Berkeley travel guide
Berkeley Tourism | Berkeley Guide
You're Going to Love Berkeley
With a population of 112,580, Berkeley is a must-see destination in California, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Berkeley deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Berkeley
Where to Eat in Berkeley
If you’re looking for affordable options, Chez Panisse Cafe (1517 Shattuck Avenue) and Rivoli Restaurant (1539 Solano Ave) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (2261 Shattuck Ave) and Eat @ Thai (1181 University Ave) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Berkeley.
When to visit Berkeley
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Berkeley in July, when the average temperature is 62.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 69.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 42.8 °F, with an average temperature of 50 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in January, when precipitation is around 5″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Berkeley, with an average rainfall of 0″.
How to Get to Berkeley
Plane
When flying to Berkeley, you’ll arrive at Oakland Airport (OAK), which is located 11 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Berkeley include Spirit Airlines, Southwest and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Berkeley departs from Ontario and takes around 1h 20m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Berkeley. The train journey from Berkeley to Santa Clara takes 1h 01m and costs around $18 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from San Jose, expect to pay about $19 for a 1h 16m trip. The train station in Berkeley is called Berkeley, and is located 1.6 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Berkeley is to pick up a car rental from San Francisco, which is about 9 miles from Berkeley. You’ll find branches of Kyte and Sixt, among others, in San Francisco.
Bus
You can travel by bus to Berkeley using Greyhound or FlixBus. From Fresno, the bus ride to Berkeley takes 405 miles and will cost you around $53. From Burbank, the ticket costs about $49 for a journey of 420 miles.
Airlines serving Berkeley
Where to stay in Berkeley
Average rates range from around $204 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $335 and up for a 5-star experience.
Where to stay in popular areas of Berkeley
Most booked hotels in Berkeley
Renting a car in Berkeley
Renting a car in Berkeley costs $60 per day, on average, or $119 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Berkeley is the Hertz branch at 1061 San Pablo Ave., which is 2 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 15% cheaper than airport locations in Berkeley.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Berkeley (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Berkeley is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Ioniq or similar) are, on average, 68% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Berkeley
Supplier choice
5 Adults, 5 Bags
$28/day
Compact
4 Adults, 2 Bags
$30/day