UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
The UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is an amazing place to spend your time on a nice, sunny day. The garden offers the perfect day for nature lovers and is extremely relaxing. The garden itself is massive and is somewhere I have spent hours wandering up and down the different paths and enjoying the scenery. Beyond the beauty of the garden, there are plants from all over the world and they are all sectioned off so you can feel as if you are stepping into a new continent in each section. The crown jewel, in my opinion, is the redwood grove. The redwood grove is a perfect place to cool off on a hot day as well as live out your forestry dreams as you feel totally immersed in a redwood forest when you enter the grove. If you’re in Berkeley, the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is definitely worth the stop.
Golden Gate Park
This massive park is located in San Francisco and is a great place to spend a day and relax with friends. The park itself spans 1,017 acres and offers lots of greenspace to sit down and spend your day. Furthermore, there are museums and attractions within the park such as the California Academy of Sciences, DeYoung Museum and even a ferris wheel. Take some time to meander around the park and enjoy an escape from the urban environment of San Francisco.
Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square
These spots offer a look into San Francisco food culture and are popular tourist attractions. Pier 39 has so many attractions such as eateries, a merry-go-round, an aquarium and so much more. At night, the Pier comes alive with lights and crowds of people. As for Fisherman’s Wharf, it is a great place to go to try San Francisco seafood as well as the views of the water. Lastly, Ghirardelli Square is for the chocolate lovers and is a chocolate paradise. Go enjoy food as well as amazing deserts in this iconic square.
Fox Theater
The Fox Theater in Oakland is an amazing concert spot and somewhere that is often frequented by UC Berkeley students. There are always artists performing at the Fox Theater who appeal to college students. Even better, the Fox Theater is directly across the street from the 19th Street Oakland BART stop, making the theater extremely accessible to students. Personally, I attended a Rina Sawayama concert there in November 2022 and had an amazing experience. So definitely check which artists are coming to the Fox Theater and get a ticket if you’re interested!
The Ferry Building, Exploratorium and Salesforce Park
I placed these three spots together since they are relatively close to each other. The Ferry Building is a great place to check out some local shops, enjoy the Bay views and take some nice photos; sometimes the Ferry Building even has local artists selling their art and craft that you can buy as a cute souvenir. A little bit down the road from the Ferry Building is the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is a science museum that offers fun exhibits that highlight aspects of science in an approachable way. Really, the Exploratorium is a great place to mess around and let yourself explore the wonders of science. Lastly, Salesforce Park is a skyline park attached to the Salesforce Tower. This park is free to the public and offers a taste of nature directly in the center of downtown San Francisco.