Things to do in the OC

Located in the heart of Orange County, UC Irvine enjoys the best of what southern California has to offer; beautiful beaches, mountains, and a variety of entertainment, shopping, and restaurants all within easy reach.

A popular local destination is Newport Coast, only 5 miles from the campus:

Another good place for an afternoon walk and a dinner is the town of Laguna Beach, located approximately 10 miles from campus:

Photo © Gar Cropser

For families with kids, the Disneyland is close by:

Photo Credit: Bruce Tuten, Flickr Creative Commons License

Restaurants and Shopping

Irvine and the surrounding Orange County area offers an abundance of restaurants and shopping, including the Irvine Spectrum, Fashion Island, and South Coast Plaza, a mall full of world-famous stores such as Tiffany, Gucci, Coach and many more. During the conference we will make reservations in local restaurants for the off-banquet evenings and we will organize transportation for the attendees who do not rent their own cars.

Evening Entertainment, Cultural Attactions

For evening entertainment, Orange County Performance Center, the home of Pacific Symphony, is located just 10 minutes from campus. Other interesting nearby cultural venue is the OC Museum of Arts.

Further information about places and attractions in Orange County can be found at the Visit Orange County Website. See also the list of cultural attractions in the greater Los Angeles area.

Note on Modes of Transportation in Orange Country

For the duration of the conference we'll organize transportation for the attendees who choose not to rent a car. (See the accomodation and transportation page.) However, for those attendees who would like to explore the area attractions on their own, please note that traveling around Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area is best done by car. The area does have bus and trains lines (for information on local public transportation options please visit the Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) Website), but public transportation is very sparse and it is designed to serve at best the local commuters, not tourists.