Spending one week in San Jose is a very nice thing to do. 7 days in San Jose is perfect if you want to discover this beautiful city in California.
If you are in the United States and you want to visit a beautiful place, then San Jose is definitely a great idea. The city looks wonderful and besides that, there's a lot to see in the city.
The city is famous for the tech companies of Silicon Valley and historic buildings. This means that the city has a lot of different things to offer. For example, visit the Googleplex or learn about the history of the city.
But if you aren't interested in history and architecture, one week in San Jose is still great! That's because there's much more. For example, the city has amazing options for shopping, such as Santana Row. And the city has a beautiful rose garden and theater.
So if you are 7 days in San Jose, you'll have a great time with many interesting and fun things to do.
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Getting to San Jose
There are several ways to get to the city when you want to spend one week in San Jose!
First, there are many large cities nearby, such as San Francisco.
Getting to San Jose from those places is easy to do by public transport or car.
Besides that, if you are coming to the city from a city farther away, you can go by airplane.
There is an international airport in San Jose. This makes it possible to visit the city from cities within the USA as well as from other countries.
Also, you can get to the city by train. But this is only the quickest option if you are coming from a place that is very near the city.
Another way to reach San Jose is by bus. There are several bus companies with routes to San Jose. One of these companies is Greyhound. This is a very affordable way to get here for your 7 days in San Jose.
Where to stay in San Jose
If you want to do this itinerary for one week in San Jose, staying in Downtown San Jose is most convenient.
That's because you find several of the sights of this itinerary here.
Also, it is easiest to reach other sights that aren't in the city center from here.
Furthermore, you find many hotels in this part of the city. This gives you a larger choice when booking accommodation for 7 days in San Jose.
Itinerary for One Week in San Jose
So now you know more about how to get to the city and the best areas to stay. It's time to start the one-week in San Jose itinerary!
This itinerary will make sure you'll see all the things in the city. You'll have a wonderful time with art, tech companies, and beautiful nature. You also go to a beautiful theater, do a fun day trip, and more!
Day 1: Discover the City, See Art and Nature, and Go To a Show
Let's begin the first day. Today you are going to explore San Jose and you are going to see beautiful art and nature. Besides that, you are also going to see a show at the California Theatre, which is a great experience!
Explore Downtown San Jose
One of the best ways to get to know the city during one week in San Jose is by going to downtown.
This is the central business district of the city and it is a great place to visit
You find a lot of great restaurants in this part of the city. This means that you likely visit the place later this week!
Furthermore, this is a great place if you want to go shopping, as you find here many shops.
What's great is that you can discover the local atmosphere at this place. That's because most of the city's activity takes place here.
Also, you find many of the city's sights at this place here. You'll visit some of these sights later during your 7 days in San Jose!
Go to the San Jose Museum of Art
When you are in Downtown San Jose, you should definitely visit the San Jose Museum of Art.
This is one of the best museums in the city.
You find here contemporary and modern art, which is very interesting to see!
What's great is that the museum focuses on artists on the West Coast. This makes this a great place to learn about local art!
In total, you find almost 3000 different objects on display at the museum, which is great!
Another great thing about this museum is that you find here a lot of changing exhibitions. This makes the museum great to visit every time you go back to San Jose.
Walk Through the Japanese Friendship Garden
After going to the San Jose Museum of Art, I recommend going to the Japanese Friendship Garden.
This is a garden that is part of Kelley Park and it is a great place to see during one week in San Jose.
The garden has a Japanese style that looks amazing.
There are plants and trees from the country of Japan. And there are three ponds with koi.
What's great is that all the elements of the garden are in the Japanese Style. This is very beautiful!
Walking around this place is a wonderful activity!
Another thing that makes going here great is that there is no admission fee. This makes a visit very easy to do!
Enjoy a Show at the California Theatre
A great way to end the first day of your 7 days in San Jose is by seeing a show at a theater in the city.
One of the best theaters for this is the California Theatre.
This is a historic theater that looks very elegant. It is one of the best movie theaters from the 1920s that still exists. You can see beautiful details everywhere.
Going here is an amazing experience you won't forget!
Even though this was a movie theater in the past, now you find here other entertainment.
You can see a show of the Opera San Jose and the Symphony Silicon Valley.
Day 2: Art and Nature During Your 7 Days in San Jose
Today is all about art and nature. It's going to be an amazing day with contemporary art, beautiful roses, and history.
Visit the Triton Museum of Art
Let's start this second day of your one week in San Jose by going to the Triton Museum of Art.
This is also a great contemporary art museum that you find in the city.
You can find this museum in Santa Clara.
What's great is that the museum focuses on artists from the Greater Bay Area. This makes it a great museum to see art from local artists.
Also, there are many interesting events that take place at this place throughout the year. This makes the place even more fun to visit.
When you visit both this museum and the San Jose Museum of Art, you have the best experience of contemporary art!
Walk Through the Municipal Rose Garden
After seeing contemporary art, you should definitely go to the Municipal Rose Garden.
This is a place with beautiful nature.
You find here green lawns and a large number of roses. In fact, you find here about 3500 roses.
What's great is that there is not one variety of roses in the garden, you find here almost 200 different types.
What's great about this is that there is almost always one species of roses in bloom. This makes the garden great to visit for a very large part of the year. So it doesn't matter when you are going to spend 7 days in San Jose, this is always a great place to visit.
Going here is great if you want to have a very relaxing time. And it is also a great place to visit with your significant other!
See the Collection of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
The last activity of this second day of your one week in San Jose is also very interesting.
After seeing many beautiful roses, I recommend going to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.
If you want to learn about Ancient Egypt when you are in the city, this is a great place to visit!
You can find here the largest collection of items from Ancient Egypt in the western part of the US.
There are all kinds of artifacts from that time, which is amazing.
For example, you find here mummies and you can see here sarcophagi that are interesting to see!
Also, you can see ancient art here, which is amazing!
Day 3: Learn About Tech and Science, and Go to a Show
The third day is very fun as you are going to learn about tech and science. This is definitely an amazing experience in San Jose as the city is famous because of its tech companies.
Besides that, you are also going to see a show at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.
Visit The Tech Interactive
San Jose lies in the middle of Silicon Valley. This is where you find a lot of the world's largest tech companies. That's why I recommend seeing something that relates to this.
A great place for this is The Tech Interactive.
This is a center that is all about science and technology. And you should definitely go here when you are one week in San Jose.
You can find the place in Downtown San Jose.
At this center, you can see a lot of exhibits that are very interesting.
These exhibits are about a large variety of subjects.
For example, there is an exhibit about social robots. There is an exhibit about space exploration. And there are many more exhibits.
What's great is that sometimes the exhibits change. This makes the place a very interesting place!
Go to Lick Observatory
After learning about tech and science, I recommend going to Lick Observatory. This is one of the sights you have to see when you spend 7 days in San Jose.
This is a place that is about 20 miles (or 32 kilometers) from the city center of San Jose. You can get there in about 1 hour by car.
Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory of the University of California.
You find this observatory on the top of Mount Hamilton.
Visiting Lick Observatory is a great activity during one week in San Jose.
At the Lick Observatory, you can see exhibits that are very interesting.
Furthermore, you can attend an informal talk about the history of the observatory. This is also very interesting.
Another great thing about going here is that you can have a beautiful view of the Santa Clara Valley.
Also, you can buy a ticket for the Summer Series. During this, you can visit the observatory at night.
Enjoy a Show at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
At the end of your day, I recommend going back to San Jose and seeing a show.
You can do so at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts for a fun night out in the city.
You find this venue in Downtown San Jose.
You can see here dance shows and musicals, which are great to see during one week in San Jose.
Day 4: Visit Some Beautiful Places Near the City When You’re 7 Days in San Jose
On the fourth day of your 7 days in San Jose, you are going to explore beautiful places close to the city.
Visit the Hakone Estate and Gardens
Let's start the day by going to the Hakone Estate and Gardens. This is a place that you can find a bit outside of the city center of San Jose.
The gardens are beautiful to visit because of how they look.
You find here one of the oldest gardens in a Japanese style in the Americas.
You find a lot of beautiful elements in the garden.
For example, there is a bamboo garden and there is a zen garden where you can completely relax.
Also, you find a pond with koi in the gardens and there are many walking paths.
This makes the place great for a relaxing stroll when you are in the city.
The structures that you can find here are also very beautiful to see. There are very historic buildings here with great architecture.
Go to the Montalvo Arts Center
After going to the Hakone Estate and Gardens, I recommend going to the Montalvo Arts Center.
You find here a center for arts and it is close to the last activity of this day!
The art at this place is great to see and the park you find here is lovely as well.
It is one of the best places for hiking when you are in San Jose.
Also, you find Villa Montalvo at this complex.
This is a mansion that is in a beautiful architectural style. It is in the Italian Mediterranean Revival style.
Day 5: Apple and Shopping
The fifth day is going to be very fun. You are going to Apple Park and you are also going to shop at the beautiful Santana Row. It's one of the most amazing days of your 7 days in San Jose.
Go to Apple Park
You definitely know the company Apple. It is one of the largest companies in the world and its headquarters is in Cupertino, which is very close to San Jose.
The name of Apple's headquarters is Apple Park. This is an amazing futuristic building.
You can go to the Apple Park Visitor Center. This is an extension of Apple Park.
There is an exhibition space where you can learn more about the design elements of Apple Park. This is very interesting to see when you are one week in San Jose.
Besides that, you find here one of the most beautiful Apple stores in the world.
Another great thing about this place is the Apple Cafe. You can have here a drink while sitting in a place with a beautiful design and a beautiful view.
See the Winchester Mystery House
After seeing Apple Park in the morning, I recommend going to the Winchester Mystery House.
This is a mansion that in the past was the home of Sarah Winchester.
What makes this place special and worth visiting during your 7 days in San Jose is how it looks.
It is a very large mansion, and the architecture is unique.
That's because there was no master building plan and there are many elements that are unusual.
So if you like architecture, this is definitely a very interesting place to see.
Shop at Santana Row
Now that you saw the Winchester Mystery House, you should definitely go to Santana Row.
This is the best place in the city of San Jose if you want to spend your afternoon shopping.
At Santana Row, you find a large number of shops. Whether you are looking for clothes, books, toys, or other items, you can find them here.
Also, Santana Row is a place that looks very pretty. This definitely adds to your experience!
What's great is that you also find many restaurants at Santana Row. Having dinner there is great when you are one week in San Jose.
This makes it a great place to end your day in San Jose with!
Day 6: Learn About Google and Computers, and Go To the Movies
Today will be a very interesting day and besides that, you are going to have a great time watching a movie.
Visit the Googleplex
Today, you'll get to know even more of the tech industry in San Jose.
That's because this day starts at Googleplex!
This is the headquarters of Google, the famous company you'll know for sure! As it is so famous, it's wonderful to visit during your 7 days in San Jose.
You can find the headquarters in Mountain View, which is very close to San Jose.
What's great is that you can walk around the campus.
This is great as you can see all the buildings. But, you cannot enter any buildings.
Also, there are some interesting things to see here. For example, you can see here statues of different Android versions.
Furthermore, you can see a replica of a T-rex at this place!
Wandering around is definitely one of the best things to do during one week in San Jose.
Go to the Computer History Museum
After seeing Googleplex, going to the Computer History Museum is a great activity!
You can find this museum in Mountain View too, which makes it easy to visit after seeing Googleplex.
This museum is all about the story of the computer and its impact on everything!
You can see here many artifacts that are very interesting.
For example, you find here a lot of old and rare computers that are very interesting! So if you want to learn about computers, this place is amazing.
Head to the Movies at Century Cinema 16
Now that you saw a lot of tech stuff today, a great way to end your day is by going to the movies.
Near the Computer History Museum, you find Century Cinema 16.
This is a very large movie theater where you can go to see the newest movies.
It has great reclining seats that are very relaxing for seeing a movie! Furthermore, there are many double seats that are great if you go here with your partner.
After seeing a movie you like, you can go back to Downtown San Jose for dinner. Or you can stay in Mountain View and have dinner there. There are many different restaurants catering to the likes of everyone!
Day 7: A Day Trip With a Lot of Fun on the Last Day of Your 7 Days in San Jose
It's the last day of the itinerary. On the seventh day of your week in the city, I recommend going to California's Great America.
Do a Day Trip to California's Great America
This is an amusement park that you can find in Santa Clara, which is close to Downtown San Jose. If you want to have fun during your 7 days in San Jose, you should definitely go here.
You find here a lot of rides and attractions that are fun for the whole family!
Because there is so much to do at this amusement park, you can spend the whole day here, which is great!
There are many roller coasters at this park. In fact, you find 9 roller coasters at the park! So if you like these types of rides, this is a great place to go!
Besides that, you find a lot of other types of rides here. For example, there is a drop tower that is a lot of fun too!
Also, you find a lot of attractions that are suitable for younger kids.
So going here is perfect when you are one week in San Jose!
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