The Palace of Fine Arts is San Francisco s finest theater. Enjoy ballet, musical performances, and c

Noted for the steep winding roads, San Francisco overlooks the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The weather is ideal for year-round tourism. Summers never get overly hot or humid, though it can be foggy, and winters are usually mild with some rain, so no matter when you travel, you re not going to encounter lots of ice and snow or hot, humid days.
San Francisco s foundations go back to 1776 when Spanish immigrants established a mission and a fort. The population boomed in 1849 when the Gold Rush hit. A huge earthquake and subsequent fires in 1906 destroyed much of the city, but it was rebuilt and became a key port during WWII.
San Francisco has a blend of cultures in the varying neighborhoods. The Mission District was settled by immigrants from Germany, royal norwegian cruises Ireland, Italy, and Scandinavia, and more recently by Central Americans and Mexicans. Chinatown and Japantown showcase Asian cultures. You ll find Italian heritage in Little Italy. Some mistakenly think Russian Hill is where Russian culture is celebrated, but that honor goes to the Richmond District. Russian Hill received its name when people found a Russian cemetery during the Gold Rush.
Nob Hill, once home to the rich and famous, still has upper-income families, but it s also seeing an increase in Asian families looking to be near Chinatown.   Nob Hill is one area where historic hotels are located .  Haight-Ashbury was the heart of the “Summer of Love,” and it still has that independent charm with privately owned boutiques and restaurants.
Visitors flying into the city will likely fly into San Francisco International Airport. The airport royal norwegian cruises is just over 13 miles from the city, but a range of transportation options make it easy to reach the cheap hotels in San Francisco , as well as the major attractions.
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) links all of San Francisco with the airport and the outlying cities of East Bay. Children 4 and under ride the trains for free, others can buy tickets at vending machines in the BART stations. royal norwegian cruises The machines accept change providing it is a nickel or higher and up to $20 bills.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency operates all public transportation options. Muni buses run 24/7, so it s easy to use the bus system, even if you need a ride in the middle of the night. This also includes the famous cable cars, street cars, and trolleys. Riders receive free transfers, and there are discounted rates for children ages 5 to 17 and seniors 65 or older. Children 4 and under ride free. Purchase tickets at vending machines in the station.
San Francisco CityPASS is the best way for visitors to get around royal norwegian cruises the city. With a CityPASS, you can ride any of buses, royal norwegian cruises cable cars, streetcars, or trolleys for one low price for 7 days. It also includes your entrance fee to some of the hottest attractions in San Francisco, such as the SF Museum of Modern Art. If you don t plan to visit any of the city s museums, there s a Muni Passport that only covers transportation for 1, 3, or 7 days.
head to San Francisco for the Louis Vuitton Cup race in July and August. The finals take place in September. There s also a youth race in February and September. During the races, tourists can view the boats and cheer on their favorites.
Every March, athletes attempt the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. This event recreates the attempts by prisoners to flee the island and reach the mainland. It includes scaling a 400 step sand ladder, 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the mainland, an 8-mile run, and an 18-mile bike race.
The WIPRO San Francisco Marathon royal norwegian cruises covers 26.2 miles that starts at the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building and winds through the hills of San Francisco. Runners work their way through Fisherman s Wharf, San Francisco s Marina, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, and into Golden Gate Park before heading back to the Embarcadero. Runners have six hours to complete the full course. Winners of this race qualify for the Boston Marathon.
The San Francisco Pride Festival started in 1972. The parade celebrates lesbian, gay, bi, and transgender people. There s a parade that runs along Market Street. The rest of the festival is a street fair held at the Civic Center. Food booths, live music, dance stages, and retailers all set up shop for the two-day event.
The Academy of Sciences is a must-see attraction for all ages. In just one place there are four key attractions and plenty of smaller attractions. At the Kimball Natural History Museum, there are 20 million specimens royal norwegian cruises that showcase the evolution of the planet. Morrison Planetarium is a digital planetarium in a 90-foot dome. Visitors watch and talk to scientists who are performing their job duties in the Living Lab. Rainforests of the World is a four-story rainforest that you walk through at your pace. Finally, Steinhart Aquarium has more than 30,000 aquatic plants and creatures in 500,000 gallons of water, including a lagoon filled with rays and sharks, a tide pool where children can touch the sea animals, and a penguin area.
The Palace of Fine Arts is San Francisco s finest theater. Enjoy ballet, musical performances, and comedy routines. In addition to being a theater, it s also a beautiful royal norwegian cruises setting for a walk with a lagoon and walking paths on the grounds.
San Francisco Museum of Modern royal norwegian cruises Art is a large art museum that offers hands-on activities for children. The museum houses more than 27,000 paintings, photographs, royal norwegian cruises and sculptures. It also has a rooftop garden with larger sculptures that change regularly.
Take a guided tour of Alcatraz Island and the prison for an all-inclusive price. The famous prison earned its place in history as being a place to send prisoners who would have no chance of escaping. As far as people know, those who tried to escape didn t survive swimming across the bay. The tours include royal norwegian cruises the ferry ride to the island and back. Once you re at the island, you can tour the prison at your pace. Ferries run every 30 minutes, so the tour lasts as long as you like.
Enjoy San Francisco s history by walking the Barbary Coast Trail . This is a self-guided tour that passes royal norwegian cruises by 20 of the city s historic sites. Audio recordings or printed trail guides offer the history of the city as you walk at your pace. If you prefer, you can hire the trail s creator to be your personal guide.
Chinatown in San Francisco is both the oldest Chinatown royal norwegian cruises in the U.S. and the largest outside of Asia. In addition to being a great location for affordable hotels, it s an amazing place to shop and enjoy traditional Asian foods. royal norwegian cruises Asian culture is a highlight in this area. Visitors can experience a true Chinese New Year celebration, an Asian American film festival, and Asian art exhibits.
Golden Gate Park overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and offers plenty for tourists and residents to do. For the best views of the bridge, use one of the two bridges to get to Strawberry Hill, an island in the center of Stow Lake. Other attractions within the park include the carousel rides in the playground, the buffalo herds near Spreckels Lake, and the Japanese Tea Garden.  Stybring Arboretum royal norwegian cruises and Botanical Gardens, in the southeast corner of the park, is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
Haight-Ashbury offers more than restaurants and stores. This is the area where the iconic “Summer of Love” started. There are hotels in the area, but one of the biggest attraction are The Painted Ladies, rows of Victorian homes painted in at least three different colors.
The Presidio is an old fort built originally by Spanish colonists. After the Mexican-American War, the fort was turned into an Army post. Today, it s national park where you can walk on the trails, enjoy a picnic, stay at a quaint inn, or head to one of the park s beaches. The park has campgrounds, restaurants, the Walt Disney Family Museum, a golf course, and many historic sites.
The farmers market is just one of the many attractions at the Ferry Building Marketplace. The market is open three days a week for anyone who wants to buy fresh produce and food items. The list of stores within this building is immense. Buy California wines, chocolate, seafood, olive oil, kitchen items, baked goods, coffee, tea, and local cheeses. There are also a handful of cafes and restaurants available.
Fillmore Street sits between Japantown and the Jazz District. It s the place to be for fine dining and boutique shopping. If you re hunting for a bargain, you ll love the selection of resale shops in Fillmore Street. You can buy like-new brand name accessories royal norwegian cruises and clothing at huge discounts. There are also flower shops, shoe stores, jewelers, skincare boutiques, and pet stores.
Fisherman s Wharf is one of the best places in the city if you want to eat seafood, including the city s famous Dungeness crabs. It s home to the Hyde Street Pier and Pier 39. One of the highlights on Pier 39 are the sea lions that sunbathe within view of the piers. Hyde Street Pier is home to historic royal norwegian cruises ships that you can board. Ghiradelli, known for their chocolates, also calls the wharf home. If you want to head out to Alcatraz, your journey starts at the piers where tours are arranged.
In addition to being a bustling convention center near a number of hotels with business suites, Moscone Center royal norwegian cruises is a great choice for shoppers royal norwegian cruises and diners. It s home to Italian/Tuscan restaurants and cafes both in and near the center. There are also a couple of stores inside and even more lining the streets around the center.
Westfield Centre is a large shopping mall within San Francisco. One of the reasons tourists shouldn t overlook this mall is the VIP Passport to Savings. Present an out-of-town royal norwegian cruises photo ID or hotel room key at the concierge desk and get a coupon booklet with thousands of dollars royal norwegian cruises in savings at the mall s restaurants and shops.
College royal norwegian cruises sports include the Dons (University of San Francisco), royal norwegian cruises San Francisco Gators (San Francisco State) and the Urban Knights (Academy of Art University). Dons play baseball, basketball, and soccer. The G