Overview
Set at the tip of a peninsula between the ocean and a great bay, San Francisco packs steep hills, distinct neighbourhoods and a cool, foggy climate into a small area. Once a gold-rush port and now a capital of technology, it keeps rows of Victorian houses, a famous Chinatown and a strong tradition of tolerance and reinvention. Walkable and served by its cable cars, it is a city of views — of the bridge, the bay and the fog rolling in over the hills.
Highlights
The Golden Gate Bridge is the emblem of the city, walked or cycled for the view back over the bay. Cable cars climb the hills past Union Square, Alcatraz sits on its island in the bay, and Fisherman’s Wharf lines the waterfront. The neighbourhoods — Chinatown, the Mission, the painted houses of Alamo Square — and day trips to the wine country and the redwoods round out a stay.