San Francisco Travel Guide

On the surface San Francisco has all the cliché tourist icons that we know: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Chinatown, to name but a few. But keep in mind that San Francisco itself is fairly small geographically, covering roughly 50 square miles.

"The City," as it is called by locals, is the home of the Giants (MLB), the 49ers (NFL), and the Golden State Warriors (NBA). During the summertime, Monster Park is a great family-friendly place to catch a ballgame. Sit in the upper deck to see the Bay and the real obvious tourist areas of SF, which are seldom visited by residents except to bring friends and relatives.

There are restaurants and lots of shopping geared toward tourists. Of course, at Fisherman’s Wharf, you can get the famous Dungeness crab.  You can eat crab all year round but they’re best when they're in season, which runs from September/October to about April. And while it’s really more of a Los Angeles tradition, the only In ‘N Out Burger joint in SF is in the Fisherman’s Wharf area so if you haven’t had one, get it there! The Pier area (Pier 40 and further south at the Ferry Building) is where the ferries arrive from around the rest of the Bay Area. The mile between the Ferry Building and Pier 39 is an uncluttered waterfront view of underneath the Bay Bridge and the East Bay.  Pier 39 itself is a popular landmark, as it has been transformed into a two-story outdoor shopping area, complete with sporting goods stores, a magic shop, and a number of eateries.

San Francisco is less a single city than it is an amalgamation of many neighborhoods. The major neighborhoods are North Beach, Castro, Mission, the Haight, Hayes Valley, Bernal Heights, Noe Valley, and South of Market. Not all of the neighborhoods are tourist destinations, but all of them contain good shopping and cute bistros and cafes.

San Francisco is home to a sizable gay population. The main gay neighborhood is the Castro. The Castro is a neighborhood unlike any other and it's a fun one to visit, offering many fine restaurants and places to stay.

The Mission district is also popular. Although it's become more gentrified, you can expect some wonderful burritos from places like el Farolito, Taqueria Cancun and plenty of wonderful tapas places.

Fisherman’s Wharf is the perfect thing to do in San Francisco . Great restaurants, cafes, and bars…There’s street performers, cable cars, souvenir shops and some of the coolest, most unique museums I’ve ever seen. Also, the sea lions at Pier 39 alone are worth the trip. At no cost at all you could watch hundreds of them laze about on the docks barking and preening as tourists stand nearby, taking photos and just enjoying the scene. The Wharf is such a relaxing place to stroll around, eat, and take in the sights and is also an excellent base considering the proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Ferry Building, North Beach, the Cannery and more.