The city and county of San Francisco (San Francisco) lie in the central part of the Pacific coast of California, on the northern tip of the peninsula of the same name, bordering the same bay from the sea. It is perhaps the most beautiful and certainly the most liberal city in the United States, with its own face and style, not least determined by the picturesque local landscapes and frequent fogs that cover half of the city.
Despite its far from small size (the total area of the city is about 600 sq. Km), San Francisco is quite compact, hilly and bears little resemblance to the huge chaotic Los Angeles. Much credit for this belongs to the devastating earthquake that struck San Francisco in 1906 (fires caused by tremors raged then for three days), after which the city was rebuilt according to a clear architectural plan practically from scratch. Many of the city's structures, which still define its face, were built within the framework of this development, from the early 1920s to the mid-1930s.
What to do in San Francisco
- Free Things to Do in San Francisco: Free tours, free museum admission, and free shows can help keep you busy while keeping your wallet full.
- What to do on a rainy day in San Francisco: A rainy day doesn't have to be a vacation destroyer with these fun tips.
- Try The Best of Vacations Things to do in San Francisco: are still popular and fun, but not entirely victims of their own fame.
- Try a few of your favorite San Francisco experiences: San Francisco-specific activities.
- Walk from Marina Green to Golden Gate Bridge: This is arguably the most beautiful city walk in the world, and San Franciscans seem to know this when they go out for a walk or run and enjoy the views.
- Take yourself on a cable car journey: The cable cars are undoubtedly a tourist attraction, but residents also use them for transportation, and this guide will help you get to some interesting places outside of the tourist areas.
- Take a City Tour: An urban group of volunteer guides offer walks throughout the site, led by people who are passionate about where they live.
- Take a Walk: 5 great places to walk around the area.
- Castro Cruise: Take a walking tour to connect with San Francisco's LGBTQ community.
San Francisco is a "minority majority" city, with more than half of its inhabitants being minority members. The largest group is Asian (especially Chinese), but the city has bright pockets of many other origins. Visiting Chinatown can be quite touristic, but if you get off Grant Street and the tourist shops, you will see a different side of this community. Other ethnic enclaves include Japan town (Geary at Fillmore) and the Hispanic Mission District.
A glimpse into San Francisco's past with these actions:
- The Beginning of San Francisco: Mission San Francisco de Asis was a spiritual center, and Presidio was a military founded in 1776.
- 1849 Gold Rush: The shiny yellow metal may have been far inland, but San Francisco was where everyone came to seek their fortune - and the biggest ones may have been made here, not in the mines. Take a City Tour of San Francisco's Gold Rush Travel Guides to learn more about it.
- 1906 Earthquake and Fire : You can still find a few remnants of the great catastrophe.
- Summer of Love: There is no shortage of tours to help you remember what happened in 1967, including city guides, the Haunted Haight and the Haight Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour.
Transportation of San Francisco:
San Francisco public transportation is run by the SFMTA operator. It is a network of 100 bus routes, trolleybuses, surface and underground light railways Muni Metro (the so-called MUNI system, which also includes the famous historic cable cars ).
Single tickets can be purchased on board buses, trams and Muni underground stations and are valid for 90 minutes on all modes of transport except cable cars and the BART intercity metro. A decent fine is charged for travel without a ticket. Muni Metro hours of operation are from 5:00 am to midnight. L and N lines run 24 hours a day. In addition to single tickets, there are 1/3/7-day Visitor Passports.
The most scenic route is the F-Market line, which is served by old street trams that run along the market from Castro to Embarcadero, where they turn left towards the road to Fisherman's Wharf.
For information on buses and trains and the best route: Bay Area trip planner, contract
☎️: 001 415 701 2323
Taxis are waiting for passengers at specially designated parking areas, they can be called by phone or stopped on the street with a wave of your hand. The cost of a trip around the city is 15-20 USD.
Bike rent:
Bike rental system Ford GoBike, Including 546 stations in the San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Emerville well suited for short trips around town. To take a bike, at the station terminal, you need to buy a special card valid for 1 day and worth 10 USD. The number of trips is not limited.
Renting a bike for a long time in other rental companies costs from 8/35 USD for 1 hour / day.
San Francisco is built on hills, but the locals don't seem to notice. New bike paths are constantly being added in the city. To understand where you can safely ride a bike, you can use this map: www.sfbike.org.
If you would like to rent a bike in the Fisherman's Wharf area, contract Blazing Saddles:
☎️: 001 415 202 8888
They rent mountain bikes for $ 32.
Near the Golden Gate Bridge, you can rent a mountain bike from Golden Gate Park Bike and Skate Rental contract:
☎️: 001 415 668 1117
🌐: www.goldengateparkbikeandskate.com
The rental price is $ 5 per hour.
The bike can be picked up and returned at any nearby station. The first 30 minutes of the trip are free, then 3-4 USD for every additional 15 minutes.
Cruises: Conveniently located Pier 35 ( www.sf-port.org ) is San Francisco's main port. All the main sights of the city are literally around the corner. The most popular Fisherman's Wharf is only 15 minutes away on foot, Chinatown - 25 minutes, Union Square - about half an hour. The largest cruise operators are Crystal, Princess and Royal Caribbean.
It is undesirable to drive around the city in a car, as the traffic is difficult and intense, and parking is expensive (and you will be very lucky if you find a free space). But if you do decide to rent a car, there are leading car rental companies in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Alternatively, you can take advantage of San Francisco's excellent public transportation system.
Car rental: If you are planning to get out of town, you will definitely need a car. At the airport you can find rental offices of all major American companies - Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless and Thrifty.
Airport Transfer: A taxi ride from San Francisco International Airport ( www.flysfo.com ) to the Embarcadero seafront takes 20 minutes and costs $ 50.
Moving around the city:
By Bus and Train: The most convenient way to get around the city is by trains, buses and trams on the Muni transport network (Tel. 311 in San Francisco, 511.org ). A seven-day "passport", which gives the right to unlimited travel, costs $ 26. A single ticket costs $ 2 for adults and $ 0.75 for children.
By cable tram: The city has three scenic cable tram routes ( www.sfcablecar.com ). The fare is $ 5 (3.65 euros) one way.
San Francisco Hotels and Accommodation:
There are more than two hundred hotels in San Francisco, including guest houses, mini- and boutique hotels, as well as luxury hotel complexes of international hotel chains - Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton.
Resorts are predominantly located near the Pacific coast, either directly on the beach or across the street from it. Most hotels have a swimming pool, spa or beauty center, restaurant and golf courses.
How to choose hotel in San Francisco:
The most expensive and prestigious "five-stars" of San Francisco are compactly located in the city center. The luxury of their interiors and the quality of service can be judged by the movie "The Rock", some scenes of which were filmed at the Fairmont San Francisco. The cost of the cheapest double room in it is 350 USD in low season, in summer it is 50% higher. The geography of 4 * hotels is already beyond the center. Their infrastructure, as a rule, includes restaurants, bars, indoor and outdoor pools, spa and fitness centers and is not inferior to more stellar brothers. But the prices are much lower - 160-335 USD.
The further from the center the hotel is located, the more attractive the price-quality ratio. All other things being equal, the cheapest hotels should be found in the area of the international airport.
The most democratic 2-3 * hotels are available in any area of the city. The presence of a restaurant or a pool is optional, and the room rate is 80-200 USD. A motel room at a distance of 2-6 km from the center costs about the same - a good choice for undemanding motorists who do not want to spend extra money on paid parking.
• All hotels and motels, regardless of the number of stars, have free Wi-Fi.
San Francisco landmarks:
The historic center of Frisco, as the Americans often call it, lies in the hilly northeastern part of the peninsula and differs from the "big city" by its almost complete absence of planning - many of its streets are so winding and illogically laid out, have such a large elevation difference that they themselves themselves are quite good attractions (a typical example of this is Lombard Street on Russian Hill). Currently, the Old City is located within the business center with its skyscrapers and offices and is framed by ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown, North Beach and Telegraph Hill (Italian neighborhoods), Russian Hill, Mission District.(African Americans and people from Latin America live here), Richmond (often called "New Chinatown", but many Russian emigrants live here), Sunset (people from Asia) and other picturesque areas.
 |
| Ken Lund/flickr/share & like |
The tourist center of the city is Union Square - an ever-noisy concentration of shops and hotels, flower sellers and homeless people. Famous cable cars run down the west side of the square to Aquatic Park Washington Street Chinatown and Financial District or up to the Mark or Hopkins Hotel. The scenic SoMa (South Market Street) neighborhood links the high-rise downtown office complexes and quaint neighborhoods along the Embarcadero with the ever-touristy gallery and museum district around Yerba Buena Gardens or the nightlife Eleventh Street. The Wax Museum is located on the territory of Fisherman Wharf (the foot of Russian Hill) with its rather kitschev shopping area, and the pier itself is the gateway to such famous monuments of the city as the Alcatraz Island Prison, the Maritime Museum and the Historical Pier.
 |
| fishermans wharf |
The city's attractions include the famous Golden Gate Bridge (Golden Gate, 1937, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world - each of its spans is 1280 m long) and the nearby park of the same name (1017 acres) with the Striving Arbotherium Botanic Gardens, a charming Japanese garden, the Yang Museum of Fine Arts and the tallest man-made waterfall in the western states as well as the New Bay Bridge under construction, which will be the most perfect structure of its kind in the world, which is not surprising considering that its 160-meter supports will be located in the most seismically dangerous place of the city, exactly in the middle between the tectonic faults of San Andreas and Hayward, and the 560-meter span will hold on just one support.
 |
| Golden gate bridge |
San Francisco museums:
 |
| Jeremy Thompson/ flickr |
Also widely known are the prison island Alcatraz (used in this role from 1933 to 1963), the area of fashionable villas on Montgomery Street, the business center of Market Street, Mount Tamalpais Mountain (770 m) with a magnificent panoramic view from its peaks. the city and the bay, the War Memorial Opera House (1932), the Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) on the South Market, the Cable Car Museum (covers the history of another local attraction - the famous San Francisco trams, or cable cars, whose history goes back 130 years), the Russian Cultural Center (1939) in the Richmond area, the Mexican Museum , the Asian Museum of Artat the San Francisco Library Complex, the Exploratorium Science Museum , the Bueno Vista Park Zoo by Lake Merced, Angel Island (a former WWII filtration camp and now a popular hiking and picnic area), the American Conservatory Complex and theater (ACT), the International Women's Museum , the African Museum and many other unusual collections, as well as the vibrant Castro Quarter and the famous High Ashbury, or Haight, considered the birthplace of the hippie movement.
Beach Holidays in San Francisco:
The ocean shores around San Francisco cannot be considered an ideal place for a seaside holiday - there is quite strong surf, complex currents and rather cool water, the temperature of which does not exceed 15 ° C in the summer months. Swimming on many city beaches is not recommended; on some it is officially prohibited, as evidenced by prohibition signs. The beaches of San Francisco are foggy even during the summer months.
• Within Golden Gate Park you can find many good places for swimming and active pastime, and in Baker Beach (east of Golden Gate) you can safely swim and relax all summer.
• When going to sunbathe and swim on the coast of San Francisco, it is better to take a windproof jacket or sweatshirt with you the winds are cool here even in the summer months.
• Fans of water sports should remember about strong underwater currents. Surfing along the San Francisco coastline is an option for experienced athletes, but not for beginners.
• Alcoholic drinks are not allowed on most of the city's beaches local police enforce the rule.
Beaches:
The luxurious Ocean Beach, which stretches for 3.5 miles along the west coast of San Francisco, is more used for jogging and sports activities on the shore. Swimming on the beach is not recommended due to the large waves ideal for experienced surfers. Ocean Beach has showers, cafes, volleyball courts and play areas. Drinking alcoholic beverages on the coast is prohibited. It is allowed to light bonfires, but there must be no more than 25 people in the company. The most secluded part of the coast is in the south. There is no parking along the beach.
 |
| Rodeo beach |
Popular with fishing enthusiasts, Baker Beach offers beautiful views of the Golden Gate. The coast is equipped with showers, picnic tables and toilets. There is free parking, but on weekends you should arrive before ten to have time to take a free seat. To the north is the nudist North Baker beach.
 |
| Eugene Kim/flickr |
On the small China Beach, located in the prestigious Sea cliff area, it is much easier to meet locals than tourists. The waves are calmer on the coast than on Ocean Beach. Due to its location in sheltered from the winds, China Bay is one of the few safe places in San Francisco to swim, but be aware of the ebb and flow their schedule can be found on the beach. Lifeguards are on duty from April to October. There are picnic tables and barbecue areas food and drinks must be brought with you. Animals are not allowed on the beach.
See also: San Francisco Attractions | Best places to visit in san francisco bay area
Climate:
Those who come to San Francisco expecting endless summer and bikinis in abundance should think again. This is not Los Angeles, located just below to the south. This is San Francisco, and its residents will laugh to their heart's content when you complain, chattering teeth, that "this is K-to-California ...?" Remember that there is often fog here, bringing cool and goose bumps. One smart man even once wrote: "The coldest winter I have ever experienced is the summer of San Francisco." The average summer temperature in the city is +21 ° C. Slightly above +16 ° C keeps from the beginning of May to the end of October. In order to protect yourself, you should follow the current weather forecast.
Check "San Francisco current weather" ➡️
Helpful information
San Francisco Local laws:
- If you intend to drive a car in the United States, always have your passport and driving license with you, as traffic police require these documents.
- At the red light of the traffic light, you can turn right (provided that a full stop is made, there is no oncoming traffic and a prohibition sign).
- In most American cities, park your car in the direction of travel on the side of the road on which you park it. Otherwise, you will be fined.
- The vehicle must not be parked closer than 4.5 meters from the fire hydrant.
Thanks for reading......
