Jump to content

What to do in San Francisco, USA??


Recommended Posts

Has anyone here been to San Francisco before??

 

We are flying to San Francisco to join the Queen Elizabeth.

 

I have never been to San Francisco before, and it has been a while since I have been in the USA ( I think the last time I was in the USA was between 1995 and 1999!!).

 

What would you recommend doing in San Francisco??

 

We got 3 - 4 days there before our cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did Alcatraz . Nice trip out on the boat and interesting history. We went late afternoon so daylight out the and night while on the island- great seeing San Fran at night from the island. Good idea to pre book before you get there we booked before leaving australia about 4weeks out. Can do this via the web site a as it's very popular. Must catch the cable cars and China Town in San Fran is great (good for cheap souvenirs) Fishermans Wharf is good too. And view Golden Gate Bridge from the park at the city end.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone here been to San Francisco before??

 

We are flying to San Francisco to join the Queen Elizabeth.

 

I have never been to San Francisco before, and it has been a while since I have been in the USA ( I think the last time I was in the USA was between 1995 and 1999!!).

 

What would you recommend doing in San Francisco??

 

We got 3 - 4 days there before our cruise.

 

 

I was there earlier this year when I joined Queen Elizabeth. By the way it was a great cruise.

while I was in SF I did a Napa valley wine tour which was great and I purchased a few bottles as no limit to take on board. Also spent some tine at fishermans wharf. A tour of Alcatraze is also great. You can do a cable car ride and check out lombard st.

Just a few ideas.

 

chez

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

 

I was in SF on a work trip and only had half a day free.. so did most of what ppl have said about..

 

The one thing I would do if I had time would be to sail on an americas cup yacht in SF bay. They depart next to Fishermans wharf.. its a must do on my next visit... when ever that will be!!

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

San Fran is a fantastic city to visit, one of my favourite US ones.

 

Great parks, museums, tourist areas, as well as Alcatraz and Golden Gate. It's easy to fill in a multi-day itinerary, with options changing with preferences.

 

The cable car (get a Muni card or package which includes it), Pier 41, Coit Tower, Lombard St are all central options. But what you do on day trips is down to preference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did the night tour of Alcatraz ( a good tip is to dress warmly as it is quite cool at night) loved the experience but do book well in advance as the tours book quite quickly. The Napa Valley wine tour is absolutely fantastic . Fishermans wharf is a must especially the Clam Chowder at Boudins and the sea lions at pier 39.We loved San Fransisco , enjoy:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure when you will be visiting SF, but if you are here during the holidays it's beautiful! I live an hour away and always plan a day in the city to see the decorations in Union Square and do some shopping. If you are here between April and October, be sure to go to a baseball game at Pac Bell Park and see our 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series Champions, the Giants! Even if you aren't a baseball fan, the views overlooking the bay are spectacular and you will get to hang out with the locals and try some famous garlic fries! Other than that, what everyone else mentioned (Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, Golden Gate Park, Alcatraz, the Palace of Fine Arts) are all good. You can also cross the Golden Gate Bridge and spend a nice day in Tiburon in Marin County too if you have a car for cute shops and good seafood. You don't need a car in San Francisco, use taxis, buses, BART, or just walk. There are great plays, comedy clubs, and local neighborhood bars for great night life too. Whatever you do, you will have a great time in "The City" (just don't ever call it Frisco, the locals hate that!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you like wine and will have a car for those days Napa and Sonoma are great for wine. Monterrey is just a short drive. Depending on time of year San Francisco can be very, very cold. Even in the middle of our summer it can be chilly enough to require a light jacket or sweater. Winter it can be foggy and frigid, so please keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy your visit. Try Chinatown if you get a chance.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree that the touristy places like Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown are all very worthy of a visit. (Alcatraz was my personal favourite).

 

In fact I would take that recommendation a step further and suggest that you only visit the touristy places. Many years back my husband and I attended an event in a slightly seedier part of town, and ended up in a situation that has unfortunately put us off ever returning to San Francisco. Our happy tourist bubble was burst on that trip.

 

Despite that, I can see why so many tourists love the city and how it has so much to offer. Just make sure you do a bit of hill walking practice before you leave. The San Francisico streets are good for the calf muscles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depending on time of year San Francisco can be very, very cold. Even in the middle of our summer it can be chilly enough to require a light jacket or sweater. Winter it can be foggy and frigid, so please keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy your visit.

 

We will be in San Francisco in Feb!, so I suspect it will be very cold!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure when you will be visiting SF, but if you are here during the holidays it's beautiful! I live an hour away and always plan a day in the city to see the decorations in Union Square and do some shopping.

 

We will be in San Francisco in February.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You must walk down by fisherman's wharf, go to Pier 39 marina walk to the end of the pier and enjoy the seals. They are very entertaining. There are many restaurants in this area but its very touristy, but also very cool.

 

If you have an extra day or two, my favorite is a trip to Muirwoods to see the huge redwoods; a visit to Sonoma or Napa valley. I believe there are tours that will do both muirwoods and either of the wine valleys.

 

Alcatraz didn't interest me much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did the Napa Valley Wine Train - absolutely superb. They give exact directions on how to get there which involves an hour's ferry ride and they pick you up at the other side.

 

http://winetrain.com/

 

Whatever you do, as others have said, San Francisco is a magnificent City.

 

The other thing I would highly recommend is a walk down Haight Street. There is a huge warehouse at the end of the street (by memory) which stocks vinyls from the 60's.

 

Cheers

Di

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Former San Fransican here. This thread is making me homesick! If you're there on a Sunday go to a service at Glide Memorial Church. Everyone welcome, fabulous music, and a message for everyone not just the "religious". See reviews on Tripadvisor for more info.

 

Glide's in the Tenderloin so be aware of your surroundings but I always felt it was safe enough on Sunday morning.

 

Signing off now to listen to the Glide podcast and plan my next visit.:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 for any of the Alcatraz tours - it is a fascinating place to visit and a great view of the bridge and city from the water.

 

There is a Muir Woods & Sausalito tour that is well worth it - the woods are just amazing and if you are lucky you may see some wildlife. Sausalito is a quaint little town with lovely food places and shopping.

 

Coit Tower on Telegraph hill is worth a visit as well (I think I got a bus to there), giving great views of the water and the city.

 

Fisherman's market is entertaining, there was a place near the middle where bread was delivered by baskets on a cable - you can get the traditional clam chowder but as a non-seafood eater i got a tomato soup version. allow lots of time to wander this street as there is so much to see.

 

if you are there on a weekend the markets on the waterfront (ferry building I think) are great to visit. also allow time to move out of the main town centre to places like Haight-Ashbury which is a very different feel.

 

the tourist bus is a great way to get around - get a multi day pass. also buy a multi day pass for the cable cars to get around.

 

if you are looking at accommodation - check the White Swan Inn - it was a great place to stay in 2010. check Tripadvisor to see if it still rates. it was a good B&B style venue although you need to be able to handle stairs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we were there we hired bikes from a little bike hire place near Fishermans Wharf and we rode them along the pathway up to the Golden Gate Bridge, we rode half way across and then rode them back to town, up the hill and down crooked street! Forget the name! We had some clam chowder at Fishermans Wharf and Chinese in Chinatown! It was a wonderful day and yes we were in our 20's without kids so had lots of energy! Love San Francisco!

 

The next day we hired a Mustang and drove out to Yosemite NP and had lunch in a little cafe in the valley again very beautiful! We lived in America then so we had lots of locals giving us suggestions! Good luck deciding so many wonderful itinerary ideas!!

 

 

BrissyFamily

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...