Sightseeing Tips while in San Francisco

Mannysrt8

Sorry if this is way off topic..but me and my wife and 10 month old son plan to fly out to Sanfran in the next week and we are looking for a quick family getaway,originally wanted to do Vegas however the casino smoke is an issue....

Need some advice:

Want to check out Alcatraz,the Wharff,City bus tour,Golden Gate etc....and would like to do some shopping etc

I checked on hotel prices around the wharff,seem to be on the high end,we have never been to Sanfran before,would you recommend getting a hotel on the outskirts and renting a car and driving to these different attractions?or dont bother with a car and getting a hotel down by the wharff and walk to all the attractions.

Would you recommend renting a car off site from SFO or at SFO?

Anything we should check out..would 4 days be enough?we dont really want to rush..no partying,just good food,sightseeing,and relaxing...and lots of sleep as well

If this is in the wrong section,please move


Thanks

axio

I just came back from Vancouver on a business trip and I can say Vancouver is pretty nice relative to SF haha. Cleaner, less homeless people, safer overall feeling, and less jerks than SF.

What is the price range for your hotel? That would be a good starting point. If you're here only 4 days, staying in SF would be nice. The Hyatt on Embarcadero is nice, and while I haven't stayed in the W in SF, they are generally good to go.

If you don't intend to leave SF itself, just take a cab from SFO to your hotel. Parking in SF can be expensive and sometimes scarce, so you can always just take a cab. Either of those two hotel choices are good for walking to certain attractions.

The Mission district has some nice up and coming eateries, but it can be somewhat sketchy at night. It isn't terrible, but don't say I didn't warn you. I don't mind going there by myself, but not somewhere I'd really take my kids.

A few family friendly yet good places to eat:

Tadich Grill (financial district/downtown)
Thang Long (vietnamese style crab and garlic noodles, outskirts of sunset)
Cha Cha Cha (Cuban food in Mission)
Bobo's (Boboquivari's, a steak place on Lombard near Van Ness -- get the bone-in filet if they have it)

If you Bart across to Berkeley, off the Downtown Berkeley exit is Angeline's Louisiana cajun restaurant, awesome food.

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bigdog1250

Like Axio recommended, DO NOT rent a car in SF. There is no need for one. You can either Cab from SFO airport or take the BART train right into downtown SF. I'd recommend staying around Union Square (Not Fisherman's warf).

Hotel Recommendations:

Le Meridien
The W
Hyatt

There is amazing food all over SF, just use YELP and search for the style you want and you will be able to find something good in whatever part of the city you are looking for.

For drinks:

Absinthe (in Hayes valley district)
Rickhouse (in financial district)
Comstock (financial district/north beach)
Marriott hotel has a bar at the top with some pretty cool views
Top of the Mark Hopkins hotel for dinner/drinks - expensive but best views in the city

Not in SF, but just over the Golden Gate bridge in Sausalito is Cavallo Point which is super pretty spot for dinner and or drinks. Great views of the city and its right near the water.

La Mar - good seafood place on the embaracdero (on the water) in SF.

Farallon - pricey but amazing seafood near Union Square

**DONT plan any nice dinners near the Fisherman's Warf. All the place near there are shitty (besides Gary Danko which is Michelin star rated) Go to the warf in the day then get out of there.

If you have any specific requests/qestions, shoot me a PM

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Mannysrt8

LOL thanks for the tips...looking to spend $100 a night hotel,where would you say is a good area to centre our location around..is there some kind of pass you can buy where you check out the 3 or 4 main attractions?

axio

Hmm... to be honest, $100/night is going to be hard to do. One option I can think of is the Holiday Inn on Van Ness. The location is fairly central, but definitely expect to take a cab everywhere at that point.

fisherman's wharf, you'll get tired of it really fast, esp being from Vancouver.

Funny that as a local, and I'm sure this is probably true with lots of people from the Bay, but I've never been to Alcatraz. That being said, it is probably worth checking out. If anything, you at least will get good views of SF.

While it isn't spectacular, another dinner option would be to get a dinner cruise on the Hornblower Yaught. We did it for a friend's birthday a few years back, and the food was so-so, but the drinks were all you can drink (we bought the option to do so) and it does take you on a tour of the bay if you want good views.

If you're going shopping, skip Stonestown, it is just a regular mall. The downtown area at that SF Galleria near the Metreon seems to be newer.

Oh, Kokkari is a pretty good restaurant. www.kokkari.com

And how can I not forget, House of Prime Rib. Actually, if you stay at the Holiday Inn on Van Ness, HOPR is just a short walk away. Definitely go there.

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axio

Dammit, now I want to go to House of Prime Rib... thanks man, thanks...

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icormba

Make arrangements for Alcatraz well ahead of time, like now. I have lived in the SF Bay Area for over 40 years, all my life, and I have yet to get on the Alcatraz tour because it's always booked. If you do rent a car, I would, make sure to opt for the insurance! Some of my favorite spots are actually outside the city, then again I do not care for the city... sorry SF residents!

Some of the "Vista Points" are really neat. My wife and I really like Sausalito, the other side of the Golden Gate, very relaxing.

Other Neat things to do in the City not mentioned:
Cable Car, kinda cool to say you rode on one.
Lombard Street
Drive over the Golden Gate and Bay Bridge
China Town

As for places to stay, can't help there... we usually just do day trips or stay with my uncle.

Mt Tam I am

Listen to this man. I was born here and could not have compiled such a sencible list.

Alcatraz is a perfect place for the family. The kids will remember it forever. The wife might not love with it but once you're on "the rock" you can't leave anyway, till the next tour boat.

House of prime rib is a winner.

Dress warmly where ever you go. The Bay area is not Southern California, where it is warm to hot.

I laughed when the OP wanted to stay for $100/ night. I wish you lots of luck though. Frisco has more tourist aimed taxes than you can shake a stick at.

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Mannysrt8

Thanks to everyone who provided sound advice for places to go and see in San Francisco..we ended up booking 2 nights in Anaheim and 2 nights in Hollywood..total of 6 nights in Cali...Disney and Universal this time around will do San Fran next year...thanks again everyone.