Fodor's Expert Review Pier 39
The city's most popular waterfront attraction draws millions of visitors each year, who come to browse through its shops and concessions hawking every conceivable form of souvenir. The pier can be quite crowded, and the numerous street performers may leave you feeling more harassed than entertained. Arriving early in the morning ensures you a front-row view of the sea lions that bask here, but be aware that most stores don't open until 9:30 or 10 (later in winter).
Follow the sound of barking to the northwest side of the pier to view the sea lions flopping about the floating docks. During the summer, orange-clad naturalists offer fascinating facts about the playful pinnipeds—for example, that most of the animals here are males.
At the Aquarium of the Bay ( aquariumofthebay.org), moving walkways transport you through a space surrounded on three sides by water filled with indigenous San Francisco Bay marine life, from the orange Garibaldi... READ MORE
The city's most popular waterfront attraction draws millions of visitors each year, who come to browse through its shops and concessions hawking every conceivable form of souvenir. The pier can be quite crowded, and the numerous street performers may leave you feeling more harassed than entertained. Arriving early in the morning ensures you a front-row view of the sea lions that bask here, but be aware that most stores don't open until 9:30 or 10 (later in winter).
Follow the sound of barking to the northwest side of the pier to view the sea lions flopping about the floating docks. During the summer, orange-clad naturalists offer fascinating facts about the playful pinnipeds—for example, that most of the animals here are males.
At the Aquarium of the Bay ( aquariumofthebay.org), moving walkways transport you through a space surrounded on three sides by water filled with indigenous San Francisco Bay marine life, from the orange Garibaldi (the state marine fish) to sharks.
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