Day Trips from San Francisco to San Jose

Explore Silicon Valley in comfort on a fully customizable private sightseeing ride from San Francisco. Travel with your English-speaking Welcome Driver and enjoy a flexible, door-to-door experience around your interests and pace. Discover the region that shaped modern technology while your driver shares local insights, stories, and recommendations along the way. Highlights include Stanford University, the historic HP Garage in Palo Alto, NASA Ames Research Center, Google Headquarters in Mountain View, and the Apple Park Visitor Center. Walk beautiful campuses, see iconic tech landmarks, and experience the innovative atmosphere that defines Silicon Valley. Relax in your private vehicle as you explore top attractions, scenic areas—without rigid schedules or crowded tours. At the end of your journey, your driver will return you comfortably to San Francisco. Pickup and drop-off from central accommodations are included.

Experience California’s iconic 17-Mile Drive, without the hassle of renting a car, on this full-day small-group tour from San Francisco. Travel in comfortable, professionally maintained vehicles with a driver-guide to Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and more. Enjoy coastal views, a stop at Cannery Row, and time to explore Carmel's boutiques and wine tasting rooms.

Explore Monterey, 17-Mile Drive, Carmel, and other highlights along the California coast with ease on this full-day small-group tour from San Francisco. Cruise along scenic Highway, enjoy the coastal views, and enjoy free time in Monterey and Carmel-by-the Sea, along with scenic stops at 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, Bird Rock Vista Point, and more.

California’s Highway 1—also known as the Pacific Coast Highway—stretches along the Pacific Ocean, and is known for its spectacular scenery. This private, self-led smartphone audio guide accompanies you from San Francisco to Los Angeles, sharing facts and stories about the cities and landmarks you pass. The app’s GPS functionality works offline, letting you explore independently at your own pace with lifetime access and no expiry.

On our exclusive Silicon Valley tour, we explore the Googleplex — a tech playground with cafes, shops, and art installations. From volleyball courts to on-site haircuts, you’ll glimpse the dynamic world of Google employees and even spot the colorful Google bikes around the campus. We’ll visit the Computer History Museum, journeying through four decades of computing history, including one of the earliest computers. Then, enjoy Stanford University with free time to explore, immerse yourself in the academic atmosphere, and stroll through the picturesque grounds. Our final stop is Apple’s Visitor Center, featuring interactive exhibits, a café, and a well-stocked Apple Store. Use an iPad and virtual reality to tour the secretive Apple campus! At 4:00 PM, we’ll conclude our tech-filled day and return to San Francisco, enjoying a scenic drive past Crystal Springs Reservoir and San Andreas Lake.

Drive down one of the most scenic roads in California on this full-day tour from San Francisco. Cruise along the coast-hugging Highway 1, passing Pebble Beach on the iconic 17-Mile Drive. Enjoy free time to explore Monterey, where you can stroll down Steinbeck’s Cannery Row or visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium (own expense). Then enjoy free time to explore Carmel-by-the-Sea before returning to San Francisco.

From the spectacular rocky ocean waves to the iconic towns, Highway 1 from San Francisco provides an experience you rarely find. This tour combines the best of California in one day. We begin in Monterey Bay, that has unparalleled sea life. You may even spot a whale! You will have time for coffee at Cannery Row. Next is the famous 17-Mile Scenic Drive (including a stop at golf resort Pebble Beach). There will be photo stops at the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock, Lovers Point or Point Pinos. We visit the beach town of Carmel, home to celebrities such as Clint Eastwood, where you can visit quaint shops, artisinal bakeries and coffee shops. Lastly, we will see the Bixby Bridge and Hurricane Point, the iconic highlights of Big Sur. Depending on the time of the year, there may be a spectacular Northern California sunset over the ocean as we make our way back to San Francisco.

Immerse yourself in one of California’s most distinctive coastal landscapes. Experience the abundance of the coast with a visit to Monterey and its world class Aquarium, the wave-filled California Coast and Carmel-by-the-Sea. After a drive from San Francisco we arrive to Monterey, home to the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, which offers an up-close look at one of the most biologically diverse marine environments in the world. The tour continues along the waterfront through the 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. Photo stops are available at landmarks such as Lone Cypress, Bird Rock, Lovers Point, and Point Pinos. Your final stop is Carmel-by-the-Sea, a picturesque seaside town that has been a destination for artists, free-spirits and film industry types. Visitors can wander through quaint shops and enjoy baked treats or coffee from local cafés along the way. As we head back , the coast provides sweeping ocean scenery and at certain times of year, is capped off by sunset over the water.

Skip the hassle of figuring out Silicon Valley’s spread-out landmarks and how to connect them. This private tour brings together key sites and stories behind the world’s biggest tech innovators into one seamless experience. With personalized guidance and easy transport, you can focus on the insights and history rather than the logistics.

Explore the captivating beauty of California’s coast on our private tour from San Francisco. Discover the charm of Monterey with its marine life, Cannery Row, and ocean views. Wander through Carmel-by-the-Sea, a fairytale town with white-sand beaches and boutique shops. Continue to Pebble Beach, home of world-famous golf and the iconic Lone Cypress. Cruise along 17-Mile Drive, passing Spanish Bay, Bird Rock, and scenic coastal lookouts. Then experience the dramatic cliffs and wild coastline of Big Sur, where nature takes center stage. End the journey at McWay Falls, a stunning 80-foot waterfall dropping onto the beach. This unforgettable day blends scenic beauty, coastal culture, and iconic landmarks. Return to San Francisco with amazing photos and memories from one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

Discover the heart of global technology on this exclusive private tour of Silicon Valley, traveling in a Tesla Model X, designed and built right here. Visit iconic tech campuses, learn the stories behind the world’s most powerful companies, and see where innovation happens. Stop at the Apple Visitor Center to see the latest products and experience their Augmented Reality Experience or demo their VR glasses. Stop to see the modest family home where Steve Jobs built one of the world's most highly valued companies. Explore Google HQ’s campus, and snap a photo at Facebook (Meta) HQ. Enjoy lunch at a popular Silicon Valley café, where entrepreneurs and students fuel their ideas. Explore Stanford University and stop to pick up swag at the campus store. See the Tesla Factory Delivery Center where cutting-edge vehicles are born. Throughout the tour, enjoy a luxurious, high-tech experience in a Tesla Model X, offering a unique and intimate look at the world’s most innovative region.

See the headquarters of the world’s most innovative companies on a private day trip to Silicon Valley from San Francisco. Tech hubs like Palo Alto and Menlo Park can be daunting to navigate on your own, so a local driver and guide takes you and your group of up to six straight to the campuses of Facebook, Google, Apple, and Oracle, plus other legendary locations like Steve Jobs’ former home, the Stanford University campus, and the HP garage where it all started.

This tour offers an unparalleled blend of San Francisco's iconic landmarks and Silicon Valley's premier destinations. Start your journey with breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and explore the vibrant atmosphere of Fisherman’s Wharf. Wind through the famous Lombard Street and immerse yourself in the architectural beauty of the Palace of Fine Arts. But what truly sets this tour apart is the exclusive access to the heart of Silicon Valley. Visit the world-renowned Stanford University, where innovation meets tradition, and experience the cutting-edge design at Apple Park Visitor Center, the global hub of technology. Finally, indulge in a luxurious shopping spree at Stanford Shopping Center, where upscale boutiques and world-class brands await. This unique itinerary combines the best of sightseeing with a taste of the luxury lifestyle, making it a must for those who want to experience the essence of both San Francisco and Silicon Valley in one unforgettable day.

This experience begins with a single, approachable surf stop in Pacifica, then opens into a thoughtfully paced journey along the Northern California coast. Rather than following a rigid checklist, the day unfolds based on conditions, timing, and the natural rhythm of the coastline. Guests experience dramatic headlands, coastal wetlands, historic landmarks, and relaxed food and drink pauses along the way. Select stops are optional and curated. These may include a visit to a working goat farm in Pescadero, where guests can meet the animals and purchase locally made goat cheese and honey. The emphasis is not on covering as much ground as possible, but on experiencing the coast as locals do—unhurried, immersive, and grounded in place.

Learn about how Google, Apple, and more got started with this silicon Valley tour by luxury vehicle. You’ll learn how Hewlett and Packared started Silicon Valley, and grew to be where Facebook calls home. You’ll see the campus of Stanford and be guided around by a student, and you’ll visit the Emerald City, the Oracle campus, and more, also learning about the history of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Ideal for travelers short on time, this day trip covers the best of the Monterey and Carmel region in one day of sightseeing from San Francisco. Highlights include spending two hours in both Monterey and Carmel, driving the scenic 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove, and stopping at a garlic shop in Gilroy, known as the “Garlic Capital of the world.”

Visit the top sites of Silicon Valley with this private tour for groups of up to 6 people from San Francisco. Visit the Oracle, Facebook, and Google campuses, along with the garage where Hewlett Packard started, Steve Job’s home, and the new Apple Park Visitor Center. Includes a 2-hour tour of the Stanford University Campus.