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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented | What’s Where | Planning
Updated by Denise M. Leto
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. East of town are two energetic urban centers, Berkeley and Oakland. Famously radical Berkeley is also comfortably sophisticated, while Oakland has an art and restaurant scene so hip that it pulls San Franciscans to this side of the bay. To the north is Marin County, the beauty queen, with dramatic coastal scenery of breathtaking beauty and chic, affluent villages like Tiburon and Mill Valley.
Top Reasons to Go
Bite into the “Gourmet Ghetto”: Eat your way through this area of North Berkeley, starting with a slice of perfect pizza from the Cheese Board (just look for the line).
Find solitude at Point Reyes National Seashore: Hike beautifully rugged—and often deserted—beaches at one of the most beautiful places on earth, period.
Sit on a dock by the bay: Admire the beauty of the Bay Area from the rocky, picturesque shores of Sausalito or Tiburon.
Go bar-hopping in Oakland’s hippest hood: Spend an evening swinging through the watering holes of Uptown, Oakland’s artsy-hip and fast-rising corner of downtown.
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.
Getting Oriented
East of the city, across the San Francisco Bay, lie Berkeley and Oakland, in what 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.
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head north to reach Marin County’s rolling hills and green expanses, where residents enjoy a haute-suburban lifestyle. Farther afield, the wild landscapes of the Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais, Stinson Beach, and Point Reyes National Seashore await.
What’s Where
The East Bay. The college town of Berkeley 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 lively restaurant and arts scenes are luring even those who wouldn’t be caught dead in Birkenstocks. Meanwhile, life in the diverse, harbor-front city of Oakland is strongly defined by a turbulent history. But the up-and-coming downtown scene and rejuvenated waterfront are signals of good things ahead.
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.”
Coastal Peninsula. The region south of San Francisco may be best known as the location of major Silicon Valley companies such as Google, Facebook, and Apple, but coastal towns such as Pescadero and preserves such as Año Nuevo State Reserve hark back to the area’s slower-paced, less built-up past.
Planning
When to Go
As with San Francisco, you can visit the rest of the Bay Area comfortably at any time of year, and it’s especially nice in late spring and fall. Unlike in San Francisco, though, the surrounding areas are reliably sunny in summer—it gets hotter as you head inland. Even the rainy season has its charms, as hills that are golden the rest of the year turn a rich green and wildflowers become plentiful. Precipitation is usually the heaviest between November and March. Berkeley is a university town, so 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.
Getting Here and Around
BART Travel
Using public transportation to reach Berkeley or Oakland is ideal. The under- and aboveground BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains make stops in both towns. Trips to either take about a half hour one-way from the center of San Francisco. BART does not serve Marin County.
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, Tiburon, and Larkspur 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 St. 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 from 25 minutes to an hour; to Tiburon, it takes from 25 to 55 minutes.
The Angel Island–Tiburon Ferry sails to the island daily from April through October and on weekends the rest of the year.
The San Francisco Bay Ferry runs several times daily between San Francisco’s Ferry Building or Pier 41 and Alameda, and Jack London Square in Oakland; one-way tickets cost $6.25. The trip lasts from 20 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
Angel Island–Tiburon Ferry. | 415/435–2131 | www.angelislandferry.com.
Blue & Gold Fleet. | 415/705–8200 | www.blueandgoldfleet.com.
Golden Gate Ferry. | 511 | www.goldengateferry.org.
San Francisco Bay Ferry. | 510/522–3300 | sanfranciscobayferry.com.
Bus Travel
Golden Gate Transit buses travel to Sausalito, Tiburon, and Mill Valley from Folsom and Main streets—the Transbay Temporary Terminal—and from other points in San Francisco. For Mt. Tamalpais State Park and West Marin (Stinson Beach, Bolinas, and Point Reyes Station), take one of the many routes to Marin City and transfer there to the West Marin Stagecoach (schedules vary). San Francisco Muni bus 76X runs hourly from Sutter and Sansome streets to the Marin Headlands Visitor Center on weekends and major holidays only. The trip takes about 45 minutes.
Though much less convenient than BART, AC Transit buses run between the Transbay Temporary Terminal and the East Bay. AC Transit’s F and FS lines stop near the university and 4th Street shopping, respectively, 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. | 511 | www.goldengate.org.
SamTrans. | 800/660–4287 | www.samtrans.com.
San Francisco Muni. | 311 | www.sfmta.com.
West Marin Stagecoach. | 415/526–3239 | www.marintransit.org.
Car Travel
To reach the East Bay from San Francisco, take Interstate 80 East across the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. Head east from the University Avenue exit to reach U.C. Berkeley; there’s a parking garage on Channing Way near the campus. For Oakland, take Interstate 580 off the Bay Bridge. To reach downtown and the waterfront, take Interstate 980 from Interstate 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.
Head north on U.S.101 and cross the Golden Gate Bridge to reach all points in Marin by car, essential to visit the outer portions 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, Muir Beach, 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 the Marin Headlands, Sausalito, and Tiburon; 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.
Restaurants
The Bay Area is home to popular, innovative restaurants such as Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Commis in Oakland—for which reservations must be made well in advance. Expect an emphasis on locally grown produce, hormone-free meats, and California wines. Many Marin cafés don’t serve dinner, and dinner service ends on the early side. (No 10 pm reservations in that neck of the woods.) Restaurant prices are the average cost of a main course at dinner or, if dinner is not served, at lunch.
Hotels
Hotels in Berkeley and Oakland tend to be standard-issue, but many Marin hotels package themselves as cozy retreats. Summer in Marin is often booked well in advance, despite weather that can be downright chilly. Check for special packages during this season. Hotel prices are the lowest cost of a standard double room in high season.
Tours
Best Bay Area Tours.
Morning and afternoon tours of Muir Woods and Sausalito include at least two hours in the redwoods—longer than most tours—before heading on to Sausalito. Tours also make a stop in the Marin Headlands on the way back to the city to enjoy fantastic views. Knowledgeable guides lead small tours in comfortable vans, and hotel pickup is included. | 415/543–8687, 877/705–8687 | bestbayareatours.com | From $60.
Dylan’s Tours.
Spend three hours exploring San Francisco with some of the friendliest local guides around, then head to Muir Woods for an hour among giant redwoods, with a stop in Sausalito on the way back. Groups are limited to 14 people; past patrons rave about the tour’s in-the-know feel. | 782 Columbus Ave., North Beach | San Francisco | 415/932–6993 | dylanstours.com | From $75.
Extranomical Tours.
Take a combination Muir Woods–Sausalito tour with Extranomical, and you can choose to ferry back to San Francisco from Sausalito. Another tour combines a Muir Woods visit with a Wine Country excursion. | 866/231–3752 | www.extranomical.com | From $77.
Great Pacific Tour Co.
Morning and afternoon tours to Muir Woods and Sausalito run 3½ hours, with hotel pickup, in 14-passenger vans. | 415/626–4499 | www.greatpacifictour.com | From $65.