San Francisco

The world-renowned San Francisco is iconic. Setting itself distinctly apart from other cities in the United States, its descriptions often refer to it as “European”.
What is meant by this is that in SF, you will rarely find the typical large US “large” things. There are a few immense parking lots surrounded by restaurants and a few massive malls, and the roads, with their trams and a high number of pedestrians, resemble more European, tightly packed, and crammed cities, rather than the cleaner, more vast American counterparts.

The iconic steep hills, with narrow houses on their sides, offer views of the city literally pouring into the bay.
The old trams, the progressive and somewhat hipster environment, the bars, and the art all give San Francisco a unique atmosphere, making it ooze with character and personality. The main city of the Bay Area may be considered the most famous city in California and perhaps even of the entire US east coast, which is saying a lot.

Grab your walking shoes and explore this one-of-a-kind, huge but tightly packed metropolis.

st peter and paul church in san francisco

Bucket List

Hop on a ride on the historic and iconic San Francisco cable cars.

Walk through the Civil War-era Presidio.

Absorb the atmosphere, architecture, and markets in Chinatown.

Take a quick visit to the small but characteristic Japantown.

Take a walk on the piers and Fisherman’s Wharf. Pier 39 in particular is a tourist trap and the sea lions there get more attention from tourists than a movie star on the red carpet, but it is a must-see.

Taking a tour of the island of Alcatraz is a very nice experience.

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge and take a stroll through Golden Gate Park.

Climb the Coit Tower.

Take a stroll around the Palace of Fine Arts.

Enjoy the nightlife in the Mission District.

Walk around the iconic hill streets, the most famous of which is the winding Lombard Street.

3 day itinerary San Francisco infographic — Save the 3-day itinerary for reference

What to expect

Crisp cold weather often visited by “Karl” the Fog

Hills, hills, and more hills.

Perhaps the highest concentration of hipsters of any US city.

Amongst the most progressive cities in the US when it comes to lgbt population.

Very high rates of homelessness.

Inadequate public transport system.

A hub for technology and innovation.

USA Info & Stats

Language: English is the official language and most commonly spoken.
Population: 328+ million (2019)
Timezone: [UTC -10, UTC -5]
Ethnic Make-up: White American (72.4%), African American (12.6%), Native American (0.9%), Asian American (4.8%) (2010 Census)
Religion: 70-78% Christian
Political System: Constitution-based federal republic
Currency: US Dollar (USD)
Credit Cards: Almost anything can be paid with credit cards and ATMs are extremely common.
Electricity: Socket Type A and B (“US” style..doh), 120±6 volt / 60 hertz.
Tipping Customs: 15-20%
Haggling Culture: Not common

Weather

The fog city is almost always visited by “Karl the Fog”, due to its maritime location and the weather can get very cold even in the summer months. The sea also brings very cold and crisp weather (no wonder prisoners from Alcatraz never made it swimming to the nearby shoreline when it came to their escapes).

It is advisable to always carry a sweater or jacket, as the weather can turn cold and windy with occasional rain pretty quickly.

In winter, this is even more accentuated, although San Francisco never gets really cold, with average annual temperatures always above 10°C.

Money

The currency is the US Dollar (USD, $).

The exchange rate from US Dollars is: 1 USD = 1 USD

Credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are commonly distributed around the city.

Prices: San Francisco can be very expensive. At the same time, its progressive nature creates areas with a sort of hipster vibe. Visiting San Francisco can be done more or less within any budget range.

Tipping: US tipping customs (and Californian in particular) make tipping a must almost everywhere, with the usual ranges between 15-20%.

Getting around

The best way for visitors to explore the city is by walking. So grab your walking shoes and climb up and down the hills.

The city has an extensive tram network with Muni and BART. However, there are often delays, which is inadequate for the level of the city. The historic cable cars are an attraction in themselves and a ride must be taken at least once.

Taxis are common and easy to find.

Driving around the city is easy, although there are some quirks about pedestrians often not respecting their red lights. The biggest problem with driving on your own is parking, which is very expensive and hard to find (and because of all the hills, it usually amounts to parallel parking on an incline, which may be a problem with rental cars you are not very familiar with).

Safety

Safety: Safety in San Francisco highly depends on the area of the city. However, generally speaking, the city is quite safe for being a large city. Pickpocketing and mugging are the main risks for visitors.

Natural risks: earthquakes are the primary and only risk and small tremors are frequent. While the fog is not by any means dangerous, the reduced visibility may pose a risk.

Emergencies number: 911

source: travel-advisory.info

* Data gathered from amadeus.com

Tips & Impressions

The weather. From the early morning fog blanket over the bay to the gushes of freezing wind that hit you when you turn into a street that leads to the ocean, to the humidity and cold drops of water that surround you on the piers Even with a wonderful, clear, and sunny day, the weather is crisp and surprising.
Homelessness is widely known and many visitors notice the high level of visible homelessness in the city. The first hotel I booked was on Market Street, and the whole area was filled with homeless people and people with addictions or mental disorders. Despite being relatively harmless to tourists, this impacts a lot on the view of certain parts of the city, making some streets famous for their nightlife a bit different and less enjoyable to visit.