Quote: Walk around Union Square...walk through Chinatown...sample the cuisine...walk down Market Street...grab a slice of pizza at Vito's on Bush Street...take in the view from California Street...visit Grace Cathedral - a majestic church that features a Chartres-inspired labyrinth...visit the Cable Car Museum...walk through Russian Hill...see the shops and have coffee on Union and Fillmore Streets...walk through North Beach...sit and relax in Washington Square Park...admire St. Peter and St. Paul church...have cocktails at the Starlight Room in the Sir Francis Drake hotel...take in the glorious view...take a picture with the Beefeater doorman...visit the Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel for a taste of the tropics..."meet me at The Westin"...get up early and take the Powell-Hyde cable car line from Union Sq. to Fisherman's Wharf, but get off at Lombard Street...have your camera ready!...walk down Lombard Street...walk to Ghirardelli Square...eat chocolate...walk around Aquatic Park...go to Hyde Street Pier and buy a ticket to board the vessels...visit Fisherman's Wharf...eat seafood...see Pier 39...drive, bike or walk over the Golden Gate Bridge...visit Muir Woods and the gigantic Redwoods...find Muir Beach and frolic in the sand...spend part of a day in Sausalito (like being in St. Tropez) and have lunch at a waterfront restaurant, meet the mime and his Cockatoo, "Chinook"...let Chinook give you a kiss...eat ice-cream and window shop...drive around the Marina District...see the Palace of Fine Arts built for the 1939 World Fair...have a Mojito at La Felce in North Beach, followed by dinner...eat or just visit the very authentic and charming Cafe Prague on Pacific Avenue...walk around Columbus Avenue...go to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill...visit Alcatraz...go to Twin Peaks on a clear day...embrace the fog...see the Embarcadero area...drive through the Castro...eat lunch at Mel's Diner...visit the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood...go to Alamo Square and relax in the park...visit the "Painted Ladies"...sip a Ginger Martini at Exuma... visit Ocean Beach...drive through the Presidio...
Quick Tips:
Mark Twain was right when he said, "The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco" - PACK your jeans, sweaters and jackets!!!! Sept./Oct. is the best time of year to go.
At Powell and Market Streets, buy a 3-day (or however long you'll be staying) MUNI card (allows you to ride the cable cars, subways, streetcars and buses as much as you want).
Rent a car and drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin headlands and take in the phenomenal views! Drive to Muir Woods to see the gigantic redwoods. On your way back, stop in Sausalito. Drive to Treasure Island off the Bay Bridge.
If you want to visit Alcatraz - book way in advance!!!!!
Sea lions migrate in the summer, so if you want to see them -go in the fall.
Take the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) from Market Street to many charming towns, such as Walnut Creek.
Best Way To Get Around:
On foot! San Francisco is easy to get around - everything is relatively close. Take the cable car as close as you can get to your destination and then walk from there. Be prepared to climb some steep hills!!!
Taxis are abundant too.