Renowned across the world as the epicentre of tech innovation, Silicon Valley can be discovered by joining a wide choice of guided tours.
(Photo: A Taste of SF Tours, Inc / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
Situated in the southern San Francisco Bay Area of California, and home to some of the world’s most foremost technology companies including Apple, Facebook and Google, Silicon Valley is a popular stopping-off point for people travelling through the wider California region. If you’d like to spend some time exploring the famous tech hotbed, we’ve picked out 5 of the best Silicon Valley tours currently available.
Full-Day Private Tour to Silicon Valley
Learn the unrivalled history of Silicon Valley on this full-day private tour. During the day, you and your select group of family or friends will get to enjoy the cutting-edge modern architecture of Oracle, Facebook, Google, and Apple campuses, see Steve Jobs’ former home, and walk in the footsteps of Stanford’s illustrious alumni on a guided walking tour – all in the company of an expert guide. There’ll also be the chance to visit the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, and sit down to a hearty lunch in one of many restaurants on University Avenue in Palo Alto. The tour price includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, bottled water, museum entrance, and lunch. From $999 per group (max 6 people).
Silicon Valley: Self-Drive Audio Tour
(Photo: Action Tour Guide / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
Hop in your car and enjoy this self-guided audio tour of the birthplace of tech at your own pace and with no fixed schedule. Cruise through Silicon Valley while checking out the headquarters of tech giants and learn about the visionaries who’ve shaped the world, from Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to the controversies around Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos and the eccentricities of Elon Musk. All you need to do is get the tour guide app set up on your phone, release that handbrake and head on your way. After being purchased, your audio guide has no expiration date and is valid indefinitely. From $15 per person.
Private Redwood Forest & Silicon Valley Day Trip from San Francisco
Combine a memorable trip to Silicon Valley with a visit to California’s oldest redwood state park on this action-packed full-day tour. Featuring door-to-door service, starting and ending in San Francisco, you’ll spend half the day exploring the famous man-made wonders of Silicon Valley tech capital of the world before making the 50-mile drive southeast to marvel at the jaw-dropping natural beauty of Redwood state park, where 2,000-year old trees rise over 300 feet into the sky. Tours are suitable for everyone, including families with children. From $579 per group (max 2 people).
Silicon Valley Private 2-Hour Driving Tour
(Photo: Jitze Couperus via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Want to see Silicon Valley but are tight for time? This whistle-stop two-hour private driving tour complete with audio guide may well fit the bill. After collection from your hotel in a comfortable vehicle, you’ll head off to see the area in quick-smart fashion, getting to know the stories, legends and landmarks of Silicon Valley as you visit sites including the Googleplex, Apple Park Visitor’s Center and the Hewlett Packard Garage. Let your driver do the work while you kick back and listen to audio narrated by local legend Matt Chatta. The set-up allows you to listen on your own schedule, so you can pause if you want to take a break or explore further. From $51 per group (max 5 people).
Half-Day Silicon Valley Tour Private Day Trip from San Francisco
If there’s a Silicon Valley landmark that you’re particularly keen to visit, then this fully customisable five-hour private tour might well be for you. The trip puts you in touch with the pioneering work of global communications, computing and biotech companies and their impact on the region. Starting with pick-up in San Francisco, you’ll travel in the comfort of a private vehicle to the South Bay, learning from your personal guide how Silicon Valley has revolutionised the way our world works. The tour price includes your private driver and guide, pick-up and drop-off, bottled water and snacks. From $577 per group (max 6 people)