U.S. Travel Destinations: San Francisco
San Francisco a major city in California, the centerpiece of the Bay Area, well known for its liberal community, hilly terrain, Victorian architecture, scenic beauty, summer fog and great ethnic and cultural diversity.
San Francisco located on a small seven by seven mile square of land at the tip of a peninsula between the San Francisco Bay and the pacific coast. The city’s wide array of attractions, activities and personality-infused neighborhoods appeal to visitors of all ages.
20 Must see places in San Francisco:
Explore the expansive parks, contemporary and modern art galleries and beautiful museums. See festivals and events.
Take sightseeing tours.
Taste fried fish, clam chowder, and the famous San Francisco sourdough in hotels and restaurants, visit nightclubs to experience San Francisco nightlife.
California academy of sciences, the greenest museum of the planet - where you find a natural history museum, rainforest dome, planetarium and aquarium and this is under one planet blanketed eco roof.
Cable Cars: The best way to traverse San Francisco’s steep hills is aboard the city’s world famous cable cars, an ultimate icon, featured in many films. Riding the cable cars is among the popular things to do in San Francisco.
Aquarium of the Bay is a marine nature center, where tourists can get up close and personal with sharks, bat rays and skates. Thanks to 300 feet of clear acrylic tunnels.
More than 20,000 aquatic animals, which frolic in 700,000 gallons of filtered bay water, represent the diversity of the area’s aquatic life and ecosystems.
Take a Cruise of the Bay: For a fresh take on San Francisco, see it from the water. Variety of bay cruises offers a novel perspective on the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the PIER 39 sea lions, Sausalito and the skyline itself.
If you like adventure activities, try a ‘Rocket Boat’ tour that offers high-speed thrills along with sightseeing.
Alcatraz: Alcatraz Island, located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, a must see attraction for any visitor to the area.
Explore its fascinating history while enjoying gorgeous views of San Francisco.
San Francisco located on a small seven by seven mile square of land at the tip of a peninsula between the San Francisco Bay and the pacific coast. The city’s wide array of attractions, activities and personality-infused neighborhoods appeal to visitors of all ages.
20 Must see places in San Francisco:
Explore the expansive parks, contemporary and modern art galleries and beautiful museums. See festivals and events.
Take sightseeing tours.
Taste fried fish, clam chowder, and the famous San Francisco sourdough in hotels and restaurants, visit nightclubs to experience San Francisco nightlife.
California academy of sciences, the greenest museum of the planet - where you find a natural history museum, rainforest dome, planetarium and aquarium and this is under one planet blanketed eco roof.
Cable Cars: The best way to traverse San Francisco’s steep hills is aboard the city’s world famous cable cars, an ultimate icon, featured in many films. Riding the cable cars is among the popular things to do in San Francisco.
Aquarium of the Bay is a marine nature center, where tourists can get up close and personal with sharks, bat rays and skates. Thanks to 300 feet of clear acrylic tunnels.
More than 20,000 aquatic animals, which frolic in 700,000 gallons of filtered bay water, represent the diversity of the area’s aquatic life and ecosystems.
Take a Cruise of the Bay: For a fresh take on San Francisco, see it from the water. Variety of bay cruises offers a novel perspective on the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the PIER 39 sea lions, Sausalito and the skyline itself.
If you like adventure activities, try a ‘Rocket Boat’ tour that offers high-speed thrills along with sightseeing.
Alcatraz: Alcatraz Island, located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, a must see attraction for any visitor to the area.
Explore its fascinating history while enjoying gorgeous views of San Francisco.
Visit Exploratorium a museum of science, art and human perception. This iconic San Francisco discovery destination had a brand–new home at Pier 15 on San Francisco’s historic Embarcadero waterfront.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: See the delightful sea otters, dipping, diving and twirling about the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In addition, you will find jiggling jellyfish, parading penguins, a wolf eel and hammerhead sharks.
de Young Museum offers a significant collection of American and International textile arts.
Its dramatic architecture – complete with a public observation deck atop a 144 feet tower – calls attention to its natural surroundings.
Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco’s most recognized landmark, opened in 1937 and has dominated the city’s skyline ever since. More than 9 million visitors annually cross the 1.7-mile bridge in cars, by bike, or on foot.
Golden Gate Park:The third most visited in the United States (behind New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Lincoln Park) – beacons with many offerings:- the Japanese Tea Garden, historic windmills, a flower conservatory, boat rentals, walking and biking paths, and Ideal location for a quiet picnic or for taking a nap.
Visit Fisherman’s Wharf an international tourist hotspot, world famous for fried fish, clam chowder, and San Francisco sourdough and fabulous bay views.
See and experience plenty of things like the famous PIER 39 sea lions; a WWII submarine museum and memorial; Ghirardelli square, and specialty shops and restaurants.
North Beach: Enjoy a streaming cappuccino or a slice of tiramisu at one of the many sidewalk cafes or soak in some sun on the grassy expanse of Washington Square.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the first museum on the West Coast of its kind, boasts more than 26,000 works and holds fast to its mission of displaying established as well as new artists. Its dynamic building – featuring a soaring turret – is a focal point of the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood.
Visit Legion of Honor, an outstanding collection of European art in gorgeous hilltop museum settings.
Twin Peaks is a perfect place to experience a beautiful San Francisco sunrise. Take a twenty-minute ride from downtown and you are here.
Asian Art Museum one of the best Asia Art Museums in the world, spare several hours to explore it.
Crissy Field is a famous park for jogging, picnics, biking and sightseeing.
Angel Island State Park: The largest island in San Francisco Bay features magnificent views of Marin Country and San Francisco, while offering a wide variety of recreation for outdoor enthusiasts.
Cable Car Museum: A museum to San Francisco’s beloved cable cars, with a subterranean walkway that lets you see the moving cable.
Fort Point National Historic Site: Its beautifully arched casemates display the art of the master brick mason from the civil war period. From here, you get most spectacular views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Best time to visit San Francisco:
The months from March to May (spring) and September to November (autumn) are the most inviting months to visit.
Best time to visit San Francisco is during spring season as it sees the end of the rainy season with mild climate and plenty of sunshine. The city is loaded with Cherry Blossom trees making up for a lovely view.
About Weather: The city averages a little over 300 days of sunshine per year. San Francisco temperatures seldom dip below 40F, or reach or exceed 90F.
San Francisco has a reputation of being windy, due to its location near cold ocean waters and its topography, which funnels the winds through the city, so tourists should have at least a jacket. Layers of clothes will ultimately serve most practical.
Where to stay in San Francisco:
San Francisco offers splendid range of accommodation options – from basic, cheap to the ultimate in luxury! Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, and Nob Hill are the three main areas where most of the hotels are concentrated.
Budget travelers can choose from the popular chains of motels like Rodeway Inn, Embassy Inn, Ramada Hotel, and Days Inn.
Scattered around the city, these motels offer quality stay at reasonable prices.
Want to stay in the hotels under middle range category? Then choose from Radisson, Courtyard by Marriot, Holiday Inn, or Best Western.
Want to stay in Fisherman’s Wharf? Then consider Fairmont Heritage Place. For a Nob Hill luxury hotel, you can try the Ritz-Carlton.
For an upscale hotel that offers you all the comforts of a luxury hotel at cut-away prices, try hotels in deluxe range such as Le Meridien, Renaissance, JW Marriott.
Food to taste in San Francisco:
With excellent wineries, artisanal cheese makers and small farms just a short drive away, San Francisco is awash in culinary riches.
Foreign Cinema, Greens and Boulevard are the popular names where you can taste some farm fresh, ingredient-driven food.
Trendy neighborhoods like Mission District and Noe Valley have come on strong with inventive but down-to-earth restaurants such as Range, Delfina, Icanto while top-of –the –line newcomers Coi and Ame wow locals and visitors alike.
Shopping in San Francisco:
San Francisco offers some of the best shopping that can fit to any budget.
Union Square, Hayes Valley, Haight-Ashbury, upper Fillmore, the Mission, Sacramento Street, Chinatown and downtowns San Francisco Shopping center offer a unique style, with one of its kind shops, each mall and neighborhood with a distinctive feel suited to any shoppers mood, from urban sophisticate to funk fantastic.
Union square, a place for shoppers delights, where world famous Macy’s, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Levi’s stores are.
On Chestnut Street, you will find a mix of sophisticated shops, beauty outlets and restaurants. Here find some incredible shoe boutiques like Rabat featuring trendy but functional footwear and specialty shops like Blue Bird, a gift shop carrying kitschy gifts like porcelain dolls and oversized potato heads.
There are well known retailers like Gap Body or the small unique Chadwick’s of London for cotton and lace lingerie, lend amass appeal.
For beauty care, Bare Essentials or the Body Shop will keep you looking great with the best in cosmetics and skincare.
On height Street, one of the most eclectic and perennially busy San Francisco shopping stretches, Shoppers can find just about anything, from hardware to punk gear and fishnets to upscale vintage.
Fillmore Street, a distinctly picturesque part of town maintains an air of charm and simplicity while still offering a luxurious and high-end lifestyle.
Here it is easy to feel pampered with several well-known beauty retailers and ritzy interior design boutiques fresh from New York.
Flights to San Francisco:
San Francisco International (SFO) located about 16 km. south of the city is a major airport, one of the largest in the world, and can be more convenient for those staying in the city. Check flights...
Oakland International (OAK) in the East Bay provides service to numerous destinations in United States as well as Mexico. It is a major hub for Southwest airlines.
Car Hire in San Francisco: The more convenient and comfortable way to surf in and around San Francisco is to hire a car from a good car hire company.
If you are planning to visit wine country or want to take a trip down to Carmel or planning a day trip to Napa, Sonoma, you need a car.
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