College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 2 days, 3 campuses

Sacramento State, Pacific and Saint Mary's in 2 Days: A Northern California College Road Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing Sacramento State, the University of the Pacific and Saint Mary's College of California in two days: how each tour works, where to park, four hotels from budget to upscale, drive times, things for siblings and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 28, 2026.

The University Library at Sacramento State, a long concrete-and-glass building with a round tower, behind a lawn with picnic tables
The University Library, Sacramento State (Aug 2022). Photo: CarmenEsparzaAmoux · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento, CA) · University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA) · Saint Mary's College of California (Moraga, CA)
Days
2 days: Sac State on day 1, then Pacific in the morning and Saint Mary's in the afternoon on day 2 (about 1 hr 33 min apart). Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
Sacramento International (SMF), about 25 minutes from the Midtown base with no traffic. Fly home from Oakland International (OAK), about 38 minutes from Saint Mary's.
Best base
Courtyard by Marriott Sacramento Midtown for two nights: about 9 minutes by car from Sac State, then an optional third night in Walnut Creek or Lafayette.
Car or transit
Rent a car: Sacramento to Stockton is about 49 miles, and Stockton to Moraga is about 72 miles.
Registration
All three schools take tour sign-ups online. Sac State books campus tours and housing tours separately.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare three very different Northern California campuses in one trip: Sacramento State in the capital, the University of the Pacific in Stockton, and Saint Mary's College in the hills of Moraga.

Sac State's campus includes a 3.5-acre University Arboretum with more than 1,400 plants, and Pacific's campus is open to the public.

Why this order

  • Day 1: Sac State's prospective student tour is a 15-minute admissions presentation plus a one-hour walking tour, starting and ending at The Welcome Center.
  • Day 2 morning: Pacific's tours are led by Tiger Team student ambassadors, and the visiting student gets a free lunch at the Marketplace on weekdays.
  • Day 2 afternoon: Saint Mary's runs tours Monday through Friday and on select Saturdays, starting from the Visitor's Center in Brother Jerome West Hall.
Plan ahead: book each tour
  • Sac State: register for a prospective student tour online, and arrive 20 to 30 minutes early. Minors must be with an adult. Housing tours are booked separately.
  • Pacific: book a campus visit through Pacific's visit portal; Pacific also offers Makerspace tours Monday through Friday and athletic tours on Mondays and Fridays.
  • Saint Mary's: book a campus tour through its admissions portal for the afternoon of day 2, leaving about 1 hr 33 min for the drive from Stockton.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Pacific's Fall Open House is Nov. 13, 2026, 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Janssen-Lagorio Gymnasium; it's free, including breakfast, lunch and parking (follow signs to Lot 7).

2. The suggested 2-day drive

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Bay Area and Sacramento rush hours can add a lot, so leave extra time.

Arrival evening: fly into Sacramento

  1. Sacramento International Airport (SMF) → Courtyard by Marriott Sacramento Midtown (4422 Y St.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~25 min, 16.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Prefer downtown? The Hyatt Regency Sacramento at 1206 L St. is about 20 minutes from SMF and about 5 minutes by car from the California State Railroad Museum.

Day 1: Sacramento State

  1. Courtyard Sacramento Midtown → Sacramento State (6000 J St.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~9 min, 3.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  2. Sacramento State → California State Railroad Museum (125 I St., Old Sacramento)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~15 min, 8.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Check in at The Welcome Center front desk 20 to 30 minutes before your tour. The full visit runs about 1.5 hours.
  • For lunch, the University Union has The Habit Burger Grill, Panda Express, Round Table Pizza, Midtown Taqueria and Starbucks, per Sac State Campus Dining.
  • Before you leave campus, walk through the University Arboretum, a botanical garden Sac State has kept since 1959.

Day 2: Pacific in the morning, Saint Mary's in the afternoon

  1. Courtyard Sacramento Midtown → University of the Pacific (Burns Tower, Stockton)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr, 48.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  2. University of the Pacific → Saint Mary's College (1928 St. Marys Rd., Moraga)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 33 min, 72.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  3. Saint Mary's College → Oakland International Airport (OAK)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~38 min, 17.4 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and walking
    Rental car
  • Pacific has reserved parking for registered admission guests; register with the admission representative at the base of Burns Tower. Other weekday visitors between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. buy temporary parking, following the signs in each lot.
  • Your student's free lunch at Pacific's Marketplace (DeRosa University Center) is offered on weekdays, not weekends or holidays, so it makes a natural break before the drive to Moraga.
  • If a late afternoon flight feels tight, spend a third night in Walnut Creek or Lafayette, 13 to 19 minutes from Saint Mary's, and fly out of OAK the next morning.

3. Campus by campus

The University Library at Sacramento State, a long concrete-and-glass building with a round tower, behind a lawn with picnic tables
The University Library, Sacramento State (Aug 2022). Photo: CarmenEsparzaAmoux · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)

Where visits start
  • Prospective student tours start with a 15-minute admissions presentation followed by a one-hour walking tour, about 1.5 hours in all. Tours start and end at The Welcome Center.
  • Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early and check in at The Welcome Center front desk. Minors must be with an adult.
  • Campus tours and housing tours are booked separately, and Sac State also offers a virtual tour.
Visitor parking
  • Park on the 3rd or 4th floor of Parking Structure V (5), next to The Welcome Center, and pay at the machine by the elevator: two-hour parking is $5 and daily parking is $10.
  • Sac State's parking office says visitors can also come by bike, bus or light rail.
Getting there
  • Sac State is about 9 minutes by car from the Courtyard Sacramento Midtown and about 12 minutes from the Hyatt Regency Sacramento with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Sacramento State photo in this guide shows the University Library.
  • The University Arboretum is a 3.5-acre botanical garden with more than 1,400 plants.
Contact
California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J St., Sacramento, CA 95819. Tours: tours@csus.edu or (916) 278-4592; The Welcome Center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Sac State: Campus Tours · Sac State: Prospective Student Tours · Sac State: Parking and Transportation

Burns Tower, a tall pale tower with arched openings near the top, rising above trees on the University of the Pacific campus
Burns Tower, University of the Pacific (Nov 2023). Photo: Ryan Schwark · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA)

Where visits start
  • Campus tours are led by Pacific's Tiger Team student ambassadors, and a visit can include an information session with an admission counselor.
  • The visiting student gets a free lunch at the Marketplace in the DeRosa University Center (not on weekends or University holidays).
  • Pacific also offers Makerspace tours Monday through Friday and athletic tours on Mondays and Fridays, excluding University holidays.
Visitor parking
  • Weekday visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. must buy temporary parking; signs in every lot explain how to buy hourly or daily parking.
  • The exception is the reserved spots for admission guests: register as a guest with the admission representative at the base of Burns Tower.
Getting there
  • Pacific is about 1 hour by car from the Courtyard Sacramento Midtown and about 55 minutes from the Hyatt Regency Sacramento with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Pacific photo in this guide shows Burns Tower, where the admission representative is based.
  • The Haggin Museum is about 6 minutes by car from Burns Tower.
Contact
University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Ave., Stockton, CA 95211. Admission: 209.946.2211.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Pacific: Campus Tours · Pacific: Fall Open House · Pacific: Stockton Campus Parking

The white Mission-style chapel at Saint Mary's College with its bell tower, framed by green lawns and oak trees
The chapel at Saint Mary's College of California (Aug 2013). Photo: MARELBU · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Saint Mary's College of California (Moraga, CA)

Where visits start
  • Saint Mary's runs student-led walking tours Monday through Friday and on select Saturdays.
  • Tours begin at the Visitor's Center in Brother Jerome West Hall, where the campus welcome team meets you on the first floor.
Visitor parking
  • Park in the spaces designated for campus tours; if they're full, check in with Campus Safety.
Getting there
  • Saint Mary's is about 1 hr 33 min by car from Pacific, about 13 minutes from the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, about 19 minutes from the Holiday Inn Express Walnut Creek and about 38 minutes from OAK with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Saint Mary's photo in this guide shows the campus chapel.
  • The Saint Mary's College Museum of Art is on campus and open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact
Saint Mary's College of California, 1928 St. Marys Rd., Moraga, CA 94575. Admissions: smcadmit@stmarys-ca.edu or (925) 631-4224.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Saint Mary's: Visit · Saint Mary's: Museum of Art

4. Where to stay: a Sacramento base, with an East Bay night to finish

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

Courtyard by Marriott Sacramento Midtown

4422 Y St., Sacramento, CA 95817

Why here

  • It's about 9 minutes by car from Sac State, 25 minutes from SMF and about 1 hour from Pacific with no traffic, so one base covers the arrival, day 1 and the start of day 2.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property near California State University, Sacramento, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and check-in details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Hyatt Regency Sacramento

1206 L St., Sacramento, CA 95814

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's downtown, about 12 minutes by car from Sac State and about a 26-minute walk from the California State Railroad Museum with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and check-in details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Holiday Inn Express Walnut Creek

2730 N. Main St., Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • For an optional third night after Saint Mary's: about 19 minutes by car from campus and 35 minutes from OAK with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and check-in details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa

3287 Mount Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's the closest of these hotels to Saint Mary's, about 13 minutes by car, and about 31 minutes from OAK with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and check-in details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Stay in Sacramento for the first two nights: Sac State is minutes away and Stockton is about an hour south. If you can, add an East Bay night after Saint Mary's instead of racing to a flight.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

On campus at Sac State

Most of Sac State's campus restaurants are in the University Union; hours change by semester, so check before you go.

Eat

The Habit Burger Grill

University Union, Sacramento State

Fall 2026 hours: Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Details →

Eat

Panda Express

University Union, Sacramento State

Fall 2026 hours: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Details →

Eat

The Servery at the Dining Commons

Residence Hall Quad, Sacramento State

Fall 2026 hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Details →

On campus at Pacific

The Marketplace in the DeRosa University Center is Pacific's main dining venue, with a salad bar and themed stations.

Eat

The Marketplace

DeRosa University Center, Stockton

Where your student's free visit lunch is served on weekdays; the Marketplace is open weekdays 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and FujiSan Sushi is inside.

Details →

On campus at Saint Mary's

Saint Mary's dining is run by Gael Dining; hours change on holidays and breaks.

Eat

Oliver Hall

1928 St. Marys Rd., Moraga

All-you-care-to-eat, with weekday lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weekend brunch 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., per Gael Dining.

Details →

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

California State Railroad Museum

125 I St., Sacramento, CA 95814

In Old Sacramento, open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission 4:30 p.m.), closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day; about 15 minutes by car from Sac State.

Official page →

With siblings

Haggin Museum

1201 N. Pershing Ave., Stockton, CA 95203

Open Wednesday through Friday 1:30 to 5 p.m. and weekends noon to 5 p.m., and free for kids under 10 with an adult; about 6 minutes by car from Pacific.

Official page →

With siblings

Lafayette Reservoir

3849 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA

A lakeside park open every day, including holidays, with rowboat and pedal-boat rentals until 4 p.m. (renters must be 18 or older) and a daily parking fee; about 16 minutes by car from Saint Mary's.

Official page →

With siblings

A Hornets, Tigers or Gaels game

Sacramento, Stockton and Moraga, CA

Check the Sacramento State, Pacific and Saint Mary's athletics calendars for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • At Sac State, pay at the machine by the elevator in Parking Structure V ($5 for two hours or $10 for the day). At Pacific, register with the admission representative at the base of Burns Tower to use the reserved admission guest spots. At Saint Mary's, use the spaces marked for campus tours.
  • The longest drive is Stockton to Moraga, about 72 miles and 1 hr 33 min with no traffic.

Flying in and out

  • Sacramento International (SMF) is about 25 minutes from the Courtyard Sacramento Midtown; Oakland International (OAK) is about 38 minutes from Saint Mary's, all with no traffic.
  • Flying into SMF and home from OAK saves backtracking; a round trip from SMF means about 1 hr 47 min back from Saint Mary's.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Sacramento Executive Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 72°F highs and 47°F lows, with about 1.3 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 93°F/59°F and is nearly rainless, so plan walking tours for the morning and bring water.
  • Fall: October averages about 79°F/50°F, with under an inch of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 56°F/39°F, with about 3.7 inches of rain; pack a rain jacket.

Parent checklist

  • Book a Sac State prospective student tour for day 1, a Pacific morning visit and a Saint Mary's afternoon tour for day 2.
  • Book a rental car, flying into SMF and home from OAK.
  • Book your Sacramento base for two nights, and an East Bay night if you want an unhurried finish.
  • Bring a card for Sac State's parking machine, and plan to check in at the base of Burns Tower for Pacific's admission guest parking.
  • 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.

3 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • 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 (California State University, Sacramento, University of the Pacific and Saint Mary's College of California): 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.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: California State University, Sacramento
  5. California State University, Sacramento Athletics (official site)
  6. California State University, Sacramento Athletics: Compliance
  7. California State University, Sacramento Athletics: Staff Directory
  8. California State University, Sacramento Athletics: schedule of events
  9. NCAA Directory: University of the Pacific
  10. University of the Pacific Athletics (official site)
  11. University of the Pacific Athletics: Prospective student-athletes
  12. University of the Pacific Athletics: Staff Directory
  13. University of the Pacific Athletics: schedule of events
  14. NCAA Directory: Saint Mary's College of California
  15. Saint Mary's College of California Athletics (official site)
  16. Saint Mary's College of California Athletics: Compliance
  17. Saint Mary's College of California Athletics: Staff Directory
  18. Saint Mary's College of California Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

Plan this trip

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.

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Sources

All checked Oct 28, 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.

  1. Sacramento State: Campus Tours
  2. Sacramento State: Prospective Student Tours
  3. Sacramento State: Campus tour registration (official sign-up)
  4. Sacramento State: Parking and Transportation
  5. Sacramento State: University Arboretum
  6. Sac State Campus Dining (University Enterprises): Campus Eateries
  7. University of the Pacific: Campus Tours
  8. University of the Pacific: Undergraduate visit sign-up (official sign-up)
  9. University of the Pacific: Stockton Campus Parking
  10. University of the Pacific: Fall Open House
  11. University of the Pacific: Dining Options
  12. Saint Mary's College of California: Visit
  13. Saint Mary's College of California: Campus tour sign-up (official sign-up)
  14. Saint Mary's College Museum of Art
  15. Gael Dining (Saint Mary's): Oliver Hall
  16. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  17. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  18. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  19. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Sacramento Executive Airport, CA (USW00023232)
  20. Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Sacramento Midtown (star class and address, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Sacramento-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Sacramento-Midtown.h577574.Hotel-Information)
  21. Expedia listing: Hyatt Regency Sacramento (star class and address, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Sacramento-Hotels-Hyatt-Regency-Sacramento.h5274.Hotel-Information)
  22. Expedia listing: Holiday Inn Express Walnut Creek (star class and address, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Concord-Hotels-Holiday-Inn-Express-Walnut-Creek.h21172.Hotel-Information)
  23. Expedia listing: Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa (star class and address, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Lafayette-Hotels-Lafayette-Park-Hotel-Spa.h7609.Hotel-Information)
  24. California State Railroad Museum: General Information
  25. Haggin Museum: Visit
  26. East Bay Municipal Utility District: Lafayette Reservoir
  27. Sacramento State Hornets Athletics: Calendar
  28. Pacific Tigers Athletics: Calendar
  29. Saint Mary's Gaels Athletics: Calendar