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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented | Planning
Updated by Fiona G. Parrott
It’s rare for a metropolis to compete with its suburbs for visitors, but the view from any of San Francisco’s hilltops shows that the Bay Area’s temptations extend far beyond the city limits. To the north is Marin County, the beauty queen, with small but chic villages like Tiburon and Mill Valley, plus dramatic coastal scenery. East of town are two energetic urban centers, Berkeley and Oakland. Formerly radical Berkeley is getting more glam, while Oakland is shaking off its image as San Francisco’s ugly stepsister and developing its own brand of hipness.
Up in Marin, the birthplace of mountain biking, trail-veined Mt. Tamalpais and the woods below draw hikers and cyclists. Beaches lure families and thrill seekers, while little towns offer respite to harried urbanites. In the mid-1960s and ’70s alternative lifestyle seekers established Marin’s reputation as ground zero for gurus, granola, and redwood hot tubs. Despite the influx of stock-market millionaires and chic boutiques, the counterculture identity still sticks. Immediately after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on U.S. 101 northbound, you’ll pass through a tunnel whose archway is painted with a rainbow that welcomes you to magical Marin, “Land of Oz.”
Meanwhile, the town often referred to as the People’s Republic of Berkeley retains its liberal image, though it’s drastically tamer than it was in the late 1960s. It’s now as famous for chef and food activist Alice Waters (and her pricey restaurant Chez Panisse) as it is for its role as the birthplace of the Free Speech movement. Oakland is polishing some of its rough edges, too, with a successful port and a revitalized downtown, an alternative arts scene, and hipster cafés and boutiques.
Top Reasons to Go
Walk among giants: Walking into Muir Woods, a mere 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is like entering a cathedral built by God.
Sip some coffee: Lytton Square in downtown Mill Valley is a tranquil place to soak up some sun, caffeine, and a real local “hanging out” kind of vibe.
Bite into the “Gourmet Ghetto”: Eat your way through this area of Berkeley, starting with a slice of pizza from the Cheese Board.
Sit on a dock by the bay: Admire the beauty of the Bay Area from the rocky, picturesque shores of Sausalito.
Find solitude at Point Reyes National Seashore: Head here to hike beautifully rugged—and deserted—beaches.
Getting Oriented
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head north to reach Marin County’s rolling hills and green expanses, where residents enjoy an haute-suburban lifestyle. Farther afield, the wild landscapes of the Marin Headlands, Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais, Stinson Beach, and Point Reyes National Seashore await.
East of the city, across the San Francisco Bay, are Berkeley and Oakland, which most Bay Area residents refer to as the East Bay. These two towns have distinct personalities, but life here feels more relaxed than in the city—though every bit as vibrant.
Marin County. Marin is considered the prettiest of the Bay Area counties, primarily because of its wealth of open space. Anchored by water on three sides, the county is mostly parkland, including long stretches of undeveloped coastline. The picturesque small towns here—Sausalito, Tiburon, Mill Valley, and Bolinas among them—may sometimes look rustic, but they’re mostly in a dizzyingly high tax bracket. There’s a reason why people call BMWs “basic Marin wheels.”
Oakland. Life in this harbor-front city is strongly defined by a turbulent history. But the up-and-coming downtown scene and rejuvenated waterfront are signals of good things ahead.
Berkeley. This college town has long been known for its liberal ethos, stimulating university community (and perhaps even more stimulating coffee shops), and activist streak. But these days the booming restaurant and arts scenes are luring even those who wouldn’t be caught dead in Birkenstocks.
Planning
When to Go
Berkeley is a university town, and the rhythm of the school year might affect your visit. It’s easier to navigate the streets and find parking near the university between semesters, but there’s also less buzz around town. Surprisingly, summer is chock-full of students attending the many summer sessions on campus. Moving-in weeks, before the fall semester starts, bring a massive influx of students and parents and other family members—definitely not the best time to take a campus tour.
BART trains can be packed during the morning and evening rush hours, but things are less congested at other times. BART can get you from downtown San Francisco to a coffee shop in Rockridge in about 25 minutes. (It’s closer to 30 minutes for farther points in Berkeley.)
It’ll take about the same amount of time by car to reach Tiburon if traffic is clear on the Golden Gate Bridge (also depending, of course, on what part of the city you’re departing from).
Getting Here and Around
BART Travel
Using public transportation to reach Berkeley or Oakland is ideal. The under- and above-ground BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains make stops in both towns. Trips to either take 30 to 45 minutes one way from the center of San Francisco.
Contacts
BART.
510/465–2278 | www.bart.gov.
Boat and Ferry Travel
For sheer romance, nothing beats the ferry; there’s service from San Francisco to Sausalito and Tiburon in Marin County, and to Alameda and Oakland in the East Bay.
The Golden Gate Ferry crosses the bay to Sausalito from San Francisco’s Ferry Building (Market Street and the Embarcadero). Blue & Gold Fleet ferries depart daily for Sausalito and Tiburon from Pier 41 at Fisherman’s Wharf; weekday commuter ferries leave from the Ferry Building for Tiburon. The trip to Sausalito takes 30 minutes; to Tiburon, it takes 20 minutes.
The Angel Island–Tiburon Ferry sails to the island daily April through September and weekends the rest of the year.
The Alameda/Oakland Ferry runs several times daily between San Francisco’s Ferry Building or Pier 39, Alameda, and the Clay Street dock near Oakland’s Jack London Square; one-way tickets are $6.25. The trip lasts 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your departure point, and leads to Oakland’s waterfront shopping and restaurant district. Purchase tickets on board.
Boat and Ferry Lines
Alameda/Oakland Ferry.
510/522–3300 | www.eastbayferry.com.
Angel Island–Tiburon Ferry.
415/435–2131 | www.angelislandferry.com.
Blue & Gold Fleet.
415/705–8200 | www.blueandgoldfleet.com.
Golden Gate Ferry.
415/923–2000 | www.goldengateferry.org.
Bus Travel
Golden Gate Transit buses travel to Sausalito, Tiburon, and Mill Valley from 1st and Mission streets and from other points in San Francisco. For Mt. Tamalpais State Park and West Marin (e.g., Stinson Beach, Bolinas, and Point Reyes Station), take Bus 10, 70, or 80 to Marin City; in Marin City transfer to the West Marin Stagecoach (schedules vary). San Francisco MuniBus 76 runs hourly from 4th and Townsend streets to the Marin Headlands Visitor Center on Sunday and major holidays only. The trip takes roughly 45 minutes.
Though much less convenient than BART, AC Transit buses run between San Francisco’s Transbay Temporary Terminal (on the block bordered by Main, Folsom, Beale and Howard streets) and the East Bay. AC Transit’s F and FS lines stop near the university and 4th Street shopping in Berkeley. Lines C and P travel to Piedmont in Oakland. The O bus stops at the edge of Chinatown near downtown Oakland.
Bus Lines
AC Transit.
511 | www.actransit.org.
Golden Gate Transit.
415/455–2000 | www.goldengate.org.
San Francisco Muni.
415/701–2311 | www.sfmuni.com.
West Marin Stagecoach.
415/526–3239 | www.marintransit.org/stage.html.
Car Travel
Head north on U.S.101 and cross the Golden Gate Bridge to reach all points in Marin by car, which is essential to visit the outer reaches unless you want to spend all day on the bus. From San Francisco, the towns of Sausalito and Tiburon and the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes National Seashore are accessed off U.S. 101. The coastal route, Highway 1, also known as Shoreline Highway, can be accessed off U.S. 101 as well. Follow this road to Mill Valley, Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais State Park, Stinson Beach, and Bolinas. From Bolinas, you can continue north on Highway 1 to Point Reyes. Depending on traffic, it takes from 20 to 45 minutes to get to Sausalito, Tiburon, and the Marin Headlands; driving directly to Point Reyes from San Francisco takes about 90 minutes in moderate traffic if you drive north on U.S. 101 and west on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Trips to Muir Woods take from 35 minutes to an hour from San Francisco. Add another 30 minutes for the drive to Stinson Beach (the curving roads make the going slower), 10 more if you continue on to Bolinas. The drive from Bolinas to Point Reyes takes an additional half hour.
To reach the East Bay from San Francisco, take I–80 East across the Bay Bridge. For most of Berkeley, take the University Avenue exit through downtown Berkeley to the campus or take the Ashby Avenue exit and turn left on Telegraph Avenue; there’s a parking garage on Channing Way near the campus. For Oakland, take I–580 off the Bay Bridge to the Grand Avenue exit for Lake Merritt. To reach downtown and the waterfront, take I–980 from I–580 and exit at 12th Street. Both trips take about 30 minutes unless it’s rush hour or a weekend afternoon, when you should count on an hour.
Sightseeing Guides
Blue & Gold Fleet has a three-and-a-half-hour narrated tour of the San Francisco Bay, for $46, with frequent daily departures from Pier 39 in San Francisco. Super Sightseeing offers a four-hour bus tour of Muir Woods. The tour, which stops in Sausalito en route, leaves at 9 am and 2 pm daily from North Point and Taylor Street at Fisherman’s Wharf and costs $52 ($50 senior citizens, $27 ages 5–11); 24-hour advance reservations are recommended. Great Pacific Tour Co. runs four-hour morning and afternoon tours of Muir Woods and Sausalito for $55 ($53 senior citizens, $43 ages 5–11), with hotel pickup, in 14-passenger vans with excellent interpretation.
By Bus and Van
Blue & Gold Fleet.
415/705–8200 | www.blueandgoldfleet.com.
Great Pacific Tour Co.
415/626–4499 | www.greatpacifictour.com.
Super Sightseeing.
415/353–5310 | www.supersightseeing.com.
Restaurants
The Bay Area is home to some of the most popular and innovative restaurants in the country, including Chez Panisse Café & Restaurant, in Berkeley, and the Buckeye, in Mill Valley—for which reservations must be made well in advance. Expect an emphasis on locally grown produce, hormone-free meats, and California wine. Keep in mind that many Marin cafés don’t serve dinner, and that dinner service ends on the early side. (No 10 pm reservations in this neck of the woods.)
Hotels
Hotels in Berkeley or Oakland tend to be standard-issue, but many Marin hotels package themselves as cozy retreats. Summer is often booked well in advance, despite weather that is sometimes downright chilly. Check for special packages during this season.
Visitor Information
Contact
Marin Convention & Visitors Bureau.
1 Mitchell Blvd.
Suite B | San Rafael | 94903 | 415/925–2060 | www.visitmarin.org.
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