San Francisco travel guide
San Francisco is without a doubt one of the most beautiful, vibrant, and diverse cities on the planet. Sitting like a thumb at the end of a 32-mile (50km) peninsular finger, this city of seven hills is surrounded by water on three sides and blessed by one of the world's great natural harbors. It is joined to the mainland by two acknowledged masterpieces of bridge design and construction, including the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge that glitters at night, often blurred by a blanket of fog.
Places to visit in San Francisco
Beyond the iconic San Francisco - the grand bridges, rattling cable cars, and barking sea lions - the city has far more depth than you might expect from a place only 49 sq miles (127 sq km) in area, with its 810,000 residents. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of Downtown, but there are over a dozen distinct and wonderfully original neighborhoods. The city sits on a bay over 400 square miles (1,000 sq km) in area, which is crossed by five bridges. One of these bridges is the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, which was completed in 1937 and still remains an enduring, defining symbol of San Francisco.
The tourist hub of San Francisco is Fisherman’s Wharf. From one of the piers, ferries set off for Alcatraz. Further down the waterfront, at the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building is a marketplace worth experiencing. Another place that at some point, everyone comes through, is Union Square, the downtown plaza. It’s ringed with boutiques and department stores. Beyond the perimeter, grand hotels pepper the area. Going uphill on Grant Avenue from Union Square plunges you into the gritty, bustling world of Chinatown. Find museums such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in SoMa (South of Market); others, such as the de Young Museum, can be found amidst the splendors of Golden Gate Park.
The neighborhood enclaves, each with a distinct culture and identity, include multicultural North Beach, gritty Tenderloin, Latino- and hipster-dominated Mission, well-maintained and gay-friendly Castro, laid-back and alternative Haight-Ashbury, upper-crust Pacific Heights, tony Russian Hill, old-fashioned Nob Hill, and preppy, post-collegiate Marina and Cow Hollow. The outer residential Sunset and Richmond districts are home to many Russian, Irish, and Chinese families, and offer commercial hubs filled with bookstores, grocery stores, and Asian restaurants. The Richmond is also bisected by Lincoln Park, home to the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and wild coastline trails.
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