I was just making a recommendation for a friend and I realized I should write a blog for San Francisco to reference whenever someone visits. Unfortunately I don't really know about living accommodations - I would likely rent an Airbnb or hostel depending if I was alone or with someone. If I was staying a few days, yes I would indeed stay in the city the entire time. If I had someone with me and wanted to save money on a longer trip I would definitely look at renting an airbnb out of the city near a BART stop for quick access to the city and surrounding areas. Google a map and find a bart line, check out costs around bart stations in the city and in surrounding areas for more options.
My list of things to do in San Fran kind of go like this... and as a friend recently moved here, I am obliged to recommend always carrying with you a light northface type jacket for infrequent rain and frequent chilly days. California has the best weather in the world, with consistently refreshing/chilly mornings and evenings. Though it may be hot out during the day, locals almost always have a hoody or north face with them for a reason (look around).
If it is possible for you, I recommend looking into taking flying lessons over the city. This takes some prior coordination and planning but is very easy to do and can be affordable depending on packages desired and distances. It is a great combination of experiencing flight, and views. I also recommend sunset cruises or dinner cruises under the golden gate with the possibility of seeing whales. If you know tide information, whales tend to surface more commonly during a strong ebb from what I've noticed, and I would imagine it may work the same for a flood too, but not as much during a slack. I think it has to do with feeding but only guessing.
1. The number one thing I would do if I visited San Francisco as a tourist knowing what I know now is: I would wake up early, take a ferry to angel island from SF pier and hike to the top of Angel Island (easy hike, roughly 1.5 hours total roundtrip time). I used to sail to Angel Island, have lunch, then stop in Sausalito, under the golden gate, and end up in Marina. Then I would walk up to baker beach area and view the golden gate at sunset. One such trip was with Lane, and it was truly a great memory. Without a sail boat, I believe you could get crafty and rent bicycles with alternate drop off points and bike across the golden gate/through sausalito, cough up the money for an uber, or perhaps use the public transportation system. In one day, you should realistically be able to get the best view of the bay area, start in SF, visit Sausalito, cross the golden gate, and grab tons of stunning photos. It will definitely take some planning, but you could do this on any day, with short notice.
2. I would plan ahead and book alcatraz tickets. You leave from SF (or I did at least) and it is a wonderful experience with minimal effort - you are guided.
3. Twin Peaks. Twin peaks is where many commercials are made, and is a short drive from the city. Your reward is one of my favorite views of one of my favorite cities. Ideally you'd go at night, grab some dinner in a local spot you drive past (they should all be good), explore new areas, maybe even get lost a bit, see wonderful architecture, and end up on a romantic/cozy hill looking at the night lights of SF. Sunset doesn't really do a lot for me here because the sun is behind the hill setting on the city.
4. Treasure Island. Treasure island is being developed so it may change over time, but it contains a coast guard base and a lot of viewpoints to SF. There is a small marina there as well. There are events on weekends such as flea markets, concerts, etc, but really just take the 15 minute drive or the hop on hop off bus and catch another beautiful view of the city. Again, night time is best, or sunset as you're looking towards the city with the sun setting behind it.
5. Food. Blackwoods in Marina is one of my favorite fusion places, somewhat reasonably priced and very interesting/delicious menu - casual dress and walk in available. Cliffhouse is my favorite restaurant I've never been to, supposedly wonderful views of the sunset on the ocean - definitely reserve ahead of time, I would imagine business casual dress or formal. Ideale is one of the best italian restaurants and is in the north beach area, it is affordable, simple, and delicious - casual dress. Tons of little restaurants and places to eat in SF contain hidden gems, the food scene turns over quite a bit and there are often new places popping up, for the most part you can find almost anything you want food wise, and part of the fun is exploring a bit. The ferry building is one of my favorite places to go, they have lots of shops inside and specifically the san fran meat company has a lunch deal you can't beat - pulled pork and potatoes for like $10. Grab some fruit, cheese, ice cream, any kind of local snack you want. My favorite restaurant in the world is called "Dish Dash" not to be confused with "Dish-n-Dash" which is their sandwich / lunch stop. Dish Dash is authentic Lebanese, and half the orders in the restaurant will be Mansaf... It is only located in San Jose area (sunnyvale and milpitas) but if you're near by, I definitely recommend it. It is a lamb/rice/yogurt meal.
6. Views from the Starlight room, Sir Francis Drake hotel and "The View Lounge" from the Marriott Marquis. These two lounges are free to walk in during operational hours and catch stunning skyline views of the city. One is in union square and I believe the other is in Financial District. Easily google'able and no planning required. Casual dress is fine. Snacks / beverages available.
7. Hop on hop off bus tour. I did this with my family a while back and it was awesome. If you decide to use this, you can catch many of the sites I am talking about on this tour. The route may have changed so look up where the bus routes go, carefully choose which bus route you want to purchase, and enjoy!
8. Parks.
Crissy Field was beautiful, I did a barbeque there for someone's birthday and always wanted to go back but haven't been able to find the time. I recommend going for a walk through here if you have a rental car, or eating a picnic etc, if you have extra time.
Ghiradelli square. Behind ghiradelli square is one of my favorite little beaches often teeming with people and swimmers, lots of things going on. You can get a snack from the ghiradelli shop and head down and people watch for a bit, shouldn't take too long and was very enjoyable for me each time I went.
Marshall's beach was one of the best sunset dinners I've ever had - stunning and while it may be tricky to find the entrance, it was easy to find privacy. If you're with a special someone I highly recommend a sunset picnic somewhere on the west coast. Grab food on the way to go, or make it yourself, doesn't matter, you're sure to have a good experience- but it can get cold. Baker's beach is also lovely, and more popular/larger than Marshall's beach.
Golden Gate Park was huge to walk through during a free concert I attended. I remember seeing a random buffalo and soccer fields etc. Many people really enjoy that park, I went once and was glad I went but did not return so I'm not sure it made that large of an impact on me.
Fisherman's wharf is a must see, I guess, it is a huge tourist trap but for a reason (it is also called pier 39). I don't really recommend eating dinner in that area as you can find better non touristy restaurants for better prices elsewhere. Swing by, take a walk, see the seals, grab some ice cream and keep moving along. Traffic is TERRIBLE in this area, well, it is bad everywhere, but particularly bad here.
Coit tower. Coit tower is worth checking out, there can be a bit of a line but not a big deal, you should be able to knock this out easily along with many other sites in a day of exploring. Usually you travel lombard ave to the other end and see the waving road as well.
9. Tons of sites I can't name individually but will try. You have Lands End, Castro District, Mission District, Chinatown district, Italian district, Financial district, Captial area, Haight Ashbury, Inner/outter Sunset,Golden Gate, all kinds of things to see and do... and it all takes a lot of time. I am checking out the ice cream museum and will let you know. There are tons of museums such as disney, etc... too many things to do. I heard there is an excellent theatre/concert/opera/broadway scene as well, there are literally so many things to do.
10. Surrounding areas. There are so many things to see and do outside of San Fran, such as:
Alamere falls / Point Reyes National Park / Mount Tamalpais - definitely an all day escape from the city. You'll see things like stinson beach and mill valley along the way.
Muirwood park. I hiked this all day one day and wasn't too impressed, I don't plan on going back but people spoke so highly of it I had to check it out. It is a short drive from the city near Stinson beach and up the same direction as Point Reyes.
Half Moon Bay - roughly an hour drive from SF, this is an escape to what feels like another ecosystem. Really a great time every time I visit and reminds me of a small coastal town in oregon more so than just outside silicon valley.
Alameda - Interesting little area with lots of local stuff to do, also a navy ship turned into a museum I believe you can visit.
Palo Alto / Stanford (30 min drive/can cal train it)
Atherton - Supposedly one of the most expensive or well off areas in the US. It is a town next to Palo Alto, but could be confused as a subdivision of Palo Alto. It is nice to check out the properties and area if you're already in Palo Alto. Average home price is around 7 million.
Yosemite (four hour drive/can jump on a bus/multiple day trip)
-Half dome trail is all day and needs a lottery. You put in for the lottery at the beginning of the season, or you can do it 2 days before the day you wish to hike at recreation.gov. Simply google half dome lotteries. It is only open during the summer months. Panorama trail is supposed to be breathtaking. John muir was great for me, four mile trail was awesome but quite difficult and you can drive to the top of it. I haven't seen upper yosemite yet and need to take a second trip there. I spent two very full days there and only got half of it done - at an accelerated pace. You can also float the river. It is kind of pricy here, and everything closes at 10pm, good planning and planning is very beneficial.
Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Area (3.5 hour drive/can jump on a bus/ possible 1 day trip)
-this area is good summer or winter. I went more in the summer than in the winter as it is warmer and I don't like skiing that much.
Napa Valley (1 hour drive/can jump on a bus/day trip)
-endless wineries to investigate and nice scenery/history. good restaurants and vibe. can be expensive.
Berkeley (25 minute drive/bartable)
-check out the campus, have some good food. protest.
Oakland (15 minute drive/quick bart)
-berkeley and oakland have tons of wonderful and unique food options plus great views.
-oakland is rather large, many areas to find/visit. two areas are jack london square, college ave, and claremont/piedmont area. Oakland has a wonderful ramen place called the ramen shop on college ave with great ice cream/pizza/chocolate options nearby. Wonderful sushi place called Shimizu Cuisine as well. Berkeley has one of the best pizza places called jupiter.
Silicon Valley / San Jose / Santa Clara etc (45 minute drive/bart to fremont)
-facebook, google, apple, tesla, etc
Livermore - (bartable / 45 min drive) - beautiful wineries and golf courses, awesome small downtown area.
Hearst Castle / Big Sur / Pfeiffer Beach / Pismo / Pasa Robles (Day trip/multiple days - four hours or so drive)
There are so, so, so many things to do.
My list of things to do in San Fran kind of go like this... and as a friend recently moved here, I am obliged to recommend always carrying with you a light northface type jacket for infrequent rain and frequent chilly days. California has the best weather in the world, with consistently refreshing/chilly mornings and evenings. Though it may be hot out during the day, locals almost always have a hoody or north face with them for a reason (look around).
If it is possible for you, I recommend looking into taking flying lessons over the city. This takes some prior coordination and planning but is very easy to do and can be affordable depending on packages desired and distances. It is a great combination of experiencing flight, and views. I also recommend sunset cruises or dinner cruises under the golden gate with the possibility of seeing whales. If you know tide information, whales tend to surface more commonly during a strong ebb from what I've noticed, and I would imagine it may work the same for a flood too, but not as much during a slack. I think it has to do with feeding but only guessing.
1. The number one thing I would do if I visited San Francisco as a tourist knowing what I know now is: I would wake up early, take a ferry to angel island from SF pier and hike to the top of Angel Island (easy hike, roughly 1.5 hours total roundtrip time). I used to sail to Angel Island, have lunch, then stop in Sausalito, under the golden gate, and end up in Marina. Then I would walk up to baker beach area and view the golden gate at sunset. One such trip was with Lane, and it was truly a great memory. Without a sail boat, I believe you could get crafty and rent bicycles with alternate drop off points and bike across the golden gate/through sausalito, cough up the money for an uber, or perhaps use the public transportation system. In one day, you should realistically be able to get the best view of the bay area, start in SF, visit Sausalito, cross the golden gate, and grab tons of stunning photos. It will definitely take some planning, but you could do this on any day, with short notice.
2. I would plan ahead and book alcatraz tickets. You leave from SF (or I did at least) and it is a wonderful experience with minimal effort - you are guided.
3. Twin Peaks. Twin peaks is where many commercials are made, and is a short drive from the city. Your reward is one of my favorite views of one of my favorite cities. Ideally you'd go at night, grab some dinner in a local spot you drive past (they should all be good), explore new areas, maybe even get lost a bit, see wonderful architecture, and end up on a romantic/cozy hill looking at the night lights of SF. Sunset doesn't really do a lot for me here because the sun is behind the hill setting on the city.
4. Treasure Island. Treasure island is being developed so it may change over time, but it contains a coast guard base and a lot of viewpoints to SF. There is a small marina there as well. There are events on weekends such as flea markets, concerts, etc, but really just take the 15 minute drive or the hop on hop off bus and catch another beautiful view of the city. Again, night time is best, or sunset as you're looking towards the city with the sun setting behind it.
5. Food. Blackwoods in Marina is one of my favorite fusion places, somewhat reasonably priced and very interesting/delicious menu - casual dress and walk in available. Cliffhouse is my favorite restaurant I've never been to, supposedly wonderful views of the sunset on the ocean - definitely reserve ahead of time, I would imagine business casual dress or formal. Ideale is one of the best italian restaurants and is in the north beach area, it is affordable, simple, and delicious - casual dress. Tons of little restaurants and places to eat in SF contain hidden gems, the food scene turns over quite a bit and there are often new places popping up, for the most part you can find almost anything you want food wise, and part of the fun is exploring a bit. The ferry building is one of my favorite places to go, they have lots of shops inside and specifically the san fran meat company has a lunch deal you can't beat - pulled pork and potatoes for like $10. Grab some fruit, cheese, ice cream, any kind of local snack you want. My favorite restaurant in the world is called "Dish Dash" not to be confused with "Dish-n-Dash" which is their sandwich / lunch stop. Dish Dash is authentic Lebanese, and half the orders in the restaurant will be Mansaf... It is only located in San Jose area (sunnyvale and milpitas) but if you're near by, I definitely recommend it. It is a lamb/rice/yogurt meal.
6. Views from the Starlight room, Sir Francis Drake hotel and "The View Lounge" from the Marriott Marquis. These two lounges are free to walk in during operational hours and catch stunning skyline views of the city. One is in union square and I believe the other is in Financial District. Easily google'able and no planning required. Casual dress is fine. Snacks / beverages available.
7. Hop on hop off bus tour. I did this with my family a while back and it was awesome. If you decide to use this, you can catch many of the sites I am talking about on this tour. The route may have changed so look up where the bus routes go, carefully choose which bus route you want to purchase, and enjoy!
8. Parks.
Crissy Field was beautiful, I did a barbeque there for someone's birthday and always wanted to go back but haven't been able to find the time. I recommend going for a walk through here if you have a rental car, or eating a picnic etc, if you have extra time.
Ghiradelli square. Behind ghiradelli square is one of my favorite little beaches often teeming with people and swimmers, lots of things going on. You can get a snack from the ghiradelli shop and head down and people watch for a bit, shouldn't take too long and was very enjoyable for me each time I went.
Marshall's beach was one of the best sunset dinners I've ever had - stunning and while it may be tricky to find the entrance, it was easy to find privacy. If you're with a special someone I highly recommend a sunset picnic somewhere on the west coast. Grab food on the way to go, or make it yourself, doesn't matter, you're sure to have a good experience- but it can get cold. Baker's beach is also lovely, and more popular/larger than Marshall's beach.
Golden Gate Park was huge to walk through during a free concert I attended. I remember seeing a random buffalo and soccer fields etc. Many people really enjoy that park, I went once and was glad I went but did not return so I'm not sure it made that large of an impact on me.
Fisherman's wharf is a must see, I guess, it is a huge tourist trap but for a reason (it is also called pier 39). I don't really recommend eating dinner in that area as you can find better non touristy restaurants for better prices elsewhere. Swing by, take a walk, see the seals, grab some ice cream and keep moving along. Traffic is TERRIBLE in this area, well, it is bad everywhere, but particularly bad here.
Coit tower. Coit tower is worth checking out, there can be a bit of a line but not a big deal, you should be able to knock this out easily along with many other sites in a day of exploring. Usually you travel lombard ave to the other end and see the waving road as well.
9. Tons of sites I can't name individually but will try. You have Lands End, Castro District, Mission District, Chinatown district, Italian district, Financial district, Captial area, Haight Ashbury, Inner/outter Sunset,Golden Gate, all kinds of things to see and do... and it all takes a lot of time. I am checking out the ice cream museum and will let you know. There are tons of museums such as disney, etc... too many things to do. I heard there is an excellent theatre/concert/opera/broadway scene as well, there are literally so many things to do.
10. Surrounding areas. There are so many things to see and do outside of San Fran, such as:
Alamere falls / Point Reyes National Park / Mount Tamalpais - definitely an all day escape from the city. You'll see things like stinson beach and mill valley along the way.
Muirwood park. I hiked this all day one day and wasn't too impressed, I don't plan on going back but people spoke so highly of it I had to check it out. It is a short drive from the city near Stinson beach and up the same direction as Point Reyes.
Half Moon Bay - roughly an hour drive from SF, this is an escape to what feels like another ecosystem. Really a great time every time I visit and reminds me of a small coastal town in oregon more so than just outside silicon valley.
Alameda - Interesting little area with lots of local stuff to do, also a navy ship turned into a museum I believe you can visit.
Palo Alto / Stanford (30 min drive/can cal train it)
Atherton - Supposedly one of the most expensive or well off areas in the US. It is a town next to Palo Alto, but could be confused as a subdivision of Palo Alto. It is nice to check out the properties and area if you're already in Palo Alto. Average home price is around 7 million.
Yosemite (four hour drive/can jump on a bus/multiple day trip)
-Half dome trail is all day and needs a lottery. You put in for the lottery at the beginning of the season, or you can do it 2 days before the day you wish to hike at recreation.gov. Simply google half dome lotteries. It is only open during the summer months. Panorama trail is supposed to be breathtaking. John muir was great for me, four mile trail was awesome but quite difficult and you can drive to the top of it. I haven't seen upper yosemite yet and need to take a second trip there. I spent two very full days there and only got half of it done - at an accelerated pace. You can also float the river. It is kind of pricy here, and everything closes at 10pm, good planning and planning is very beneficial.
Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Area (3.5 hour drive/can jump on a bus/ possible 1 day trip)
-this area is good summer or winter. I went more in the summer than in the winter as it is warmer and I don't like skiing that much.
Napa Valley (1 hour drive/can jump on a bus/day trip)
-endless wineries to investigate and nice scenery/history. good restaurants and vibe. can be expensive.
Berkeley (25 minute drive/bartable)
-check out the campus, have some good food. protest.
Oakland (15 minute drive/quick bart)
-berkeley and oakland have tons of wonderful and unique food options plus great views.
-oakland is rather large, many areas to find/visit. two areas are jack london square, college ave, and claremont/piedmont area. Oakland has a wonderful ramen place called the ramen shop on college ave with great ice cream/pizza/chocolate options nearby. Wonderful sushi place called Shimizu Cuisine as well. Berkeley has one of the best pizza places called jupiter.
Silicon Valley / San Jose / Santa Clara etc (45 minute drive/bart to fremont)
-facebook, google, apple, tesla, etc
Livermore - (bartable / 45 min drive) - beautiful wineries and golf courses, awesome small downtown area.
Hearst Castle / Big Sur / Pfeiffer Beach / Pismo / Pasa Robles (Day trip/multiple days - four hours or so drive)
There are so, so, so many things to do.
