The Best Things To Do In Fresno California

A quiet Californian oasis, Fresno is a peaceful spot to while away a few relaxing days. Near several national parks and major California cities, this well-located destination offers a wealth of cultural and sightseeing activities and plenty of sunshine to enjoy. If you’re planning to vacation here, check out our list of the best things to do in Fresno.

1. Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Zoo

Relive your childhood memories with a visit to Fresno Chaffee Zoo, home to about 190 species of mammals, birds, amphibians and plants. Highlights include elephants, giraffes and cheetahs, as well as Stingray Bay, where you can feed stingrays as they swim within arm’s reach. Entry prices are affordable, so you can take your whole family or group of friends to watch the animals together. Sometimes you just can’t beat an old-fashioned trip to the zoo.

2. Forestiere Underground Gardens

Park

Forestiere Underground Gardens just might be Fresno’s most unique attraction. The spaces are the lifelong work of Baldassare Forestiere, who ran away from his homeland of Sicily in 1901 and spent every spare moment he had working on them. The result is an underground maze of patios, gardens and grottoes, each one more fascinating than the last. Forestiere worked on the gardens for 40 years, and you can tell how much love he put into them.

3. Fresno Art Museum

Museum

While the Fresno Art Museum isn’t the largest art space in the world, its carefully chosen exhibits mean that everyone will find something to love here. Any Fresno resident will tell you that you can’t have a rainy day in the city with a visit to the museum. It is committed to representing diversity, and past exhibits include art from the Hmong in Southeast Asia, the Sikhs in India’s Punjab region, Peruvian and Mexican cultures, and Greek Orthodox iconography.

5. Tioga-Sequoia Beer Garden

Brewery

This popular, one-of-a-kind beer garden puts the theory that California can only do wine well straight to bed. With world-class beers bringing attention to the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, every sip you take at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company’s beer garden will make you want to come back. Established in 2007, it has brewmaster Kevin Cox at the helm; he has spent more than 20 years in the brewing industry and really knows his yeast. Bestsellers include Half Dome California Wheat, 99 Golden Ale and Zorro Especial Lager.

6. Island Water Park

Amusement Park

Sometimes in the middle of a hot summer, you just need to jump into a pool. Island Water Park is the best place in Fresno to cool off, as it has enough slides and wave machines to keep even a dolphin entertained. You can go through Nature’s Furies or try out the Thrills of Fiji. Alternatively, you can simply lounge and enjoy the shouting and splashing around you. The park also has five food and drink stalls.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.