Bay Area and Davis in 2 Days: UC Berkeley, Santa Clara and UC Davis

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents taking a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, on a first look at Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley and UC Davis, all from one Berkeley hotel.

Why this order

• From a Berkeley hotel, Santa Clara is about 62 minutes and 45 miles away with no traffic, and UC Davis about 83 minutes and 64 miles. Cal's Visitor Center is a 13-minute walk.[S18][S20]
• So Day 1 is SCU in the morning and a Cal tour in the afternoon, finishing on foot near the hotel, and Day 2 is a UC Davis day trip.

2. The suggested 2-day route

• Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing. Bay Area traffic is often heavy, and SCU itself warns visitors to allow for it.[S18][S19][S20][S10]
• Our recommendation, not a school rule: leave at least 2 hours between the end of your SCU visit and the start of your Cal tour for lunch, the drive and parking.

3. Campus by campus

Campus

Santa Clara University

Official tour sign-up: SCU Campus Visits registration ↗

Where visits start

• The Schott Admission building; for GPS, use 407 Palm Dr. For visit days and times, check SCU's sign-up page.[S10][S9]
• Disability accommodation requests need 72 hours' notice.[S10]

Visitor parking

• On weekdays, get a visitor pass at the kiosk and park in the visitor lot or on the 3rd floor of the Main Structure. Don't pay through the AMP app. No pass is needed on weekends.[S10]
• SCU Parking Services lists a free 2-hour visitor permit, Mon–Fri 6 am–8 pm, one per 24 hours.[S11]

Nearest transit

• Caltrain to Santa Clara Transit Center, then walk up Palm Dr. From San José airport (SJC), VTA route 60.[S10]

What to know

• SCU offers visitors a pass to the Malley Center, and its sports venues are on the southeast side of campus.[S10]

Contact

408-554-4700, admission@scu.edu[S10]

Last checked Oct 22, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: SCU: Campus Tours · SCU: Plan Your Visit

Campus

UC Berkeley

Official tour sign-up: UC Berkeley campus tour reservations ↗

Where visits start

• The Koret Visitor Center, Room 141, at Gate 2 of Memorial Stadium, across from Haas. Cal's pages give two street numbers for it: 2227 Piedmont Ave. on the tours page and 2207 Piedmont Ave. on the directions page.[S3][S1]
• On football weekends and some event days, tours start at the Campanile instead; check the tours page. Tours end near Sproul Plaza, about a 10-minute walk from the start.[S1]
• The tour follows an accessible route suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.[S2]

Visitor parking

• There's no free parking, and meters are limited to 2 hours. The closest garage is the Stadium Garage at Piedmont Ave. and Gayley Rd. (2175 Piedmont). On game days, parking is limited and expensive. Check Cal's directions page for current rates.[S3]

Nearest transit

• Downtown Berkeley BART (2160 Shattuck Ave.), then a 25–30 minute walk via Center St.[S3][S21]

What to know

• Cal's visitor pages point to the Campanile, Doe Library, Sather Gate, Sproul Plaza and the Lawrence Hall of Science.[S7]

Last checked Oct 22, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UC Berkeley: Free Guided Walking Tours · UC Berkeley: Directions & Parking · Berkeley Admissions: Events (admissions presentation)

Campus

UC Davis

Official tour sign-up: UC Davis Prospective Student/Family Tour registration ↗

Where visits start

• The Welcome Center, 550 Alumni Lane.[S14]
• The registration page lists Welcome Center hours of Mon–Fri 8 am–4 pm and Sat 10 am–2 pm, closed Sundays and holidays. Confirm on the official page before you go.[S13]

Visitor parking

• A permit is required; buy it in the AggiePark app. Disabled-parking placards are honored. See the directions page for rates.[S14]

Nearest transit

• We plan this day by car. UC Davis's directions page covers other ways to get there.[S14]

Contact

530-752-0539[S13]

Last checked Oct 22, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UC Davis: Directions and Parking

4. Where to stay: one base for all three

Expedia hotel links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

UC Berkeley strongly advises booking lodging ahead. Its lodging page also lists the Berkeley Lab Guest House, which is open to parents.[S7]

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

6. Things for siblings along the route

Viator tour links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

7. Practical tips

Parent checklist

• Book Cal early. Slots open about 3 months ahead, and there's no waitlist.[S1]
• Want Cal's admissions presentation too? Register for it separately on Berkeley Admissions' events page.[S2][S4][S30]
• Go to Davis on a weekday if you want to eat at the Coffee House.[S15]
• After each school, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student before the next one blurs it.