San Francisco Travel Forum

Hello everybody,

I'm planning to got to San Francisco next year... I think late September maybe.

So... my questions are:
How long should I stay?
Is a week enough or should I stay longer?

What should I see for sure?
Any 'Insider Tips'?

Thx,
GeneX

Hello & Bonjour !!

SAN FRANCISCO ... the most beautiful place on the west-coast !!

Pls try these helpful links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco,_California

http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/

http://www.sanfrancisco.com/

For sure you should visit ALCATRAZ ! When you`ll know all your schedules you should do the ticket-reservations in advance for this tour.

Are you planning a round-trip ?

Greetings from Montréal, Juergen

What to do in SF? The Golden Gate Bridge of course (take lots of pictures)! There's so much to do in SF - the Coit Tower, the crookedest street, walk along Fisherman's wharf for the best clam chowder, Chinatown, the beaches, and maybe you can even drive (an hour or less) or ride the Bart train to San Jose, California (where I used to live) to see the unusual Winchester Mystery House made by an eccentric lady whose family owned that rifle company. I always drive though in CA so I am not familiar with how to get to Winchester from the train station (but the BART train is very easy and can bring you to nearby cities like San Jose). The Napa Valley is also nearby for wine-tasting excursions. There's also my favorite restaurant called Stinking Rose (just google it) in SF where there's lots of items made from garlic - chew a gum afterwards, though, hehehe...It's a very vibrant city and one of the few places in the USA where there is actually public trabsportation! Enjoy your trip and welcome to the USA!

* Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
* Visit Coit Tower
* Take a boat to Alcatraz ( pretty much an all day thing)
* Rent a car and visit Sauselito ( eat on the water) and
Muir woods, maybe even Stinson Beach if you like to drive
* Walk or drive Lombard Street ( Herbie)
* Walk Chinatown
* Drive thru the Presidio ...

Have Ghiradella Chocolate :) on the Wharf

You should stay about 3-4 days to visit major attractions, the city is relatively small.
See for sure:
*bay and golden gate bridge
*farmer's market on sat morning (embarcadero, it tells what SF is about)
*nob hill, especially at night, the bar at the top of mark hopkins hotels offers breathtaking views!
*japanese tea garden in golden gate park

Check out http://francescagoescal.blogspot.com/ for extra tips

Enjoy SF!

Late September is a good time to visit San Francisco. The main tourist season will have ended, and the weather is usually quite nice. The Point Reyes National Seashores: (www,nps.gov/pore), and the Muir Woods: (www.nps.gov.muwo), are beautiful natural areas just to the north of San Francisco, There are many hiking and photography options in those areas. A cruise to the Farallon Islands, for viewing sea and bird life, or along the Marin Headlands, could also be quite nice. You might also wish to visit Angel Island: (www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=468), which is a hiking and picnicking destination within the Bay. The are also several areas of The City you might find interesting. There are Chinatown, and The Haight District. The North Beach area is just south of the Wharf. There are restaurants there. The Washington Square, and the Coit Tower. The City Lights Bookstore,(which has an interesting history), is located there. The Sentinel Building, with its unique exterior, is in the area also. It was supposedly the only tall building to survive the early earthquake. It is owned by the movie director, Francis Ford Coppola, who has a cafe, Cafe Zoetrope, and the headquarters of his movie company there. If you do visit the Wharf, you can bike to the west past the Hyde Street Pier, through Fort Mason, which has varying small "museums", and also the USS Pampanito, a WW II submarine, which you can visit. You will pass through the Marina Green, the Presidio, and on to the Golden Gate Bridge. There is an old military installation, Fort Point, located below the bridge. Another area of the city that has walking areas, museums, and a Japanese Tea Garden, is the Golden Gate Park. Gary

The newly rebuilt Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park just opened this weekend. I haven't been to see it yet (the line stretched for a mile yesterday), but in the photos, it looks incredible. Take a look:
http://www.calacademy.org/

Walk through Chinatown & North Beach. Try dim sum and/or pizza.
Stop in City Lights Bookstore
Walk the steps up to Coit Tower (don't drive unless you have difficulty walking) See the frescoes inside the tower.
Check out Union Square. If you are wearing good clothes, go up to the Top of the Mark for an expensive drink and a priceless view.
Go the the old ferry building to see the gourmet foods and shops.
Ride a trolley car, (or a cable car if you want to be a tourist)
Park on the west side of Golden Gate bridge, walk the headlands and take the trail to the bridge.
Drive through beautiful streets on the way to the Palace of Legion of Honor.
Drive down the coast, maybe stop at the Beach Chalet.
Drive to Alamo Square to see the postcard view of the row of Victorians (don't forget to curb your wheels!)
Golden Gate park - ride bikes if you can, rather than drive.
Do a little research and pick one or two museums or exhibits. As Rixie states above, the newly opened Academy of Science is sure to be a hit.
Plan your evening around a cool place in the Mission.

As trvlrtom said, walk the steps up to (or down from) Coit Tower. One of these is the Filbert Steps, whose upper reaches will transport you to a much more rural place full of blooms and parrots.
http://sanfrancisco.360cities.net/fs.html?loc=FilbertSteps.p36
http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/filbertsteps.htm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4186241
...one of a number of hidden-gem stairs in S.F.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBUIn6Z2Zi4

BART doesn't to or anywhere near San Jose. Couldn't imagine going to San Jose; and certainly not without a car.

If you're just going to stay in the city - 3-4 days max. Most of the sights can be seen and "enjojed" in very short periods of time.

you can visit the famous pier 39 and do some shopping there and get a feel of what's in San Francisco. just found a new store their that sells different bath salts http://www.sfbsc.com/bath-salts