What to do in and around San Francisco?

Ginger_Pudding

Going to San Francisco in late April and apart from going to Alcatraz and a day trip to Yosemite , can anyone recommend what to see and do please?

Is there anywhere else besides Yosemite that can be reached in a day? Don't want to hire a car , so if anyone can recommend coach or train trips , that would be great.

Also would like to know of any good restaurants which aren't too expensive and the best places to shop.

Thanks in advance

Charlton_Taz

I really enjoyed visiting Napa Valley. You visit all the vineyards, do tasting etc. Excellent fun if you like your wine!! At the top end of Napa Valley one of the vineyards (can't remember the name - it is well known there though so you can just ask around)) has a cable car going up the valley sides which offer really good views down the valley too. Its about 50 miles from the centre of San Francisco. I also saw leaflets in my hotel that advertised coach trips to Napa.

You need to do the walk across the Golden Gate Bridge (beautiful views of the Pacific and the Bay area). There is a small town just across the Golden Gate called Saucilito (spelt something like that ). From here you can get a ferry back across the Bay to Fisherman's Wharf.

Shopping wise, depending what you like there are loads of the designer shops (bit pricey for me, mind!) and a Huge Macy's store which I liked. Also, for cheaper clothes there is an 'Old Navy' as well.

I didn't have too much of a chance to eat out there but if you like cheesecake (or just cake in general!) I can recommend 'The Cheesecake Factory" which is on the top floor of Macy's. The portions are massive and really yummy! Well, I can definately vouch for the chocolate cake anyway

Have fun!

Midas

Its a long way from Yosemite to SF and if you just go for the day you don't get that much time in the park - stay overnight (or longer) if you can in the park, it will give you so much more time to see the truly amazing scenary and do a few of the walks.

Ginger_Pudding

Thanks for the reply

The cable car and the wine tasting sound good , will look out for that :cool:

Like the sound of the Cheesecake place too , mmmmmm

chalky_bertie

Go on the cable cars from town to Pier 39 end, you'll not appreciate how steep the streets are until you 've been on it. We hired a tandem from a place next to Pier 39 to cycle accross the bridge (how difficult was riding a tandem but good fun!). You could cycle to the town that Charlton Taz mentioned and again get the boat back with the bike, saves you riding back the same way you went. I don't know when your going but we went at the beginning of October and it was bloody freezing, the bridge was mostly (not allways) had mist covering it.

Random_bloke_2

Great bars and shopping at the top end of Fillmore street. Avoid tacky Fishermans wharf.

BlueVinney

You certainly don't need a car in metro SF. Buy day tickets that cover buses, trams and the cable cars rather than individual tickets for the cable cars. If I remember right, a day ticket costs only slightly more than two rides on the cable cars. Surprisingly, the public transport is much better than cities in the UK.

The zoo (on the tram network) has free admission on the first Wednesday of each month (MSE) if you want a quick visit.

Climate is pretty comfortable and constant year round, from the cold Pacific which gives the mists in the Bay. Don't expect air conditioning in your hotel.

If you like chocolate, particularly ice cream sundaes, visit the Ghirardelli shop at Ghirardelli Square about 5 minutes walk to the west of Fishermans Wharf. Most guide books have $1 discount vouchers for sundaes to ease the conscience from all those extra calories.

Car is good to visit places outside the metro area but remember that distances are great and it'd easy to misjudge how long it will take you to reach your destination.

Sacramento, Arnie's the governor there, may be worth a visit if you have time. We stopped at the jelly belly factory en route for a free factory tour.

Some good advice on the thread, hope it gives you ideas.

Anyway, have fun. We always have on our visits to the West Coast.

Ginger_Pudding

Random_bloke wrote:

Avoid tacky Fishermans wharf.

Oh dear , our hotel is there :rolleyes:

Ginger_Pudding

BlueVinney wrote:

Climate is pretty comfortable and constant year round, from the cold Pacific which gives the mists in the Bay. Don't expect air conditioning in your hotel.

I've checked our hotel and we do have air conditioning although I don't suppose it will be needed at the end of April will it? Not sure what sort of clothing to take , need I bother with shorts and should I take some warmer tops especially for the evenings?

Thanks for all the advice so far , keep it coming

chalky_bertie

Have a look at THIS for the weather. I would take a fleecy type coat for evenings and during the day if the weather is crap - there is a real wind that blows of the sea.

Fisherman's Wharf isn't tacky as in Blackpool but OK (touristy). I got a couple of really cheap jumpers from the GAP shop opposite the Pier 39. There is alot of food places here just at the side of the road where you can get Chowder (whatever that is).

Just found this site that gives you a virtual tour of San Francisco

bluey_2

we were in San Francisco last September. You must shop at Macy's but go to customer services and get a visitors discount card (12% off everything you buy - even if it already has 75% off)

The best bits for us were the Aquarium at Pier 39, the sealions also at the pier (watch out for flocks of flying pelicans around the bay). Pier 39 itself wasn't the most amazing place but as your hotel is close, get out early before the crowds arrive off the cruise ships and coaches for Alcatraz.

Opposite Pier 39 there is a bus station and tram terminus. We caught the tram from there, right through the Centre of San Francisco to the Castro. We had the best meal there at a cafe opposite Tower records. Whatever you hear about the Castro is maybe true at night but the daytime it is a nice friendly area.

Muir Woods - amazing place - California redwood forest. Not far out of SF but we were on a touring holiday so it was already part of the package.

To be honest we found we didn't need to get out of the city as there really is so much to do.

Did do Napa Valley - I don't drink but it wasn't my cup of tea anyway, felt I wasted a day out.

Yosemite is a bit of a haul for a day trip - but you won't be dissapointed. I think it's more fantastic than the Grand Canyon.

Have a great trip (oh, yes - the temperature does change rapidly in SF but you can buy a fleece for $12 off the pier area, so I wouldn't worry too much
about packing the wrong stuff!)