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City and county in California, US
Photo: Lightandtruth, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The centerpiece of the Bay Area, San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the world, and with good reason. The cultural center of northern California, San Francisco is renowned for its mixture of scenic beauty and unique culture that makes it one of the most vibrant and desirable cities in the nation, if not the world.
Fashionable neighborhoods, e.g., the Marina District, Cow Hollow, and Pacific Heights, with extensive views and historical landmarks – Fort Mason, The Presidio, and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
A touristy waterfront neighborhood which encompasses Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, and the ferry launch to Alcatraz Island, as well as a plethora of seafood restaurants and souvenir stores.
Two ritzy neighborhoods with upscale hotels, cable cars, panoramic views and steep inclines.
Two vibrant immigrant communities; the crowded and largest Chinatown outside of Asia next to the stylish, laid-back "Little Italy", as well as Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower.
Union Square is the center of shopping, theater and art in the city, next to the many skyscrapers of downtown and Market Street.
The neoclassical Civic Center next to the grit of the Tenderloin. While the "Loin" is grittier compared to its ritzier neighbors downtown, there is still plenty of interesting architecture and attractions to see here.
A rapidly changing neighborhood of downtown that is the center of a lot of new construction, including new skyscrapers; some of the city's newest museums; Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants; and Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.
A historic neighborhood with many Victorian homes that was once a hotbed of African-American culture. Within the area is also Japantown, once the center of San Francisco's Japanese population, still populated with many Japanese stores and restaurants, and hotels that cater to Japanese travelers.
Famous for being the home of the Hippie movement, this once-bohemian area is still an eclectic treasure.
Includes both the foggy Sunset and Richmond Districts, separated by the scenic and lush Golden Gate Park and bounded on the west by Ocean Beach.
Covering most of southwestern San Francisco, this area is home to many of the taller hills of San Francisco and the large Lake Merced park, which contains the San Francisco Zoo.
Colorful and cohesive, the Castro is historically known for being the cultural center of the city's LGBTQ community. Nearby Noe Valley offers excellent restaurants and shops along pleasantly walkable streets.
This vibrant area is home to a large Hispanic community as well as new urban artisans, and is a center of San Francisco nightlife. For visitors wishing to get off the beaten tourist paths and catch some local flavor, this is the place to go.
A charming neighborhood atop a hill on the southern side of the city and a cultural center for San Francisco's lesbian community.
A mostly lower-income residential area, this district contains several bay-side neighborhoods and many nice parks.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Gets admission to some museums, the Zoo and a Blue and Gold Fleet bay cruise.
January or February. The San Francisco version of the Chinese New Year dates way back, with a colorful, vibrant parade with decorative costumes, lions, deafening firecrackers, "lucky-money" envelopes, colorful banners, ornately themed floats, martial arts groups, stilt walkers, acrobats, and, of course, a 200-foot Golden Dragon.
San Francisco's main Independence Day celebrations take place on Fisherman's Wharf. There is lots of free entertainment during the day, culminating with an impressive fireworks display from the foot of Municipal Pier, and at the other end of the Wharf from barges moored off the north of Pier 39.
This hugely popular parade celebrates Italian heritage. Handmade floats run all the way from Fisherman's Wharf up Columbus Avenue through North Beach.
End of November. Ring in the holiday season by attending the festivities at Ghirardelli Square. There's theater, live music, and then at the end they decorate a 45-foot Christmas tree with ornaments, lights, and chocolate bars.
A street party in the Castro on the Saturday night before the Pride Parade and Celebration.
One of the largest gay pride parades and festivals in North America, centered in the Civic Center area. It's a huge, happy, chaotic celebration of diversity, politics, sexuality, and San Francisco wackiness, on the last weekend in June. About a dozen stages and spaces offer everything from square dancing to hip-hop, from a family garden to Leather Alley. It's a movement, it's a market, it's a party. The parade and celebration are for everyone—straight and gay are welcome.
Halloween, the holiday when everyone puts on a mask, has long been a special time for gay, lesbian and bisexual people to take off the "straight-looking mask" they sometimes wore all year, and be themselves. It has turned into a huge, sometimes poorly controlled, street party in the Castro on the evening of October 31 each year. Police efforts have attempted to tame this and it has been much diminished.
On the last Friday of each month, bicyclists in San Francisco (and about 200 like-minded cities world-wide) gather at the north end of Market Street on the Embarcadero and ride en masse to some destination, demonstrating their right to use the roads. If you are driving in SF on a Critical Mass day, you will want to listen for radio traffic reports, but if you are stopped by the mass the best thing to do is maintain a good sense of humor and remember that it will all pass in about 5 minutes. Tempers can and do flare, and there have been cases where run-ins with drivers and bicyclists have gotten violent. If your car is surrounded by bikes, definitely do not move until they have passed or they might feel threatened.
Third Sunday in May. An annual footrace that is one of the largest in the country. The route runs from Downtown to Ocean Beach. Many runners do the whole thing in costume, wearing anything from elaborate costumes to wearing almost nothing at all, lending a party atmosphere to the event.
Second Sunday in June. Participants (which often include world champions and Olympic medalists) swim 1.5 miles through chilly waters, bike 18 miles, and then run an extra 8 miles. The course winds its way throughout the city, but the transition and finish line is at Marina Green in the Golden Gate area.
Usually held in the first week of October, it's a tribute to the men and women in the armed forces. A flotilla of Navy ships dock on the Wharf in parade fashion, and there are many free Deck tours available from crew members. There are also several air displays by the Navy flyers.
By train
Amtrak, +1-800-872-7245 serves the Bay Area with long-distance and intercity trains. San Francisco's long distance station is across the bay, outside city limits, in Emeryville.
By bus
Some of the above long-distance bus companies also make stops in Oakland and San Jose (and/or additional Bay Area cities) to pick up passengers on the outbound trip and drop off on the inbound trip.
By boat
In many ways a boat is the ideal way to approach San Francisco.
By car
There are four major highway approaches to San Francisco.
On foot
Walking can be an enticing option to get from one neighborhood to another, as the city is compact and most of the tourist sites are in its northeastern portion.
By public transit
San Francisco has one of the most comprehensive public transportation systems in the United States, and is expanding its network with a regional transportation hub in SoMa and a new subway line going…
By bike
If you have strong legs and can tolerate traffic with intermittent bike lanes, bicycles can be a convenient form of transportation in San Francisco.
By electric scooter
Electric scooters are available for rent from Lime and Spin, and are useful for getting around quickly. You may use the bicycle lanes on the road.
By taxi
10 just for getting in the door. You can get an idea of how much particular taxi trips cost in San Francisco using the SFMTA's webpage.
By Uber or Lyft
Lyft and Uber are the two major players in San Francisco that provide a ride-hailing platform for taxi-like services.
By Waymo
Waymo is a self-driving car company that operates in San Francisco with modified Jaguar I-PACE cars and Ojai cars.
By car
Perpetually-clogged traffic, steep hills, a confusing system of one-way streets downtown, numerous bus-only lanes and streets, expensive parking, and a fleet of parking control officers who zealously…
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