Take a Hop On Hop Off Tour
The best way to see San Francisco in a short time is from on top of a Double Decker Bus. The Official City Tour is 2hrs and gives a comprehensive overview of the city with fun and informative commentary along the way. You can hop on and off at one of the many stops along the way and explore further on your own.
Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
You cant come to San Francisco without visiting The Golden Gate Bridge. Its one of the most iconic structures in the world and its right here. You can get to the bridge on the Hop On Hop Off tour bus where you can get off and walk on the bridge. Spend some time at the visitor center before catching the next bus.
Ride a Cable Car
San Francisco has 3 cable car lines. The Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines run from Market Street to Fishermans Wharf. The California/Van Ness line runs up over Nob Hill from to Van Ness Avenue. A single ride ticket is $8 (at time of publishing).
Try some seafood
San Francisco is famous for its seafood and especially for it Dungeness Crab. Fisherman’s Wharf is packed with amazing seafood that you can buy from the food stands at Fishermans Grotto or upscale restaurants like Scomas. Another famous San Francisco delicacy is sourdough bread so if you want to grab a quick lunch get yourself over to Boudins on Fisherman’s Wharf and combine both delicacies with Clam Chowder in a bread bowl.
Visit the Sealions at Pier 39
At the end of Pier 39 at K-Dock, you will find the famous California Sealions. They first appeared after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and began taking over the marina at Pier 39. The boat owners tried all they could to get rid of them but to no avail. Eventually they gave in an the numbers swelled to well over 1500 in 2009. Although numbers are lower today they are still there in their hundreds.
Get an Irish Coffee
Well its been a long day, you look like you could use a drink. Why not head over to the Buena Vista Café at the corner of Beach and Hyde and get one of their famous Irish Coffees. The Buena Vista Café was the first place in America to serve Irish Coffee after a San Francisco Chronicle travel writer named Stanton Delaplane tried it at Shannon Airport in Ireland and worked with the owners to start serving the drink in their establishment where they have sold over 30 million of them to date.
