This info is what I usually send to out of town friends who're visiting. Hope it's helpful. Also, pls ignore any invitations to visit or meet us (in case I left some in
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San Francisco Recommendations:
Where to Stay:
- We love La Boheme in North Beach; great location in the heart of everything, historic & funky, clean rooms, nice staff, inexpensive (<$200/nt).
- You could also try AirBnB; stay in North Beach, Telegraph Hill or Russian Hill. My quick check showed places available for $170-$350/nt.
What to Do/See:
- Alcatraz tour: Always worth the trip; lots of history and tremendous views of SF, GGB, etc. on the ferry trip to/from.
- GG Bridge: drive, bike or walk; all 3 have pros/cons but, if you do bike, be aware there are some steep hills on the Sausalito side, navigable but, need to take it slow & walk your bike on the sidewalk in a couple places.
- Sausalito: A beautiful village set in hills just past the north end of the GGB; lots of restaurants & shops along the water, great views back @ SF and across the bay. If you walk or bike here, you can take a ferry back to The City; best way to return in my opinion.
- Chinatown: An absolute must see; walk along Grant Street & poke your head into every place that looks interesting; for more adventure, walk along some of the alleys (perfectly safe) to see little hideaways, and also walk along Stockton Street (near Pacific St) to see where the locals shop and congregate.
- North Beach: Our favorite part of The City (where we lived 20 yrs ago); the old Italian section of town; Columbus Ave is the heart of N Beach; walk up/down it, stop @ a cafe for coffee & pastry or, at one of the local watering holes.
- Cable Car: I like the Hyde Street cable car, which takes you from Russian Hill down near Ghirardelli but, they're all great.
- Cable Car Museum: Unique place where you can see how the system works.
- Anchor Brewery: Where Anchor Steam beer (a SF tradition & very good brew if you're a beer drinker) is brewed.
- Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39/Ghirardelli: All very touristy but, fun to spend a couple hours walking around. You'll also catch the boat to Alcatraz from here so, you could see it then.
- Ferry Building: This is the main terminus for ferries throughout the Bay Area, and is a nice stop for lunch, coffee or a drink. If you visit Sausalito on foot or bike, you can take the ferry from Sausalito back to the Ferry Building.
- F-Line Street Car: The renovated trolleys run along The Embarcadero (waterfront street in downtown SF, and are a fun way to go from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Wharf.
- Lombard Street: Worth a visit and 30 mins of your time.
- Coit Tower: At the top of Telegraph Hill and walking distance from La Boheme if you stay in N. Beach. Definitely worth a visit for the views, the WPA art inside Coit Tower & scenery along the walk (you can also take the #39 bus to the top if walking up Telegraph Hill is too much.)
- Cliff House: A very nice restaurant on the ocean side of SF overlooking the Pacific. Another fun (more casual & more crowded) place on the beach is the Beach Chalet; best for drinks & the view. The vibe on/near the beach is different than the rest of The City, and worth some of your time if you like beaches and sunsets. (Note: if both of these are too crowded & you want a meal/drinks & a great view of the Pacific, Louis' Restaurant is right by The Cliff house; it's less expensive, has good food, and the same awesome view.)
- Golden Gate Park: Lots to do here (it's bigger than Central Park in NY); museums, Japanese Tea Garden, Stow Lake, walking paths, arboretum, etc. You could easily spend an entire day here. Personally, with 3 days to see SF, I might skip GGP so I could see other things that are more uniquely San Francisco.
- Shopping: You didn't say anything about this but, I'd recommend Westfield San Francisco Centre (SFC) which is near (and better than) Union Square. Both SFC & Union Square are where many tourists catch the Powell Street cable car (you can transfer from the Powell street car to the Hyde street car).
Where to Eat:
- The House (N Beach): Asian fusion; one of my absolute favorites; make a reso early.
- Sotto Mare (N Beach): fantastic sea food in N. Beach
- Yank Sing (Financial District): Dim Sum Sunday brunch in Rincon Center, Financial District (only if you like Dim Sum). Must make resos early though.
- Tomasso's (N Beach): Classic old SF Italian in N. Beach; doesn't take resos but, worth the 20-30 min wait.
- Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store (N Beach): A N Beach institution & a must do place for lunch; have the sausage focaccia sandwich & a beer.
- Buena Vista Cafe: Another SF institution located @ the end of the Hyde Street cable car; known for their Irish Coffee which, I can personally attest, is excellent; also a good place for breakfast. Can be crowded but, don't let that put you off.
How to Get Around:
- Option 1: Rent a car, which will give you a bit more flexibility but, you'll have to park it which will be expensive (and often time consuming) and driving in SF is not for the faint of heart (lots of one-way streets, dead ends, construction & HILLS).
- Option 2: Walk and public transit (buses, trolley cars, subway, cable cars). This will get you everywhere in The City & the "CityPASS" is a great deal (one option even includes a day trip to Alcatraz). You will be in a small enough region of The City that this will work well. If you go out to the beach (Cliff House, Beach Chalet) and Golden Gate Park, it's just a bit of a trek out there but, that's true even in a car. For this option, you need to be comfortable with public transit, especially the buses as they can be crowded & sometimes intimidating if you aren't comfortable around strangers and the occasional homeless person.
- Option 3: Walk and public transit + an occasional Uber; same as #2 but, more flexibility & a bit more expense, and it'll get you to the beach and GG Park.
If you choose Option 2 or 3, you can take the subway (BART) directly from the airport into The City (Powell Street station is probably best), then an Uber or taxi (or walk if it's close) to your hotel from there; same in reverse when you return home. If you're not comfortable on BART, and want to do Option 2 or 3, you can take a taxi from the airport to your hotel.
Enjoy!!!