sincera4565

Hi all,

I am heading to San Francisco mid March, with my girlfriend and we are staying for 1 week.

We are going to stay at Mark Hopkins for the first three nights, then head to Napa Valley for two nights, finally head back to the city and stay at St Regis.

Since this will be the first time for both of us to be at the west coast, and I will definitely want to make it a memorable one. I research for a bit and plan out a list of things to do, but please give any suggestion. ^

Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39? seafood? what else should we do there..?)
Lombard Street (sightseeing)
Golden Gate Bridge
Union Square (do some shopping there? I think it is near the Mark Hopkins right..?)
Chinatown (signtseeing i guess...)

Please feel free to comment and give any suggestion.. thanks!

-Pete

fwoomp

Fisherman's Wharf is pretty much a tacky, waterfront tourist trap. I see you're in Boston--if you've ever been to any of the tacky, waterfront tourist traps on the Cape, you've pretty much already had the Fisherman's Wharf experience. If you must go there, go to Pier 39 to see the sea lions. Eat instead around the Embarcadero at the Ferry Building, which is a locavore, foodie mecca.

Take a trip to Alcatraz for, well, Alcatraz, and to see the Ai Weiwei installation.

You can get a cable car near Union Square, that's the main reason to go. Yeah, you can shop, but you can shop in Boston, too, and not have to worry about cramming your purchases into luggage--along with the wine you bought in Napa. If you're going there from the Embarcadero, take an F-line streetcar down Market. The city buys antique cars from around the world for that line, which is neat, plus it's a good way to see the main downtown artery.

Lots of good stuff to see in Golden Gate Park, also.

sincera4565

Thanks for the reply! A lot of useful information for me. I will definitely try out that cable car, hopefully it will be more enjoytable than taking a T in Boston

I am also interested about that Embarcadero, I will definitely look more into it, but do you mind telling me more about it?

Again, thanks a lot!

-Pete

slruud

Hopefully you won't have a car the first part of your trip. A 3 day Muni visitor pass is $26 and good for unlimited rides on the cable cars, F-line trolley, Muni busses, and Muni subway, but not BART.

The California cable car line makes a stop right outside the Mark Hopkins, and it's just a block or so to the junction of the California line and the Powell/Hyde, Powell Mason line.

Union Square is down the hill on Powell...fairly steep, hence the cable car.

Restaurants we enjoy: Tadich Grill, Sam's Grill, House of Prime Rib, Roccos, Swan Oyster Depot, Golden Boy Pizza, Sears Fine Foods..mainly for breakfast, Palio d' Asti for happy hour...for every two adult beverages you can get one of their pizzas for $1, Soto Mare. Plenty more, but you get the gist.

sincera4565

Thanks for your reply! We did not rent a car for the first three days, i am planning to get the card the day I head to Napa, so it is great news to know that there is a visitor passes I can make use of..

Thanks!

darthbimmer

The Embarcadero is a major road in San Francisco that curves along the waterfront from AT&T Park to Fisherman's Wharf, bordering numerous interesting neighborhoods along the way, including the business and financial districts, Telegraph Hill, and North Beach. You can see it highlighted nicely on a map at https://www.google.com/maps/place/Em...178399d59a1e7f

sincera4565

It definitely looks very nice! so i guess this can be combine this along with the Pier 39? I am this is enough stuff for the two of us to walk around for an afternoon!

Thanks!
Pete

andaman C

I much prefer the Sonoma Valley to Napa Valley. Less touristy and more laid back. There are plenty of B&Bs if you like to stay in the country, or get a room at one of the hotels on the Sonoma Plaza. Plenty of tasting rooms and restaurants right there.

sincera4565

Thanks for your reply! I wish I know that before I book the hotels in Napa... But I am sure Napa Valley would also be a fun experience for us....

Next time, maybe next time I revisit this area, I will take a trip to Sonoma Valley ^

MDtR-Chicago

...with a bag of Trish's Mini-Donuts, of course.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trishs-mini-...an-francisco-3

Alcatraz is definitely worth the trip - lots of history and very creepy, plus you get a boat ride. But it may be too late to get tickets - you'll want to book that in advance, immediately.

Whatever you're doing, plan plenty of travel time. Muni - especially the cable cars and the F trolley - has been very busy and rather unreliable lately. Those lines in particular don't seem to stick to any discernible schedule and are almost always full after around 9am.

Since the Golden Gate Bridge itself is not very easy to reach via Muni, you may want to think about buying a day pass on one of the hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses that stops there. Or renting bicycles.

lhrsfo

I'd drive to Napa via the Golden Gate Bridge, 101 and 37. That way, not only do you see the bridge but you also get to stop in the (very crowded) amazing viewpoint immediately across the bridge, from which you will see some of the very best views to the city, the bay, Alcatraz and Berkeley. Going the slightly more direct way involves crossing the Bay Bridge instead and is generally much less scenic.

fwoomp

Yes, a walk along the Embarcadero from Pier 39 will be doable in an afternoon, and very enjoyable. The waterfront side is designed for pedestrian use, and you'll see a lot of people walking, running, etc. out there on a nice day. The Ferry Building is at the end of Market Street where it Ts into the Embarcadero. If you want to go to an upscale restaurant in the area, I like Slanted Door, which has been around for a while and serves Vietnamese cuisine.

This is what I'd do, too. These are not trips I make often, but the quoted time difference on the GG Bridge vs. Bay Bridge routes is only 20 minutes. Given how backed up the Bay Bridge can get, depending on when you go, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes longer sometimes. Also, although the Bay Bridge is attractive in its own right, there's been enough drama surrounding the quality of its construction that I'm a little hesitant to drive over it, personally.

365RoadWarrior

Fine info already provided. Two quick notes: when you walk the Embarcadero, go at to the Ferry Building; even if you don't hit it on a "farmers" market day, the indoor market is a good walk-through. And don't budget a lot of time for Lombard Street. It's not much of a sight-see. If you REALLY like it, you might stop the car. That's a little overstated - there is a nice view from the top - but...

If you like walking and if the weather is good, you might want to take a hike up to Coit Tower, accessible from the Embarcadero.

If you've never been to a redwood forest, you could get to Samuel P Taylor State Park with a little diversion on your way to Napa from San Francisco (off 101 in Marin).

Added: just noticed fwoomp's mention of Ferry Building. I'll just offer a "second" to that idea.

sincera4565

Thanks for all the useful information! Got caught up yesterday so can't reply, but all these information is awesome!

So below is a draft of my plan:
Day 1: Arrived SFO at noon, get to Mark Hopkins, walk around nob hill and nearby, maybe get the 3-day pass ready for tomorrow (any good place to dine? or else I may just go to Fairmont and use all my dinning certificates.. )

Day 2 (switchable with Day 3): wake up early and get on the cable car/trolley, get to Pier 39, maybe have a lunch, spend my afternoon and early evening walking around at Embarcadero and the Ferrry Building. Have a early dinner in Slanted Door (as recommended)

Day 3 (switchable with Day 2): union square, short trip to Lombard Street for some pictures, maybe visit the Coit Tower

Day 4: Get my rental car, go to Napa Valley through Golden Gate Bridge, take some photos

Day 5: Visit some wine places in Napa Valley

Day 6: Head back to San Francisco. Stay at St. Regis. (anything to do..?)

Day 7: Spare time, recommendations..? (Alcatraz! how could i forget)

Day 8: Early flight back to the east coast

Thanks for your all help!
-Pete

darthbimmer

While I often prefer Sonoma, too, Napa is not a bad place. There's still plenty of great wine there. It's just that the wineries there are a little more ostentatious and expensive than in Sonoma. You'll still have a great time there; you'll just leave with lighter pockets.