Must sees in San Francisco??
 

Hello-
My husband and I are going to San Francisco for the first week of October 9/29 - 10/6. We are staying @ Hotel des Arts and the Miyako hotel. Any suggestions for must sees? We will be going to art museums, a day at the blues festival, the waterfront, of course and more. There are so many things to do....any advice or suggestions would be helpful!! Thanks!

Ride a cable car down to Fishermen's Wharf thru Chinatown. Sounds corny, but it's my favorite SF thing to do.

You've got a good long time to see a lot! The Blues Festival is a lot of fun. Count on there being a ton of people there.

Recommendations on what to do depend on whether you have a car or not. Of course a car is not necessary since public transportation is good in SF. But with one you can venture a little further afield. I always recommend visitors spend at least one day getting out on the Bay. The City is so beautiful from the water. Take a ferry to Sausalito for the day. If you're up to it, rent bikes (www.blazingsaddles.com) and ride across the Bridge to Sausalito and take the ferry back.

Check out the different neighborhoods, planning your meals around your explorations. Be sure to visit Chinatown, North Beach, the Marina (Chestnut Street), the Haight, and the Mission District. Lots of variety to choose from!

If you do have a car, the 49 Mile drive will give you views and take you to places many tourists don't see. Have a great visit!

I think Alcatrez is well worth touring. Also you might enjoy Muir Woods...Monterey Bay is a lovely area, but a little drive from SF.

Rent a bike and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge, down into Sausalito. That was a highlight of our trip last year! If you have a car, Muir Woods would be worth a stop. I also second Alcatraz.

Thanks for all of the ideas. We won't have a car for the week, but thought that we could just rent one for a day or so to get outside of town. We also like the idea of biking over the bridge to Sausalito...it sounds like a great day. and we want to get out on the bay and the ferry sounds perfect...we both love boats and actually met on a ferry... I'm sure we will probably do Alcatraz and ride a cable car through Chinatown too.
Any must-go restaurants? for the true San Francisco experience?

Take the ferry when it is cold and foggy and sip on a hot coffee and just enjoy the air...I LOVE the ferry.

Personally I think going to the Top of the Mark Hopkins hotel on a Wed. night to hear LaVay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers play..and watch all the swing dancers is the best. Its a beautiful room, great views, and a lot of fun.

Carriewp1,
Any help we can give you on restaurants depends on what you are looking for. SF is a world class restaurant city. We have everything from inexpensive but authentic Latin American food to haute cuisine priced sky high. It's probably easier to tell you what you won't find in SF--it's not known for steakhouses or pizza, though they are out there. Best bets are seafood, Chinese & other asian, dim sum, Calif cuisine, Italian and a proliferation of Zagat rated establishments. In other words, the San Francisco experience is all of these things.

I'd say the SF restaurant experience is second only to NYC.

Just so you know, the Powell and Hyde St. Cable cars don't actually go through Chinatown. They run two blocks over from Grant St., which is the main street of Chinatown. If you take the California St. cable car you will cross Grant Street and can exit at Chinatown. Many people eschew the California St. line because it's not quite as exciting as the other lines (that run to the Wharf). But the good thing about it is that there are seldom lines so if you just want the experience, hop on it at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, ride to the end (VanNess Ave.), then ride back the other way, getting off at Grant and exploring Chinatown.

Coit Tower for the view and its murals of California life in the Thirties. A walk down the Filbert steps from Coit Tower to the Embarcadero.

The Ferry Building Marketplace (esp on farmer's market days) is one of my faves for shopping and eating. You could spend some time in Chinatown first, maybe have lunch there, then walk around to walk of lunch.....then later catch the bus straight down to the Embarcadero so you can meander over to the Ferry Building. Shop & eat (early dinner?).

Can I ask....is there a reason you are staying at two hotels instead of just one? With just one week in the city, it seems like a bother to pack up and move midway. (also I didn't care for the Hotel des Arts!)

Coit Tower, esp. at sunset;
Alcatraz is fascinating; Golden Gate Park; China Town; Ghiardelli Square; ferry/drive to Sausalito w/ lunch at the Alta Vista; Muir Woods.

Take a cab ride through Pacific Heights- the hills are like a roller coaster ride and the view is the best! Explore the shops of Chinatown- wonderful silk goods and teas.

Another vote for Alcatraz, but I suggest you book your tickets in advance. I saw a lot of unhappy tourists there on my last visit to SF because all the tickets were sold out for several days.

Oh~do absolutely go to the observation deck at the de Young. It will give you a great bird's eye view of SF. I'd also suggest you meander from the Financial district/Chinatown over to North Beach. Sit(and simply sit) while watching folks in the park outside St Peter and Paul. Do wander into the cathedral. Have a sandwich at Mario's or a coffee at Trieste.


Or check out Grace Cathedral. Walk the labyrinth there. See if there is a concert there during your visit. The acoustics will astound you.

You are coming to Sf at one of the most glorious times of the year! You might also check out the Ferry Bldg (Market on Saturday) but inside vendors to delight you at all times. A sail on the Bay is a must at this time of the year. See about a ferry to Tiburon or Sausalito and have lunch there. (Check out Sam's in Tiburon-they have a website).

You simply must walk Crissy Field during this time of year.

The last time we were in SF we did the Napa Valley Wine Train and really enjoyed it. It does take up most of a day though. Also if you don't want to do the bike ride to Sausalito, to can always take the ferry round trip.

OK, I definitely second suggestions for the de Young, GGPark, Coit, Ferry Building Marketplace and checking out the Marina. If you do, plan it so that you can have dinner at Brazenhead (www.brazenheadsf.com) which is great but a little hidden. It doesn't have a sign and the doorway is surrounded by ivy. But it's right across the street from the Capri Motel...

Other restaurants I love in SF: Boulevard(www.boulevardrestaurant.com) right at Mission and the Embarcadero and Ruth's Chris steakhouse on Van Ness. Speaking of which, city hall and the opera house are pretty buildings on Van Ness that you may want to check out.

Sodini's in NorthBeach at Green and Grant is (IMO) the best Italian in SF---definitely the best lasagna I've ever had and some pretty fantastic gnocci. If you'd like cocktails in that area, Amante and Vesuvio are pretty fun places...Moose's is another great place to eat in North Beach right along Washington Square. And there is a long running show right in the neighborhood that never fails to please: www.beachblanketbabylon.com

At Ghiradelli square there is an excellent seafood restaurant called McCormick and Schmick's that has a wonderful view of the water. Pier 39 is touristy but fun and even though it's kinda corny I really like Bubba Gump's there.

If you're into sports at all, check out Pac Bell park where the Giants play. You can take a tour (not sure how that works in off-season) and it truly is an amazing ball park.

If you like to shop the Marina has some good boutique stores but for a serious shopping experience check out Union Square and the San Francisco Shopping Centre and Westfield Mall (attatched) where you could spend all day!

Hope this helps and let us know if you have any more specific questions or things you want recommendations for.

The day you have the car drive up to the top of the hill above UC Berkley to the Lawrence Hall of Science. On a clear day it is the best view looking back west toward the city you will ever see. Plus there is a lot to see and do there and take a picnic lunch sit on the grass.

Also take the Larkspar commuter ferry from SF to Larkspar. It is a cheap bay cruise and you can walk just across the street to the Larkspar Landing have lunch, window shop and ride the ferry back.

We were in S.F. for the first time 3 weeks ago. We saw just about everything mentioned in the other posts and loved it all. Definitely get Alcatraz tickets ahead of time as the day we went tickets were already sold out for the next 7 days. We were glad we had ours in hand.

One of our favorite things was bike riding across the GG to Sausalito. The views are beautiful and Sausalito is such a neat place to have lunch and shop. We actually continued biking to Tiburon but enjoyed the ride to Sausalito much better. It could also be the fact that my husband had 2 flat tires between Sausalito and Tiburon. Just check the tires well before you leave the bike rental place. We had a hard time getting our money back for repair costs but eventually did. Put your rental on your credit card as I don't think we would have gotten a refund for the repairs except we threatened to cancel the whole rental charge on the card if they refused to refund us, which they finally did.

We walked up the Filbert Stairs and down the Greenwich stairs from Coit Tower. They were both absolutely beautiful. We also enjoyed people watching at the park in North Beach while savoring yummy gelato.

We had our first ever Dim Sum in Chinatown. It was delicious. Though very touristy, we enjoyed a walk down Pier 39 since we'd never been there before. The sea lions were fun to watch. We didn't stay there long though.

I must say the San Franciscans were extremely friendly and helpful. One example in particular stands out. We were trying to get to Buena Vista Park after visiting city hall (which we found by accident but was so beautiful). The driver of the bus we wanted to get on told us the bus didn't stop near there. A woman who was on the bus quickly told the driver it does stop near there and had us get on. Turns out the driver was in training and had been confused about the stop we asked for. This wonderful woman told us she would be getting off several stops before us but made sure we knew when to get off. Several people that got off at other stops after that but before us reminded us where to get off as they left. We were so touched by this genuine helpfulness.

Though some things we enjoyed more than others we have no regrets about what we chose to see and do. Doing our homework ahead of time was a major factor in having a wonderful time.

You also might consider a treatment at Kabuki Hot Springs in Japantown.

If you like souffles consider Cafe Jacqueline in North Beach. The dessert souffles are to die for!

And,if you want great Mexican/Central American food, venture into the Mission District.

If you are staying at the Miyako part of the time, you will be close to some good restaurant choices in Japantown and the upper Fillmore corridor.

http://www.floriosf.com/
Florio - good bistro type place on Fillmore Street

http://quincerestaurant.com
Quince - nice splurge in the J-town/Pacific Heights area.

Maki Restaurant
(no website)
A tiny, classy place in Japantown - a cut above some of the other places. Right across the hallway from the Kinokuniya Bookstore, a destination in itself.

If you are not too saturated with music after the Blues Festival, check out the schedule at the Fillmore - very close by the Miyako. Make sure to go to the second-floor cafe, where the wallpaper consists of every Fillmore poster in existence.

All of these posts are making me want to take a tour of my own city!

bookmark for trip next year

We love Quince. Reserve before you arrive in SF.

When we were there last summer, we did a Vicorian Home Walk (see www.victorianwalk.com). We saw beautiful homes and learned about SF's history and architecture.

Going to Glide Memorial Church on Sunday morning is an experience unique to San Francisco. There is a gospel choir, a good sermon and a chance to mix with all kinds of San Franciscans. This is a church that serves over a million meals a year and there is a waiting list to volunteer there.

Don't miss having Mexican food in the Mission district. You can't go wrong with any choice you make but look for a line for best results.

Thanks for so many great responses! We are SO looking forward to this trip! We are staying at the two hotels since I couldn't get the Hotel Des Artes for all nights. I have read lots of reviews for the place and have seen nothing but good reviews. We do want to go to Alcatraz (still too early to book the tickets--I tried and we have to wait a week or two) and Sausalito is a must. Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Ghiradelli Square, Grace Cathedral....we want to hit all of them. We are huge baseball fans and will try to get the Pac Bell, an of course, we want to hit so many of these great restaurants everyone is talking about too! Thanks, Fodorites!

To PJS: about how long did it take you to bike across the GG to Tiburon? Deciding how early we have to leave SF to do this comfortably.

Cindy, I've done that ride many times. It depends a lot on where you stop of course. There are fun things to see along the way. But over all it's about a 20 mile round trip (taking the ferry back). I recommend you stop in Sausalito to see the Bay Model. You'll see signs for it along the bike route.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Tiburon ferry limits the number of bikes allowed and it's a popular thing to do. If you get there late enough on a nice weekend afternoon, you can risk not getting on the boat. Then it's an uphill ride back to SF. Sausalito on the other hand is a much bigger boat and I've never run the risk of not getting on it. Larkspur is another possiblity (25 mi. round trip) but it can be tricky to navigate that route.

carriewp1, a couple of things:

1) The Miyako is in Japantown, which isn't really near anything else. Even if you have to change hotels, you might want to re-consider which "other" hotel to stay at. San Francisco does have a terrific public transportation system, though, so maybe it's not a problem for you.

2) I assume you know that by the time you arrive, the baseball season will be over (well, it will be the last weekend, but the Giants are away that weekend). I think they might give tours of PacBell, though.

Have fun!

dmlove....I do realize that the regular season will be over (and I hope my Red Sox are still playing--though I feel like they have kicked me in the gut the past two nights :( ), but I am hoping to get a tour, if possible. Also, we are still looking at other possible hotels. We are fine taking public transport (born and bred in Boston), but would even take a cab to make it easier with luggage. We picked the Miyako for the night since our room will have a nice view (we booked a corner room with panoramic view)and there is a deep soaking tub....which I know will be great after the long flight out to San Fran. Thanks for your help!

carrie, I just checked - you can buy tickets online at sfgiants.com. It looks like the last tour is the 30th of September (unless they just don't have October posted yet, which is possible).

Carrie, I called for you (it's local - I can see the park from my window). There will be an off-season tour schedule, but it won't be posted until mid-September.

Thanks, dmlove. We will look again in a couple of weeks and if we can may just go for a tour on 9/30.

Cindy - We left the bike shop at 11:00 and just missed the 5:00 ferry from Tiburon so had to wait until 6:00 to leave. But we made many stops along the way to take in the scenery. We spent at least 1 1/2 hours in Sausalito and wasted over an hour getting the two flat tires repaired.

We thought the ride over GG to Sausalito was nicer than from Sausalito to Tiburon (more to see). But that could also be because we were tired of getting flats fixed. We also thought the route to Tiburon was confusing. I don't think we followed the whole route on the map we had been given but we made it nonetheless.

Be ready for some hills on both stretches. If you need to walk them you will have plenty of company though I was proud of myself for only walking one small hill near the end of our trip.

Overall this was one of my favorite things that we did while in SF. I am guessing that with our backtracking for tire repair twice we rode about 20 miles that day. I would definitely do it again next time we visit SF.

Carrie-

One thing that no one has mentioned yet is that the end of your stay overlaps with Fleet Week, the US Navy's annual celebration in San Francisco. Usually the Blue Angels are in town and you can expect two days of fly-overs as they practice for the air shows they give on Saturday and Sunday.

Additionally there will be fireworks Friday and Saturday nights 10/5 - 10/6.

Someone's suggestions of walking the labrynth at Grace Cathedral coincides with my favorite cable car ride, the California street going west to east. Talk about a roller coaster ride.

My idea of a must-do restaurant is dim sum at Yank Sing at Rincon Center down near the Embarcadero. If you show up right at 10am, you don't have to wait in line.

Definitely eat crab at the wharf. Take a taxi ride across the bay bridge and then walk back to the city for an unforgettable experience. Have dinner in little italy and enjoy union square. Spend a day cruising the city in the trolleys. Oh yea and you guys would also enjoy Alcatraz. It is such a great city! Enjoy!

BayArea, when I first moved to the city, I "commuted" on the California cable car line (I lived about 5 blocks west of Van Ness Avenue).

<i> Take a taxi ride across the bay bridge and then walk back to the city for an unforgettable experience. </i>

The poster must mean the Golden Gate Bridge, since you most definitely cannot walk across the Bay Bridge.