San Francisco, California Destination Guide

Destination Guide
Written By ID90 Travel

Section 1: Intro to the Destination

One of the most popular cities in California, San Francisco, often called “The Golden City” is known for the picturesque outdoors, diverse community, and exceptional food and drink. The city has many old-timey factors mixed with new innovative technology, which makes San Francisco such a interesting place, from the cable cars and Victorian houses to the towering buildings. There is plenty to do and see in San Francisco, and is a city definitely worth visiting.  

Which of the Following Phrases Best Describes this Destination? (You can select more than one)

  Energetic & Active, Modern, Artsy. 

What’s the Destination Known For?

San Francisco: The Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and technology.

Getting There

  • The major airports are SFO, San Francisco International airport. 

  • The airport is fairly close to the main districts of San Francisco, around 15-30 minutes driving. The main forms of transportation are rental car, taxi cab, airport shuttles, and rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft.

  • If you are renting a car from the airport,the drive to downtown is about 25 minutes, depending on where you are headed most of the highways and freeways take you directly to a certain district in San Francisco. 

  • Taxi and rideshares rates are pretty close in prices, but if you are looking for a cheaper option, Uber and Lyft’s rate is around $35 vs. Taxi at $45-50.

Local Etiquette

  • Standard American etiquette

  • Punctuality: Be on time

  • As with the rest of the United States, tipping (except in select establishments where explicitly stated otherwise) is expected.

Weather

  • Spring (March-May)

This is the 2nd best time to visit San Francisco.

High: 62-65F/17-18C

Low: 49-53F/9-12C

  • Summer (June-August)

Cooler weather & fog is a common occurrence.

Pack layers for the evening/night hours, because it gets cooler.

High: 67-72F/19-22C

Low: 51-57F/10-14C

  • Fall (September-November)

BEST time to visit San Francisco, because of the warmer season. There is rarely rain and a lesser chance of fog. Layer for evenings. 

High: 64-75F/17-24C

Low: 50-56F/ 10-13C

  • Winter (December-February)

Coldest and cloudiest months, although there is rarely snow, there is lots of rain. Sweaters, jackets, and a couple layers are the best clothing option. 

High: 57-61F/13-16C

Low: 40-48F/4-9C

  • There is no major altitude change in the San Francisco Bay area.

Getting Around

San Francisco for the most part is a pretty walkable city, minus the hills. In addition to walking there are many places to rent bikes, GoCars, and segways. The trolley is also a good option for exploring different districts while getting to see most of San Francisco. And of course Taxi, Uber, and Lyft are also good ways of getting around.

Section 2: What to See, Do, and Eat

Coffee

Breakfast

$-tier

  • The Mill 

  • American Breakfast Cafe 

  • 736 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117

  • http://www.themillsf.com/

  • Casual

  • Almond butter/Avocado toast and freshly baked bread. 

$$-tier

$$$-tier 

  • Chloe’s Cafe 

  • American Cafe 

  • 1399 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94114

  •  https://chloessf.com/

  • Casual 

  • Cinnamon croissant french toast with fresh strawberries 

Brunch

$-tier

  • Straw 

  • American restaurant 

  • 203 Octavia Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94102

  • https://www.strawsf.com/

  • Casual 

  • Doughnut breakfast sandwich

  • Reservations  

$$-tier

  • Dottie’s True Blue Cafe 

  • American Cafe

  • 28 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

  • http://dottiestruebluesf.com/

  • Casual 

  • Cornbread & chipotle jelly and gluten free pancakes 

  • Kitchen Story 

  • Californian restaurant 

  • 3499 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

  • http://kitchenstorysf.com/

  • Casual

  • French toast with bacon 

  • Different menus for weekday/weekend 

$$$-tier 

  • Mama’s on Washington Square

  • American Cafe 

  • 1707 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133

  • http://www.mamas-sf.com/

  • Casual/nice 

  • Monte cristo 

Lunch 

$-tier

  • The Codmother Fish and Chips 

  • British, Seafood

  • 496 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133

  • No website 

  •  Very casual 

  • Fish and chips 

$$-tier 

$$$-tier 

  • Hillstone

  • American Restaurant 

  • 1800 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94111

  • http://hillstonerestaurant.com/

  • Casual/Nice 

  • Grilled artichoke and Cheeseburger

Dinner 

$-tier

  •  Marlowe 

  • American Restaurant

  • 500 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94107

  •  https://marlowesf.com/

  • Casual 

  • Brussel sprout chips and Marlowe burger

$$-tier 

  • Beretta 

  • Italian Restaurant 

  • 1199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

  • http://berettasf.com/

  • Casual/Nice 

  • Eggplant caponata with burrata and Walnut bread 

$$$-tier 

  • State Bird Provisions 

  • American Restaurant 

  • 1529 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

  • https://statebirdsf.com/

  • Casual/Nice 

  • CA State Bird with Provisions  

  • Reservations 

Late night bites 

Bars

  • Bourbon and Branch 

    • $$$

    • Speakeasy bar with wide variety of drinks

    • 501 Jones St, San Francisco, CA, 94102

    • http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/

Top things to See and Do

  • Golden Gate Bridge: drive, bike, or walk across the bridge. To walk or bike across is 1.7 miles and completely free, drivers pay $6-$7 one way to cross, which can be paid by license along with FasTrack. For vehicles the bridge is open 24 hours, however, for walkers and bikers the bridge is open from 5am-6:30pm (hours may vary) 

**rental bikes are not available at the bridge.

  • Museum of Ice cream: a museum dedicated to sweet treats, each room has a different theme, like sprinkles, ice cream, gummy bears, and much more. All tickets are $38 per person (children 2 & under are free)

1 Grant Ave. San Francisco, CA 94108

https://www.museumoficecream.com/

  • Alcatraz Island: a federal prison on Alcatraz Island in the middle of the San Francisco bay in service and use from 1934-1963. Some of the most dangerous criminals were imprisoned here at Alcatraz, for example, Al Capone. Alcatraz is not a working prison to this day, it’s a historic landmark. Depending on where you book your tour prices vary. 

  • Painted Ladies or “Seven Sisters”: the Painted Ladies are a row of Victorian style houses on Steiner St., between Grove St. and Hayes St., across the street from Alamo Square Park, which is a park you may recognize if you have ever seen Full House, an American sitcom. The “Seven Sisters” were used in the opening credits of the sitcom, alongs with other movies. Although the Full House house is not one of the Painted Ladies, the actually filming location is 1709 Broderick Street, a 20 minute walk from Alamo Park. 

** This house is a private residence, keep that in mind.

  • Ride one of San Francisco’s Cable Cars: San Francisco’s cable cars or trolleys are one of the things most would associate with the city. There are 3 cable car routes available/operating. The California street line runs from east-west from the financial district, through Chinatown, over Nob hill and stops at Van Ness Avenue. One-way fares are $7 tickets must be bought in advance, if paying with cash, you must have the EXACT amount. If you are planning on using the trolley more than once, you can purchase a Visitor Passport or CityPASS.

https://www.sfcablecar.com/

 https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/fares

  • Golden Gate Park: A park with 1,017 acres of public grounds. The park has many attractions within itself such as the, Golden Gate Aquarium, Strybing Arboretum, Conservatory of Flowers, Enclosed Buffalo fields, De Young Museum, and lots of other gardens and trails. The park has biking tours as well as segway tours if you want to explore the whole park. There is no charge to enter the park, however the tours and some of the attractions charge a fee. 

 https://goldengatepark.com/

  • Ferry Building: “San Francisco’s most famous landmark,” the Ferry Building is a reinvented public food marketplace that has been around since 2003. The Ferry Building which opened in 1898 was a transportation hub for the train. Before ferries, during the 1930’s it was the only way people, except for those who lived on the peninsula, could get to the city.  Now, by weekly around 40,000 people visit for the farmers market that take place on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, to buy fresh produce and other artisan street foods. 

**hours vary for different businesses and holidays.

One San Francisco Bay Trail, San Francisco, CA 94111

  • Crissy Field: Crissy Field is a National Park and Recreation Area in San Francisco, that used to be a U.S. Army airfield. The park has a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and is a perfect spot for a picnic, taking pictures, walking/running, or just to enjoy the scenery. The park is open 24 hours and free of charge. 

  • Lombard Street: In the Russian Hill neighborhood, Lombard Street known as “The crookedest street in the world” is definitely something to see. The crooked hill is lined with Victorian Mansions. Aside from walking up the street, there are GoCars and segways available to rent, but remember the street only goes one way!  

**There are sidewalks on both sides of the street for pedestrians.

1070 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Other popular places to visit: Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Ghirardelli Square, and Twin Peaks.

 Festivals/Parades

  • Pride Celebration: Most cities in the U.S during the month of June celebrate pride month, which is a LGBTQ centered event. In San Francisco, there are lots of celebrations throughout the month, in specific, the Pride Parade, which is a free two-day parade that celebrates LGBTQ lifestyles in the Civic Center District of San Francisco. 

**Dates may vary

  • Carnaval: Carnaval is a two-day festival in the Mission District of San Francisco celebrating Latin American and Caribbean culture, with dance, music, and visual arts. The festival has no admission costs.

**Dates may vary 

  • Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival: Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is a popular festival during August 10th-13th at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Similar to Coachella or Lollapalooza, many popular artists, some well known and others not, put on shows. Tickets vary in price depending on what package or ticket assignment you want.

Nightlife

San Francisco offers a wide variety of things to do during the evening, such as themed bars, roller-skating at the Church on Fillmore Street, and the most popular Alcatraz tour. There are many kid friendly options as well as adult only.

Hidden Gems

Lands End Lookout: Lands End is where you can find the best views of entrance to the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, following the Coastal Trail. Along the trail there is the Eagle Point Labyrinth.

Other Hidden Gems: Sutro Baths, The Golden Fire Hydrant, 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, and Cayuga Playground.

ID90 Travel http://www.id90travel.com
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