Photo by JMora24. Known mostly for its strategic position to reach Yosemite Park and Sequoia Park, the main city of Central Valley and a surprisingly lively destination. To give an idea, just say that there are 7 stadiums and 2 arenas available to sports fans, while the annual Woodward Shakespeare Festival reveals Fresno’s cultural side.
But the undisputed protagonist of Fresno is agriculture. It is located exactly in the center of the San Joaquin Valley, the area with the greatest agricultural production in all of California. In early spring, when traveling by car or bicycle along the Blossom Trail, you will notice that the roads are surrounded by orchards and walnut trees in full bloom. In the summer, the same street turns into the Fresno County Fruit Trail, a market filled with stalls offering ripe seasonal fruit.
Here is a guide for you to organize your trip to Fresno, California .
Travel informed: useful information
- Inhabitants : 616.353
- Language : American English
- Local currency : US dollar ($) / € 1.00 = $ 1.10
- Climate : steppe, warm all year round.
- Time zone : GMT-8 (-9h compared to Italy, -8h when summer time is in force in Italy)
- Entry requirements : passport with expiration date after the date scheduled for the return to Italy; ESTA authorization or visa (in case the ESTA authorization is denied).
- Safety info : visit the United States section of the Farnesina website
- Nearest Airports : Fresno Yosemite Airport (approx 6km from city, 15 min)
Where it is
Located in the central area of ​​the state of California , Fresno is a city in the United States, seat of the county of the same name. It is the largest city in the Central Valley and its metropolitan area and the sixth largest in all of California. It is strategically located for visiting 3 famous parks : Yosemite National Park less than 100km north of the city; heading east towards the Sierra Nevada meet Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park.
How to get
- From Milan or Rome : no airline operates direct flights from Italy to Fresno Yosemite. There are always at least 2 stopovers, flight duration from 18 to 22 h – Compare flights from Rome or Milan
- From the main European capitals : the major airlines flying to Fresno Yosemite are American Airlines, Delta and United, as well as major European ones such as KLM, Alitalia, Lufthansa, British and Iberia. Always at least 2 stopovers. The trip lasts from 6 to 10 pm overall
When to go
Info on climate and best period
Month Average temperatures (min / max) Precipitation (days / mm) January 4/13 ° 7 days / 36 mm
February 5/16 ° 8 days / 46 mm
March 8/20 ° 10 days / 44 mm
April 10/24 ° 7 days / 17 mm
May 13/29 ° 4 days / 4 mm
June 17/33 ° 1 day / 2 mm
July 20/37 ° 3 days / 3 mm
August 19/36 ° 1 day / 2 mm
September 16/33 ° 2 days / 5 mm
October 12/26 ° 4 days / 12 mm
November 6/18 ° 5 days / 26 mm
December 3/13 ° 8 days / 36 mm
- Climate : steppe, warm all year round. In July, peaks of almost 40 ° can be reached, the winter average is around 13 °. The climate is dry 198 days a year, with an average humidity rate of 74%
- Best time: Spring and autumn when temperatures are pleasant and it rarely rains
- Period to avoid : the summer because the temperatures are really high and the climate is hot
- Advice : comfortable and informal clothing in breathable fabric. The “weight” of the garments depends on the season, but excessively heavy clothing is never necessary
10 things to see in and around Fresno
Forestiere Underground Gardens
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- Yosemite National Park : one of the most fascinating natural parks in all of California. Rock walls, thundering waterfalls, granite monoliths and dizzying peaks create a breathtaking landscape
- Sequoia National Park : one of the most important national parks in the entire Sierra Nevada mountain range. The absolute protagonists of this high altitude park are the redwood forests, gigantic trees
- Kings Canyon : the deepest canyon in the United States. Along the river you can find pine, fir and cedar forests, rushing waterfalls, paths that wind through the sequoias, mountain lakes and panoramic points of great impact
- Forestiere Underground Gardens : underground gardens created in the first half of the 20th century by Baldassarre Forestiere, a Sicilian who emigrated to America in 1901. The underground tunnel features rooms with stone walls, caves and gardens with various plants, including lemons, oranges and grapefruits
- Kearney Mansion : Historic residence listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is divided into two buildings: the villa and the annex with original pieces in art nouveau. The park is considered one of the most beautiful in the state
- Tower District : the hub of nightlife and entertainment. Here is teeming with theaters, night clubs, bars, restaurants and art galleries. Noteworthy is the Tower Theater, considered the best theater of its kind in California.
- Warnors Theater : Stunning Spanish colonial revival style theater. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was opened in 1928 and sold in 1929 to the Warnors Brothers. Today it is used as a cinema and theater for performances and live music
- Fresno Water Tower : the ancient tower-cistern for water built in 1894 and in operation until 1963. Today it houses the headquarters of the city information point
- Saint John’s Cathedral : Built in 1903 in Romanesque Gothic style to a design by the architect Thomas Bermingham. Well recognizable for its red brick facade, it has three entrances and two particular cone-shaped square towers.
- Fresno City Hall : the town hall designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. Built in a modern style, in stark contrast to the old buildings of Fresno’s historic center, it has aroused quite a bit of controversy.
How much does it cost to visit Fresno
Prices, offers and advice
Photo by JMora24. A stay in Fresno is not particularly expensive . Considering the month of September, it is possible to find return flights around € 800.00. Once you arrive, renting a car for a week starts at € 202.00.
The famous parks in the surroundings are included in the very convenient Annual Pass ($ 80.00, approximately € 70.00) which is valid per vehicle and not per person!
The most popular place to stay are the classic American motels. The rooms start at € 50.00 per night and often breakfast is also included. To eat, you can save money by opting for fast-food or for organic supermarket chains (very in vogue) where you buy take-away food to be chosen in self-service mode and which you pay by weight according to an excellent quality ratio. -price.
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 52.00 per room – see the offers
- Low cost flights: starting from € 525.00 – look at the offers
