San Francisco CA
City ChannelsSan Francisco CA
It may measure less than 50 square miles and have a population that doesn’t even crack a million, but San Francisco justly ranks as one of the greatest cities in the world. Famous for grand-dame Victorians, cable cars, a dynamic waterfront, and a soaring golden bridge, this city truly has it all. With trend-defining cuisine ranging from Michelin-starred dining to outrageous food trucks; world-renowned symphony, ballet, theater, and opera; plus almost boundless outdoor adventures, San Francisco justifiably stands out as one of the ultimate must-visit cities on any traveler’s wish list.
The hardest part may be deciding where to go first. (Well, that and packing for the city’s famously unpredictable weather.) The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks; you can walk or bike across the span to the Marin Headlands. Or stay on the San Francisco side and stroll over to the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, the Presidio, or Lands End, a rugged, windswept playground where you can watch for whales and check out the ruins of the Sutro Baths.
The cheery ringing of the cable car bells; the sights, sounds and smells along busy Jefferson Street; the renovated historic red-brick factories; the steaming street-side pots of Dungeness crab—all help make Fisherman’s Wharf the city’s top-rated tourist attraction year after year.
Take a stroll along PIER 39. The repurposed wooden finger-pier is now festooned with restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers and attractions such as Aquarium of the Bay and The Flyer. Boat tours of Alcatraz and Angel Island are popular draws, as are the historic ships anchored at the Hyde Street Pier.
