How To Use This E-Book
This Experience guide has been produced by the editors of Insight Guides, whose books have set the standard for visual travel guides since 1970. With top-quality photography and authoritative recommendations, these highly visual guidebooks are designed to appeal to well-informed, sophisticated travellers looking for fresh insights into their chosen destination.
In the Mood For…
The In the Mood for… section is filled with suggestions, all grouped by mood, whether you’re seeking the best place for lunch or where to get the finest views across the city. Each individual suggestion is cross-referenced to the main selection of recommendations, where they are given full coverage.
Neighbourhoods
Every guide offers a collection of over 100 ideas for a memorable stay in a city, organised by neighbourhood, compiled by writers who know the city inside out. Travellers can browse a city area and find inspiration, with plenty of secret gems in the mix, backed up by clear mapping and a wealth of practical information.
Getting around the e-book
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights mentioned in the text are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of the destination. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
© 2016 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd
Table of Contents
Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach
Take a spooky night tour of Alcatraz
Sip Irish coffee at an iconic café, then jump on a cable car
Venture aboard historic sea vessels at the Hyde Street Pier
Swim in the bay at a century-old rowing club, then taste perfection at Gary Danko
Camp out overnight at Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West
Linger over a perfect cappuccino at one of the city’s great cafes
While away a lazy afternoon in Washington Square, the heart of North Beach
Frolic with the family at Fisherman’s Wharf
Get a bird’s-eye view from the top of Coit Tower, then hunt for a hidden tiger below
Indulge yourself with one-of-a-kind finds and listen to local musicians on Grant Avenue
Discover hidden Jack Early Park, with a breathtaking view of the bay
Chuckle over stand-up comedy or over-the-top dinner-theater cabaret
Feast on authentic Italian food in San Francisco’s ‘Little Italy’
Raise a glass to the Beat Generation and thumb through a rare edition of Howl
Chinatown, Russian Hill, and Nob Hill
Take a temple tour and go ‘dim hopping’
Sip heady cocktails at Chinatown bars, including a former opium den
Peek into a tiny cookie factory and find your fortune
Rent a Mustang convertible and recreate the scene from Bullitt, hugging the Lombard Street curves
Shop for kites and kimonos, then pamper sore feet with a reflexology massage
Don walking shoes and take a tour of the stairways of Russian Hill
Barhop at some of the city’s swankiest hotels
Explore labyrinths and an interfaith chapel at Grace Cathedral
Rejuvenate with a seaweed wrap or guided imagery massage at a posh spa
An eclectic shopping experience and a seafood counter with a cult-like following on Polk Street
Slip into a speakeasy with a secret password
Soothe your soul while grooving to Gospel music
Union Square and Financial District
Learn about Frisco history while toning your thighs on the Barbary Coast Trail
Rock out at The Warfield and gaze at the Baroque-meets-Art Nouveau architecture
Get high above Union Square in a glass elevator, then drink in the stars
Splurge on tickets and enjoy a night at the theater
Gallery-hop your way round Union Square
Step back in time at a venerable restaurant
Parle Français in San Francisco’s petite but buzzing French Quarter
Tease your brain at the Exploratorium, an interactive science museum
Discover delicious bounty, then take a stroll along the Embarcadero Promenade
Behold the West Coast’s most impressive collection of 20th-century art at the San Francisco MOMA
Visit an architectural curiosity, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, then devour cream puffs
Take a walk on the wild side – cheap eats, urban art, and cool clubs on Sixth Street
Consult a personal shopper and upgrade your wardrobe at the Westfield Centre
Pay homage to Harvey Milk at the City Hall rotunda
Seek enlightenment in the presence of the oldest known Chinese Buddha
Taste California cuisine, then feast your eyes on the lights of the Bay Bridge
Spend a night of high culture at the San Francisco Ballet or Symphony
Step on the field where the Giants play baseball on a behind-the-scenes tour
Wash down a cheeseburger with a beer at a blue-collar mainstay on the waterfront
Put a little magic in your life at Fort Mason
Meander through the Marina, admiring the wealth of Art Deco architecture
Scale the Lyon Street steps and catch a glimpse of Gold Coast mansions
Forage for fashions on upper Fillmore Street, then feast on modern Roman cuisine
Savor sushi and sake at one of many Japantown restaurants, then glimpse the future at New People
Unwind in steam and saunas or splurge on a shiatsu massage at the Kabuki Spa
Bask in rock ’n’ roll history at the Fillmore Auditorium or cool jazz at Yoshi’s
Praise the Lord jazz-style at St John Coltrane African Orthodox Church
Chat up locals at Nopa, then hit up cool bars in the ’hood
Sip wine in a secluded back garden or coffee on a sunny sidewalk table
Immerse yourself in Victorian architecture on a tour starting at the ‘Painted Ladies’
Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park
Expand your horizons at Amoeba Music, the world’s largest independent music store
Hike to the top of Buena Vista Park on a fog-shrouded morning
Drink in the nightlife at the bars and clubs lining Haight Street
Delve into the racks of vintage shops and thrift stores for a retro look
Locate the Grateful Dead house and Janis Joplin’s apartment in Haight-Ashbury
Breakfast with hungover hipsters on the Haight
Immerse yourself in an art extravaganza at Friday nights at the de Young
Paddle around Stow Lake, then visit the bison that live in Golden Gate Park
Jam to the beats on Hippie Hill or mount a horse on a vintage carrousel
Experience a rainforest, an aquarium, and a planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences
Revel in expansive views of the city, the bay, and beyond on Twin Peaks
Release your inner botanist at three of Golden Gate Park’s gorgeous gardens
Brandish a bow and arrow for an afternoon of sporting leisure
Enjoy a meal and a brew with a view at a landmark Deco building
Chow down on a burrito at a Mission taqueria
Shop for peg-legs and spy glasses at a writing center disguised as a pirate shop
Find fresh alternative theater at The Marsh, a breeding ground for new performance
Support a grassroots culinary movement while learning to make Mexican mole
Go on a bar crawl in the funky, diverse Mission
Tuck into a California-style brunch with a movie at Foreign Cinema
Experience edgy artwork at time-honored Mission galleries
Roam around 24th Street to take in the Mission’s magnificent murals
Travel back in time at the Mission Dolores, the oldest building in the city
Hit Tartine Bakery for goodies and catch some rays at Dolores “Beach”
Kick up your heels on the dance floor in the Mission and Castro
Catch a film or a Mary Poppins sing-a-long at a single-screen movie palace
Immerse yourself in the heart of the Castro gay scene at Café Flore
Get rejuvenated at a spa in a former army barracks after a Presidio run
Stroll along the bay from Crissy Field to a haunted military fort
Pedal a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands or Sausalito
Eclectic shopping on Clement Street and a cherished book store
Tee off at one of the city’s scenic golf courses
Ramble along the coast, then celebrate with champagne at the Cliff House
Decide on the Richmond’s best thin-crust pizza – Pizetta 211 or Gaspare’s
Contemplate life with Rodin’s The Thinker at the Legion of Honor
Listen to English translations of opera classics at the Florence Gould Theatre
Hang out with surfers at Java Beach Café near Ocean Beach
Expand your global culinary palate at one of many ethnic eateries
Take a walk through an African Savanna at the San Francisco Zoo