Museum · 40 min northwest
California Academy of Sciences
An aquarium, planetarium, rainforest dome and living roof all under one roof in Golden Gate Park.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From Palo Alto
Day trips from Palo Alto
From Palo Alto, Winchester Mystery House is about 20 minutes away, Exploratorium under 40 minutes, and Lick Observatory about an hour. The best day trips from Palo Alto, by drive time.
167 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Palo Alto
- California Academy of Sciences 40 min northwest
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 49 min south
- Lick Observatory 55 min east
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 1 hr 5 min north
- Alcatraz Island 1 hr 24 min northwest
- Pinnacles National Park 1 hr 44 min southeast
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park 1 hr 55 min northeast
- McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 2 hr 13 min south
- Columbia State Historic Park 2 hr 26 min northeast
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park 2 hr 42 min northeast
Within an hour from Palo Alto 46 spots
Theme park · 49 min south
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Classic seaside amusement park with a wooden coaster, arcade and a wide beach next door.
- Half day · Easy
- Open daily in summer; limited days in winter (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Observatory · 55 min east
Lick Observatory
Historic hilltop telescopes above San Jose with a long winding road and big views.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Grounds open daily; visitor center hours limited (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Hike · 1 hr northwest
Muir Woods National Monument
Easy paths through old coast redwoods in a quiet canyon just north of the city.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; best on weekdays
- See the official site for current fees
Museum · 37 min northwest
Exploratorium
Hands-on science exhibits on the San Francisco waterfront. Great for kids and curious adults.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Closed Mondays (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 46 min northwest
Golden Gate Bridge
The famous orange bridge. Walk or bike across for big views of the city, the bay and the Marin Headlands.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; fog common in summer
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 33 min west
Half Moon Bay
A coast town with a historic main street, beaches and pumpkin patches in fall.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; pumpkins in October
- Free to visit
Zoo · 34 min north
Oakland Zoo
Hillside zoo with a gondola, a kids' ride area and a California wildlife section.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
1 to 2 hours from Palo Alto 67 spots
Theme park · 1 hr 5 min north
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Roller coasters, a water park and live animal shows in one park in Vallejo.
- Full day · Easy
- Check calendar; fall and winter events on select days (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Island · 1 hr 24 min northwest
Alcatraz Island
Ferry to the old island prison with an audio tour and big city views.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round when ferry is running
- See the official site for current fees
National park · 1 hr 44 min southeast
Pinnacles National Park
Spires and talus caves from an ancient volcano, plus condors and good hiking trails.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; best Oct-May
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 1 hr 55 min northeast
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
A riverfront district of Gold Rush and railroad-era buildings with wooden sidewalks, under Tower Bridge.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Landmark · 1 hr 59 min northwest
Point Reyes Lighthouse
A historic lighthouse at the end of a long peninsula road with steep stairs and winter whale watching.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round; open Thursday to Monday (confirm before you go); whale season Dec to Apr
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 1 hr 26 min northeast
Mount Diablo State Park
A tall peak in the East Bay with a summit road, wide views and many trails.
- Half day · Easy to strenuous
- Year-round; spring wildflowers; summit views best on clear days
- See the official site for current fees
Aquarium · 1 hr 28 min south
Monterey Bay Aquarium
World-famous aquarium with kelp forest, jellyfish and sea otters, right on the water.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 1 hr 33 min south
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Rocky coves, sea otters, harbor seals and cypress groves, often called the crown jewel of state parks.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
2 to 3 hours from Palo Alto 43 spots
Waterfall · 2 hr 13 min south
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Short walk to an overlook of an ocean waterfall dropping onto a beach.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 2 hr 26 min northeast
Columbia State Historic Park
A whole Gold Rush town kept as it was, with stagecoach rides, gold panning, old saloons and costumed shopkeepers.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Historic site · 2 hr 42 min northeast
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
The place in Coloma where the 1848 gold find set off the Gold Rush, with a replica sawmill, a museum and gold panning on the American River.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
State park · 2 hr 50 min northeast
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Giant sequoias in the North Grove on an easy, mostly flat loop, where the big trees first became famous in the 1850s.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (best May to October)
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Historic site · 2 hr 53 min northeast
Empire Mine State Historic Park
One of California's richest hard-rock gold mines, with a stone owner's cottage, formal gardens and the old mine yard.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission (per person); trails free
State park · 2 hr 1 min northwest
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
A grove of giant redwoods along Fife Creek near Guerneville.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Town · 2 hr 13 min northeast
Sutter Creek
A small, well-kept Gold Rush town with balconied buildings, antique shops and wine tasting along Highway 49.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Lake · 2 hr 19 min northeast
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
A big reservoir with beaches, bike paths and boating close to Sacramento; Beals Point and Granite Bay are the main beaches.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round (best May to September)
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 94301 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.