San Francisco
Travel Planning Brief
Attractions »
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You can either drive there and park, take the bus, or take a tour.
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The Blue & Gold Fleet is the only operator allowed to take you there.
The night tour lets you see some restricted parts of the island.
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The neighborhood officially starts at the Chinatown Gate.
Try to visit on a Saturday.
Explore the area on foot.
See the temples and balconies on Waverly Place.
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One steep block of the street is the "Crookedest Street in the World".
You can either get there by car and drive down it or by cable car and walk it.
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In this area is where you can go to see the sea lions, catch the boat to Alcatraz, and buy souvenirs.
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Visit the
Conservatory of Flowers,
Japanese Tea Garden,
Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum,
Rose Garden, and
Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers.
The Dutch Windmill and Murphy Windmill and
Buffalo Paddock are toward the west end of the park.
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Offers great views from Telegraph Hill.
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Architectural oddity/wonder on the edge of a swan-filled lake.
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San Francisco's science museum located adjacent to the Palace of Fine Arts.
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This area is San Francisco's "Little Italy" and runs North along Columbus Avenue.
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San Francisco's shopping nexus.
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Offers fantastic, free views of the city.
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Six famous, much-photographed victorian houses.
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This district was ground zero for the 1960's hippie movement.
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Walk from Fisherman's Wharf for shopping, eating, and the view.
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Visit by car or bus tour to see the redwoods.
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Located to the West of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Transportation »
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Getting there
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As authoritative as it gets for airline flights.
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Flying Southwest in through OAK is a very good option.
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Cheaper than taking a taxi from the airport to your hotel, unless you are traveling in a large-enough group.
If you plan on taking an airport shuttle from OAK, make a reservation ahead of time. SuperShuttle is a good option.
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Getting around
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Several convenient downtown locations are reachable by foot.
Keep in mind that parking in many areas of San Francisco is difficult to find and/or prohibitively expensive.
Here is a map of downtown San Francisco parking garages.
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Mass transit (not factoring-in cable cars) are a very attractive mode of transportation in San Francisco.
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Take at least one ride on a cable car.
There are three lines.
Try to get on at a stop instead of waiting in line at the turntables.
Lodging »
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For a large metropolitan city like San Francisco, booking a hotel through Priceline is a fantastic option.
Educating yourself with the resources available at BiddingForTravel.com will help make the bidding process less intimidating.
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A company operating a considerable number of boutique hotels in San Francisco.
An alternative to the standards (e.g., Marriot, Sheraton, etc.).
Dining »
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A restaurant that specializes in garlic.
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Breakfast on Washington Square in North Beach. The Powell-Mason cable car line can get you near there.
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Snack in Chinatown.
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Historic building houses food-centric shops and eateries. Also hosts a farmer's market several days a week.
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Lots of fresh seafood available here. Try the dungeness crab.
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Possibly the best place in the U.S. to try Asian cuisine.
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A nice mix of restaurants from which to choose - convenient to a large number of hotels.
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San Francisco's "Little Italy" has plenty of places to eat.
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Chocolate and sweets, of course, but also "main course" dining options.
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Tons of reviews of San Francisco restaurants by the hometown newspaper.