Co Author: Kankana Debnath
San Francisco as a city needs no introduction. It is the city that grew with the Gold Rush in the mid-19th Century to today’s Gateway to the Silicon Valley, it has managed to grow and stay relevant over the centuries.
The city has so many places to see, that it would be difficult to cover everything in a day or 2. In this travel guide, we would highlight some of the most important places to visit.
The Best way to travel in San Francisco would be to use the Hop On Hop Off Buses. These are double decker buses with an open Top Floor and moves in routes covering most of the attractions of the city. You can get in at any point and get down at others throughout the Day. They do have multiple options of 1 Day Tours, 2 Day Tours and also Night Tours. Some of the Tours include Alcatraz and some include Sausalito or both. You can plan for your trip and then decide on the kind of tour ticket that you want to purchase.
The Golden Gate Bridge: The most iconic place in San Francisco is certainly the Golden Gate Bridge. There are Vista Points on both the sides of the Bridge where you can take Pictures. You also get to see the amazing Skyline of San Francisco from these points.
Sausalito: Sausalito is just 10 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and quickly takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It has a Marina, A lot of House boats, a walkway by the Bay dotted with Cafes and Souvenir Shops. This place is certainly worth a visit and if you take the Sausalito Package from the Hop On Hop Off Service, it provides Shuttle Service from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Union Square: Back in the City, Union Square is a hub for Tourists. It has Malls having Departmental Stores like Macys, Bloomingdales etc. You can board on the Famous San Francisco Trams/ Cable Cars from here. This is also close to China Town and if you are interested, you can go for a Walking Tour. Hop On Hop Off tickets often includes this Walking Tour.
Haight-Ashbury: This neighborhood on the Intersection of Haight Street and Ashbury Street is worth a walk and it represents the counter culture of the 1960 made famous by rock stars and punk bands. You will get to see colorful buildings and massive graffities.
Golden Gate Park: If you are interested in Botany, this is a good place. Japanese Tea Gardens, Botanical Gardens and a couple museums are also close by.
Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf: This is the 2nd most iconic place in San Francisco after the Golden Gate Bridge. The Wharf is famous for the Sea Lions that come to the dock and you can watch them really up close. There are Shops, Restaurants and a Hard Rock Café here. Ferries for Alcatraz also depart from here.
Alcatraz Islands: The island famous for its Prison which has been made popular by a large number of Hollywood Movies. The prison is not active any more. You get to have an idea of the life of the prisoners there when they lived here. The queues for ferries etc. are often long, so you would need to keep quite some time for this. We decided to skip Alcatraz because we spend just a couple of days there.
Other than these attractions, there are plenty of Museums, A Madame Tussauds, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Aquarium by the Bay etc. You can choose to spend time in any of them if you have some time.
This is a quick Trip Planner for your San Francisco Trip. Do watch our YouTube video.
