San Francisco is known to be an extremely diverse city, in all areas especially food and art. It is also said that this Californian city has some of the best weather in the world with its famous fog. Its views are unmatched for a city that is almost discoverable in a day. A place that is almost incomparable to other American cities and one that you’ll come to appreciate and long to visit again, here are five places you definitely should check out if you’re in the area.
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
For a bridge that was once referred to as “the bridge that couldn’t be built”, it’s pretty impressive that it turned out to be the world most photographed bridge. So, if you’re still not convinced about why you should check out one of the seven wonders of the modern world, think about how good it will make your Instagram feed. The view is nothing short of amazing but come prepared it’s also nothing short of chilly. There is not much to be said except ‘you have to go see it for yourself.’
PALACE OF FINE ARTS
Set in the northern side of San Francisco in the Marina District, it was originally built as a temporary structure for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition and is the largest remaining structure from the expo. The park is open day and night so you can come in and enjoy a picnic with your friends and family. The inhouse theatre has a variety of shows open throughout the year so you can’t miss a good one. The palace of Fine Arts is not only entertaining in itself, there is a bunch of surrounding interesting spots to go. Like the Walter S. Johnson Park, Golden Gate Promenade, Walt Disney Family Museum and Marina Small Craft Harbor.
SAN FRANCISCO BOTANICAL GARDEN
The natural beauty that is the San Francisco Botanical Garden is located in Golden Gate Park. If you’re looking for quiet, serene and over 50,000plants from around the world, this is where you need to be. A festival of colors and scents, it’s a perfect place to be at any time of the year, with each season having its ‘star of the show plant’. There’s much more to do than just look at pretty flowers, you can visit the garden bookstore for a nice souvenir or just a good book on gardening. It also has a library, a special kiddies storytelling session. The Saturday plant sales allows you to not only admire nature but bring it home with you.
CHINA TOWN
San Francisco has the largest and oldest Chinatown outside of Asia so it deserves to be at the top of your list of places when you’re in San Francisco. And don’t worry its more than worth your while. First stop should probably be the Fortune Cookie Factory to see how your favourite part of Chinese take outs are being made. If you’re really interested in religion then The Tien Hau Temple, Old St. Mary’s Church and Buddha’s Universal Church are places to check out. Stop for a bite at Hunan Home’s Restaurant or Good Mong Kok Bakery before you out through the Dragon Gate.
FISHERMAN WHARF
A visit to San Francisco is not quite complete if you do not go to the Fisherman Wharf at least once. This is a major tourist attraction for a number of reasons, not only is it family friendly but there are tons of fun stuff to do. At the top of the list is definitely hanging out with the sea lions next to Pier 39. Surprisingly, watching sea lions lounge around can be a bit relaxing. The fisherman wharf is the location of family-owned seafood restaurants including the Alioto’s and Pompei’s Grotto, the Ghirardelli Square, a museum and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Street performers and magicians and the Musical Stairs also draw people to the wharf.