![A tranquil place in the Berkeley hills.](/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2022-09/berkeley-outdoors-trees.jpg.webp?itok=qjX1XLZh)
Spend a Weekendin Berkeley
Across the Bay Bridge lies a community known for its creativity, activism, and cuisine. It's Berkeley, and here's how you can spend a terrific weekend there.
Set between a Pacific ridge and sparkling San Francisco Bay, Berkeley is a spirited city that has grown from counterculture roots to a hip hub of intellectual and cultural diversity, with a thriving art and culinary scene. Free speech and flower power are forever in the city’s DNA, but Berkeley has become a celebrated place to enjoy an authentic and off-beat college town vibe.
People worldwide come to Berkeley seeking acclaimed restaurants, museums, shopping and arts. Along the way, they discover fabulous diversions—and a bit of themselves. Berkeley’s diverse neighborhood districtsOpens in new window frame a perfect weekend getaway, walkable within and in-between, inviting you to mix flavors, change tempos, explore, reflect, and get lost – in the best way. Come, explore, and discover why everyone’s a little Berkeley.
Berkeley hotels follow CHLA Clean & SafeOpens in new window guidelines and procedures to ensure your health and peace of mind during your stay. From bay views to chic new boutiques and historic landmark properties, find a hotel that works for you.
Day 1: Telegraph Avenue, Elmwood, and UC Berkeley
Start your trip with a walk along Telegraph, Berkeley’s iconic avenue. In a city known for its inviting diversity and unparalleled academia, the avenue serves as both conductor and conduit for Berkeley’s hip and youthful energy. Telegraph is lined with tie-dye touting street merchants, independent specialty stores, vintage boutiques and international cuisine cafes. For many, Telegraph AvenueOpens in new window is where Berkeley begins.
Moe’s BooksOpens in new window is a world famous destination for book lovers, with four floors of amazing finds. Check out RasputinOpens in new window and AmoebaOpens in new window for the latest beats, and stop in for a bite at Nom Nom Bahn MiOpens in new window for a sandwich or Top DogOpens in new window, where the pups come with sides of mustard, banana peppers and philosophy. Get the self-guided Telegraph Tour app for the full manifesto.
A short stroll from Telegraph takes you to College Avenue and the Elmwood District,Opens in new window one of Berkeley’s original destination boulevards. Radiating out from the intersection of Ashby and College avenues, the Elmwood glows with great coffee, shopping and dining.
The University of California, BerkeleyOpens in new window is more than the world’s top public center of learning. The park-like campus offers a constellation of public attractions that take things to a whole new level. Take a splendid walk at the University of California Botanical GardenOpens in new window or explore science and the sky at The Lawrence Hall of ScienceOpens in new window, both set high in the Berkeley Hills.
Day 2: Fourth Street and Gilman
Fourth StreetOpens in new window is a shopping destination with world-class restaurants, retailers and art galleries, all offering creative merchandise of high quality and contemporary design. Start the day with breakfast at Bette’s Oceanview DinerOpens in new window, a Berkeley institution, where pancakes and eggs rule.
Window shopping on Fourth Street can build up a powerful thirst, and in a stroke of good fortune, the nearby Gilman DistrictOpens in new window offers craft beer and urban wineriesOpens in new window chock-a-block. Sip and swirl at Donkey & GoatOpens in new window and Vinca MinorOpens in new window, and get hoppy-go-lucky at FieldworkOpens in new window and Gilman BrewingOpens in new window. After you've worked up an appetite, swing by Joyride Opens in new windowfor some of the best Detroit-Style pizza on the West Coast.
Day 3: Downtown, North Shattuck, and Solano
Finish your Berkeley getaway strong by hitting the districts that embody Berkeley’s cultural and culinary keynotes. The Downtown Arts DistrictOpens in new window is a fulcrum for music, performance and visual arts. The Freight & Salvage,Opens in new window Berkeley Repertory TheatreOpens in new window, and Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film ArchiveOpens in new window are leading lights.
Shopping and strolling are kings on Solano AvenueOpens in new window in Berkeley’s northern district. Pick up a handmade memento of your time in Berkeleyland at Fern’s GardenOpens in new window and take the gentle hike to the summit at Indian Rock ParkOpens in new window, where you may see free climbers honing their chops.
At the end of the day, bring it into North ShattuckOpens in new window, where Alice Waters led the California cuisine revolution at Chez Panisse Restaurant & CaféOpens in new window. Another food radical, Alfred Peet, took weak joe out of your cup and replaced it with fresh-roast craft coffee. Visit the original Peet’s Coffee & TeaOpens in new window alongside artisan foodie stars like the Cheeseboard CollectiveOpens in new window.
Highlights, Sights & Bites is Berkeley’s monthly e-news highlighting what’s new and happening. Get it hereOpens in new window!
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