San Francisco Destination Guide

  Places to See in San Francisco

  Events & Nightlife in San Francisco

  Eating out in San Francisco

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  3 Perfect Days in San Francisco
 
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Best of 3 Days in San Francisco

Day 1

In the morning explore Fisherman's Wharf and its jumble of tourist shops, street performers, and artists. Pier 39 is a consumer extravaganza, where a double-decker Venetian Carousel shares space with touristy shops and Underwater World, a fascinating walk-through glimpse of ocean life. Don't miss the antics of the hundreds of sea lions basking in the sun. Hop on a cable car (the Powell-Hyde line is the most dramatic) at the wharf and take in sweeping views of the bay, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge as you rattle your way to Union Square, ground zero for sophisticated shopping.

The charming cafes and boutiques of Maiden Lane are worth a look. Later, head to the area south of Market Street (SoMa) to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see works by local, European, and international masters. Then take in an evening of culture on Geary Street's theater row, or quaff a cocktail and watch the sun set at one of Union Square's sky-view lounges, such as Harry Denton's Starlight Room at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.

Day 2

Begin the day with a walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, then head to North Beach, the Italian quarter. Join locals from the old country for breakfast Italian style: an espresso and pastry at an outdoor café along Columbus Avenue. Allow an hour or two to wander this small area filled with tempting delis, bakeries, and pasta houses. You'll see such beat-era landmarks as City Lights Bookstore and reminders of the city's bawdy past in the steamy shops and clubs of Broadway.

Be sure to walk up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. You'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of the bay and the city's tightly stacked homes. Spend the afternoon exploring labyrinthine Chinatown, where tea and herb shops, fish markets, and exotic-produce stalls spill onto the street. Then take the California Street cable car up blue-blood Nob Hill and top off the evening with a cocktail at the Crown Room, the Fairmont Hotel's skyline bar. Or back in North Beach take in Beach Blanket Babylon, the quirky musical revue of San Francisco, at Club Fugazi.

Day 3

Take a morning ferry from Pier 41 to the infamous prison on Alcatraz Island. Or if you are drawn to the bucolic vistas across the bay, take a ferry north to Marin County's Tiburon or Sausalito for a stroll through town and lunch overlooking the bay. (Ferries to both towns depart from Fisherman's Wharf, and those to Sausalito only from the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero.) When you return to the mainland, head to the epicenter of 1960s counterculture, Haight-Ashbury, where the streets are lined with excellent music and book shops and groovy vintage-clothing stores.

Join the in-line skaters, runners, and walking enthusiasts in picnic-perfect Golden Gate Park -- the city's most glorious green space, with more than 1,000 acres of greenery stretching from the Haight to the Pacific. Among the gardens, lakes, and playing fields you'll find the serene Japanese Tea Garden. Spend the rest of the afternoon sightseeing or strolling in the park, around Stow Lake. Don't miss the Dutch Windmill on the park's coastal edge. Head over to the Beach Chalet for dinner or a drink and a view of the Pacific sunset.

 

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