleontology: Daderot, CC0
- University of California, Berkeley: Gku, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
