San José in 5 days

Silicon Valley's capital, with a 300-year-old heart and great weather. Best time to visit: April-June, September-October. Average daily budget: $150 to $350 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Downtown & San Pedro Square, The restaurant and bar core around a historic plaza, lively at weekends.

Morning: Winchester Mystery House. Tour the bizarre mansion with stairs to nowhere, built non-stop for 38 years.

Afternoon: Explore Downtown & San Pedro Square, The restaurant and bar core around a historic plaza, lively at weekends.

Evening: The Tech Interactive. Hands-on science museum in the heart of downtown, good for all ages.

Eat: Pho in Little Saigon, one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside Vietnam

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Japantown, One of only three historic Japantowns left in the US, full of ramen shops and mochi makers.

Morning: Japantown food walk. Ramen, shaved ice and fresh mochi in one of America's last Japantowns.

Afternoon: Explore Japantown, One of only three historic Japantowns left in the US, full of ramen shops and mochi makers.

Evening: Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. The largest collection of Egyptian artefacts in western North America, in a Moorish garden setting.

Eat: Fresh mochi from a family shop in Japantown

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Willow Glen, Leafy residential streets and a small-town main street of boutiques and cafés.

Morning: Alum Rock Park, mineral springs and canyon trails inside the city. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Willow Glen, Leafy residential streets and a small-town main street of boutiques and cafés.

Evening: The San José Flea Market, 120 acres of stalls since 1960. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: California-Mexican tacos from a San Pedro Square vendor

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Santana Row, Upscale outdoor shopping and dining strip, busy day and night.

Morning: Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph's dazzling interior, free to enter. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Santana Row, Upscale outdoor shopping and dining strip, busy day and night.

Evening: Happy Hollow Park and Zoo's hilltop views over the valley. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Farmers market stone fruit in season, the valley's orchard legacy

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: Rose Garden, Quiet streets around the Municipal Rose Garden's 3,500 rose bushes.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Rose Garden, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Rose Garden, Quiet streets around the Municipal Rose Garden's 3,500 rose bushes.

Evening: Dinner at Pho in Little Saigon, one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside Vietnam, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Rose Garden.

Eat: Pho in Little Saigon, one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside Vietnam

Hidden gems

Alum Rock Park, mineral springs and canyon trails inside the city
The San José Flea Market, 120 acres of stalls since 1960
Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph's dazzling interior, free to enter
Happy Hollow Park and Zoo's hilltop views over the valley

Getting around

Mineta San José airport sits 10 minutes from downtown by rideshare. VTA light rail and buses cover the valley but run slowly; Caltrain connects to San Francisco in about an hour. Downtown is walkable, but you'll want a car or rideshare for anything beyond the core. Traffic on 101 and 280 is heavy at rush hour.

Safety

San José is one of the safest large cities in the US, with low violent crime. Standard urban caution applies downtown at night, and car break-ins happen, so leave nothing visible. The bigger issues are practical: summer heat inland, and the cost of everything. Wildfire smoke can affect air quality in late summer; check the AQI.

San José in 3 days | San José in 7 days | Full San José guide