Overview
Palo Alto is a bustling suburb in Santa Clara County south of the city of San Francisco. It is adjacent to Stanford University and home to hundreds of Silicon Valley technology companies, ranging from VMware and Hewlett-Packard to tiny startups operating in garages.
9 sights · 8 things to do · 18 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 12 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Palo Alto
Packard's Garage
This restored garage is a museum, California Registered and National Historic Landmark -- the site where Hewlett-Packard was founded and the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley." You can only see this from the street.
St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Fans of the classic cult film, Harold and Maude should head to St. Thomas Aquinas Church, the oldest church in Palo Alto (built in 1902). Intimate and beautiful, with ornate wood ceiling crossbeams and gorgeous stained-g…
Hoover Tower
Cantor Center For The Arts
A free museum sponsored by Stanford that hosts art from around the world. It's small size makes it perfect for a couple of hour visit. It has a nice cafe where you can get lunch and coffee.
Arastradero Preserve
A 533-acre open space that contains hiking, biking and equestrian trails.
Stanford Cardinal
Stanford University sports, which boast more national team championships than any other NCAA Division I school—partly because it sponsors 42 varsity sports, the largest number of teams of any NCAA Division I member outsi…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 39°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SQL San Carlos Airport, San Carlos — 9 mi away. Directions
- SJC Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose — 12 mi away (major hub). Directions
Accessible by train, bus or automobile from nearby San Francisco (about 25 miles/40 km) and San Jose (about 20 miles/32 km) airports. US 101 is the primary highway access, although I-280 also passes through the western edge of Palo Alto. Palo Alto Municipal Airport (PAO), which is a few miles from the center of the city, serves private aircraft.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $10 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Packard's Garage, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Hot Tubs at Watercourse Way
- Lunch Bistro Maxine
- Afternoon The Stanford Theater, The Anderson Collection
- Dinner Sushi House
- Evening The Old Pro
Day 2
- Morning Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto Art Center
- Lunch Zareen's
- Afternoon Stanford University Free Lectures and Events, Foothills Park
- Dinner La Bodeguita del Medio
- Evening Quattro Restaurant & Bar
Day 3
- Morning Shockley's Laboratory
- Lunch Crowne Plaza Cabana
- Afternoon Stanford Cardinal
- Dinner So Gong Dong Tofu House
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Palo Alto means tall tree in Spanish, and in this case refers to an aging redwood tree at the north end of the city appropriately named "El Palo Alto". The 1080-year-old Coast Redwood, which stands 110 feet (34 m) high and has a base diameter of 90 inches (229 cm), marks a campsite for the Portola Expedition Party of 1769.
While Palo Alto is considered one of the more affluent areas of Northern California, East Palo Alto has a less posh reputation. East Palo Alto is known locally as one of the more dangerous cities in the Bay Area; it is not a town for random sightseeing.
Climate
Get in
Accessible by train, bus or automobile from nearby San Francisco (about 25 miles/40 km) and San Jose (about 20 miles/32 km) airports. US 101 is the primary highway access, although I-280 also passes through the western edge of Palo Alto. Palo Alto Municipal Airport (PAO), which is a few miles from the center of the city, serves private aircraft.
By plane
SFO
The cheapest way to get to Palo Alto from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is to take SamTrans bus KX or 292 to Hillsdale Station and transfer to route ECR for $2.25 + $2.25 = $5.50. A potentially quicker alternative is to take BART from SFO to Millbrae, and then take Caltrain from Millbrae to Palo Alto, which will cost $4.40 + $6 = $10.40. This is more of a hassle than it may seem, as Caltrain doesn't run as frequently as you might like. Check the schedules in advance see Bay Area public transit for more information.
UberPOOL pricing is highly variable, but can drop as low as $13-15 if multiple riders are heading in your direction.
SJC
From the San Jose International Airport (SJC), take the free shuttle bus #10 to get to the Santa Clara Caltrain station. From there take Caltrain to Palo Alto for $6, or VTA bus 522 or 22 to get to Palo Alto for $2.25.
By train
Palo Alto Station on the Bay Area train route known as Caltrain has convenient access to downtown Palo Alto as well as bus connections, including free Marguerite shuttles to the Stanford University campus.
Caltrain also stops at California Avenue Station 2 miles (3 km) away, which is convenient for certain residential areas including some student housing. Service is less frequent than at Palo Alto Station.
By bus
Bus service runs through some major areas within the city. Routes are concentrated around El Camino Real and University Avenue. The Palo Alto Shuttle is free, and serves the otherwise unserved Embarcadero Road corridor, as well as the VA Hospital.
The Dumbarton Express provides bus service from the East Bay over the Dumbarton Bridge, with connections to BART at Union City.
Get around
By bus
Stanford University runs free buses, called the Marguerite Shuttle, that transport passengers around the university and stop at the Palo Alto Caltrain station. It is free and open to the public.
By bike
Bike lanes are nearly everywhere and make riding convenient and safe. One of the most prominent lanes runs down Bryant Street and takes you from South Palo Alto to the downtown district, in North Palo Alto.
By car
Palo Alto traffic is not usually very congested, and parking is plentiful everywhere except the downtown area. Municipal parking is free and fairly well dispersed, but usually limited to 2 hours during the business day.
See
See Baylands Nature Preserve
The 1,940-acre Baylands Preserve brings you to the edge of San Francisco Bay and is a component of the critical wetlands needed to preserve wildlife and marine life in the San Francisco region; it is a great place to hike, bike, watch birds and enjoy an afternoon. The Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center has interesting educational programs for children and adults. Take Embarcadero Road east to the very end to get there.
See Packard's Garage
This restored garage is a museum, California Registered and National Historic Landmark -- the site where Hewlett-Packard was founded and the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley." You can only see this from the street.
See Palo Alto Art Center
A nationally recognized visual arts center that offers a variety of exhibitions, classes, workshops and art education programs. Exhibitions include the best of contemporary fine art, craft, design and new art forms, with a particular emphasis on the art of the San Francisco Bay Area.
See St. Thomas Aquinas Church
Fans of the classic cult film, Harold and Maude should head to St. Thomas Aquinas Church, the oldest church in Palo Alto (built in 1902). Intimate and beautiful, with ornate wood ceiling crossbeams and gorgeous stained-glass panels, the sanctuary is the perfect place to step out of the modern world and take a moment for peaceful solitude and reflection.
See Shockley's Laboratory
The other birthplace of Silicon Valley. The first transistors were made here. It was later an international grocery store, but is now vacant. William Shockley was a brilliant researcher, but a lousy manager. His team - which included Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce (co-founders of Intel), Eugene Kleiner (founder of Kleiner-Perkins), Jean Hoerni (founder Union Carbide Electronics), Sheldon Roberts, and others - left to start Fairchild Semiconductors, which led to Intel and many other companies. It was the silicon transistor that created Silicon Valley.
See Stanford University
A prestigious university that is sometimes nicknamed the "Harvard of the West". Offers cultural, athletic, natural and educational resources to Palo Alto visitors. For example, Outdoor Sculpture at Stanford University includes a very large collection of large scale works by Rodin in a garden immediately adjoining the Museum of Art, which is also home to a large collection of Rodin sculptures including one of his most famous works, Le Penseur (The Thinker). Look for Andy Goldsworthy's River of Stone a few steps from the museum's front entry. A guided outdoor sculpture tour is conducted the first Sunday of each month at 2PM, rain or shine. The tour lasts about 1½ hours, and begins at the entrance of the Main Quad (where The Oval meets Serra Street). The New Guinea Sculpture Garden, created by New Guinean tribes people, is a beautiful collection of wooden sculptures (next to Roble Dormitory, near the intersection of Lomita Drive and Santa Teresa Street).
Do
Do Coal Creek Open Space Preserve
This 508-acre preserve has limited parking, but 5.4 miles of trails, including Crazy Pete's trail, a beautiful hike with a great view. Maybe the best part of this hike is the history. "Crazy" Pete was a miner who lived in Coal Creek preserve and built a road -- named Crazy Pete's road -- in the 1800s. Most people don't know how Crazy Pete got his moniker.
Do Stanford University Free Lectures and Events
Unless you are a student at Stanford, you won't get into classes for free at this acclaimed university, but there are some events and lectures open to the public each month. Parking can be hard to come by close to the venues of events, but the university runs a free shuttle bus, called the Marguerite, that picks up passengers at several locations including the Palo Alto Caltrain station and deposits them within easy walking distance of most event sites. The online schedule of lectures and events is updated frequently and usually lists at least five to seven upcoming free happenings.
Do Stanford Cardinal
Stanford University sports, which boast more national team championships than any other NCAA Division I school—partly because it sponsors 42 varsity sports, the largest number of teams of any NCAA Division I member outside of the Ivy League. Most sports compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference (despite the geographic oddity), which Stanford joined in 2024 after the collapse of its former home of the Pac-12 Conference. That said, the most nationally prominent sports are football and basketball (men's and women's), though the vast majority of its titles have come in non-revenue sports. The most notable venues are the football home of Stanford Stadium and Maples Pavilion, home to basketball and volleyball.
Do Hike at the Baylands
At the extreme east end of Bay Road, a small parking lot and trails near the bay provide excellent views of the south bay and plenty of birdwatching. It is believed that mountain lions live in the baylands, so do not walk alone.
Buy
Palo Alto's main shopping district is on University Avenue, between El Camino Real and Middlefield Road. It is a great long street of shopping, coffee spots, eateries and outdoor dining. Influenced by a college and upscale tech demographic, there is a variety of stores available from the local shop, to a unique designer store. A second, smaller shopping area is on California Avenue between El Camino Real and Alma.
Shop Cielo
High end designer labels can be found here, including Dries, Vanessa Bruno, Zucca, etc. While staff can be a little impersonal, concentrate on the beautiful fabrics and well cut clothing.
Eat
Budget
Eat Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels
Popular and rightly so.
Eat Scoop Microcreamery
A mom and pop ice cream shop with a twist - nitrogen-chilled ice cream made and frozen on site. All ingredients are locally sourced, waffle cones are made fresh daily, and all serveware is either reusable or biodegradable.
Eat Coupa Café
Local chain with about ten locations, most in Palo Alto or Stanford. A casual café with outdoor tables, popular with locals and students. In addition to coffee, pastries, and smoothies, it has various wraps, sandwiches, and salads.
Mid-range
Eat Bistro Maxine
French bistro feel and European atmosphere. Opened in June 2006, offers French crêpes.
Eat La Bodeguita del Medio
A great bar and restaurant featuring Cuban inspired cuisine, a walk-in humidor and smoking patio. There is also a bar with over 50 sipping rums featuring Cuban inspired cuisine.
Eat Nola
New Orleans–themed restaurant with good food. Rowdy bar famous for its Hurricane cocktail.
Eat Pizza My Heart
By the slice or by the pie, this place serves up some pretty good pizza. Thin crust only.
Eat So Gong Dong Tofu House
Gong Dong has a bright and cheery decor. Dishes include tofu soup, beef dish, and short rib dish. Servers are standing by to explain the menu and the intricacies of the cuisine.
Eat Sprout Cafe
The best fresh salads in town, great home made soup including butternut squash, sandwiches and small bites.
Eat Sushi House
Moderately priced Japanese cuisine. A good alternative to Fuki Sushi.
Eat Taqueria El Grullense
Visit the taqueria and be sure to give their salsa verde a try. Grullense has become famous for its "Super Burritos", which are tasty and very filling.
Eat Oren's Hummus
Hummus bowls, eggplant dishes, and other Mediterranean cuisine. Lots of gluten-free and vegan options.
Eat Zareen's
Pakistani and Indian cuisine.
Splurge
Eat Crowne Plaza Cabana
Features perhaps the most sumptuous brunch buffet that you may experience, on weekends only though. Though a typical Sunday champagne brunch here is $30 (after tax and tip), the amount of food offered and the quality and freshness of food is impressive and well worth it.
Eat Fuki Sushi
Best Japanese food near Palo Alto, albeit expensive even by local standards.
Eat Sundance the Steakhouse
A very good steakhouse with superb prime rib and a great whiskey peppercorn sauce to go with it; pricey and worth it. The clam chowder is rich and delicious. The restaurant is quiet and provides excellent ambiance for a leisurely dinner.
Eat Tamarine
With a cool but comfortable decor, Tamarine offers consistently well prepared Vietnamese cuisine. Pair your clay pot cod with a tasty cocktail from their extensive cocktail list, and combine it with exceptional service, and you have got the makings for a perfect night out.
Drink
Drink The Old Pro
Loud, energetic sports bar in a high traffic part of downtown Palo Alto. A frequent for Stanford students to hang out at.
Drink Quattro Restaurant & Bar
Distinctive all-day restaurant, large outdoor terrace and bar. 1/2 price wine on Fridays.
Sleep
Stay The Stanford Terrace Inn
Stay safe
Palo Alto enjoys a very low crime rate, although visitors should take basic precautions against petty crime as with any college town or tourist hotspot. Palo Alto's downtown is home to a small number of homeless people and beggars, but they are much less visible than their counterparts in Berkeley.
The city of East Palo Alto and the unincorporated area of North Fair Oaks suffer from high crime rates and should be avoided or traversed quickly. In East Palo Alto, there are many perfectly decent shops and restaurants, but it is best to know where you are going and not to wander aimlessly.
Go next
Palo Alto is a good base of operations for visiting both the Silicon Valley and San Francisco, as it is halfway between that city and San Jose.
Trips to San Francisco on Caltrain leave frequently and stop just south of downtown. The ride lasts about an hour, and Caltrain's rush-hour Baby Bullets travel the distance even faster. Check out Caltrain schedules, and make sure to buy a ticket before boarding.
To the west, the beautiful Coastal Range provides excellent biking, hiking, and other outdoor sports. Taking Page Mill Road due west will get you, eventually, to Highway 1 on the beautiful peninsula coast (although Highways 84 and 92 are preferable, especially the latter). And Santa Cruz is accessible from Highway 17, Skyline Boulevard (Highway 35 to Highway 9), or beautiful Highway 1.
If you're touring universities, the University of California, Berkeley is just across the bay. Take US-101 north through San Francisco and across the Bay Bridge to I-580 north, exiting University Avenue. Or by public transport, take the Stanford Marguerite shuttle to Caltrain and ride to Millbrae. At Millbrae, switch to BART and ride to Downtown Berkeley. (See 511.org for more).
Nearby
Mountain View
City / town · 55 listings · 3 mi away
Los Altos Hills
City / town · 2 listings · 3 mi away
Menlo Park
City / town · 75 listings · 4 mi away
Los Altos
City / town · 28 listings · 4 mi away
Portola Valley
City / town · 1 listings · 6 mi away
Sunnyvale
City / town · 28 listings · 6 mi away
Woodside
City / town · 8 listings · 7 mi away
Redwood City
City / town · 24 listings · 7 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.