San Francisco Area Attractions

San Francisco is often called "Everybody’s Favorite City," a title earned by its scenic beauty, cultural attractions, diverse communities, and world-class cuisine.   Measuring 49 square miles, this very walk-able city is dotted with landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Alcatraz and the largest Chinatown in the United States.   A stroll of the City’s streets can lead to Union Square, the Italian-flavored North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Castro, Japantown and the Mission District, with intriguing neighborhoods to explore at every turn.

Views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are often laced with fog, creating a romantic mood in this most European of American cities.  The City has a colorful past, growing from a small village to a major city nearly overnight as a result of the 1849 Gold Rush. 

The City is home to world-class theatre, opera, symphony and ballet companies and often boasts premieres of Broadway-bound plays and culture-changing performing arts.  San Francisco is one of America’s greatest dining cities.  The diverse cultural influences, proximity of the freshest ingredients and competitive creativity of the chefs result in unforgettable dining experiences throughout the City. 

Alcatraz Island


Tel: 415/773-1188 (info only)

Alcatraz Island offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes which saved the tribes. Rich in history, there is also a natural side to the Rock - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare.

Allow about 2 1/2 hours for the round-trip boat ride and the tour. Wear comfortable shoes and take a heavy sweater or windbreaker, because even when the sun's out, it's cold out there. The excursion to Alcatraz is popular and space is limited, so purchase tickets as far in advance as possible. For tour and ferry information go to www.alcatrazcruises.com.

Hours: Winter daily 9:30am-2:15pm; summer daily 9:30am-4:15pm. Ferries depart 15 and 45 min. after the hour. Arrive at least 20 min. before sailing time. Night tours leave Thurs-Sun at 4:20 and 5:10pm

Location: Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf

Price: Admission (includes ferry trip and audio tour) $16 adults with headset, $12 without; $15 seniors 62 and older with headset, $9.75 without; $11 children 5-11 with headset, $8.25 without. Night tours cost $24 adults; $21 seniors 62 and older; $14 children 5-11

Cable Cars

1201 Mason St.

Although they may not be San Francisco's most practical means of transportation, cable cars are certainly the best loved and are a must-experience when visiting the city. Designated official historic landmarks by the National Park Service in 1964, they clank up and down the city's steep hills like mobile museum pieces. San Francisco's three existing cable car lines form the world's only surviving system of cable cars.

Location: Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines begin at the base of Powell and Market Sts.; California St. line begins at the foot of Market St

Price: $3 per ride

Coit Tower

Tel: 415/362-0808

1 Telegraph Hill Blvd

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.

Hours: Daily 10am-6:30pm

Transportation: Bus: 39 (Coit)

Price: Admission is free to enter; to go to the top $3.75 adults, $2.50 seniors, $1.50 children 6-12

Farmer's Market

Tel: 415/291-3276

If you're heading to The Ferry Building Marketplace or just happen to be in the area at the right time, make a point of visiting the Farmers' Market, which is held in the alfresco areas in front of and behind the marketplace several days per week. This is where San Francisco foodies and many of the best local chefs peruse alfresco stands hawking the finest Northern California fruits, vegetables, breads, dairy, flowers, and readymade snacks by a few local restaurants. You'll be amazed at the variety and quality, and the crowded scene itself is something to behold.

Hours: April-Nov Sat 8am-2pm; Tues, Thurs, and Sun 10am-2pm; Dec-Mar Tues 10am-2pm and Sat 8am-2pm

Location: The Embarcadero, at Market St

Transportation: Bus: 2, 7, 12, 14, 21, 66, or 71. Streetcar: F. BART: Embarcadero

Ferry Building Marketplace

Tel: 415/693-0996

There's no better way to enjoy a San Francisco morning than strolling this gourmet marketplace in the newly renovated Ferry Building and snacking your way through breakfast or lunch. Tasty tenants, open daily, include many of the best of Northern California's gourmet bounty: Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan Cheese Shop, Recchiuti Confections (amazing!), Scharffen Berger Chocolate, Acme breads, Wine Country's gourmet diner Taylor's Refresher, famed Vietnamese restaurant The Slanted Door, and myriad other restaurants, eateries, and wine bars.

Hours: Most stores open daily 10am-6pm; restaurant hours vary

Location: The Embarcadero, at Market St

Transportation: Bus: 2, 7, 12, 14, 21, 66, or 71. Streetcar: F. BART: Embarcadero

Fisherman's Wharf

Tel: 415/956-3493

Originally called Meigg's Wharf, this bustling strip of waterfront got its present moniker from generations of fishers who used to base their boats here. Accommodating a total of 350 boats, two marinas flank PIER 39 and house the Blue & Gold bay sightseeing fleet. In recent years, some 600 California sea lions have taken up residence on the adjacent floating docks. Until they abandon their new playground, which seems more and more unlikely, these playful, noisy creatures (some nights you can hear them all the way from Washington Sq.) are one of the best free attractions on the wharf.

Location: At Taylor St. and Embarcadero

Transportation: By bus, take no. 15, 30, 32, 39, 42, or 82X. By streetcar, take the F-line. Take the Powell-Mason cable car to the last stop and walk to the wharf.

Golden Gate Bridge

The year 2006 marked the 69th birthday of possibly the most beautiful, and certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world. Often half-veiled by the city's trademark rolling fog, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge spans tidal currents, ocean waves, and battering winds to connect the City by the Bay with the Redwood Empire to the north. The 1 3/4 mile bridge (longer if you factor in the approach), which reaches a height of 746 feet above the water, is awesome to cross. Millions of pedestrians walk or bike across the bridge each year, gazing up at the tall red towers, out at the vistas of San Francisco and Marin County, and down into the stacks of oceangoing liners. You can walk out onto the span from either end, but be prepared -- it's usually windy and cold, and the bridge vibrates. Still, walking even a short distance is one of the best ways to experience the immense scale of the structure.

Location: Hwy. 101 N

Transportation: Bridge-bound Golden Gate Transit buses (tel. 415/923-2000) depart every 30 min. during the day for Marin County, starting from the Transbay Terminal (Mission and First sts.) and stopping at Market and Seventh sts., at the Civic Center, and along Van Ness Ave. and Lombard St