Hello....going to San Francisco from 9/29 - 10/6. I have a very loose itinerary with lots of holes in it (on purpose), but wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions, comments, or must-sees to fit in on any particular day...Most items on the list can be moved around, unless otherwise noted. Thanks!

Saturday
Fly in, hopefully settled into hotel by 5pm. (Miyako Hotel). We will probably eat in Japantown and have no idea what else for that night....though I do have a date with the deep soaking tub in our room at some point that night.

Sunday
Try to learn the lay of the land in the morning...maybe one of those tours on motorized cable cars...just to see where the different neighborhoods are, try to figure out what places I want to see up close.
Take a stroll through the Folsom Street Fair...should be interesting.
Grab something to eat in the Mission, stroll through the area

Monday
Fleet Week? Pier 39?
Alcatraz @4:30 pm for the night tour (already booked)

Tuesday
the San Francisco MOMA
Anniversary Dinner...any suggestions? Preferably seafood

Wednesday
Golden Gate Park--
Academy of Sciences/Exploratorium/deYoung Museum.
Have tickets for the Opera Tannhäuser for 7pm.

Thursday
Rent Car?
Head to Muir Woods
Drive along coast

Friday
Wide open
A friend is flying in that evening from San Diego to spend the night.

Saturday
Check out. Hotel will hold luggage
Bluegrass Festival @ Golden Gate
Dinner
Fly out 11pm

Wednesday

Fleet week actually starts on Thursday with the Blue Angels doing practices on Thursday and Friday. http://fleetweek.us/fleetweek Saturday morning is the Parade of Ships.

When you head North, be sure to take the first exit after the bridge and follow the signs to the Marin Headlands (curve under the freeway and up the hills to the left). Go all the way to the top for one of the best views around.

Happy Anniversary and have a great visit!

Hello carriewp, for a seafood dinner here is one thought..Plouf's at Blenden Place which is off of Union Square.

http://www.belden-place.com/

Happy Anniversary..San Francisco is a wonderful city to celebrate a special occassion.

From the viewpoint of a first time visitor (we've only been there once -- so far), I agree with the tour (we did the Grayline Bus, but probably any will serve your purpose). It took us through neighborhoods we probably wouldn't have seen on our own.
(and the information you get is great-- gives you some history of the area)
And the ones it didn't cover, we were able to go to later.

My other suggestion is for Thursday. Agree -- definitely go to the Marin Headlands. You can continue on the road after you hit the top -- it somehow circles back and was worth seeing IMO. Hit Muir Woods early and walk the trail back that goes above the main walk. It really isn't any longer and you can look down on the people on the main trail. Not many people walking up there. We met some deer eating along the trail.

Loved the Hwy 1 drive (only went as far as Stinson Beach). Right before you get to Stinson Beach we took the road up to the top of Mt. Tam (another one with great views) and then back down the other side which eventually took us back to l0l. Crossed over to Sausalito(nice way to end the day).

Grassshopper, thanks for the heads up on Fleet Week....my husband must have looked at the wrong week. Maybe we will check it out on Friday.
LoveItaly and maj--thanks for your input too!

Do you have a dinner reservation for your opera night? I would suggest Citizen Cake - short walk to the Opera House and a fun place to eat. Citizen Cake started out as a bakery, so desserts are stellar. I think you can still walk up to the baked goods case in the front and choose a sweet end to your meal. But call and make a reservation, because others will have the same idea!

http://www.citizencake.com/

P.s. - the poster above recommending Plouf on Belden Lane is spot-on. A warm October night eating outdoors on Belden is a very San Francisco experience.

If it were my anniversary, I would walk across the street from your hotel and dine at Bushi-Tei. Although it's in Japantown and the chef is Japanese - the food is definatly French (we spend 2 months in France each year). It's a little unique for a restaurant in The City because it's quiet enough so you can actually carry on a conversation with your husband without all the noise & piped in sound that's prevelent in about 95% of the restaurants in The City (or at least it seems that way). It's one of only 28 Michelin starred restaurants in the entire Bay Area - including the Wine Country & San Jose.

If you wanted to spend a little more $$$, I would dine at either Gary Danko or La Folie - but expect to spend about $75 to $125 more at these two places than you would at Bushi Tei.

The Mission will be a little dead on a Sunday. Perhaps spend that day in the Noe Valley instead - 24th st between Dolores & Diamond & along Church between 24th & 30th streets. Better yet, I would walk to Bush & Octavia (southwest corner) which is just on the other side of Japantown from your hotel and at at 2:00 join the free "Victorian San Francisco" walking tour (sponsored by the public library). My wife is actually the guide on that specific day - she shares duties with about 8 other guides. She always gets complements from attendees that she's the best guide they have had on tours in SF. I'll be there too to pick her up after the end of the tour. For other tours (Haight-Ashbury - also on Sunday), see www.sfcityguides.org.

In the USA forum, do a search on me - "Stu Dudley" and you'll find lots of other info (favorite views, walks, drives, etc) about San Francisco.

Stu Dudley

Exploratorium is NOT in the Golden Gate park!!

And neither is Academy of Sciences - moved out for renovation, will be back... well, not before you arrive.

DeYoung is still there, Japanese Gardnes, Arboretum.

Here is a link to the Victorian tours showing Ellen as guide:

http://www.sfcityguides.org/desc.html?tour=83

I have taken Ellen's tour and it well worth it. We actually got to go in a Victorian that had been open over the weekend for tours and it was a real treat!

i would drive up to either Sonoma or Napa for wine tasting on your free driving day. Another option is Monterey about 2 hrs away.