Stanford graduation weekend 2027: things to do in Palo Alto and Stanford

Sunday, 13 June 2027 · ExpectedPalo Alto and Stanford, United States

Stanford Commencement brings parents, grandparents and siblings to Palo Alto and Stanford for a weekend. The ceremony takes a morning: this guide covers where to stay, the celebration dinner and what to do with the rest of the time.

Tours in Palo Alto and Stanford Hotels for these dates

Know before you go

The Wacky Walk at the start of the ceremony is a Stanford tradition.
Confirm the date and ticket rules on the school's commencement page: guest tickets are often limited.
Book the celebration dinner when you book the hotel. Every restaurant in town is full that weekend.

Airport to Stanford Stadium

San José (SJC) is 25 minutes away; SFO is 30 minutes.

Caltrain to Palo Alto, then the free Marguerite shuttle.

Public transport directions to Stanford Stadium

Where to stay by budget

Budget	Where	Why
Budget	Mountain View and Sunnyvale	Business hotels.
Mid-range	Palo Alto and Menlo Park	Walk or bike to campus.
Splurge	Rosewood Sand Hill	Luxury resort.

Three hotels we would book

Budget: Hotel Aria Mountain View
Mid-range: Graduate Palo Alto
Splurge: Rosewood Sand Hill

Links search the nights from 12 June to 14 June. Event weekends sell out early and prices rise as the date gets closer: book a cancellable room as soon as you know you are going.

Day plans for the free hours

Built around the usual graduation weekend schedule for Sunday, 13 June 2027. Session times change: check the official timetable and move the blocks around.

Arrival day

Saturday 12 June

Check in, walk the campus with your graduate and book a celebration dinner.

FreeStanford's Cantor Arts Center (free).
EatCoupa Café Venezuelan café

Ceremony day

Sunday 13 June

Ceremonies take the morning. The afternoon is for photos and a long lunch.

EatZareen's Pakistani
Easy outingSanta Cruz Mountains wine tasting Half day · Food
Ridge and others.

The day after

Monday 14 June

A free day before everyone leaves. A good time for a trip out of town.

Half-dayStanford campus tour Half day · Family
Main Quad, Memorial Church and Hoover Tower.
EatUniversity Avenue restaurants Downtown Palo Alto

Grandparents and siblings

Low walking and kid friendly.

Family pickSan Francisco day trip Full day · Family
45 minutes by Caltrain.
Rain or heat backupCantor Arts Center.

Family-friendly picks

Full day · Family

San Francisco day trip

45 minutes by Caltrain.

See times and prices

Full day · Family

Santa Cruz and the redwoods

Boardwalk and Big Basin.

See times and prices

Half day · Family

Stanford campus tour

Main Quad, Memorial Church and Hoover Tower.

See times and prices

Half day · Family

Silicon Valley tech tour

Apple Park visitor center and Googleplex.

See times and prices

Computer History Museum.
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.

Evening and day-trip tours

Full day · Family

San Francisco day trip

45 minutes by Caltrain.

See times and prices

Full day · Family

Santa Cruz and the redwoods

Boardwalk and Big Basin.

See times and prices

After dark

Castro Street in Mountain View.

5 tours worth booking for Stanford

Tour	Length	Good for
San Francisco day trip	Full day	Families
Santa Cruz and the redwoods	Full day	Families
Santa Cruz Mountains wine tasting	Half day	Food lovers
Stanford campus tour	Half day	Families
Silicon Valley tech tour	Half day	Families

Event weeks sell out. Book tours with free cancellation as soon as the session times are published.

Where to eat

University Avenue restaurants Downtown Palo Alto
Coupa Café Venezuelan café
Zareen's Pakistani

Reserve dinner for the nights around the event: restaurants near the venue fill up days ahead.

Rainy-day backups

Cantor Arts Center.
Computer History Museum.

Getting around on event days

Caltrain to San Francisco; the free Marguerite shuttle on campus.

Day trips from Palo Alto and Stanford

San Francisco: 45 minutes
Half Moon Bay: 40 minutes

Bringing a group?

Corporate hospitality, fan clubs, teams and families travelling together: tell us the dates and group size and we will put together tours, transfers and a group dinner for Stanford.

Plan a group trip

Questions people ask

When is Stanford Commencement 2027?

The next edition is Sunday, 13 June 2027, following the usual pattern. The organiser has not confirmed it yet.

How do I get from the airport to Stanford Stadium?

San José (SJC) is 25 minutes away; SFO is 30 minutes. Caltrain to Palo Alto, then the free Marguerite shuttle.

Where should I stay for Stanford Commencement?

For most visitors the best base is Palo Alto and Menlo Park: Walk or bike to campus.

What else can we do around Stanford Commencement?

Good short outings in Palo Alto and Stanford include Stanford campus tour, Silicon Valley tech tour, Santa Cruz Mountains wine tasting. See the day plans on this page for a full schedule.

What is there for kids and families near Stanford Commencement?

Family-friendly picks: Stanford campus tour, Silicon Valley tech tour, San Francisco day trip. Computer History Museum.

How far is Stanford Stadium from Palo Alto and Stanford centre?

About 2 km in a straight line. Caltrain to Palo Alto, then the free Marguerite shuttle.

More University graduations

13 Jun 2027*Dartmouth Commencement
Hanover, New Hampshire, United StatesGraduation 13 Jun 2027*Northwestern Commencement
Chicago, United StatesGraduation 21 Jun 2027*University of Glasgow Summer Graduations
Glasgow, United KingdomGraduation 28 Jun 2027*University of St Andrews Graduation Week
St Andrews, United KingdomGraduation 28 Jun 2027*University of Edinburgh Summer Graduations
Edinburgh, United KingdomGraduation 28 Jun 2027*Durham University Summer Congregation
Durham (UK), United KingdomGraduation

Everything we cover in Palo Alto and Stanford