My Guide To San Francisco
*All work including photos and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Expedia video, freely available on Youtube.
San Francisco, the city on the hill. In my opinion this city sits more with the culture of the Pacific Northwest, than the rest of California. It is the most unique Californian city, with it's own micro climate, on average around 19c all year, September being the warmest month, January the coldest, with a cool breeze from the Pacific. You will need a jumper in the mornings and evenings, all year around! They make so much money selling sweatshirts to tourists that don't expect it to be so cold. The foggy weather however adds to it's mystical beauty! I would suggest combining it with a warmer destination for the perfect holiday. Just an hour's drive inland and the temperature starts to climb.
This city epitomises freedom and equality. There is a real love of the natural, local and the environment. It is the centre of liberal activism in the U.S and politically strongly democrat. It has a well educated population, second only to Seattle for the most degree educated population.
It sits on the edge of the Silicon Valley to the South in the San Jose area. World famous for the High Tech giants that are based there such as Apple, Google, Hewlett Packard and others.
It is surrounded by water, the Pacific one side and San Francisco Bay on the other side. Therefore perfect for watersports and sailing.
Sadly it has struggled following Covid and the Hilton hotel and Westfield shopping mall have recently closed. Hopefully they will try to rescue the tourist industry, conventions and tackle crime downtown. It may take a few years to recover though in my opinion. I would wait until at least 2025 to go here again, although if you do go now you might get some bargain hotel prices!
San Francisco, the city on the hill. In my opinion this city sits more with the culture of the Pacific Northwest, than the rest of California. It is the most unique Californian city, with it's own micro climate, on average around 19c all year, September being the warmest month, January the coldest, with a cool breeze from the Pacific. You will need a jumper in the mornings and evenings, all year around! They make so much money selling sweatshirts to tourists that don't expect it to be so cold. The foggy weather however adds to it's mystical beauty! I would suggest combining it with a warmer destination for the perfect holiday. Just an hour's drive inland and the temperature starts to climb.
This city epitomises freedom and equality. There is a real love of the natural, local and the environment. It is the centre of liberal activism in the U.S and politically strongly democrat. It has a well educated population, second only to Seattle for the most degree educated population.
It sits on the edge of the Silicon Valley to the South in the San Jose area. World famous for the High Tech giants that are based there such as Apple, Google, Hewlett Packard and others.
It is surrounded by water, the Pacific one side and San Francisco Bay on the other side. Therefore perfect for watersports and sailing.
Sadly it has struggled following Covid and the Hilton hotel and Westfield shopping mall have recently closed. Hopefully they will try to rescue the tourist industry, conventions and tackle crime downtown. It may take a few years to recover though in my opinion. I would wait until at least 2025 to go here again, although if you do go now you might get some bargain hotel prices!
Where to stay
The most central place to stay is Union Square We stayed at the Hilton Hotel, Union Square, (sadly closed now.) Any hotel around Union Square is fine. Check TripAdvisor for one that suits you. The Fisherman's Wharf area, although touristy is also a good location. My gay friends recommend the Castro District. Below is a photo of Union Square. |
What to see in San Francisco
1) Alcatraz
Alcatraz is probably the most famous attraction in San Francisco, or actually just off the coast. You will need to book online several months in advance during the busy school holidays and bank holidays.
2) Lombard Street This is the famous bendy road, that people queue up for just to drive down. |
Places to Visit further away from San Francisco
Northern California is full of beautiful scenic places you can visit, but you will need a car. These are a few of the places I suggest visiting.
1) Lake Tahoe This is a stunningly beautiful Lake and well worth the drive out there for a few days. You can drive all the way around it within 3 hours. I really recommend this place.
3) Yosemite National Park
I am a huge fan of National Parks and this is certainly one of my favourite parks that I have visited. There are camp sites and hotels within the park. I certainly recommend a visit here. 4) Sacramento
California's State Capital. We stopped here on the way to Lake Tahoe and loved the historic Old Town. It is worth a short visit for a coffee and stroll. 5) Monterey Bay 6) Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley A must see place for wine lovers! Crime Crime in San Francisco is higher than people tend to think, higher than the average city of it's size. Violent crimes do happen in some areas, not usually in the tourist areas though. Recently the city's long standing problems with homelessness, robberies, drug use and urinating in the streets has got to such a state that they are trying to tackle this. Of course this is not unique to San Francisco, but does seem to be more visible here. It did surprise me that San Francisco now has more crime than LA! It doesn't make it into the top 10 most dangerous cities in the US though. Most dangerous areas to avoid in the city (Although we did go to some of these and didn't feel worried in the daytime, although Tenderloin didn't feel so good at night!). I would avoid these places after dark: Tenderloin, Hunters Point, Mission district, SOMA, Bayview, Outer Mission, Western Addition, Golden Gate Park. |
3) Union Square
This is the main shopping and restaurant area of the city. You can get buses and trams from here to most parts of the city. 4) Fisherman's Wharf Although very touristy it is worth a stroll along the coast here. The ferries leave from here for Alcatraz. If you love chocolate, don't miss the near by Ghirardelli Square Coit Tower
This is the structure visible from most of the city. It is worth a climb for a great view. Other great views can be found at Alamo Square, Twin Peaks, Grand View Park and Dolores Park 6) Golden Gate Park Probably the best park in San Francisco. I would recommend a walk in this park. We all enjoyed it. 7) The Palace of Fine Arts and the Exploratorium are the best cultural attractions in my opinion. 8) The Golden Gate Bridge is obviously the most iconic picture everybody wants to take. There are many places to take that photo from. We chose Battery Spencer Park, just across the bridge. 9) Sausalito This is a cute little town, just across the bridge from San Francisco. You can cycle there and take a ferry back. If you have a car, you can head a few miles north to beautiful Muir Woods as well.
There are many other cultural activities in this city, such as the Opera, theatres and a symphony orchestra. The city abounds with book stores and coffee shops. Each part of the city feels very different. Some parts felt quite Athenian to me, where as other parts felt more Italian. It truly is a unique city, one I felt very comfortable in as a European. A very liveable city. There is a good selection of public transport, with the Bart system connecting the airport to the city centre. The trains seemed very old and noisy though, but efficient. In the city there are buses and of course the iconic trams! We did however get on the wrong bus once, but enjoyed the scenic drive! I would say that it wasn't particularly easy to use the buses.
FOOD There is a huge variety of restaurants in San Francisco, especially in the Union Square area as well as the Nob Hill, Noe Valley and of course China Town. (Home of the Fortune Cookie!) You can use TripAdvisor to find the ones that suit your family best. It is a great city for vegetarians as there are plenty of options for you. Like most West Coast cities there are plenty of independent restaurants, which is always something that appeals to me. Sourdough bread is the most famous culinary delight here and there is a great café in Fisherman's Wharf that sells it. Here is a link to other local specialities. San Francisco Food Popular restaurants:
- Mersea Restaurant, American -Kokkari Estiatorio, Mediterranean -L'ardoise Bistro, French -Seven Hills, Italian - Lapisara Eatery, Thai - Anchor Oyster Bar and Seafood Market - Surisan, Korean - Liholiho Yacht Club, Hawaiian -Betty Lou's Seafood and Grill - Mo's Grill, American Diner -Burma superstar, Burmese - Restaurant Gary Danko, American -Roka Akor, Japanese - curry Leaf, Indian -House of Prime Rib, Steakhouse -Mourad, Moroccan -Coqueta, Mediterranean - Lolo, Mexican -Yank Sing, Chinese - Vegan Burg, healthy -La Cebicheria Peruana, Peuvian |
You could combine a few days in San Francisco with other places on the West Coast. Here are a few suggestions:
Head South to Los Angeles and San Diego
Head Inland to Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Las Vegas
Head North to Portland, Seattle and Vancouver
Take a cruise to Hawaii
Take a look at my page on West Coast Road Trips for some ideas.
Head South to Los Angeles and San Diego
Head Inland to Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Las Vegas
Head North to Portland, Seattle and Vancouver
Take a cruise to Hawaii
Take a look at my page on West Coast Road Trips for some ideas.
For more information here is the San Francisco Tourist site.