Trip to San Francisco

[Wille]

My DW and I are planning a trip to San Francisco in September. We will have 5 full days. What ratio of time should we spend in San Francisco vs Napa? We aren’t big into wine, as much as wanting to see the scenery. Would you suggest a tour from San Francisco to Napa or should we do Napa on our own? Any advice and ideas are welcome!

 

[GoBears]

I recommend seeing Napa (and anywhere else outside of SF that you want to see) on your own. Having a car for a couple of days will give you the option of seeing what you want to see and stopping where and when you want to stop. See if the gondolas are operating at Sterling Vineyards - they give you a very nice view of the Napa Valley. We also enjoy sipping Sparkling Wine at Mumm Napa Valley and that winery also has an exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs. You’ll want to confirm availability and may need reservations because of COVID.

That said, you don’t need a rental car in San Francisco - the City is easily accessible by walking, MUNI and/or Uber/Lyft. Rental cars are unfortunately targeted by thieves and you will be a lot better off leaving your car in the hotel garage or, if renting, only renting for a couple of days.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have been to Napa a few times over the years, the first time in 1980 in our honeymoon trip.

Driving a rental car to Napa is definitely the way to go. Spend a night or two there too.

We used to be able to drive around SF with our car and find free street parking too. But darn, that was a long time ago.

 

[skipro33]

My youngest son lives in Napa and commutes to SF daily. Take the ferry from Fisherman's Wharf to Vallejo, then by rental car around Napa or a Uber to Napa. Take the Wine Train on a tour of wineries. Or the other way around; visit Napa first, then the ferry to Pier 49. Old Town Napa is very quaint. Lots of limo tours and upscale dining and tasting. Siverado Trail is the main line up into the hills to see the countryside. Lots of tiny towns with gift shops, beautiful winery grounds to tour. Side trip to Lake Berryessa can be nice depending on time of year.
SF has a new sports/entertainment venue; Chase Center. Where the Golden State Warriors basketball team plays. I mention that because my son works there. Lots of concerts and other entertainment year round at that place. Very upscale and just down the street from Oracle Park where the SF Giants play.
Angel Island is a nice day trip, Golden Gate Park; rent bikes and ride. The zoo, the aquarium at Pier 49. Take a double decker bus tour from the open upper deck and get a narrative of the city as you drive through. Visit some lobbies of the larger hotels. The Presidio has the best views of the Golden Gate bridge, plus easy bus routes to anywhere in the city. If you have a car, park there and take bus into downtown, then catch the trolley or old 1950's electric buses to get around.

 

[rodi]

You can do a nice day trip to Napa. SF has so much to see that I would focus most of your time there. (Chinatown, fishermans wharf, maybe a trip to Alcatraz.)

Rent a car to do Napa. I agree with the Mumm's being worth a visit. Lucas Winery is pretty spectacular for architecture/grounds. V. Sattui has an amazing picnic area - but requires you to buy your picnic food at their shop.

All of these places need reservations because of covid.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

See if the gondolas are operating at Sterling Vineyards - they give you a very nice view of the Napa Valley.

Sterling is one of our favorites as well but their web site says they are closed for renovations at this time.

 

[Nick12]

SF is a good walking city however my shins started to hurt walking uphill in those streets. Chinatown, Japan town , Fishermans Wharf and the day tour and night tour of Alcatraz are highlights.

 

[LakeRat1]

We just got back from SF three weeks ago ...... We did the tourist stuff, Big Bus, Ferry around Alcatraz, Pier, etc..... I was not impressed with SF at all, a very dirty city downtown where we stayed at the Wyndham ...... We drove up to the Redwood Forest (Avenue of the Giants)....... Went through Napa Valley, then onto Las Vegas, Grand Canyon ......

 

[Mark1]

.......We aren’t big into wine, as much as wanting to see the scenery.......

Rent a car

- Drive Highway 1 (maybe as part of Napa visit). For example, maybe from Jenner to Bodega Bay.

- I like Big Basin State Park much better than Muir Woods to see big Redwood trees. If your big hikers (maybe 10 miles), I would recommend Gooseberry Falls at Big Basin (south of SF). Best hike in SFO area IMO. I have done it maybe 8 times. Beautiful area.

- Walk across the Golden Gate bridge. When going north, there is a parking lot immediately past the bridge on the right. Park and walk back across the bridge. When you leave go under the freeway (Hwy 1) and go west up the hill on the paved road (Marin Headlands). Nice view from the top of the GG with SF in background. Figure it out on Goggle maps, if interested.

- Maybe take a ferry from/to FW to Sausalito for lunch.

- Walk from Fisherman's Wharf to fort under GG Bridge along the waterfront on a Sat morning with the locals. This is DW's favorite thing to do in SF.

 

[GoBears]

- I like Big Basin State Park much better than Muir Woods to see big Redwood trees. If your big hikers (maybe 10 miles), I would recommend Gooseberry Falls at Big Basin (south of SF). Best hike in SFO area IMO. I have done it maybe 8 times. Beautiful area.

Unfortunately, much of Big Basin State Park remains closed because of last year’s very damaging wildfire. I’d check access before you make plans. Redwood Regional Park in the Oakland Hills is an alternative, but it is not as impressive as Muir Woods or Big Basin (when open).

 

[zinger1457]

If more interested in scenery than wine I would head south to Monterey, hard to beat the scenery down there.

 

[Vacation4us]

We just got back from SF three weeks ago ...... We did the tourist stuff, Big Bus, Ferry around Alcatraz, Pier, etc..... I was not impressed with SF at all, a very dirty city downtown where we stayed at the Wyndham ...... We drove up to the Redwood Forest (Avenue of the Giants)....... Went through Napa Valley, then onto Las Vegas, Grand Canyon ......

This ^^^

SF is gross. If vacation time includes the homeless and watching human beings poop in public enjoy.

DH took me on 3 separate day trips on number 3 I said no more seen enough he was ecstatic.

 

[ohyes]

Willie,

Here's to hoping you enjoy your trip very much--and report back.

DH and visited SF in September 2019 for the first time - because our son had enrolled in grad school there. We stayed in Union Square and found the area dirty and depressing. We enjoyed the Beats Museum, walking though parts of Golden Gate Park and seeing places our son frequents.

We were back in May 2021 and stayed in his neighborhood (Richmond). That was a much nicer experience. We found the CA Academy of Sciences to be well worth our time. We took a City Guides Tour (donations only and top notch) of Castro and hope we can take another tour during our August visit. We have added a few days for SF after a Road Scholar trip in Oregon.

We rented a car to spend a couple nights in Sonoma and visit Healdsburg. The scenery over the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and into wine country was nothing short of amazing. Hopefully, one day we will get to Napa.

Be wary of having a rental car while staying in SF. There are the infamous "smash and grabs". On 2019 trip, we walked out of lunch at Cliff House Restaurant to find the car parked next to us with window smashed. The couple was from Germany and the wife crying. Their passports, along with other things, had been taken.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Five days wouldn't really be enough time to see all the major tourist attractions and museums even if you stayed in just the city the whole time, so you'll have to pick and choose what to do. What interests you the most? Museums? Boat trips? Scenery? We live in the Bay Area and really enjoy visiting Napa for wine tasting and Bothe-Napa State Park. We also like wine tasting in Sonoma around Kenwood, and there are nice state parks there, too, and a botanical garden.

When we first moved here I think our favorite tourist things to do were Fisherman's Wharf / Alcatraz and Golden Gate park (Academy of Science, Arboretum, Japanese Gardens and de Young Museum). We also liked walking along the trails and watching the hang gliders at Fort Funston.

It is not easy to get to from the city, but the Oakland Zoo is highly rated, has a gondola with great views and natural habitats for the animals. Redwood Regional Parks is lovely with great hiking. The trees are not as large as Muir Woods but the park closer to SF and not as crowded. Angel Island has amazing views. A ferry to Sausalito for lunch is a fun afternoon.

It is better not to have a rental car in the city. As others mentioned there have been smash and grabs and parking is difficult.

 

[DrRoy]

We enjoyed Muir Woods in addition to city sights.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've probably been to San Fransisco at least 25 times in the past 40 years... Never seen Napa Valley ... Plenty to see in SF itself....Unfortunately, SF has been really gone downhill (no pun intended) over those years... It's been a few years now since I was there so maybe (I doubt it), it's getting better. I agree with those saying to rent a car... Easier than climbing the hills and probably a lot safer than walking the streets to much these days.

 

[Winemaker]

When we make our annual trip to Napa and the northern California area, we fly into Sacramento. We are usually out the door on the highway 45 minutes after landing. Our first trip to SF, we were in lines for hours, it took us 3 hours to finally get our luggage, get our keys for our reserved rental car, wait in line for the transit to the rental car lot, pick up car. We then lost more time heading north through SF at rush hour. We needed a bottle of wine by the time we got to our VRBO!

 

[MichaelB]

I would suggest some travel insurance and having a backup plan in case of trip interruption. Our last trip to Sacramento included a side trip to Napa in Oct ‘19. The state announced power grid shutdown the day we arrived and the Napa trip didn’t happen. Our hotel charged 2 nights despite the lack of electricity in the area. Insurance reimbursed us (a year later) and we ended up going to Reno.

 

[Bamaman]

One alternative would be to pick up a rental car and run down to Monterrey for the night. Then drive down U.S. Hwy 1 to the Hearst Castle, over to Hwy 101 and north back to the Bay Area.

We've also taken in San Francisco quite a few times and drove up to South Lake Tahoe area. It's especially beautiful any time of the year.

 

[WestUniversity]

I would suggest the wineries in and around Healdsburg. Additionally if you decide to go down to Carmel, Monterrey etc, the 17 mile drive is well worth the time and money…

https://www.pebblebeach.com/17-mile-drive/

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I would suggest some travel insurance and having a backup plan in case of trip interruption. Our last trip to Sacramento included a side trip to Napa in Oct ‘19. The state announced power grid shutdown the day we arrived and the Napa trip didn’t happen. Our hotel charged 2 nights despite the lack of electricity in the area. Insurance reimbursed us (a year later) and we ended up going to Reno.

It is always possible long outages may happen, but in the Bay Area PG&E has said they are getting better at smaller / more precise shutoffs when the weather is dangerous for the power lines. In our community, they have been true to their word and we haven't had any more long outages since they initially started doing the pro-active power shut offs to prevent wild fires.

 

[anothercog]

We enjoyed Muir Woods in addition to city sights.

note that you now need to make reservations for Muir Woods. Drop ins no longer permitted.

 

[marko]

- Walk across the Golden Gate bridge. When going north, there is a parking lot immediately past the bridge on the right. Park and walk back across the bridge. When you leave go under the freeway (Hwy 1) and go west up the hill on the paved road (Marin Headlands). Nice view from the top of the GG with SF in background. Figure it out on Goggle maps, if interested.

I would only add "do this at night"! The parking lot is called "Vista Point" for a reason; look back on the lights SFO is quite memorable. The view from the winding road mentioned above is also spectacular.

A SFO 'must' is a stop for Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista cafe.

Also +1 on the comments of Union Square. Homeless everywhere and very depressing. Lived in SFO in the late 70's and have found the town notably worse.

 

[CardsFan]

And a word of caution if you drive US1. GO NORTH. I made the mistake of driving south from Mendocino back to the Bay Area. Unless, of course, you enjoy driving 60-70mph on a two lane road, with no barrier on your right between you and 1000' drop to the ocean. And that is NOT an exaggeration.

 

[NW-Bound]

And a word of caution if you drive US1. GO NORTH. I made the mistake of driving south from Mendocino back to the Bay Area. Unless, of course, you enjoy driving 60-70mph on a two lane road, with no barrier on your right between you and 1000' drop to the ocean. And that is NOT an exaggeration.

Is the speed limit on that road 60-70 mph?