California destination
San Francisco
Compact, walkable and endlessly interesting. San Francisco rewards those who explore on foot and punishes those who try to see it by car. Three days here is genuinely satisfying.
Why San Francisco works so well for UK visitors
British travellers tend to take to San Francisco immediately. It has the density and walkability of a European city, a genuine neighbourhood character that rewards exploration, excellent public transport within the city, and a food scene that has been genuinely world-class for decades. It is also compact enough that three full days covers the essentials without rushing.
It is cold. Bring layers regardless of what month you are visiting. The fog — locals call it Karl — rolls in off the bay most afternoons in summer and can drop the temperature by fifteen degrees in an hour. This surprises almost every first-time visitor from the UK who assumed California meant warmth.
The Golden Gate and the waterfront
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of those rare landmarks that genuinely exceeds expectations in person. Walk across it — the full crossing is about a mile each way and the views of the bay, the city and Marin County to the north are exceptional. Go early in the morning before the tour groups arrive and before the afternoon fog closes in.
Fishermans Wharf is overcrowded and overpriced, but the sea lions at Pier 39 are genuinely worth seeing — they colonised the marina after the 1989 earthquake and have never left. The ferry to Alcatraz departs from the waterfront and is one of the best visitor experiences in California. Book well in advance — the audio tour, narrated by former inmates and guards, is outstanding.
Neighbourhoods worth your time
The Mission is the best neighbourhood in the city for food — a dense concentration of excellent restaurants along Valencia Street and Mission Street, with the best burritos in California at La Taqueria and Tartine Bakery for bread and pastries that people genuinely queue for before 8am. The murals in Clarion Alley are worth a detour.
Hayes Valley, just west of City Hall, is compact, walkable and full of independent shops, wine bars and some of the best coffee in a city that takes coffee very seriously. North Beach is the old Italian neighbourhood — City Lights bookshop, good espresso and the ghosts of the Beat Generation. Chinatown is the oldest in North America and the restaurants on the side streets, away from Grant Avenue, are excellent.
Lombard Street and Russian Hill
Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth — the famously crooked block with eight hairpin bends descending through manicured flower beds — is one of those San Francisco experiences that is genuinely worth doing despite being on every tourist itinerary. Walk down rather than drive; the pedestrian path alongside gives better views and avoids the queue of cars that backs up on busy days. The views from the top of the block, looking down toward Coit Tower and the bay, are excellent. Russian Hill, the neighbourhood surrounding it, is one of the quieter and more residential parts of the city — worth wandering for thirty minutes before or after.
Getting around the city
Do not rent a car for San Francisco itself. The hills make driving genuinely stressful, parking is expensive and difficult, and the city is better experienced on foot, by cable car and by BART. The cable cars are tourist attractions in their own right — the Powell-Hyde line has the best views and runs from Union Square to Fishermans Wharf.
BART connects the city to the airport and Oakland efficiently. Muni covers most of the city. Taxis and rideshares are plentiful. A car becomes useful only if you are day-tripping to Marin County, Napa or the coast.
Day trips from San Francisco
Napa Valley is ninety minutes north and the obvious day trip — though two days is more satisfying if you want to visit multiple wineries properly. The Marin Headlands, across the Golden Gate, offer some of the best views of the bridge and city and are twenty minutes from downtown. Muir Woods — a cathedral grove of coastal redwoods — is nearby and genuinely awe-inspiring. Book timed entry in advance.
Driving south from San Francisco begins the Pacific Coast Highway experience. Half Moon Bay is an hour south and worth it. Santa Cruz is ninety minutes. Monterey and Big Sur are further but the drive is extraordinary.