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City in California, United States
Photo: Iwilltellyou, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
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.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
A modern art museum that features contemporary works with an emphasis on Californian creators.
A 533-acre open space that contains hiking, biking and equestrian trails.
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.
An old theater showing classics from the 1930s through the 1950s (not open year round). Sometimes features an organist playing live before screenings.
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.
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.
Japanese-style hot tubs.
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.
A park with a small lake and hiking trails. Formerly limited to Palo Alto residents but opened to the public in December 2020.
Popular and rightly so.
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.
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.
French bistro feel and European atmosphere. Opened in June 2006, offers French crêpes.
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.
New Orleans–themed restaurant with good food. Rowdy bar famous for its Hurricane cocktail.
By the slice or by the pie, this place serves up some pretty good pizza. Thin crust only.
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.
The best fresh salads in town, great home made soup including butternut squash, sandwiches and small bites.
Moderately priced Japanese cuisine. A good alternative to Fuki Sushi.
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.
Hummus bowls, eggplant dishes, and other Mediterranean cuisine. Lots of gluten-free and vegan options.
Pakistani and Indian cuisine.
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.
Best Japanese food near Palo Alto, albeit expensive even by local standards.
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.
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.
Loud, energetic sports bar in a high traffic part of downtown Palo Alto. A frequent for Stanford students to hang out at.
Distinctive all-day restaurant, large outdoor terrace and bar. 1/2 price wine on Fridays.
Hotel with free Wi-Fi, great service, clean and new rooms. However, on the other hand, restrooms have no doors (might be problematic if you are two), and the place is a bit noisy.
Located in the small section of East Palo Alto that is on the Palo Alto side of the freeway in a safe location.
A large upscale mall that features Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom's, Bloomingdale, Macy's and one hundred and forty other stores.
Offering traditional menswear, including cufflinks, suits, weekend wear, resort clothing, and custom-made shirts. Providing high quality suits and exceptional service.
Excellent womenswear boutique with great service and the best selection of contemporary apparel in town. They carry emerging designer brands and have a gorgeous selection of jewelry and handbags.
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.
By plane
50.40. 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.
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…
By bus
Bus service runs through some major areas within the city. Routes are concentrated around El Camino Real and University Avenue.
By bike
Bike lanes are nearly everywhere and make riding convenient and safe.
By car
Palo Alto traffic is not usually very congested, and parking is plentiful everywhere except the downtown area.
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San Jose · International · SJC
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