San Francisco
Currency
USD
Language
English
Timezone
Los Angeles
Continent
North America
Discover San Francisco
San Francisco fits on a peninsula seven miles across, which makes it one of the few American cities you can walk — if you accept the hills. The Golden Gate Bridge closes the bay to the north, often half-drowned in fog, and Alcatraz Island is reached by ferry from the piers. Lombard Street drops through eight tight turns, Coit Tower watches from Telegraph Hill, and the Palace of Fine Arts outlived the 1915 exposition it was built for in temporary materials. The De Young Museum and the Japanese garden sit in Golden Gate Park, larger than Central Park.
When to go
September and October, without hesitation: the warmest and clearest months of the year, against everything you would expect. Summer is cool and foggy — the fog rolls in off the ocean in the afternoon and can erase the bridge entirely. Winter brings the rain but stays mild. Whatever the season, bring layers: the gap between a sunny district and one under the fog reaches ten degrees a few streets apart.
Getting around
The cable cars are not folklore but real transport, the last manually operated cable system left in the world; the powerhouse and its winding machinery can be visited. Muni covers the rest of the city, BART links the airport and the bay. Walking works and is often a pleasure, but read the contours before drawing a route: some streets climb more than thirty per cent.
Where to eat
Sourdough was born here and goes with Dungeness crab in season. The Mission burrito has its own definition — rice, beans, everything inside the tortilla — and argues with Los Angeles about it. Chinatown is the oldest in North America and dim sum is taken in the morning. The city also invented a good share of third-wave coffee culture. Fifteen halal addresses are listed.
Good to know
The US dollar is the currency, tax is added at the register and a tip of 18 to 20 % is expected. The city is expensive, accommodation especially. The fog is not a curiosity: it decides what you will see of the bridge, and mornings are often clearer than afternoons in summer. And the hills tire you faster than you expect — plan fewer stops a day than you would elsewhere.
Top Activities in San Francisco
landmarkGolden Gate Bridge
from €28
parkAlcatraz Island
Free
landmarkTransamerica Pyramid
from €17
museumSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art
from €19
landmarkLombard Street
from €14
parkGolden Gate Park
Free
landmarkFisherman's Wharf
from €14
museumDe Young Museum
from €18
landmarkCoit Tower
from €13
parkPresidio of San Francisco
Free
landmarkFort Point
Free
landmarkSan Francisco Mint
from €11
museumAsian Art Museum of San Francisco
from €15
landmarkConservatory of Flowers
from €9
landmarkCity Lights Booksellers
from €10
museumUSS Pampanito
from €15
parkPink Triangle Memorial
Free
landmarkTwin Peaks
Free
museumLegion of Honor
from €14
landmarkPalace of Fine Arts
from €11
landmarkSan Francisco Ferry Building
from €11
landmarkJapanese Tea Garden
from €10
landmarkSan Francisco Botanical Garden
from €11
landmarkBaker Beach (Nudist Area)
from €10
Restaurants in San Francisco
Caffe Trieste
Original Joe's
Pinecrest Diner
