San Francisco – The Bridge With a View
San Francisco is a cheerful city. With a great weather (unpredictable though!), it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the United States of America with a hippy, happy spirit. Sporting a dramatic look, the city is home to 48 hills over which it rests, giving some stunning views of the bay and the waterfront. In San Francisco the dusks are sublime, orange and tangerine, making for a breathtaking ambience.
Once you’ve made the mandatory visit to the famous Golden Gate and admired the brilliant views, set out to explore the rest of this wonderful city. San Francisco has something for everyone. Poetry recital? Check. Bumming at the beach? Check. Funky bars? Check. Sport? Check. Old monuments? Check. So eat at Chinatown, watch a Giants game, eat some sensational seafood, and lounge at the beach. What else? Just relax.
PLACES to VISIT
- Golden Gate Bridge: Visit the Golden Gate National recreation area and the Golden Gates park. Or just soak up the views from this famous gate.
- Chinatown: With the second largest Chinese population outside of China, this is a vibrant quarter with colourful balconies, chirping crickets and a host of Chinese restaurants, many over a hundred years old and therefore heritage buildings in themselves. A must visit.
- Museums: Most of San Francisco's art galleries and museums are open free to the public on the first day of the week or month (sometimes both), and several never charge admission. Go wild! Visit the Asian Art Museum, the zoo, the California academy of Sciences, the Wells Fargo History Museum, and more such places.
- Shopping: Union Square has some of the biggest brands and all designer stores. There are also some chic boutiques worth checking out here.
TRAVEL TIPS
- For tourists, the most convenient areas to stay in San Francisco are Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf. Avoid areas like Van Ness and Lombard Street which are also popular with tourists and will be crowded and noisy.
- Don't rent a car to get around San Francisco. It's a small city and all the sights worth seeing are close together. Choose a hotel in a convenient location and use public transport to get from one place to the other.
- You might want to visit Alcatraz island on your trip to San Francisco. Alcatraz tours fill up fast, so book in advance online to avoid being disappointed.
BEST TIME to go
Like the rest of California, San Francisco is warm all the year around, making it an ideal destination no matter what month of the year.
BEST WAY to Reach
- Air: Being the big city it is, San Francisco is well connected with the world, as well as the rest of the US by air. All major airlines fly to San Francisco regularly.
ACCOMMODATION
Since so many tourists flock to San Francisco, make sure you make hotel reservations way in advance. Any decent hotel will cost you about 100 dollars. If you’re looking for something cheaper, you can stay in a hostel which will fall within your budget.