Clarion Hotel San Francisco Airport 20 August for 7 nights, per person including flights
from £1000
Crowne Plaza San Francisco Internat 10 September for 7 nights, per person including flights
from £758
Best Western Grosvenor Hotel San Fr 08 October for 7 nights, per person including flights
from £704
San Francisco Holidays for a Stateside City Experience
San Francisco – a vibrant city
San Francisco has a fascinating history. Spanish settlers built a fort here, at the Golden Gate, in the eighteenth century, and the city grew quickly in the nineteenth century’s Gold Rush. It recovered from an earthquake and fire in 1906, and, after the Second World War, the gay rights movement and the Summer of Love gave San Francisco its reputation as a place of liberal values. Today, it’s a popular tourist destination. Take a cable car, stroll around Chinatown and experience some of this city’s famously chilly summertime fog. If you love architecture, you’ll love this town, with mixtures of modern and Victorian styles. You’ll want to take in all the popular landmarks, including, the Golden Gate Bridge.
It’s a colourful, vibrant and trendy city to visit. No wonder San Francisco has been voted America’s top city in numerous surveys.
San Francisco is the fourth largest city in California and there really is plenty going on here and that is why so many people choose to go on holidays to San Francisco.
The city has so much going on that it’s impossible to cover everything in one trip. But San Francisco is one of those places that you will want to return to again and again. Every time you on San Francisco holidaysyou discover something different. Not only are there plenty of tourist attractions to see and things to experience but there a little micro cultures all over the city to get yourself immersed into.
The city at night is just as varied as it is during the day, with different districts catering to different tastes. Mission District is the trendy place to be seen and the Marina District provides a more sophisticated night out.
The number one attraction in San Francisco has got to be the Golden Gate Bridge. This structure is 1.7 miles long and is listed as one of America’s top ten construction marvels. Many tourists choose to cycle across this bridge and there are places where you can hire a bike to do this.
Chinatown in San Francisco is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and of course packed full of excellent restaurants and boasts a lively, welcoming atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to begin your holidays in San Francisco.
For a completely different culture, head over to North Beach, which is the Italian area of San Francisco. With a lively atmosphere, this is a great place to go for a night out or some delicious Italian cuisine.
Golden Gate Park is a relaxing place to take time out from the city and enjoy the lakes and gardens. There is even a Japanese Tea Garden where you overlook a waterfall as you sip on the perfect brew.
One of the city’s most popular destinations for people on their San Francisco holidays is Fisherman’s Wharf. This area overlooks San Francisco Bay as well as the Golden Gate Bridge and is home to some interesting museums as well as a few sea lions. It’s a fishing pier so you can always find a restaurant here serving some delicious fresh seafood.
Pier 39 is a popular spot for shoppers and for people who are looking for a bit of light entertainment and relaxation during their San Francisco holidays. This festival marketplace is crammed full of speciality shops and restaurants serving fresh sea food. From here, you can also see some spectacular views of Golden Gate and Bay Bridges as well as the city skyline.
If cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge was not energetic enough for you then perhaps a hike up the Lyon/Broadway Stairway might help to burn off some of that excess energy. At the top, you will come across the Pacific Heights neighbourhood and you will also have a stunning view over the city.
San Francisco is well known for being able to provide you with any sort of food you want. In this city, you can find food from any corner of the world. With Little Italy and Chinatown being popular areas, quality Italian or Chinese food is never far away, but you can also find food from other parts of the world too. Fresh seafood is a speciality in the city and many of the restaurants use fresh Californian produce for their recipes.
And the great thing about San Francisco holidays is that they can cater to any budget with plenty of cheap places to eat as well as more expensive restaurants for those with a bit of spare cash to spend.
San Francisco has mild, wet winters and dry summers. Between May and October is warm and dry and between November and April, it’s rainy with cool temperatures.
One thing you will notice on your holidays to San Francisco is the fog which is so often seen over the city. This fog is caused by the cold sea water and the hot temperatures and it usually covers half of the city all day during the spring and early summer as well as autumn.
Temperatures in San Francisco can reach 22 degrees in the summers and fall to around 8 degrees during the colder months.
Transport in San Francisco
Public transport is the way to travel on San Francisco holidays and there’s plenty of it about. Not only is there a light rail and subway system, but there is also a bus network which includes trolleybuses. Also worth a ride is the F Market historic streetcar line which uses historical equipment and vintage streetcars from Castro Street to Fisherman’s Wharf.
You can’t go on holidays to San Francisco without taking a trip on the San Francisco cable car system. This is a national historic landmark and is absolutely iconic all over the world. This is the world’s last permanent manually operated cable car system and it really brings out the charm of the city.
Things not to miss in San Francisco
1. One of the most fascinating trips to take while in San Francisco is the short ferry ride to Alcatraz Island. Here you will find an old prison with some fascinating stories to go with it.
2. The Exploratorium is a museum with a difference and is popular with visitors both young and old. It’s very hands on and actually encourages you to touch the exhibitions.
3. For families on holidays in San Francisco the Aquarium of the Bay is a great place to spend the day. This attraction celebrates the diverse underwater life that is found in San Francisco Bay. There’s a window to the Bay where you can see nature at its very best.
4. Grace Cathedral lies on the west coast and is a beautiful gothic landmark. It boasts hidden gardens, statues and is a popular venue for concerts.
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San Francisco – a vibrant city