San Francisco thread - to discuss all things San Francisco

We did the night tour of Alcatraz which was great! We went over on the boat during the day, watching the fog rolling in under the bridge. By the time we came out it was dark and the whole skyline was lit up. Awesome way to see it all & we went up to Pier 39 to Bubba Gumps for dinner :)

We did the Ultimate City tour with Starline tours. It was alright, we stopped at Twin Peaks, Seal Rocks (the seals are now at Pier 39 though) and Golden Gate Bridge. We saw a far bit but it was hard to take photos through the windows and we then did a tour down to Winchester House in the afternoon so that was most if our day done. $79 for both of those was great value though :)
 
Thanks PIO and frangipanisam :)

We're looking at doing a combo tour - due to the fact that America's Cup is on, so I understand that it could be difficult to get tickets to Alcatraz separately. If we get the combo tour tickets, then we are assured of securing the Alcatraz tour tickets (and we don't have to worry about waiting to get them when they go on sale exactly 90 days out). And this way we get to see the Golden Gate Bridge and other things too.

There are 2 hop-on hop-off bus tours which include Alcatraz tours, and I just can't decide between them so was hoping someone may have first hand experience (the other tour is http://www.allsanfranciscotours.com/body.asp?tour=SFO-B0017&page=TourDetails )

I'm leaning towards the tour I mentioned in my previous post as it actually goes across the Golden Gate Bridge and generally has more stops, so I think would provide a thorough tour of San Fran.
 
Kristin - This will come down to how willing you are to travel by public transport and/or do a little walking around the downtown area.

I've taken a look at the first link you provided and pulled out the destinations in the city. If you buy a MUNI pass, it will give you travel access on the trolley, the F-line and all MUNI buses and light rail.

  • Fisherman's Wharf – I would catch the Trolley from Market Street and Powell Street. Where the Trolley lets you out at Fisherman's Wharf, you'll be able to walk to Ghiradelli and then across to the main section of FW. If you do catch the trolley, closer to the FW end, you'll find that there is stop for Lombard Street. Just be aware that if you get off, it may be difficult to get back on the trolley as they do fill up with tourists. If you are doing this early in the morning it should be okay. I have walked from Lombard Street to Fisherman's Wharf. I seem to recall thinking "Never again" at the time.
  • Sausalito - You can catch a ferry across from Fisherman's Wharf to Sausalito.
  • Ferry Building - If you're at Fisherman's Wharf, catch the F-line tram and get off at the Ferry Building. Check which days the Farmer's Market is on and if you're there, I would visit when the market is on. It add a little more interest. You'll easily find the F-line tram if you're at Pier 39. It does terminate at Fisherman's Wharf, so just check out where it turns around and where you go to catch the tram for the return back to the city.
  • Embarcadero - It's all of a 5 minute stroll across the road from the Ferry Building. The shopping is better in the downtown area!
  • Union Square - From the Embarcadero or Ferry Building, you can catch the F-line and get off at Powell. Walk 2 blocks to get to Union Square. Alternatively, you can walk down Market from the Embarcadero to get to Powell or cut across at Post. It will take about 15-20 minutes walk from Embarcadero to get to Union Square.
  • Chinatown - the gates to Chinatown at Grant/Bush are two blocks down and one block across from Union Square. You'll have lots of shops to look at along the way.
  • North Beach - If you walk all the way down Grant Street and see all the shops in touristville Chinatown street, you will hit Columbus. If you hit Columbus, you're in North Beach. It is a bit of a walk; but my 7 year old and I did this once; with lots of stops in between.
    Alternatively, Stockton runs parallel to Grant. When you're ready, cut across to Stockton, look for the 30 or 45 Muni bus stop and catch the bus down Stockton. Get off at Washington Square and you're right at North Beach/Columbus. If you're at Washington Square, you'll see the church that everyone wants to go see.
  • Alamo Square. From Market Street, you can catch the 21 Muni bus. It will take you to the Alamo Square. Should be about a 20 minute trip.
  • Haight Ashbury. The 6 or 71 down Market Street will get to you here. From memory, it will be 20 or 30 minutes.

A 3-day MUNI pass costs $22. You can use the trolley as many times as you wish. If you were to purchase an individual trolley ride, it's $6 per time you step on the trolley.



Public transport across the Golden Gate Bridge and to the Golden Gate Park and Presidio is not great. It can be done; with a bit of walking but if you then did the Hop On/Off for the Golden Gate/Sausalito loop, you should have covered most of the sights.

It's just a matter of whether you are happy to use the SF public transport or not.



From Market and Powell, the Westfield is right across the road. The Westfield is "South of Market". If you walk along Market on that side of the street, go to 4th Street. Walk Southwards (away from Union Square) and you'll get to Yerba Buena one block down (on Mission). Yerba Buena runs between 3rd and 4th street. (St Patrick's Church is between 3rd and 4th Street, across the road from Yerba Buena.)
 
Thanks for the detailed reply PIO! You have hit on the highlights of San Fran, for sure (including the shopping - very important!)

I think, with a 6 year old, and 2 moody teens, we won't be able to do a whole lot of walking. I mean I know we will have a little to do at each stop, but I don't envisage being able to walk 10-15 blocks! Our hotel is on 2nd street (SOMA, I think?) so there will always be some walking involved, but the hop on hop off bus sounds like the easiest way to do it with kids.

I initially looked at the muni pass and that is what we were going to do, plus the separate Alcatraz tour (as we wanted to do the evening tour), but now with America's Cup being scheduled at the same time, it has thrown my plans out a little bit.

And having to plan for the 6 of us means I am doing things a bit differently than if it was just myself and DH (if it was just us, I would do it exactly as you have outlined).

Sorry if I sound like I am knocking back every suggestion, maybe I am just feeling the pressure of planning a good holiday for a group of us (half of which have never been to America before and are unlikely to go ever again - unless they catch "the bug"!!!) So I am trying to cover everything, with as much ease and comfort as possible (probably to make my life easier -I don't want to hear constant complaining on my holiday!)

yes, I think I have probably made up my mind about what we're going to do - so posting here has helped, as it has allowed me to express my thoughts and get some great suggestions to toss around.

It will probably be pretty warm when we are there too, I am guessing (and I don't handle heat very well - yes, I will be a barrel of laughs in Vegas!), so even more reason to lessen the walking involved!
 
Kristin5 said:
Thanks for the detailed reply PIO! You have hit on the highlights of San Fran, for sure (including the shopping - very important!)

I think, with a 6 year old, and 2 moody teens, we won't be able to do a whole lot of walking. I mean I know we will have a little to do at each stop, but I don't envisage being able to walk 10-15 blocks! Our hotel is on 2nd street (SOMA, I think?) so there will always be some walking involved, but the hop on hop off bus sounds like the easiest way to do it with kids.

I initially looked at the muni pass and that is what we were going to do, plus the separate Alcatraz tour (as we wanted to do the evening tour), but now with America's Cup being scheduled at the same time, it has thrown my plans out a little bit.

And having to plan for the 6 of us means I am doing things a bit differently than if it was just myself and DH (if it was just us, I would do it exactly as you have outlined).

Sorry if I sound like I am knocking back every suggestion, maybe I am just feeling the pressure of planning a good holiday for a group of us (half of which have never been to America before and are unlikely to go ever again - unless they catch "the bug"!!!) So I am trying to cover everything, with as much ease and comfort as possible (probably to make my life easier -I don't want to hear constant complaining on my holiday!)

yes, I think I have probably made up my mind about what we're going to do - so posting here has helped, as it has allowed me to express my thoughts and get some great suggestions to toss around.

It will probably be pretty warm when we are there too, I am guessing (and I don't handle heat very well - yes, I will be a barrel of laughs in Vegas!), so even more reason to lessen the walking involved!
Click to expand...

I don't feel like you're knocking back suggestions. Afterall, it is your holiday and you need to work out what you want to do on your holiday.

Hope you work out the best thing for you and the family so that everyone stays happy....and cool. San Francisco weather is like Melbourne; and even in the middle of summer, I will carry an extra layer just in case! Vegas can be hot.
 
Thank you so much for this wonderful thread and all the great pictures!

My DH had a business trip to San Francisco in April and I went along :goodvibes

I actually had 6 days to tour all on my own and we had 2 days together, and this thread was a great help!!! I have to admit I was a little hesitant to be on my own (usually have the kids with), but after reading here and seeing the pics I felt confident I would have no problems getting around on my own.

Just a little tip to pass along that I think everyone here will like... they now allow non-flash photography at the Walt Disney Family Museum! They told me as I entered and I was very happy to hear it. Thankfully I had my cameras in my purse, in case I made other stops that day. I ended up taking over 150 pictures in the 3 hours I spent there! DD was back home and sad she was missing this part of the trip, so it was especially nice that I could share it with her once we got back home.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency (since DH was working in the Financial District) and found it very easy to get around.

My 1st full day there was a Thursday. I walked from the Ferry Building down to Pier 39 (lot of walking, but a beautiful day... I was so sunburned though by the end of the day). I saw the sea lions and all the shops there at Pier 39, the WW2 ship and submarine, Hyde Street Pier, Ghiradelli Square and then back to Pier 39 to shop a little.

On Friday I walked down the Embarcadero a bit and then took the stairs up to Coit Tower, what a climb that was! I paid to go to the top and loved the view, it is amazing how you can basically see the whole city from there. I went back down using another set of steps, much easier going that direction!
DH was off early that day, so we met at the hotel and then walked up to China Town and then through Little Italy and finally ended up at Fisherman's Wharf.

On Saturday DH was off for the weekend so we did the hop-on hop-off bus tour. We waited to get off until the Golden Gate Bridge and DH somehow convinced me we should walk across the bridge. I am terrified of heights so I am not sure how I agreed to it. It actually was not bad and as long as I didn't stand right by the edge I was OK. We saw a helicopter fly under the bridge (even got a pic of it) and lots of dolphins. We got back on the bus on the other side and rode it back across the bridge and continued on our tour. We hopped off at a Mel's Drive-In and had lunch there then hopped back on again and went to Lombard Street. We had to walk several blocks to get to the "Crookedest Street" but it was worth it. We walked down one side and back up the other and then went back to jump on the bus again. It was getting late by then so we hopped off and had supper before heading back to our hotel.

Sunday we went to Alcatraz on a 10am boat and spent about 4 hours there, we did the audio tour while there. Loved the island and the history, I could stay there much longer just taking pictures. We walked down to Pier 39 and shopped a bit then grabbed an early supper at the Hard Rock Café and went back to the hotel around 6ish.

Monday I took public transportation and went to see the Painted Ladies, and in the afternoon I checked out the Ferry Building and the shops at The Embarcadero.

Tuesday I went back down to Pier 39 and hung out with the sea lions some more, they are just so much fun to watch! I shopped some more and had lunch at Boudin's.

On Wednesday I took a bus to the Presidio and went to the Walt Disney Family Museum. Loved it there! This was one thing I really wanted to see!!! Later that afternoon I went back to the hotel and then walked up Market (I think) and came upon a bunch of very old firetrucks with a ceremony and a band playing. I found out later that the next day was the anniversary of the big quake, so maybe it was related to that. I also found a Disney store to shop in :goodvibes

Thursday I took the bus back to the Presidio and then used the busses they have there to get around. I rode the whole loop of one of the busses and then got off at Baker Beach the 2nd time around. I walked down to the ocean and got some great pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. I then caught that bus again and went back to the transfer spot and caught a second bus, that time I got off at the Palace of Fine Arts. Another beautiful location!

Friday we were heading home... but we had a great time. Some nights we would go back out once DH got off work and others we would find somewhere quick to eat and get back early to the room. All that walking and sun and wind tires a person out quickly! Because of this thread I knew about Noah's and usually had breakfast there every morning with the pigeons.

Forgot to add that we rode the trolley cars and cable car at different points of the trip, a must do we felt when visiting San Francisco!

Thanks again for this thread and all your very helpful hints and tips, they were put to good use!!!
 
SleepyMom - Glad that you found this thread of use. The Hyatt Regency is a great location to stay. Sounds like you had a great time in SF and I'm so glad to find out that they now allow non-flash photography in the WDFM. I'm definitely going to have to make a return trip to that museum next time I'm in the area. :goodvibes

That walk up to Coit Tower has to be done at least once. I actually quite enjoy heading up those stairs and coming down the easier way on the Little Italy side. :rotfl:

Thanks for posting and providing the feedback.
 
The best San Fran thread I've seen! Such helpful tips for a newbie whose supposed to be the one doing the planning haha
Really excited now
thank you all for everything contributed
It really is appreiated! :cheer2:
 
sarahswims said:
The best San Fran thread I've seen! Such helpful tips for a newbie whose supposed to be the one doing the planning haha
Really excited now
thank you all for everything contributed
It really is appreiated! :cheer2:
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Welcome to the DisBoards! Enjoy your planning. :goodvibes
 
We have a 10 hour lay over on our flight from Auckland to Orlando. Any ideas of something near the airport to help us fill in the time or wondering on price of cab fares to Union Square/Fisherman's Wharf.:goodvibes
 
disneyismyhappyplace said:
We have a 10 hour lay over on our flight from Auckland to Orlando. Any ideas of something near the airport to help us fill in the time or wondering on price of cab fares to Union Square/Fisherman's Wharf.:goodvibes
Click to expand...

Happy travels!

What time of year?

If you want to head into the city and there is somewhere for you to store luggage at SFO, I would catch the BART from the airport to Powell Street station. It's a short walk to Union Square from there. Should cost about $6 one way per person.

If you want to shop and want to go to a mall, Hillsdale Mall is an option.

Are you planning on hiring a car? You could cover more ground that way.
 
Until now I have ignored this thread figuring I really didn't have anything useful to add as I have minimal knowledge of San Fran but then thought a short TR I wrote for Tripadvisor back in 2008 might be of use to others. We only had one day (2 nights) stopover on route to the east coast. Here is how we spent the day (copied directly across so excuse the bits not relevant).

We had the opportunity to break the long Australia-East Coast US trip early in December with one full day (2 nights) in San Francisco. I know not long enough, however, it gave us a taste for the city and we were especially amazed by the friendliness and helpfulness of all the locals. Public bus drivers particularly seemed to go out of their way to be helpful to tourists even though they must do this 24/7/365-I can't say the same about our local Brisbane drivers! Anyway I wanted to say thanks to all the experts whose help I used-so informative I had no need to post any questions. I also thought it could be helpful for others to see what we did in one day.

We stayed near the airport (hubby's choice-I would have gone into town) as we had to be back at the airport at 4am for the onward flight. We stayed at BW Grosvenor Hotel-typical BW-nothing outstanding but the staff were friendly, beds were comfortable, shower hot and strong and breakfast had a wide range of hot and cold fare, edible but not great. We arrived late afternoon and caught the hotel shuttle from the airport (easy to use once you make sure you are at the right stop though bit of a wait-some hotel clusters seemed twice as frequent) and just crashed after an all night flight not waking until 7.30am the next (Tuesday) morning.

Breaky as above and caught the hotel free shuttle to the airport and then BART into town (easy to use for first timers, like most city trains). This took about 40 mins. We first visited the tourist info for maps and Muni day passports. They offered me change to use in transport for my daughter who was concessional so there was no point wasting money on a passport.

First of all we spent time on some obligatory shopping (for teenage daughter-band CDs that are expensive imports in Aus for example). Then walked up past Union Square admiring the Xmas Tree and Macy's shop windows, through Chinatown and some shops I'd pre-picked to look at en route (this area was bustling with locals and street markets and well worth a look). Then walked through North Beach (with a stop at City Lights bookstore to feed daughter and I’s bookworm appetites and admire graffiti in nearby alleys), backtracked a little to look at part of Jackson Square Historical District (felt this was a waste of time) and the TransAmerica Pyramid, then made our way through the back streets, up hills, admiring San Fran timber houses (reminds me of Brisbane Queenslanders in some cases actually), to the Coit Tower.

We had a rest here, took lots of photos-very good views not just of the Bay and Golden Gate bridges but also the city sprawling up and down the hills and then walked down Filbert steps through the little park area to the Embarcadero. Walked along here to Fishermans Wharf for fish and chips on a bench with the seagulls looking at Alcatraz.
Saw the sealions and had a quick look at some of the (few) less touristy shops in the complex then caught the bus (changing once-driver told us all when to change and how to find the other stop without us needing to ask) to the Golden Gate Bridge.

We walked about half way along, looking for the entrance to the lookout up a girder but had no luck and getting tired (!!) so decided no need to walk the whole way. There were great views from the bridge and of the bridge. After a rest and junk-type snacks at the Bridge Café, we caught the bus to Clement St and walked up to the Palace of Legion of Honour. As it was a free entry day we had a quick look through the lower galleries - some excellent paintings (and good loo's). The holocaust memorial outside was very effective and memorable.

We had a short wander through the woods here, took more photos of Golden Gate and the woods glowing in the late afternoon sun, then caught a bus around the headland to Ocean Beach. This was only to fulfill a promise to a friend (long story) but we walked along the beach as the sun set and dipped our toes in the freezing (opposite side) of the Pacific Ocean.

We caught a trolley back to central San Fran and finally rode a tram up and over the hill admiring all the Xmas lights and skaters in Union Square. Back at Fishermans Wharf we had a late bread & chowder at Boudin just before closing, then the F-line back to the Ferry Bdg (more ice skaters) and thence BART home.

It was a long day but we felt we saw a few different sides of San Francisco and it is now on our list of "must return" to cities and probably so far, our favourite of the few we have visited in the US [PS. This was pre visit to NYC]. We did not feel like we rushed around-we strolled (we are walkers as you can gather), we stopped and rested and looked about frequently. With another day we would have visited Golden Gate Park and one of the infamous museums/art galleries, done an Alcatraz tour and maybe a bay cruise.

Public transport is easy to use and highly comprehensive; you can get anywhere. The city is very compact and well worth squeezing in, even for a short stopover...and have I mentioned how friendly and helpful everyone was?

Some of the above may now be out of date. I am still looking forward to a future longer visit armed with a lot more info I am sure!
 
Oh PIO, after re-reading your TR I'm starting to consider just whizzing through Oregon from Seattle and spending a couple of extra days in SF on our way to LA. I miss SF.
 
Marlea98 said:
Oh PIO, after re-reading your TR I'm starting to consider just whizzing through Oregon from Seattle and spending a couple of extra days in SF on our way to LA. I miss SF.
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Don't get me started. I'm not heading to SF in Sep/Oct. :sad1:
 
It really is just the most beautiful city :) Have you been to Franchino's (sp?) in Little Italy? We loved it and plan to go back next trip. It was like eating at my Brunswick friends' houses :)

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards
 
Marlea98 said:
It really is just the most beautiful city :) Have you been to Franchino's (sp?) in Little Italy? We loved it and plan to go back next trip. It was like eating at my Brunswick friends' houses :)

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards
Click to expand...

Not yet. I keep going back to my favourites! ::yes::
 
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