If you're planning a trip to San Francisco, you've made an excellent choice of destination. San Francisco is, arguably, the most beautiful city on the West Coast. While it covers just 50 square miles, this lovely city is packed with entertainment, parks, museums and spectacular sightseeing possibilities, along with restaurants serving cuisine which spans the globe. As for the weather, even in summer it's generally cool and mild. You might have a few hot days in late August or early September. While San Francisco can be an expensive stay, you'll certainly feel that you got your money's worth!
Here's a brief overview of the must-see places to visit during your trip to San Francisco.
Golden Gate Park encompasses a large portion of the City by the Bay. If you drive down to the end of Haight Street, which dead ends on Stanyan, you can park your car and walk through the park all the way to Ocean Beach, some few miles away. (Wear comfortable shoes!) Within the park, there are plenty of signs posted to direct you to the various sights.
You'll want to visit the Conservatory of Flowers, an architectural wonder, with its 19th century domed glass greenhouse design, filled with exotic plants.
A little further on, you'll find the De Young Museum, with spectacular collections of 17th-20th century American and Native American art, as well as art work from the Pacific Ocean regions and Africa. No trip to San Francisco would be complete without touring the De Young.
Stop in at the Japanese Tea Garden for lunch and tea in a quaint and nostalgic setting. Just across the road, you'll find the planetarium, known for its imaginative and well narrated shows. Kids and adults alike are mesmerized by the beautifully constructed programs. Just a hop, skip and a jump away is the Academy of Sciences, which houses a huge, mosaic-tiled pool occupied by crocodiles, a kid-thriller (quite safe, though).
If you continue all the way to the beach, you'll find the Pacific Ocean and you may want to call a cab to take you back to your car!
Making the most of your trip to San Francisco requires a day exploring the Union Square district. This encompasses the theatre district, with lots of fine art galleries and plenty of New York style delis, when you're looking for lunch. You'll find shopping, movies and major department stores all within walking distance.
Chinatown is another exotic must-see on any trip to San Francisco. This makes an interesting walk during the evening hours, with brightly lit lanterns and shops of every description. You'll find everything from souvenirs to amazing carved ivory art pieces. Of course, there are restaurants everywhere. Pick one and enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine and culture.
Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf are world renowned, with good reason. Ghirardelli Square and the Cannery are a complex of shops and restaurants with some quite unusual goods and of course, fine dining.
If your trip to San Francisco includes kids, you must take them to the Exploratorium, an amazing collection of exhibits and participatory games that will have the kids screaming and laughing, How did they do that?
If you're a museum lover, make some time in your trip to San Francisco to visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Another can't-miss is the Palace of Legion of Honor, with more than 87,000 paintings, sculptures, and tapestries, some dating back four millenia.
If your trip to San Francisco is too short to take in all of these, ask your concierge for recommendations on shortening this list of must-sees. You'll never be bored in San Francisco.
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