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San Francisco Maps & Attractions Guide
San Francisco maps & Attractions - Things to do
in San Francisco
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San Francisco
Attractions - Things to do
1. Golden Gate Bridge
Highway 101 North
www.goldengatebridge.org |
What is it? The rust-coloured towers, graceful suspension
and supportive cables of the Golden Gate Bridge make this famous
symbol of San Francisco the most photographed bridge in the world,
and visible from almost any high point in the city, although it is
often shrouded in rolling fog. Spanning the two-mile (3km) mouth of
the bay, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the
time of its completion in 1937 and was built to withstand winds of
more than 100 mph (161km per hour). During high winds it can sway
up to 27ft (8m) in each direction. One of the great engineering
accomplishments of the 20th century, the bridge claims to have used
enough wire in its construction to stretch around the earth several
times. Walking across the bridge, under the towers that loom 65
storeys above the water, is one of the best ways to experience the
immensity of the structure and affords beautiful views of the San
Francisco skyline, the bay and its islands. Golden Gate Bridge is
also a favourite with the suicidal and the sidewalks are dotted
with crisis-counselling phones.
Hours of Operation: Access for pedestrians is on the east sidewalk during
daylight hours only from sunrise to sunset (April to October from
5am to 9pm, November to March from 6am to 6pm). The bridge is open
24 hours for motorists
Phone:(415) 921 5858 |
2. Alcatraz
www.nps.gov/alcatraz |
What is it? Out in the middle of San Francisco Bay,
Alcatraz Island, or 'The Rock', is one of Golden Gate National
Recreation Area's most popular destinations. The notorious
escape-proof island with its dreaded maximum-security prison once
held the likes of Al 'Scarface' Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly
and the 'birdman of Alcatraz', Robert Stroud. With sheer cliffs
surrounded by the icy waters of San Francisco Bay, known for its
treacherous tides and currents, it was regarded as the perfect
place to detain the country's most-wanted and dangerous criminals
who were isolated in dark solitary confinement cells. There have
never been any successful escapes from The Rock. Visitors can
explore the prison as well as learn about its history: from its
discovery as a pelican nesting ground, its location as a military
outpost, and the years between 1933 and 1963 as an off-limit
federal penitentiary. It was also inhabited by Native Americans
before being declared a Recreational Area and protected bird
sanctuary. Thousands of tourists flock here each year and take the
excellent self-guided audio tours that contain commentary from
former guards and prisoners about life on the island. There is also
a slide show and a tour of the island's ecology and bird life led
by a park ranger. The view from the island looking across to San
Francisco is awesome.
Hours of Operation: The last boat leaves the island at 6.30pm in summer
(April to October) and 4.30pm in winter
Phone:(415) 773 1188 (ferry schedules and information), or
(415) 705 1042 (park information) |
3. Fisherman's Wharf
The Embarcadero
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What is it? Some people love the bustle of Fisherman's
Wharf, while others make a conscious effort to steer well clear of
it. But for better or worse it is massively popular, attracting
more visitors than any other city sight, with Pier 39 the
commercial tourist epicentre. The Wharf was once a fishing port
with dozens of boats anchored here. Pier 45 is still used by
fishermen in the early morning hours, and fish and seafood can be
bought from the Fish Alley Market. There are shops galore, fast
food stands and overpriced bay-view restaurants as well as bars,
markets, street performers, and an endless variety of activities
for the whole family. It is also the gateway for several top
attractions: trips to Alcatraz and other bay cruises leave from
here; numerous museums include the Historic Ships Pier; and the USS
Pampanito submarine that can be boarded from Pier 45. The
entertaining colony of sea lions that reside on the floating docks
at Pier 39 are one of the best attractions on the
quay.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
4. North Beach
www.sfnorthbeach.org |
What is it? Between Russian and Telegraph Hills, North
Beach is San Francisco's 'Little Italy', that has long been the
central hub for anyone with alternative inclinations. During the
1950s the pleasure-seeking, non-conformist lifestyle of the Beat
Generation and their rebellious literature contributed to the
neighbourhood's unconventional character and tourists poured into
the district for 'Beatnik Tours'. Two of the Beat-era landmarks are
the Vesuvio bar, and the first paperback bookstore in the US and
hangout of Beat-era writers, the City Lights Bookstore. The steep
stairways on Telegraph Hill lead to one of the city's most
distinctive landmarks, Coit Tower, a monument to the volunteer fire
fighters of the city providing superb 360-degree views of the city
and San Francisco Bay. Inside the round, stone-tower murals of the
Great Depression depict different aspects of life in California
during the 1930s. The 'Crookedest Street in the World' winds down
the steep eastern side of Russian Hill, the angle so steep that
Lombard Street has to zigzag down with eight sharp turns to make
any descent possible. The affluent residents inside their mansions
with well-tended flowerbeds that flank the street bemoan the
frequent traffic jams as thousands of visitors queue at the top and
wait their turn to drive slowly down the tight curves, gathering at
the bottom for photographic opportunities.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
5. Golden Gate Park
John F Kennedy Drive
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What is it? Of the many open green spaces in San
Francisco, Golden Gate Park is the biggest and the loveliest
stretching from The Haight to the Pacific Ocean, featuring gardens,
lakes, numerous sporting facilities, and museums. On Sundays the
main drive is closed to traffic and becomes the playground for
joggers, cyclists, roller-bladers and strollers. The California
Academy of Sciences includes the Natural History Museum, aquarium
and planetarium (temporarily relocated to 875 Howard Street until
late 2008 due to renovations). The serenity of the Japanese Tea
Garden with its bridges, bonsai and fortune cookies is a favourite
with tour groups. Although filled with people, the park never seems
crowded and there is always a secluded space somewhere on the lawns
or in the gardens.
Hours of Operation: The Academy of Sciences is open daily from 10am to
5pm. Japanese Tea Garden is open daily from 9am to
6.30pm
Phone:Park information (415) 831 2700, or (415) 321 8000
(Academy of Sciences), and (415) 752 4227 (Japanese Tea
Garden) |
6. Cable Cars
1201 Mason Street (Cable Car Barn and
Powerhouse)
www.sfcablecar.com |
What is it? One of San Francisco's most endearing
attractions is its network of 130-year-old cable cars, the only
mobile National Historic Landmark in the country, and the world's
only surviving system of cable cars. Many cities adopted the
system, but all have since been replaced by more practical means of
transport. The perpetuation of these clanking museum pieces was due
to determination by the city's residents and today they remain at
the heart of the city's character. It is an experience to ride up
and down the steep gradients of the hills, hanging on while the
brass bell clangs, the conductor jingles his coins and the familiar
clanking of the cables pulls the car at a constant 9.5 miles (15km)
per hour. Many people have difficulty believing that these
six-tonne cars can work without engines and the San Francisco Cable
Car Museum affords visitors a closer look at the cable-winding
machinery, and the 'home base' where cars are reeled in and out on
11 miles (17km) of steel cable. The museum also houses some
interesting sights, including the first cable car (1873) and scale
models of different types of cable cars that were once in use in
the city. The idea of the cable car system was conceived by
engineer Andrew Hallidie. After watching the uphill struggle of
laden horse-drawn carts, he was determined to find a kinder and
more efficient means of transportation, which he produced four
years later.
Hours of Operation: The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm (until 6pm
from April to October)
Phone: |
7. Wine Country
www.winecountry.com |
What is it? The Napa and Sonoma Valleys are at the heart
of the Californian wine country, producing wines that are praised
by connoisseurs worldwide, from a perfect climate of sunny days and
cool nights. The area is a forerunner in the latest grape-growing
techniques and wine making, and many individual growers, instead of
selling their grapes to the larger wineries, are producing their
own excellent boutique wines. The Napa Valley is the more
commercial of the two, with more wineries, spas and tourist
traffic, and a better selection of restaurants and hotels. The
valley also caters for classic wine country activities such as hot
air ballooning or biking through the vineyards; the world-renowned
wineries also offer informative tours, which provide the ultimate
wine-country experience. Sonoma Valley is less pretentious and more
beautiful in a rustic way, with smaller family-run cellars and
fewer visitors. Although the Napa Valley is the USA's best-known
wine region, Sonoma boasts more awards than their snobbish
neighbour, producing intensely complex reds. The Napa Valley is a
relatively compact region with more than 200 wineries offering
tours and tasting. Most of the large wineries with their orderly
rows of vineyards are situated along the main thoroughfare that
stretches from San Francisco Bay to Calistoga in the north. But
there is more to the valley than wine tasting. The small resort
town of Calistoga is famous for its mineral springs and mud baths,
as well as the Old Faithful Geyser that shoots boiling water and
steam 60ft (18m) into the air every 40 minutes. Nearby is a
Petrified Forest with redwoods, seashells and marine life that were
turned to stone after volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount St
Helena covered the area.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
San Francisco Holidays guide
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Transport -The main public transport system in San
Francisco is known as MUNI and operates buses, electric trolley
buses and the famous cable cars, as well as metro streetcars
(underground trains that become street cars when they emerge above
ground from the downtown metro system).
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