Question:
How should I organize my trip?
j456
2009-09-23 10:04:53 UTC
My husband and I are taking a trip to cali next year. we will be spending roughly 4 days in san francisco. (plus maybe parts of the days we fly in and out, not sure, havent booked the flights yet) i have a list of things we want to do and see but i dont know how many things we will be able to accomplish each day.. i don't know how to factor in things like the distance from each place with traffic (we will have a rental car because we are going other places in the state too but we will get a MUNI pass and probably use public transportation some too if that affects anything), time spent waiting in lines, how much there actually is to see for each thing, etc. So can someone help me organize all this by the day? here is my list:


2 hour cable car sightseeing tour

Fisherman's wharf (get bread bowl of clam chowder there and walk around a bit, but not spend tooo much time because i hear its a tourist trap)

union square- mostly want to visit tiffany's and miette bakery.

1 hour golden gate bay cruise on red & white fleet- want to do this during the daylight for best pictures.

haight/ashbury area & vintage shopping there

golden gate park (possibly the conservatory of flowers)

check out the fillmore

walk on golden gate bridge

cafe trieste

crissy field

coit tower

more restaurants that sound interesting.. some are: Greens (vegetarian), Foreign Cinema (a restaurant that plays movies in a courtyard while you dine), Thep Phanom (authentic thai), Garden Court (has stained glass ceilings), etc.

please let me know if you think i will not have enough time to see all of this in 4 days and what you think i could leave out if so, so i can plan accordingly.. also, if you have information about when certain things are the most crowded, closing hours, etc. please share. Thanks so much!!
Four answers:
ajtheactress
2009-09-23 11:34:00 UTC
Sounds like you've done your research and know what you want to do!



Some suggestions:

Don't rent a car until you are ready to leave SF. Hotel parking starts at $30 per day and if you are going to use MUNI to get around you won't need the car. Even taking cabs to/from your destinations will be cheaper than the car rental/parking fees.



Skip the 2 hour cable car tour. It is basically a tacky bus that is open to the elements. If you must do a riding tour try one of the smaller, quirkier tours like the Ducks, Mr. Toads, or the Segway tours. SF is very compact and you can get around quite well. If you don't have mobility issues you may want to consider a walking tour. It will give you some info on history and culture and your guide can give you helpful info regarding other areas of the city you might want to explore.

http://www.foottours.com



Limit your time at the Wharves to the time it takes you to get to and from your bay cruise. The area is basically an overpriced tourist trap with bad food, and lots of junk. The cruise is a great way to get out on the bay and see amazing city views. You can do the chowder bread bowl thing here or at Union Square, Bodin has locations in both areas.



Specifics on your list:

union square- mostly want to visit tiffany's and miette bakery.

You can do US very quickly if you are limiting yourself to only a few stores. There is not much else to do there but shop. So this could be done the day of your bay cruise or walking tour.



Combine these two

haight/ashbury area & vintage shopping there

golden gate park (possibly the conservatory of flowers)

GGP is huge and there is a lot more to see than just the conservatory. Don't miss the Arboretum and Japanese Tea Garden. There is also the Deyoung Museum and the Academy of Science. Limiting yourself to only 3 of the above is going to take most of the day. You'll be in a good position to do the Haight before or after the park



Combine these three in one day.

walk on golden gate bridge - plan an hour and half if you want to walk the entire way. Walking half way and back will take about an hour. From the SF end of the bridge go down and explore Ft. Point [surfers, seals and unique views of the bridge]. Then make your way to Chrissy Field.

End the day by checking out the fillmore - mostly shopping. Japantown is worth a look and if you want Jazz, check out Yoshi's, Rassallas, and 1300. For blues visit the Boom Boom Room.



These two are in North beach and would take most of one day.

Cafe trieste for breakfast then explore North Beach a little. Be sure to stop by City Lights and the Beat Museum. Lots of cool little shops and great food. Near Trieste is one of the City's best Italian Delis Molinarie's on Columbus at Vallejo. Get sandwiches or salads and drinks to go and take them with you to Coit tower. After you have seen coit tower take the Fillbert Street steps down to the Embarcadero. Incredible views of the Bay and a visit to one of the most unique neighborhoods in the city.



Other areas you may want to check out. The Mission-from 15 to 24 along Mission and Valencia lots of incredible thrift/vintage stores, boutiques, and restaurants.

Chinatown - the largest Chinese Community outside of China. The best place to purchase souvenirs to take home to friends and family as well as authentic Chinese food.
SanFranGal
2009-09-23 10:57:39 UTC
I can help you with the activities along the water as I am very familiar with them.

If you can bike a few miles you can rent a bike at Blazing Saddles (415-202-8888 or blazingsaddles.com) One morning you could rent a bike and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. One the way you can stop at Crissy Field and enjoy the views and take some pictures. When you ride along the gravel path next to the shore you can see a lot and the views keep changing.



After that you can walk on the Golden Gate Bridge - or ride across it. Then you can go back to Fisherman's Wharf - you'll be hungry by then - and get your clam chowder in a bread bowl - my favorite!



Then you can walk over and take your Bay Cruise on the red and white fleet and it will still be daytime. Their contact number is 415-673-2900 and their web is redandwhite.com.



For the other things I would either figure out public transit on MUNI or take a cab. Parking is a pain in San Francisco and expensive. You might even want to consider not renting a car since you will be in the city for 4 days and taking MUNI and cabs might be cheaper.



Have a great trip!



P.S. The sea lions as the back of Pier 39 are great and so is the Rodney Lough Gallery in the back - very peaceful!
?
2009-09-23 22:50:19 UTC
there are quite a few sites that you can search that will likely give you the best prices available. check out the website BookMe and you will be able to compare prices on all the reputable travel sites in just a couple minutes. it's very convenient and will save you a bunch of time and money. Also, make sure you buy them online... otherwise they charge much higher fees for phone orders. good luck.
beadling
2016-12-16 17:38:00 UTC
China is incredibly of a small u . s ., relies upon precisely the placement you going... notwithstanding Beijing is a robust commencing up element: summer season time Palace, Forbidden city/Tianmen sq., bus journeys to the great Wall, etc etc... on the otherhand, Shanghai and Hong Kong are extra desirable contemporary cities... HK is innovations-blowing. and verify you get your visa so as!


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