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Berkeley

Berkeley is synonymous with protest, activism and left wing politics. Beyond those tropes is a busy, attractive city, a blend of yuppie and hippie and student, all existing side by side with great Asia-Pacific regional restaurants, twee toy stores, Latin American groceries, high-end organic food halls and the misty green campus of the University of California, Berkeley (aka 'Cal'). It’s easy to stereotype ‘Beserkeley’ for some of its recycle-or-else PC crankiness and occasional overbearing self-righteousness. But some of that attitude is justified: at the end of the day Berkeley has, more often than not, been on the right side of environmental and political issues that have defined the rest of the nation.

Berkeley is also home to a large South Asian community, as evidenced by an abundance of sari shops on University Ave and an unusually large number of Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese restaurants.

Explore Berkeley

Tilden Regional Park
This 2079-acre park, up in the hills east of town, is Berkeley’s best. It has nearly 40 miles of hiking and multiuse trails of varying difficulty, from…
Campanile
Officially called Sather Tower, the Campanile was modeled on St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The 307ft spire offers fine views of the Bay Area, and at the…
U
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
With 34 acres and more than 10,000 types of plants, this garden in the hills above campus has one of the most varied collections in the USA. Flora from…
T
Takara Sake
Stop in to see the traditional wooden tools used for making sake and a short video of the brewing process. Tours of the factory aren’t offered, but you…
T
Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Ave has traditionally been the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, the sidewalks crowded with undergrads, postdocs and youthful…
B
Berkeley Rose Garden
In North Berkeley discover the Berkeley Rose Garden, with its eight terraces of colorful explosions. Here you’ll find quiet benches and a plethora of…
A
Adventure Playground
At the Berkeley Marina, this is one of the coolest play spaces in the Bay Area – a free outdoor park encouraging creativity and cooperation where…
U
UC Berkeley Art Museum
With a stainless-steel exterior wrapping around a 1930s printing plant, this museum holds multiple galleries showcasing a limited number of artworks, from…
M
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
This museum boasts a fine collection – almost 15,000 pieces – of art and cultural artifacts sourced from across the Jewish diaspora, particularly Jewish…

Tilden Regional Park
This 2079-acre park, up in the hills east of town, is Berkeley’s best. It has nearly 40 miles of hiking and multiuse trails of varying difficulty, from…
Campanile
Officially called Sather Tower, the Campanile was modeled on St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The 307ft spire offers fine views of the Bay Area, and at the…
U
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
With 34 acres and more than 10,000 types of plants, this garden in the hills above campus has one of the most varied collections in the USA. Flora from…
T
Takara Sake
Stop in to see the traditional wooden tools used for making sake and a short video of the brewing process. Tours of the factory aren’t offered, but you…
T
Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Ave has traditionally been the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, the sidewalks crowded with undergrads, postdocs and youthful…
B
Berkeley Rose Garden
In North Berkeley discover the Berkeley Rose Garden, with its eight terraces of colorful explosions. Here you’ll find quiet benches and a plethora of…
A
Adventure Playground
At the Berkeley Marina, this is one of the coolest play spaces in the Bay Area – a free outdoor park encouraging creativity and cooperation where…
U
UC Berkeley Art Museum
With a stainless-steel exterior wrapping around a 1930s printing plant, this museum holds multiple galleries showcasing a limited number of artworks, from…
M
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
This museum boasts a fine collection – almost 15,000 pieces – of art and cultural artifacts sourced from across the Jewish diaspora, particularly Jewish…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Berkeley.

See
Tilden Regional Park
This 2079-acre park, up in the hills east of town, is Berkeley’s best. It has nearly 40 miles of hiking and multiuse trails of varying difficulty, from…
See
Campanile
Officially called Sather Tower, the Campanile was modeled on St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The 307ft spire offers fine views of the Bay Area, and at the…
See
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
With 34 acres and more than 10,000 types of plants, this garden in the hills above campus has one of the most varied collections in the USA. Flora from…
See
Takara Sake
Stop in to see the traditional wooden tools used for making sake and a short video of the brewing process. Tours of the factory aren’t offered, but you…
See
Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Ave has traditionally been the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, the sidewalks crowded with undergrads, postdocs and youthful…
See
Berkeley Rose Garden
In North Berkeley discover the Berkeley Rose Garden, with its eight terraces of colorful explosions. Here you’ll find quiet benches and a plethora of…
See
Adventure Playground
At the Berkeley Marina, this is one of the coolest play spaces in the Bay Area – a free outdoor park encouraging creativity and cooperation where…
See
UC Berkeley Art Museum
With a stainless-steel exterior wrapping around a 1930s printing plant, this museum holds multiple galleries showcasing a limited number of artworks, from…
See
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
This museum boasts a fine collection – almost 15,000 pieces – of art and cultural artifacts sourced from across the Jewish diaspora, particularly Jewish…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Berkeley

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