San Jose Downtown Walking Tour, San Jose

San Jose Downtown Walking Tour (Self Guided), San Jose

San Jose is California's third-largest city and the second-largest city in Northern California. From 1849 to 1851, San Jose served as the state's first capital, which is still a local source of pride. The city has formally incorporated in 1850 and has been a center of innovation from the late 19th century, starting with agriculture and food processing.

During World War II, several military contractors set up operations in the city, and the 1950s and 1960s saw expansion into the suburbs. Some of the most popular Silicon Valley companies have their headquarters here, including Apple, Adobe, Roku, Paypal, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM. The technology business drives much of San Jose's economy.

Popular outdoor areas include Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Circle of Palms Plaza, and St. James Park. Check out the Tech Museum of Innovation for fun exhibits on science and technology or the San Jose Museum of Art to get a look at some of the city's most noteworthy artwork.

San Jose is also famous for its impressive historic buildings. Stop by Peralta Adobe to see the city's oldest building, preserved in Spanish style. Don't forget to stop by San Pedro Square, which has an assortment of contemporary restaurants and bars in one the city's oldest squares.

To see the most important attractions in downtown San Jose, follow this self-guided walking tour!

Image Courtesy of Flickr and Will Buckner.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in San Jose

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: San Jose Downtown Walking Tour
Guide Location: USA » San Jose (See other walking tours in San Jose)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in San Jose?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “San Jose Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in San Jose?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in San Jose, California

Create Your Own Walk in San Jose

Creating your own self-guided walk in San Jose is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

San Jose Museums Tour

The capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose is full of discovery and innovation. Also, steeped in history – established since 1777 – the city has born witness to numerous chapters of American past. When it comes to culture, education and recreation, the local museums are a perfect destination for solo adventurers new to the area.

Here, among other things, you can:
- get hands-on with... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles

San Jose Public Art Walking Tour

This walking tour, “Public Art as Resistance in San José,” highlights the history of resistance and public art in downtown San José and begins on the urban university campus, San José State University. Starting from the first two works of art on campus, you’ll find that these 12 works of public art are among many in this area. However, this particular walking tour considers how San... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.0 Km or 3.7 Miles