Located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, Berkeley city is in North California. With its proximity to the bay and compatible climate Berkeley is a visitor’s paradise. With hills and gorges dotting the surroundings there is plenty to do outdoors here. And indoor activities are not far behind with universities, museums and theatres to present them. The choices make it hard for you to plan a schedule to fit in visits to all of these attractions:

Aquatic Park:

With an incredible 32 acres of land and lakes and lagoons occupying about 67 acres, the Aquatic Park in Berkeley is easily its largest park open to public. The park offers many activities like motor boating, canoeing, cycling and biking for adults. The ‘Dream Land for Kids’ with a playground of castles, swings, bridges and slides makes it a favorite with children.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Lawrence Hall of Science:

The hall has many interesting exhibits that are reputed to stir the curiosity of the visitor age no bar. There are live demonstrations to add to the amazement in addition to a planetarium. A plus point of the hall is the location as it offers some superlatively astounding views of the Bay Area.

University of California- Berkeley:

This esteemed education institution is a great place to walk around. The impressive architecture style catches your eye. You can make several stops to check out the university’s collection of books, fossils, butterflies or films housed in their many buildings. You can hang out at Sproul Plaza to watch the Berkeley crowd passing by or be an audience to some concerts or impromptu speeches that often take place here.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Tilden Park:

The Tilden Park is a natural park set between Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Ridge. It has plenty of attractions for all age groups. Adults can hike through 40 miles of trails or visit the colorful botanical garden as well as try their hand at golf in the 18-hole golf course. Kids love the merry-go-round with its interesting set of hand-crafted animals and the Steam Train that takes everyone through the lovely hillside. The park has the Lake Anza open in summers for swimming and fishing. A working farm called Tilden Little Farm is a boost to the enjoyment in this lovely park.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

University of California- Botanical Garden:

The 34-acre botanical garden in the campus nurses over 12,000 plants of varieties from around the globe. These include the desert cacti, roses that are seen from the 19^th century, monkey puzzle trees and a lovely display of fuchsia plants.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Berkeley Adventure Playground:

As the name suggests this playground caters to the adventurous. With ideas and themes suited for the free spirited, visitors should be ready for anything here.

Berkeley Rose Garden:

This lovely rose garden is a terraced semi-circular amphitheater with a spectacular 220-feet redwood arcade surrounding it. Your eyes are treated to a dazzling beauty of around 3000 rose bushes of about 250 varieties. If you can get over this visual treat there is more as the rose garden is a particularly stunning viewpoint to look over the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. There are four tennis courts, many hiking trails with foot bridges to occupy your time here as well.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Telegraph Avenue:

A favorite hangout of students, the Telegraph Avenue is conveniently located outside the gates of the university. Vintage record shops, book stores and other quaint shops that offer some eclectic picks are a charm of this laidback avenue. It is also big on eateries with all varieties of fast food and casual food joints present.

Berkeley Marina:

The marina is a place to wind down. Taking a stroll down the bay watching the birds fly by is a calming activity after a tiring day. There are also water sports to indulge in, like kayaking, water skiing and canoeing at the boat bay.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Berkeley is considered to be the birthplace of California cuisine. It holds center stage in the Bay Area’s food culture and you can treat your palates to some sensational choices at the food tour of the Gourmet Ghetto. And you can call it a day by starting the night at Albatross Pub which is Berkeley’s oldest bar.