Tours and Sightseeing in Silicon Valley: Options for Tourists

If anyone could be said to have founded Silicon Valley it would be William Shockley who established a semiconductor company in Palo Alto which became part of the northern area of the valley. Although a brilliant inventor he lacked business skills and his company did not have the capital to fund many new projects. The real entrepreneurs who established Silicon Valley were eight young geniuses working at Shockley’s, who became frustrated with the inability to focus on new projects, and set up their own company in San Jose in the middle of what became Silicon Valley. Among other inventions, they created the microchip, a critical component of almost all modern electronics including the computer you may have used to find this article.

Silicon valley, home to some of the world’s largest technology companies and many smaller start-ups, is said to roughly comprise the southern region of the San Francisco Bay area. However, the borders have become a bit fuzzy over the years and most accept that it extends beyond what was the accepted boundaries. While those fascinated by technology might think touring these unbelievable companies would be the perfect vacation, the reality is you can’t go inside any of them unless you’re affiliated with certain Universities or work for a company that has friendly relations with some of the other companies.

Some of you out there are undoubtedly displeased by this discovery, but really, if you owned a company that had proprietary information linked to billions of dollars in technological advances, would you let just anyone wander through the building?

Don’t get too upset though – there are tons of things to see and do on a vacation to Silicon Valley, some even involving technology. The list below includes tours and sightseeing ideas for members of the whole family along with some unusual yet intriguing suggestions.

The Best Way to Tour Silicon Valley

Personalized Tours – Many tour companies will personalize your tour of Silicon Valley, guaranteeing you will visit the sites you choose. This is far better than standardized tours which rarely change their itineraries and frequently include several sites you have no interest in. This means doing your research in advance in order to determine your priorities such that there is enough time to book a tour that is designed for your interests. Some suggestions for sites to look into include:

Stanford’s Campus – You can choose a guided tour of the beautiful campus lead by

a knowledgeable student or a golf cart tour letting you see more of the campus at a

quicker pace if you have a relatively large number of sites on your tour list.

HP Garage – Near Stanford is the HP Garage where college friends, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, founded what would become one of the most innovative electronics companies in the world.

Tesla’s Showroom – Have you wondered about these all-electric cars? Have all your questions answered at the Tesla Showroom. If you make a reservation as a prospective customer you can usually arrange for a test drive of the newest model.

Computer History Museum – Taking up 19 rooms, this museum features historical displays documenting the first 2000 years of Computing. Take a guided tour or explore this large museum at your own pace. Afterwards, you can take a stroll through the nearby grounds of Google’s headquarters – or at least as much of it as their large security force will permit.

Nasa Ames Exploration Center – For those who are interested in space exploration, this museum should be a definite stop. The large exhibit Living and Working in Space, examines various space facilities over time, the purpose of each and what was learned in various space complexes.

Hakone Japanese Gardens – Overlooking Silicon Valley is the oldest Asian botanical estate in the Western Hemisphere. Over 100 years old, this 18 acre area is home to stunning pavilions, koi ponds, waterfalls, flower gardens and architectural features. You can arrange for a guided tour with a traditional tea ceremony included.

These are only a few of the options you may want to include in your personalized tour of Silicon Valley. You may also want to consider the Intel Museum, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (home of the world-famous wooden roller coaster, the Big Dipper), the allegedly haunted Winchester Mystery House or include a drive by of the many companies that you can’t tour such as LinkedIn, Adobe, Yahoo and Cisco among numerous others.

Other Options for Touring Silicon Valley

If you are looking for an option other than the standard van tour and want to be out in the open try one of these great tours.

Little Italy Culinary Walking Tours – If you love Italian food, perfectly roasted coffee and browsing through shops with handmade and imported merchandise of all kinds try this leisurely walking tour through the North Beach neighborhood and Little Italy. Over the course of this three hours guided tour you’ll experience the nirvana of freshly baked bread and other offerings at artisan bakeries, the rich taste of coffee that is only served in the general area, unique dishes from different Italian regions, quaint shops, magnificent Italian cathedrals and Little Italy’s dynamic shopping scene. Bring your appetite and your walking shoes.

Undiscovered Country Bike Tours – Are you a cycling fan who’d love to tour great areas in Silicon valley by bike instead of van? Pick one of these 3 to 7-plus day bike tours of the region. Choose an 8-day tour of the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay area or try a 6-day tour of undiscovered wine country in the Valley. There are numerous tours through various areas of Silicon Valley of different lengths and difficulty levels. Check their website for joining a tour or customizing your own trip with one or more friends or family members.

Pashnit Motorcycle Tours – This company has taken visitors on motorcycle tours of Silicon valley for 10 years. All you have to do is show up at their location Friday morning and they’ll take care of everything else. If you’re there during before summer begins, the spring tour is a beautiful weekend ride along the Pacific coastline and you’ll get magnificent views when traveling along roads at elevations above 5000 feet. For those who love adventure this is a great option as there are plenty of curves and twisties.

Little Known Tours of Silicon Valley

While there are standard attractions and locals that fall on the regular tours of Silicon Valley, there are others that you can do on your own or with a group that are out of the ordinary. If you are in the Valley and looking for interesting things to see and do, try some of the following tours:

Silicon Valley Tour De Coop – For cycling enthusiasts out there, rent a bike and take this self guided tour of chicken coops, hoop houses, beehives, gardens and urban homesteads. Taking place in September, there are at least six tour paths, from shorter single neighborhood tours that run around five miles each to loops not for the faint of heart, which tours coops over the course of more than 60 miles and takes you through every city from San Jose to Menlo Park.

Atlas Obscura Behind the Scenes Tours of Alcatraz – When you say Silicon Valley Alcatraz rarely comes to mind. Technically, due to it’s location, just a mile and a half from Fisherman’s Wharf, it is considered a part of the Valley, despite being the home of a tourist attraction as opposed to high-tech companies. While visiting Silicon Valley don’t miss visiting the place where such infamous criminals as Al Capone and the Bird-Man of Alcatraz were incarcerated. However, don’t try too hard to locate the ideal tour. You can pour over tour books to try to pick the best Alcatraz tour but the regular ones are quite similar. If you’re looking for something different try this behind the scenes tour. Every year Atlas Obscura, an organization that provides tours of hidden and normally inaccessible areas of famous sites, leads a nighttime tour of the secret and off limit areas of Alcatraz including the guards apartments and a journey through the longest tunnel on the island. If interested look up the tour before you leave, as the month in which the tours are held changes from year to year.

Fire Engine Tour – Have you always secretly wanted to be a firefighter? Then this tour is for you. Even if this hasn’t been a dream of yours, you are bound to enjoy putting on a firefighter jacket, climbing aboard an actual working fire engine, and speeding off for an hour and a half tour of the area. You’ll never find a more exciting way to cross the Golden Gate Bridge than as a firefighter look-alike riding a full size engine. The only thing that will give you away is the enthusiastic and lively onboard entertainment that will have keep you laughing throughout the entire tour.

Unusual Activities and Events in Silicon Valley

Mud Factor – Were you one of those kids loved playing in the mud? Then the Mud Factor Obstacle Run is for you. This 5k run is not your normal race, unless you are used to racing through a mud filled obstacle course! This run is not meant to be about winners or losers, it’s just about having fun. While some of the obstacles are harder than others, you can choose not to complete an obstacle if you don’t feel up to it. While every year the obstacles are different, some of the favorites you are likely to encounter include the mud pits, cargo climb, slip and slide and wire crawl. You can create or join a team and if you have teenagers with you age 14 and above they can join in the fun as well. See the Mud Factor website for dates and locations.

Free Money Day – This event may sound a bit odd at first but it has a great effect on you and others. On September 15th each year, tens of thousands of people in Silicon Valley and all over the world hand out money to complete strangers. Yes, you read that correctly. You give people either two coins or two bills and ask them to give one to someone else. The event is aimed at getting people to see money in a slightly different manner and discuss the meaning and importance of money with each other. You might even get interviewed by the media and wind up on television.

Visit the Mystery Spot – The Mystery Spot is a gravitational peculiarity in the form of a circle that measures about 150 feet around. It’s located outside of Santa Cruz in the Redwood Forest and the inexplicable effects are bound to amaze you. You will know when you step inside this area immediately as you will notice you perceptions begin to seem a bit strange. The closer you get to the areas in the center the effects on your perceptions of height, physics, gravity, become more bizarre. You will see water which appears to flow backwards, trees with branches that grow only on a single side, and a ball which rolls up a slanted board instead of down. If you choose to join a tour, you can even volunteer to help guides demonstrate some of the effects. This attraction is fun for the entire family.

The Jelly Belly Factory – Located in Fairfield California, the original Jelly Belly Factory offers guided tours daily. This is a great family activity. However, even if you’re traveling without children, the enclosed walkways allowing you to view how Jelly Belly’s are made which travel over a rainbow of every color and shade imaginable will bring out the kid in you. The best part of the tour is the chance to sample new and traditional Jelly Belly Flavors. You can also shop for mixtures of “Belly Flops” – discounted beans which didn’t pass inspection but still have the same great flavour as their higher ranked counterparts.

These are just a few of the multitude of possibilities for fun, relaxation, learning and exploring in Silicon Valley. If you’re planning a visit, make sure to start researching the variety of opportunities for tours and favorite activities early so you can customize your trip and maximize your enjoyment.

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