Christopher Rowe

San Francisco, the charismatic, friendly tourist city that has as many points of interest as shopping and dining options. You could easily spend a week here and not run out of activities or places to dine.
As for points of interest, starting with the obvious one is the infamous Golden Gate Bridge. Accessible by pedestrian, cyclists and drivers (drivers have a Toll heading into San Fran of US$7.00), the Golden Gate Bridge is hard to miss and a must see sight of San Francisco.

From the bridge, not only do you get spectacular views of the San Fran cityscape, but you also get a great view of the famous Alcatraz Island. If you’re interested in great views of the Golden Gate Bridge itself, the ‘postcard’ of shots can be achieved at Battery Spencer (west side), but either a taxi or hire car are advised here unless you’re prepared to walk up hill.

If Alcatraz is what you are interested be sure to book your tickets months in advance, as there is usually a 2 month waiting time for this attraction. Also, contrary to local advertising, being a national park only one cruise company ‘Alcatraz Cruises’ has authority to stop on the island, any other cruise company will gladly tour you around Alcatraz, but you wont set foot on it.

For transport, other than your legs, the cable cars and tourist busses are a great way to get around. If you are staying in Union Square – here is an interesting tid-bit, especially if travelling in groups of two or more; the cable cars cost $US7.00 per trip, per person. A taxi from Union Square to Fishermans Wharf (the route the cable cars go) will cost $US14.00 per cab.

The cable cars are a fantastic way to get around, if you have not done this, put it ontop of your must-do list. However, it needs to be said, the cable cars in San Francisco, specially the route between Fishermans Wharf and Union Square are heavily utilised by tourists. If you want the cable car experience without the cues, it is recommended you either go in off-peak times, wait at a cable car stop one up from the end of the line or go on the Californian line which offers better views and less tourists.
Rather than paying $US7.00 per trip a better way get around on the cable cars is purchasing a 3 day pass for $US26.00 each – allowing you unlimited passage for three consecutive days on cable cars and public buses. Speaking of buses, the hop-on, hop-off busses are also a great way to get around the city, ensuring you see the major sites in the process.

When it comes to food, it is difficult to go wrong in San Francisco, the food everywhere is great, however price does vary. Tourist hotspots such as Fishermans Wharf and especially Union Square will cost more than most other areas. That being said, the Clam Chowder which is a ‘must’ when in San Francisco, especially in a sourdough bowel, is reasonably priced in Fishermans Wharf, with pricing ranging from $10.00 to $15.00. Cioppino’s, an Italian restaurant in Fisherman Wharf offered the best clam chowder I had tasted in the Wharf.

If you’re looking for something a little more oriental, San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of China itself. Not only does Chinatown have a variety of fantastic restaurants at great prices, the gift shops also offer great value for money and comprise of the same trinkets you would otherwise purchase in Fishermans Wharf.

As for other activities, city-wise you have cycling tours, Segway tours and bay tours – no shortage of action here. If you want to explore further, a winery tour out to the Napa region is a great way to spend the day. Out of recommendation from friends, Michelle and I did the Green Dreams tour, a small intimate tour of 10 people. Green Dreams was a fantastic way to explore the smaller wineries of the Napa region, sample a huge variety of local wines and food and make some friends along the way.

Weather wise, regardless of the season, I would recommend dressing in layers as even in summer, San Francisco can go through a number of seasons in one day. When it’s cold, it’s cold and when it’s hot –it’s hot.