A One Day in San Jose Itinerary You’ll Want to Steal
Last Updated on 26th June 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
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If you’re planning a trip to this area, we’ve got you covered with this one-day guide to San Jose. We’ll tell you all the best things to do in this San Jose itinerary.
San Jose, also known as “The Capital of Silicon Valley”, is the most populous city in the Bay Area and Northern California. Its sunny and mild climate gives it over 300 days of sunshine a year, making it a great place for a range of outdoor activities.
This city is the economic, cultural, and political center of Silicon Valley, home to several high-tech companies, including, PayPal, Broadcom, Samsung, Acer, Zoom, and others. Because of this, the region has an innovative and creative feeling.
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When to Visit San Jose
The best time to visit San Jose is between May and September, the dryer part of the year. San Jose has dry summers and wet winters with its Mediterranean climate.
Temperatures hardly ever drop below freezing. July and August are the most popular months to visit so bear this in mind when planning a trip as accommodation tends to book up faster than during these months (not to mention that it’s typically more expensive than usual).
How to Get to San Jose
If you’re in California, San Jose is accessible from several freeways and highways, including US-101, I-280, and I-880. By car, it is about an hour from San Francisco, 2 hours from Sacramento, 5.5 hours from Los Angeles, and 8 hours from Las Vegas.
The San Jose International Airport (SJC) is located close to downtown, and it’s served by many airlines. San Jose also has several train stations served by Amtrak and Caltrain.
Where to Stay in San Jose
San Jose has a variety of options, no matter your budget. The Hyatt House San Jose is a good overall option with comfort, amenities, and convenience.
If you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, the Hayes Mansion Hotel is a great choice. For budget-friendly options, check out the Flamingo Motel or the Alura Inn.
One Perfect Day in San Jose
The Breakfast Club at Midtown
Start your day by eating at The Breakfast Club at Midtown. With a delicious menu—including red velvet pancakes—you can’t go wrong with this restaurant. Along with the red velvet pancakes, they offer fantastic Benedicts, scrambles, omelets, crepes, waffles, and Mexican breakfast dishes.
The restaurant can be very busy, so get there early to avoid a long wait.
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
After breakfast, head to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, which is devoted to ancient Egypt. Here you’ll be able to step back in time as you see artifacts, such as jewelry, ritual objects, sculptures, tools, and textiles. You’ll also be able to see several mummies.
If you love learning about ancient history, but can’t afford a trip to Egypt, you’ll love this museum.
Tech Interactive Museum
You can’t go to Silicon Valley without some kind of exposure to the tech capital of the US. This science and technology center is, as the name suggests, interactive, meaning you can participate in hands-on activities, labs, and design challenges.
Tech Interactive Museum has a passion for education. They foster curiosity for science, technology, engineering, and math. Their mission is to inspire the innovator in everyone. This is a wonderful museum for those who want to learn more about the tech industry and see if they have an innovator inside.
San Jose Museum of Art
Not too far away is the San Jose Museum of Art. If you’re not a history buff or tech wizard, this may be the museum for you.
The museum features modern and contemporary art and holds a permanent collection with a focus on West Coast artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is well-known for fresh, distinctive exhibitions that are thought-provoking, surprising, and playful.
The museum usually has 9-12 exhibitions a year that range from traditional painting to exploratory new-media installations. Because of its location in Silicon Valley, the San Jose Museum of Art often works in new media and initiates special projects and commissions that reflect its community.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
Just across the street from the San Jose Museum of Art is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, one of the most beautiful buildings in San Jose. You can simply admire it from the outside or step in to see the interior.
This Roman Catholic cathedral is built on the site of the original St. Joseph’s Church, which was built in 1803 as the first non-mission parish in California.
The site has had four buildings on it since that time, the first three damaged by earthquakes or fires. Construction on the current building was finished in 1885, and the building was renovated from 1981-1990.
Santana Row
When you’re finished at the Cathedral, head to Santana Row, a shopping district with lots of fun stores and restaurants. While there are many stores here that you can find pretty much anywhere, there are also some unique shops and places to eat.
The street itself is also fun to walk down. It’s surrounded by landscaped gardens, parks, and plazas designed to have the feel of a European avenue.
Eat lunch here while you people watch and look around the shops and stores. Some favorite restaurants include Yard House, Meso Modern Mediterranean, Mendocino Farms, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, Pizza Antica, and Left Bank.
Across the street is the Westfield Valley Fair Mall, commonly known as Valley Fair, so if you haven’t had your fill of shopping, you can head over there to check it out. While this is a nice mall, I wouldn’t say it is a must-see for your trip to San Jose, unless you have a deep love for shopping.
Winchester Mystery House
Just a street over is the Winchester Mystery House, a mansion that was once lived in by Sarah Winchester, the wife and widow of William Wirt Winchester, a firearms magnate.
Sarah’s infant daughter died of a childhood illness, and only a few years later her husband died of tuberculosis. After her husband passed, Sarah moved from New Haven, Connecticut to San Jose. As heiress to a large portion of the Winchester Repeating Arms fortune, she purchased an 8-room farmhouse.
The mystery starts there as no one quite knows what possessed Sarah to start construction on the house—construction that would continue from 1886 to 1922 until Sarah died.
Some say Sara was haunted by the ghosts of the victims of her husband’s gun sales, and a psychic told Sarah that the only way to escape was to build the mansion. The question remains, why did an independent, well-educated, courageous socialite create such a beautiful and bizarre place?
Regardless of the answer, Sarah’s efforts resulted in a 24,000-square-foot mansion with 160 rooms, 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 47 stairways and fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. The mansion has an eerie and disorienting feeling about it.
We recommend booking a tour in advance, though it is possible to get tickets at the door. The mansion closes at 4, so make sure you arrive before then.
Municipal Rose Garden
As evening approaches, make your way over to the Municipal Rose Garden for a relaxing stroll through the rolling green lawns and colorful flowers.
Named “America’s Best Rose Garden”, this little slice of nature has more than 3,500 plantings and 189 varieties, which means something is in bloom at almost any time of year.
The park spreads across more than 5 acres and is open till 30 minutes after sunset. It’s the perfect place to recuperate after a busy day and take in the scent of fresh roses. It’s lovely for photos, especially if you’re there during golden hour.
The garden was founded in 1927 and was supported by the Santa Clara County Rose Society, which provided the roses for the land. The AARS (All-American Rose Selections) named it “America’s Best Rose Garden” in 2010.
If you plan your trip for spring, this stop will surely be a highlight with so many of the flowers in bloom.
San Pedro Square Market
When you’re done in the garden, go over to the San Pedro Square Market for dinner. This market has tons of excellent places to eat. Some local favorites include Hyland House of Sushi, Pizza Bocca Lupo, Loteria Taco Bar, Urban Momo, and the Market Beer Company.
As the name suggests, Hyland House of Sushi serves high-quality sushi, and likewise, Pizza Bocca Lupo serves traditional and creative Neapolitan pizza. Loteria Taco Bar is a Mexican restaurant, specializing in gourmet tacos made with juicy, braised meats.
If you’re in the mood for momo dumplings, Urban Momo is the place to go; they offer Nepalese momo and traditional Nepalese fare. The Market Beer Company is a casual spot serving 30 unique craft beers on tap and 130 elusive bottled and canned choices to drink on-site or take with you.
Conclusion
We hope this San Jose guide is helpful when you’re planning your trip to Silicon Valley. San Jose is a vibrant city in the Bay Area with plenty to do and see. If you have more than one day to explore this city, you can expand this itinerary so you can linger at each destination and add in more stops if you have time.
Have fun exploring the tech hub of the US!
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About the author: Lexi Cooper is a freelance editor and writer. Her parents taught her a love for traveling, seeing new sights, and learning about the world. Along with her passion for travel, she loves stories and dreams of spending her days reading and writing books and wandering the globe.
