|
|
|
YOUR AD HERE
YOUR AD HERE
YOUR AD HERE
YOUR AD HERE
YOUR AD HERE
|
Within City Walls (Clicking on red colored text will link to more info or videos or official sites)
Union Square
Union Square is the most important and liveliest square in San Francisco. Here and in the neighboring areas you can find shops, bars, restaurants and a good atmosphere. The biggest names in retail and the ladies who lunch make Union Square anything but square. |
Fisherman's Wharf
The former port of San Francisco, nowadays Fisherman's Wharf is one of the biggest tourist sites of the city. This is where the famous sea lions live. A popular touristy place. Waterfront marketplaces & the fishing fleet make for a terrific fish story. |
SoMa
South of Market, also known as "SOMA," is more than two square miles of sleek nightclubs, fashionable restaurants, art hubs and the nation’s most beautiful ballpark. Yerba Buena Gardens is one of the most important parks in the heart of the city. |
Alamo Square
Apart from the Golden Gate Bridge, if there is one image associated with San Francisco, it is the Alamo Square. Its colorful Victorian houses have been used in filming many different movies and series. Seems more like a postcard picture scene. |
Chinatown
The 24 block of Chinese district in SF. Don't miss the Golden Gate Cookie Factory (on Ross Alley), where every day, two women make 20,000 fortune cookies by hand. A very crowded and densely packed place with tourist friendly shops, markets and restaurants. |
Haight-Ashbury
The most alternative and hippy area of SF. In this area you can find a huge number of shops, restaurants and bars with live music. Forty years later, the "Summer of Love" lives on throughout this charming Victorian sector, one of the world’s top medical schools. |
Nob Hill
Of the city's 40-plus, Nob Hill boasts perhaps the best view of San Francisco Bay, especially when observed from a California Street cable car. It's an affluent neighborhood dating back to the gold rush. Russian Hill, a nearby quieter residential area |
Little Italy
"Little Italy" is a beautiful area where you can start the evening strolling around and finish off eating at one of the many Italian restaurants there. The buildings here are characterized by their wonderful charm and color, and impressive paintings. |
North Beach
Rich in Italian heritage, compresses cabarets, jazz clubs, galleries, inns, family style restaurants and gelato parlors into less than a square mile. Columbus runs through the grand church and famous cafés to the Transamerica pyramid, accessible to Market. |
Embarcadero
The Financial District, Sea captains and captains of commerce, the old haunts of the Barbary Coast and an island with worldly airs yield a bounty of fun. Areas include Jackson Square, Treasure Island. Along the Center is YMCA the city's flagship branch. |
Civic Center
Three districts: one of the trendiest, one of the newest and one of the oldest are all anchored by a Beaux Arts masterwork.It's the primary center of government within the city and many civic institutions are housed here. Rich history and eclectic community. |
Japantown
Fillmore Street, and more generally Fillmore District is one of the favorite areas for San Francisco residents to live. Visit Japan without a passport, sip a cup of java and jive to some jazz where the Far East meets the “Harlem of the West.”. |
Golden Gate Bridge
You can look at the Golden Gate Bridge from all over town. Some stalk it like a paparazzi trailing a film star, trying to photograph it from all angles. Others drive across, bike over it or just take a walk on it - the best way to get a real feel for its size, especially when you see how small those big ships look when you're right above them at mid-span. One of the world' most-photographed sights. |
Alcatraz
Alcatraz prison wasn't always a place people wanted to go, but today it's one of the city's most popular sights, its mystique pumped up by famous films about the criminals who lived on it or tried to escape from it. You'll take a ferry to get to Alcatraz and once on the island, you can walk up to the prison buildings and tour the cell block, exercise yard and other locations. |
Cable Car Ride
For the visitor, San Francisco cable cars are not a means of transportation but a destination, one of the things one has to "see" if they go to the City by the Bay. They also provide transportation to many of the city’s most popular areas. The San Francisco cable cars run on three routes. Two of them start from the same place at Powell and Market, check the sign on the end and get on the right one. |
Lombard Street
Although billed as the the "Crookedest" Street, Lombard actually isn't, nor is it the steepest, but it's surely the best-known. It's only a block long, with eight sharp turns, the roadway flanked by colorful flowers. Most visitors drive down, it's one-way and you can't drive up. Others walk to the bottom, take photos and leave. You can also get off the cable car at the top and walk down. |
Transamerica Pyramid
A unique silhouette in the sky. Innovation and strength. Like Transamerica itself, the Pyramid has become a recognized landmark worldwide that celebrates these attributes. The tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline and one of its most iconic. The Virtual Observation Deck has four cameras at the very top of the spire. The Pyramid has 49 stories. |
Twin Peaks
The name Twin Peaks comes from its two practically identical hills. With an altitude of 920 meters, they are the second highest peaks in San Francisco. In the lower part of the Twin Peaks a residential community has developed with colorful houses built up the slope. Without any doubt, you can get some exceptional views from the Twin Peaks that you could not see elsewhere. |
Legion of Honor
Designed as a memorial to California's World War I casualties, this neoclassical structure is an exact replica of the one in Paris, right down to the inscription HONNEUR ET PATRIE above the portal. The exterior's grassy expanses, cliff-side paths, and incredible view of the Golden Gate and downtown make this an absolute must-visit attraction The inside is equally impressive. |
Coit Tower
In a city known for its great views and vantage points, Coit Tower is one of the best. Located atop Telegraph Hill, just east of North Beach, the round stone tower offers panoramic views of the city and the bay. Inside the base of the tower are impressive and murals. The murals are the collaborative effort of more than 25 artists, many of whom had studied under Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. |
The Exploratorium
A modern, hands on science museum housed in The Palace of Fine Arts, a Roman style remainder of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. The outdoor rotunda and its lagoon are some of the most photographed sights. One of the first modern science museums and still one of the best, with lots of exhibits to go around, simple enough that they don't break. |
Hakone
Saratoga's beautiful Japanese gardens are located just 1/10th of a mile above the Village of Saratoga. In this city park you will find one of the most beautiful and authentic Japanese gardens. Experience the oldest Asian estate and garden in the Western Hemisphere: 18 acres of magnificent beauty nestled in the verdant hills of Saratoga. |
USS Pampanito
The submarine USS Pampanito can be found on Fisherman's Wharf. This was a submarine from the WWII that survived a countless number of battles in the Pacific; it sank six enemy ships and managed to rescue 73 men and take them to the US. Visit the rooms where the crew lived; the kitchen, the dining room, a small office and the dormitories are still the same as they were at the time. |
Yerba Buena Gardens
The name for two blocks of public parks. In 1999 received the Gold Medal of the biannual Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. Located in the Gardens are the Center for the Arts, a contemporary arts center, and Zeum, an award winning children's media and technology museum. An ice skating rink, a bowling alley, and a restored 1905 carousel Playland-at-the-Beach. |
Aquarium of the Bay
A nature center where you can admire marine animals from up close.After learning some information about the ecosystems that make up the bay you can walk through two glass tunnels while surrounded by more than 20,000 marine animals, including sharks, rays, giant octopuses and hundreds of starfish. You have the opportunity to touch sharks, rays and other animals from the bay. |
San Francisco Zoo
The largest zoological park in Northern California and one of the Bay Area's most popular cultural and recreational attractions, the San Francisco Zoo is home to over 250 species of exotic and domestic mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. From the smallest insect to the tallest giraffe, you're sure to find a story that touches and inspires you. Visit their native gardens. |
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
The Park is a peaceful, creative and safe place for children of all ages, with the main focus on 'little ones' between the ages of 2-10. There are creative play areas, children's rides, hand puppet and marionette shows, special events, and birthday areas. Happy Hollow Park & Zoo exists to provide an affordable, sustainable, conservation centered outdoor adventure for families with children. Visit the Puppet Theatre. |
Oakland Zoo
Nestled in the rolling hills of 525-acre Knowland Park. Each year thousands of families and school groups from around the Bay Area come to visit over 300 native and exotic animals that live in naturalistic habitats at the Zoo.The Oakland Zoo's mission is to inspire respect for and stewardship of the natural world, while providing a quality visitor experience. Home to more than 660 native and exotic animals. |
Pixieland Amusement Park
A clean park and great fun for kids ages 1 to 10, featuring a mini train, carousel, airplanes, antique cars, frog hopper & roller coaster! The Kids Cafe boasts fresh daily hand dipped corn dogs & spun cotton candy. No cost for admission, just buy tickets for rides. Birthday Parties! Group events! BBQ picnic area & duck pond, too! Please be sure to check posted height and safety restrictions at each ride. |
Waterworld California
An exciting water park featuring pools, slides, thrilling rides and more located in Concord. Waterworld California is Northern California’s most accessible water park! Many rides at Waterworld California are dynamic and thrilling. For your protection, each ride is rated for its special features, such as speed, steep drops, sharp turns or other dynamic features. Swimwear is required for all rides. |
Children's Fairyland
As miniature and uncynical as a toddler’s beating heart. Is the carousel spinning? Is the Bubble Elf blowing bubbles? An historic 10 acre outdoor park in which children's literature is 'brought to life' through fairy tale exhibits, animals, and Talking Storybooks which children activate by turning a 'Magic Key.' Children’s Fairyland is, in many ways, a timeless reminder of the joys of standing three-feet tall. |
California's Great America
Considered Northern California's most thrilling park. The park offers shows, thrill rides and entertainment for the entire family.Take a spin back in time as you ride the world's tallest double-decker carousel. Take a high-flying twirl 40 feet above Hollywood Plaza. Celebration Swings spins you in a 70-foot diameter circle at nine to 11 revolutions per minute. Or visit 200 foot observation tower. |
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Experience wildlife and wild rides at America's only combination theme park, wildlife park, and oceanarium. Come see how more than 30 exhilarating rides, 10 shows, and 35 exotic animal attractions add up to one amazing adventure. Get in the water with our Atlantic bottlenose dolphins where you will spend quality time swimming with these marine mammals in a rare hands-on learning session lasts approximately two hours. |
Children's Discovery
The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is a striking 52,000 square foot purple building was designed to serve the needs of children, families and schools as a center for learning and discovery. Encompassing the broad themes of community, connections and creativity, exhibits invite self-directed, open-ended explorations, while programs provide facilitated, focused, and sustained interactions. |
Lindsay Wildlife Museum
A wildlife rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on native California wildlife and natural history. The museum exhibits live, non-releasable native wildlife. The museum operates the oldest and one of the largest wildlife rehabilitation hospitals in the United States, treating more than 6,000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year. Store offers a wonderful selection of educational and gift items. |
Chabot Space & Science Center
The universe is yours to experience. Set amid 13 trail-laced acres of East Bay parkland, with glorious views of San Francisco Bay and the Oakland foothills, CSSC is a hands-on celebration of sights, sounds, and sensations. Chabot offers a variety of opportunities to learn about science and space in fun and engaging ways. From camp programs to online interactive games, to workshops and classes an excellent source for learning. |
Asian Art Museum
One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art. Its holdings include nearly 15,000 treasures spanning 6,000 years of history, representing cultures throughout Asia. Spanning 6,000 years, its scope and breadth enables the museum to provide an introduction to all the major traditions of Asian art and culture. The collection contains rare and exceptional objects. |
The Tech Museum
A hands-on technology museum devoted to inspiring you. Explore exhibits in a 132,000 sq.ft. museum. Play with huge cardboard robot arms and high-tech puppets that swing and jump on a trampoline. See what happens when you combine simple circuits and motors with everyday objects like markers, clocks, and scrub brushes. Meet robots designed to draw, keep track of time, and scrub the floor! |
SFMOMA
The first museum on the West Coast devoted to modern and contemporary art. From the outset, the museum has championed the most innovative and challenging art of its time, and continues to exhibit and collect work by both modern masters and younger, less established artists. See the rooftop garden, Making Sense of Modern Art mobile device. Experience it on a handheld touchscreen device. |
Cartoon Art Museum
What if Darth Vader actively raised his son? The Museum is one of three museums in the United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of cartoon art in all its forms. This unique institution houses approximately 11,000 original pieces in its permanent collection. A complete volume research/library facility. In addition to seven major exhibitions a year, the museum offers a classroom and a bookstore. |
Intel Museum
Here you can experience the power of computer chips first hand, and the evolution of their development. The museum contains exhibits of Intel's products and history as well as semiconductor technology in general. Learn about Intel microprocessor history, silicon chip design, and chip fabrication. Staff guide through the complex world of silicon technology to help understand how Intel is changing the way we live, work, and play. Interactive exhibits encourage you to explore concepts. |
Walt Disney Family Museum
This museum is dedicated to the fascinating and inspiring story of Walt Disney featuring his legacy. Enjoy many interactive exhibits as you learn about the many accomplishments of this American artist. The Museum’s collection includes some 25,000 works such as animation cels, rare film clips, concept art, scripts, musical scores, and cameras that Disney and his staff used in creating his characters and films. Walt and his family are also represented in photographs, artifacts, and home movies. |
Egyptian Museum
This beautiful Roscicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium houses several Egyptian style buildings on a 5 acre, parklike setting featuring broad lawns, palm trees, rose gardens, and exotic plants from around the world. AMORC, which stands for Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis is not a religion and does not require a specific code of belief or conduct. Rosicrucian system is unique providing a foundation together all aspects of metaphysical study, and demonstrates interconnectedness |
Cable Car Museum
The Cable Car Museum was established in 1974. It is operated by the Friends of the Cable Car Museum. Located in the historic Washington Mason cable car barn and powerhouse, the museum deck overlooks the huge engines and winding wheels that pull the cables. Downstairs is a viewing area of the large sheaves and cable line entering the building through the channel under the street. On display are various mechanical devices and a large collection of historic photographs. |
Ripleys Believe-It-Or-Not
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is San Francisco’s home to weird class family fun that is located in the world famous Fisherman’s Wharf near Pier 39. With two floors and over 10,000 square feet filled with the strange, the unusual, and the unbelievable, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is the weirdest thing on the Wharf! During your visit, marvel at collection of weird and unusual relics and rare treasures as you explore through some of the weirdest finds imaginable. |
The Wax Museum
Home to over 250 internationally known personalities. The museum's exhibits span history from dramatic moments in time to modern milestones, showcasing religious and world leaders, celebrities and superstars, and legends in sports. Artists to Zombies! Guests are inspired by the Last Supper in the Hall of Religions and horrified by the chilling Chamber of Horrors. Only wax tableaux of King Tut's Magnificent Tomb, as well as the Palace of Living Arts. |
AT&T Park
Attending a Giants game at AT&T Park is a unique and exciting entertainment experience. Perfectly situated and centrally located in San Francisco, AT&T Park is one of the most unique venues. Along with the exciting games of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park hosts several other popular events throughout the year. When you're at the park, access Giants Digital Dugout - featuring game replays, ballpark info and much more. Accessible free of charge via a Wi-Fi enabled device. |
Old Faithful Geyser
Visit the show of California's Old Faithful Geyser at Napa Valley, a spectacular, nature directed performance. Old Faithful Geyser of California throws a tower of thousands of gallons of water skyward. The water, 350 degrees hot, shoots approximately 60 feet into the air and dances on the breezes for about three or four minutes, then recedes. The stage, appears as an innocent pool of shallow water until time for the major attraction. . |
Below are popular side trips from the city and can be covered with/without an overnight stay. (Clicking on red colored text will link to more info or videos or official sites)
Sausalito
Just across San Francisco Bay, has some of the best views of San Francisco in the area. Most visitors take a stroll in Sausalito, browsing in the shops and having a bite to eat. The ferry ride across the Bay to Sausalito is like a mini-bay cruise. It takes its name for the "little willow" trees. It's a unique and picturesque community, perched on a hillside. Art galleries and souvenir shops. |
Muir Woods
Muir Woods is one of the best-known National Parks in Northern California. Due to its importance it was declared a National Monument in the year 1908. The Muir Woods National Monument is an old-growth coastal redwood forest. The monument is cool and moist year round. The star attraction of the Muir Woods is the Coast Redwood. These relatives of the Giant Sequoia are known for their height. |
San Jose
As the hub of Silicon Valley, San José has become a popular destination for tourists and business travelers. Visitors find many amenities in the City's revitalized downtown area including fine accommodations, world class restaurants and shops. Location, innovation, diverse community and attractions are just some of the things that make San Jose a great community and a great place to visit. |
Santa Barbara
A.k.a. "Riviera of the West", with its wide beaches, highly rated wineries, and a large variety of shopping and dining choices. Sited on sloping hills, SB's low-slung Spanish Revival buildings feature red-tiled roofs and white stucco walls, while its golden beaches are wide and clean, lined by palm trees along a curving bay. Home to an assortment of diners, bookshops, coffeehouses, and nightclubs. |
Napa Valley
Breathtaking views abound at every turn – mustard in the late winter, picturesque rolling hills planted with vineyards year-round and wineries of every stature dot the landscape. Whether you are wine tasting, dining at renowned restaurants like the French Laundry, pampering yourself with a mud bath in Calistoga, or just enjoying your stay at quaint bed & breakfasts, hotels or resorts. Napa Valley is your spot of heaven on earth. More than 5 million visitors come each year. |
Yosemite Mariposa
Come for Yosemite, stay for the wine, the food, the history and the fun. This is one of the world's most dramatic geological spectacles. Just 7 miles long and never more than one mile across, it is walled by near vertical 3000 foot cliffs, streaked by tumbling waterfalls and topped by domes and pinnacles that form a jagged silhouette against the sky. At ground level, grassy meadows are framed by oak, cedar, and fir trees; deer, coyotes, and even black bears are often seen. |
Fresno
Whether you're a sports enthusiast looking for the next big game, an avid art lover in search of hidden treasures, a foodie with a big appetite for fresh produce and local flavors, or the next Olympic snowboarding champion, Fresno has a playground for you, any time of year! Offers world class attractions, arts, sports, dining and lodging. Small town experience with beautiful country drives, wine tasting and outdoor adventures. Diverse cultural experiences from museums to festivals. |
Carmel-by-the-Sea
No exploration is complete without a sojourn to a town well known for its shopping as it is for its most famous former civil servant, the Honorable Mayor Clint Eastwood. This quaint amalgamation of art galleries, boutiques, hotels, shops, fine restaurants and whimsically styled homes, evoking a storybook ambiance.. The area around, known simply as Carmel, has breathtaking scenery, wonderful parks and the Carmel Mission. It is the Most Pet-Friendly City ever. Watch This Video. |