The City by the Bay, Fog City, the Paris of the West – San Francisco has many nicknames, but it’s a city that resembles no other. Soak in the Victorian architecture at Alamo Square Park, go for a coastal hike with Golden Gate Bridge views, or sample dumplings at a dim sum parlor in Chinatown. With a thriving art and tech scene, deliciously diverse food scene, and abundance of natural beauty, there are so many experiences that are “Only in San Francisco.”
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District, Club Quarters Hotel, Embarcadero is the perfect home base for business travelers and city-explorers alike. Surrounded by restaurants, shops, and parks, the pet-friendly hotel is just steps from the Embarcadero Center, Jackson Square, and the Ferry Building, and is easily accessible to anywhere you want to be by both foot and by public transportation.
3127 Fillmore Street
The experience at Atelier Crenn is nothing short of culinary artistry, earning chef Dominique Crenn three Michelin stars – and deservedly so.
1 Ferry Building
A historic landmark dating back to 1898, the Ferry Building is now a gathering place of local shops and restaurants where you can sample a panoply of tasty treats. There’s even a farmer’s market on Saturdays.
424 Clay Street
Serving French and California influenced American Cuisine, Fish & Farm offers a clever menu of organic produce, sustainably harvested seafood, organic meats, and an award-winning wine list.
3870 17th Street
This eatery is a step up from your neighborhood restaurant; both comfort and elegance. Frances is your neighborhood restaurant taken up a notch with simple, flavorful dishes made from farm-fresh ingredients.
28 Waverly Place
This Chinatown restaurant puts on a modern spin on traditional banquets with dishes such as scallop and pork belly dumplings and xijiang spiced lamb loin.
552 Green Street
San Francisco is famous for its cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew with origins in Fisherman’s Wharf, and this North Beach institution has a hearty version teeming with crab, shrimps, scallops, squid, clams, and penne pasta.
A quintessential piece of San Francisco, this neighborhood park is ringed by Victorian homes – including the pastel-colored Painted Ladies – with a backdrop of downtown skyline views.
Ferry over to this former maximum-security prison for self-guided or ranger-led tours, and marvel at the solitary confinement cells, the remnants of the warden’s house, and the cellhouse that once housed Al Capone and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz.”
In the oldest Chinatown in North America, you can stop by temples, tea parlors, herbal apothecaries, dim sum restaurants, or a fortune cookie factory. Off the lantern-strewn streets with pagoda-like structures, you can stumble along alleyways that were once opium dens and brothels.
This historic waterfront brims with popular attractions, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Head to Pier 39 for a glimpse of the famous sea lions; Ghirardelli Square, site of the former chocolate factory; and the Musee Mecanique, a flashback to penny arcades.
Spanning over a thousand acres, this urban oasis hosts a number of points of interest including a bison paddock, the California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and a pair of wooden windmills on the western edge of the park.
Once an army post, this sprawling parkland features hiking trails, archaeological sites, beaches, and scenic overlooks with views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
4541 Irving Street
A bright and airy neighborhood bookstore with a curated collection of tomes and a backyard with a treehouse and story time.
136 Fillmore Street
This ceramics studio has homeware, jewelry, and pantry items alongside its handcrafted stoneware pieces.
Immerse yourself in Japanese culture – teapots, origami, manga, incense sticks, books, and collectibles are on display at this shopping center that’s the heart of Japantown.
729 Grant Avenue
This high-end shop is utterly romantic with silk and charmeuse kimono robes inspired by traditional Chinese brushwork.
824 Valencia Street
A fascinating collection of curiosities and oddities–from fossils, bones and skeletons to crystals and minerals, plants, and gardening supplies.
Getting Here
The Bay Area is served by three major airports: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland International Airport (OAK), and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), which is around 45 miles south of San Francisco. Amtrak trains arrive in Oakland and Emeryville with shuttle services to San Francisco. Several major bus lines also serve the city.
Getting Around
Muni is San Francisco’s public transportation system, which operates buses, metro trains, cable cars, and street cars throughout the city. BART runs from SFO to the center of San Francisco. Bay Wheels bike-sharing system has pedal-power and e-bikes at 550 stations. Scooters, ride-sharing apps, and taxis are also available.
Know the Lingo
The 415: The area code and slang term for San Francisco. The City: San Francisco. The Town: Oakland. The Bridge: The Golden Gate Bridge. Finna: Going to. Hella: Very or a lot. Yee: Yeah. Juiced: Excited about something. Karl the Fog: San Francisco’s unofficial weather mascot.
Insider Tips
San Francisco has many micro-climates, and weather can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Be sure to pack layers no matter what month you visit, and don’t forget that June and July are chilly and foggy times of the year.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia Visitors GuideIf you’re planning a trip to The City of Brotherly Love, we’ve created a Philadelphia visitors guide packed with plenty of things to do during your stay.
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