Pitt, Duquesne, WVU and Robert Morris in 3 Days: A Pittsburgh and Morgantown Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, West Virginia University and Robert Morris from one hotel in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood: official tour sign-ups, visitor parking and validation at every campus, meals between tours, the Nationality Rooms and Duquesne Incline for siblings, and Pittsburgh weather by season.
Woodburn Hall, WVU, Morgantown (Sept 2021). Photo: Alysonpwhite · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Check before you go. Tour times, sign-up rules, parking and seasonal closures change often, sometimes weekly. Every campus section below links to that school's official visit page and shows when we last checked it. Confirm there before you book or drive. College Visit Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university. Names are used only to identify them.
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
University of Pittsburgh (Oakland) · Duquesne University (downtown Pittsburgh) · West Virginia University, Morgantown · Robert Morris University, Moon Township
Days
3: Pitt and Duquesne on day 1, WVU on day 2, then Robert Morris on day 3 on the way to the airport. Arrive the day before.
Fly into
Pittsburgh International (PIT), about 32 minutes and 19 miles from the hotel by car with no traffic. Robert Morris is about 11 minutes from the airport.
Best base
Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place, on Pitt's own list of nearby hotels: about an 11-minute walk to Pitt's visitor garage and about 6 minutes by car from Duquesne.
Car or transit
You'll need a car. WVU is about 1 hour 42 minutes south of the hotel with no traffic, and Robert Morris is out by the airport.
Registration
All four schools have online sign-ups, and WVU's guided tours require reservations. WVU asks you to book departmental visits first, at least 5 business days ahead.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see four Division I universities in one trip: Pitt and Duquesne in the city, West Virginia University in Morgantown and Robert Morris in suburban Moon Township.
Instead of changing hotels, you sleep in Oakland every night, a short walk from Pitt and a short drive from Duquesne, with WVU and Robert Morris each an easy day trip.
Why this order
Day 1: Pitt's Admissions Presentation and Campus Tour covers academics, applying, student life and classrooms, with a look inside a residence hall Monday through Friday and a stop at the Cathedral of Learning. Duquesne is about 7 minutes away by car.
Day 2: WVU's guided tours last 2 hours and combine walking and riding a bus to see all three areas of campus.
Day 3: Robert Morris's Admissions Presentation and Campus Tour takes about 2 hours, with a 90-minute walk across its 230-acre suburban campus, and the airport is about 11 minutes away.
Each campus parks you somewhere different
Pitt: Soldiers and Sailors Underground Garage, 4390 Bigelow Blvd. Before you drive out, take your ticket and visit confirmation email to the attendant in the glass booth to get parking validated.
Duquesne: use the Chatham Garage, the university's preferred parking partner. The campus Forbes/Locust Garage is permit-only on weekdays.
WVU: the Downtown Visitors Center is on the first floor of One Waterfront Place. Take a ticket at the garage next door and the Visitors Center will validate it.
Robert Morris: visiting guests must stop at the Barry Center for a visitor pass.
Tour availability varies by season.
Winters are snowy: January averages about 36°F highs and 21°F lows at Pittsburgh International, with about 13 inches of snow, and February adds about 12 more. Leave extra time for the drive to Morgantown.
July is the wettest month, with about 4.3 inches of rain, so pack an umbrella for summer tours.
The Nationality Rooms are decorated for the holidays from mid-November to mid-January.
Weekend afternoons are the Duquesne Incline's busiest times; expect about a 10-minute wait in each direction.
2. The suggested 3-day plan
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Pittsburgh's tunnels and bridges back up at rush hour, so leave extra time.
WVU's Downtown Visitors Center is off I-68 exit 1 (University Ave.). Robert Morris is reached from the airport via I-376 to Business 376 (Moon), then University Blvd.
Arrival day: fly into Pittsburgh and check in in Oakland
Pittsburgh International (PIT) → Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place (3454 Forbes Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~32 min, 19.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Hotel → Cathedral of Learning
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Driving
~11 min walk, 0.5 mi
If you land early, walk to the Cathedral of Learning: 42 stories and 535 feet tall, with 31 Nationality Rooms, 29 of them working classrooms. Schenley Plaza is across the street.
Day 1: Pitt, then Duquesne on the Bluff
Hotel → Soldiers and Sailors Underground Garage (4390 Bigelow Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~2 min, 0.6 mi
Driving
~11 min walk, 0.5 mi
Pitt → Duquesne University (600 Forbes Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~7 min, 2.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Duquesne → Duquesne Incline lower station (1197 W. Carson St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 2.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Incline → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~7 min, 3.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Book Pitt's Admissions Presentation and Campus Tour on its visit portal. School-specific information sessions are signed up for separately, and Pitt's self-guided tour is the fallback if nothing fits.
At Duquesne, plan on about 2 hours: a 30-minute admissions presentation and student panel, then a 60-minute walking tour led by a current student ambassador.
Duquesne's campus sits on the Bluff overlooking downtown, and PPG Paints Arena, home of the Penguins, is steps away.
Day 2: West Virginia University in Morgantown
Hotel → WVU Downtown Visitors Center (One Waterfront Place, Morgantown)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 42 min, 76.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
WVU → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 40 min, 77.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Book WVU's guided tour on its schedule-a-visit page; reservations are required. If you want a departmental visit, book that first, at least 5 business days ahead, and add the tour in the same registration.
The Downtown Visitors Center welcomes students interested in business, liberal arts, physical sciences or still undecided, and its tour includes the Mountainlair student union and Woodburn Circle.
WVU also posts a self-guided tour if you want to explore more after the guided one.
Day 3: Robert Morris, then fly home
Hotel → Robert Morris University (6001 University Blvd., Moon Township)
Driving (no traffic)
~32 min, 20.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Robert Morris → Pittsburgh International (PIT)
Driving (no traffic)
~11 min, 3.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Driving
Drive
Robert Morris's weekday Admissions Presentation and Campus Tour runs about 2 hours: a 15-minute admissions presentation, a 90-minute walking tour and the option to meet an admissions counselor.
The tour takes in the main academic buildings, a typical residence hall double, outdoor gardens and the shady grove that gave the property its original name, Pine Hill Manor.
Stop at the Barry Center for your visitor pass before you park.
3. Campus by campus
Cathedral of Learning, Pitt, Oakland (Aug 2017). Photo: Jacobhall15 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
The Admissions Presentation and Campus Tour covers academics, the application process, student life and classrooms, with a stop at the Cathedral of Learning and a look inside a residence hall Monday through Friday.
School-specific information sessions are booked separately or in addition to the general presentation and tour. Blue & Gold Days are Pitt's open-house-style events.
Visitor parking
Visitors park in the Soldiers and Sailors Underground Garage, 4390 Bigelow Blvd. Take your ticket and visit confirmation email to the attendant in the glass booth before returning to your car; if you leave without validating, you pay on your own.
If it's full, Pitt lists Sennott Square Garage and Forbes/Semple Garage (each about a 10-minute walk), the Allequippa Street lot (about 15 minutes, with hills) and metered street parking.
Getting there
About an 11-minute walk or 2-minute drive from the hotel.
What to know
Find the original Forbes Field home plate on the first floor of Posvar Hall.
The daily visit is a 30-minute admissions presentation and student panel, followed by a 60-minute walking tour led by a current student ambassador. Allow 2 hours.
Duquesne also offers Saturday sessions and DUQ Days open houses, and you can walk campus on your own with a map from the kiosk outside the Administration Building.
Visitor parking
Daily parking is in the Chatham Garage, the university's preferred parking partner, at Chatham's rates.
The Forbes/Locust Garage is permit-only on weekdays, with no ticket pulls Monday through Friday until 4 p.m.
Getting there
About 7 minutes by car from Pitt and about 6 minutes from the hotel. The Chatham Garage area is about an 11-minute walk from campus.
What to know
PPG Paints Arena, where the Pittsburgh Penguins play, is steps from campus.
Contact
Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15282; (412) 396-6000.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Guided tours run on weekdays and select Saturdays, last 2 hours and combine walking and a bus to see all three areas of campus. Reservations are required.
Departmental visits must be scheduled at least 5 business days ahead and have limited availability, so WVU recommends booking them first.
Visitor parking
At the Downtown Visitors Center, park in the garage beside One Waterfront Place; the Visitors Center gives you a validation ticket. If it's full, use the Waterfront Place Hotel Event Center garage next door.
Getting there
About 1 hour 42 minutes south of the hotel with no traffic. Take I-68 exit 1 (University Ave.).
What to know
The Downtown Visitors Center tour takes in the Mountainlair student union and Woodburn Circle.
The Admissions Presentation and Campus Tour lasts 2 hours: a 15-minute presentation on academics and student life, a 90-minute walking tour and the option to meet an admissions counselor.
Tours show the main academic buildings, a typical residence hall double and the campus gardens.
Visitor parking
Visiting guests must stop at the Barry Center to receive a visitor pass.
Getting there
From the airport, take I-376 to Business 376 (Moon), then turn left on University Blvd. and go 1.5 miles. About 32 minutes from the hotel and 11 from PIT with no traffic.
What to know
Ask to see the shady grove that gave the property its original name, Pine Hill Manor.
Contact
RMU campus visits: visits@rmu.edu, 412-397-5200. 6001 University Blvd., Moon Township, PA 15108.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: one base in Oakland, next to Pitt
Expedia hotel links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place
3454 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA
Why here
Pitt lists it among hotels on or within a five-minute walk of campus, and it's about 6 minutes by car from Duquesne, 32 from Robert Morris and 1 hour 42 minutes from WVU with no traffic.
It's about 32 minutes from Pittsburgh International, so arrival and departure days stay easy.
Good to know
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Amenities, parking fees and room types change, so confirm them on the Expedia listing before you book.
One hotel for every night means no repacking. Oakland puts Pitt within walking distance and Duquesne a few minutes away, so the WVU day is the only long drive. Save Robert Morris for last since it's next to the airport.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
Pitt
Eat
Pitt campus dining and Oakland
Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA
Pitt's self-guided tour points visitors to The Eatery, The Perch and The Cathedral Cafe on campus, plus sit-down spots along Forbes and Fifth Avenues.
Guided tours run daily except Tuesdays, when the rooms are closed; weekend access is by paid guided or self-guided tour only. The rooms are decorated for the holidays from mid-November to mid-January.
1197 W. Carson St. (lower station), Pittsburgh, PA
Open since 1877, with views of downtown. No reservations; cash fares and Port Authority ConnectCards are accepted. There are many steps from the lower lot, and the upper station at 1220 Grandview Ave. is wheelchair accessible.
At Pitt, validate your garage ticket with the attendant in the glass booth before you drive out, or you'll pay yourself.
At Duquesne, head for the Chatham Garage rather than the permit-only Forbes/Locust Garage.
At WVU, get your garage ticket validated at the Downtown Visitors Center.
At Robert Morris, pick up a visitor pass at the Barry Center.
Flying in and out
Pittsburgh International (PIT) is about 32 minutes from the hotel and about 11 minutes from Robert Morris.
WVU to PIT is about 1 hour 44 minutes with no traffic if you'd rather end the trip in Morgantown.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Pittsburgh International Airport)
Spring: April averages about 62°F highs and 41°F lows, with about 3.3 inches of rain.
Summer: July averages about 83°F highs and 63°F lows, with about 4.3 inches of rain, the most of any month.
Fall: October averages about 63°F highs and 44°F lows; November highs drop to about 51°F.
Winter: January averages about 36°F highs and 21°F lows, with about 13 inches of snow; February averages about 12 inches.
Parent checklist
Register for all four visits online: Pitt, Duquesne, WVU (book any departmental visit first, 5 business days ahead) and Robert Morris.
Book the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place for every night and rent a car at PIT.
Bring your Pitt visit confirmation email to get garage parking validated.
Carry cash or a ConnectCard if you'll ride the Duquesne Incline.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, West Virginia University and Robert Morris University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia listing: Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place (star class, checked 2026-10-27) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Pittsburgh-Hotels-Hilton-Garden-Inn-Pittsburgh-University-Place.h118998.Hotel-Information)
