Special Group & Private Walking Tours

Thank you for your interest in booking a special group tour or private walking tour with special accommodations. We are booking for Spring 2023! You can put your name on our list to be notified when the Summer 2023 calendar is available for booking (at the bottom of this page).

What Constitutes a Special Group?

A special group is any party of 10 or more people. This can include a large family, school group (grades 6th and up only), private tour company, non-profit group, or any group of 10 or more people. We are unable to accommodate school groups that are 5th grade or below; please view our Cal Kids Scavenger Hunt and Activities.

Small Private Walking Tours

If you are a party of less than 10 people that require special accommodations which don’t allow you to join our free guided walking tour, please book a Group Walking Tour as a “Private Small Group/Family” for $50 and note the special accommodations required in your tour reservation. Your private walking tour is not confirmed until you receive an email from the Tour Coordinator. If your party is less than 10 people and no special accommodations are required, please book a free guided walking tour.

Reservation Information

Tour reservations are required for these tours. Special group/private tour reservations must be made at least 14 days in advance. Please note these tours are walking tours. If you wish to book a private golf cart tour due to limited mobility (only), please visit the Golf Cart Tour website.

We offer Spanish and Mandarin language tours on request based on our students' availability. When booking, please state your language preference in the special needs box on the reservation.

If your party is less than 10 people, please register for our free guided walking tour.

Schedule

  • Spring 2023: February 13 – March 24
    • Group Walking Tours: We offer these tours Monday-Friday at various times along with Saturdays and Sundays at 11am. These tours are intended for school groups, non-profit groups, and similar groups of 10 or more people.
    • Private Walking Tours: We are only booking $50 private walking tours that require special accommodations. Please book a Group Walking Tour as a “Private Small Group/Family” and note the special accommodations required in your tour reservation. Your private walking tour is not confirmed until you receive an email from the Tour Coordinator.
    • Not Offered on These Dates: Presidents Day (Monday, February 20) or during our Spring Break (March 25 - April 2). This Spring, we unfortunately are unable to offer group tours in April and most of May as we will be focusing our efforts on the hundreds of newly admitted students and their families who visit every day in April so they can make the all-important decision of where to go to college! Thank you in advance for your understanding.
  • Summer 2023: May 30 - August 11
    • Group Walking Tours: We offer these tours Monday-Sunday at various times. These tours are intended for school groups, non-profit groups, and similar groups of 10 or more people.
    • Private Walking Tours: We are only booking $50 private walking tours that require special accommodations. Please book a Group Walking Tour as a “Private Small Group/Family” and note the special accommodations required in your tour reservation. Your private walking tour is not confirmed until you receive an email from the Tour Coordinator.
    • Not Offered on These Dates: Independence Day (Tuesday, July 4).

Our student tour guides are unavailable between semesters, so we are unable to offer special group tours during this time. To find particular dates of our breaks and holidays, please see the UC Berkeley Academic Calendar

Fees

In-person Special Group Tour fees are waived only for students attending California schools (middle schools 6th grade and up, high schools, and community colleges), where the school is booking the tour directly. Fees apply for all other special groups and private tours which include nonprofit organizations (even if they serve children who attend California schools), after-school programs, out-of-state schools, international groups, private tours, and tours booked by private tour companies. The fee schedule is at the bottom of this page and is based on the number of visitors, regardless of tour length.

Make a Special Group Tour Reservation (Spring 2023)

Notify Me when the Summer 2023 Group Tour Calendar is Available

Additional information

In-Person Special Group Tour Information

Special Group/Private tours are available during most of the spring, summer, and fall semesters. They are not offered during semester breaks, final exams, the first few weeks of a semester, spring break, or major holidays.

Tours are 90 minutes long, except middle school tours (6th-8th grades) which are 60 minutes long. Due to resource constraints, we are unable to provide tours to elementary schools (5th grade and under), but we have a fantastic Cal Kids self-guided tour and Cal Kids activity book they can enjoy.

Space is limited, and availability is on a first-come first-served basis. Reservations are required.

Fee Schedule

Special Group Tour fees are waived only for students attending California schools (middle schools 6th grade and up, high schools, and community colleges), where the school is booking the tour directly. Fees apply for all other special groups and private tours which include nonprofit organizations (even if they serve children who attend California schools), after-school programs, out-of-state schools, international groups, private tours, and tours booked by private tour companies. The fee is based on the number of visitors, regardless of tour length. The following fees will be assessed:

  • 1-35 people: $50
  • 36-50 people: $70
  • 51-70 people: $90
  • 71-100 people: $110
  • 101-135 people: $130
  • 136-150 people: $150
  • 151-170 people: $170
  • 171-200 people: $190
  • 200+ people: Please contact the tour coordinator at (510) 642-5216.

UC Berkeley departments and UC schools will be charged a reduced fee of $25 per guide via chartstring or interdepartmental transfer (request those tours here). All cancellations made within 72 hours of the tour will still incur the tour fee.

In-Person Reservations

Special Group, Private, and Golf Cart tours must be reserved at least 14 days in advance. Reservations are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitor Services is not able to provide tours other than those appearing on the reservation calendar.