San Francisco & Northern California
Home to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, San Francisco is a stunning landscape of hilly streets with beautiful Victorian architecture, diverse neighbourhoods and a vibrant historic waterfront. This compact city is easy to navigate on foot or aboard its iconic cable cars.
For the best shops, restaurants and entertainment head to Union Square, whilst lively Fisherman’s Wharf provides family-friendly dining along the water’s edge, with great views of the famous bridge.
The California coast is a delight of small towns and seaside resorts and is a perfect self drive destination. Santa Cruz boasts 29 miles of white sand beaches and Monterey styles itself the Sardine Capital of America.
Inland the scenery is a mix of vineyards, fruit groves and forests and the state is bordered on the east by the magnificent Sierra Nevada mountains and the beautiful Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.
Things to do in San Francisco & Northern California
- Walk, cycle or drive across the Golden Gate Bridge
- Cruise and visit the infamous Alcatraz Island
- Shop and dine in bustling Union Square
- View the Bay and bridge from Golden Gate Park
- Visit the largest Chinatown in the USA
- Take a selfie with a sea lion at Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf
- Navigate the steep turns on Lombard Street
- Head to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada
- Dine out on California’s superb seafood and wine
- Explore the seaside towns on a self drive to Los Angeles
Getting There
By Road – Los Angeles 380 miles; Las Vegas 570 miles; Portland 630 miles
By Rail – From Los Angeles and Seattle and aboard the California Zephyr from Chicago
By Air – Direct flights from the UK and most major cities
Getting Around
San Francisco may be one of America’s biggest tourist destinations but it’s surprisingly compact and easy to get around by public transport. Most of the popular attractions are within walking distance of the city centre but riding San Francisco’s famous cable cars is a must!
