Plan your San Francisco visit with Hello965!

San Francisco was awarded as one of the best destinations in the world for 2013.. Planning on going soon? Then check this out 😀

Sleep.

There are many great hotels in San Francisco. I personally looked through booking.com to find a hotel, my pick at the end was Hyatt Regency (5 embarcadero center). VERY convenient, close to everything. I walked to almost everything from Hyatt. If you’re big on walking you’ll love this location.

Other options:

– Mandarin Oriental 222 Sansome Street

– Hotel Vitale 8 Mission street

– Four Seasons 757 Market Street

– Fairmount Hotel 950 Mason Street (Nob Hill)

– The Clift 495 Geary Street (Union Square)

– W San Francisco 181 3rd Street (SoMa)

– The Huntington Hotel & Spa 1075 California St.

– St Regis 125 3rd Street  (SoMa)

– Ritz-Carlton San Francisco 600 Stockton Street (Nob Hill)

What to do in San Fran?

There are a lot of viewpoints that deserve to be experienced. Every neighborhood in San Francisco is unique, but if you don’t have time to visit all of the city, here you can find the things not to miss.

1. The Golden Gate Bridge, the most famous bridge in the world, manages to impress even the most experienced travelers with its stunning 1.7-mile span. Approximately 120,000 automobiles drive across it every day. A pedestrian walkway also allows the crossing on foot, and bikes are allowed on the western side. The Golden Gate Bridge is said to be one of the most photographed things on Earth.

2. Cable cars have been transporting people around San Francisco since the late 19th century. The cars run on tracks and are moved by an underground cable on three routes. Their familiar bells can be heard ringing from blocks away. Tickets ($5) may be purchased at the cable car turnarounds at the ends of each route. Each one-way ride will provide spectacular views of the city’s celebrated hills as well as exhilarating transportation. (www.sfcablecar.com)

3. Alcatraz, the notorious former prison, is located on an island of the same name in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Some of the United States’ most notorious criminals were incarcerated there.  Recorded cell-house tours are available, allowing visitors to learn about the prison as they explore the buildings and grounds. To reach the island, take an Alcatraz Cruises ferry from Pier 43. Advance reservations are recommended, 415-981-ROCK (7625). (www.alcatrazcruises.com)

4. Fisherman’s Wharf is also home to Pier 39, a festive waterfront marketplace that is one of the city’s most popular attractions. A community of California sea lions has taken up residence on the floats to the west of the pier and visitors line the nearby railing to watch their antics. From there it’s a short walk to the Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the famous crab vendors selling walk-away crab and shrimp cocktails.

5. Union Square is the place for serious shoppers. Major departments stores and the most exclusive designer boutiques line streets like Post, Sutter, Geary, Grant, Stockton and Powell. The Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre houses the largest Bloomingdale’s outside of New York and the second largest Nordstrom in the U.S. Don’t miss the cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory on the top floor of Macy’s!

6. North Beach, the city’s Italian quarter, isn’t a beach at all. It’s a neighborhood of romantic European-style sidewalk cafes, restaurants and shops centered near Washington Square along Columbus and Grant avenues. The beautiful Church of Saints Peter and Paul is a beloved landmark. Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill offers a splendid vantage point for photos of the bridges and the Bay. Inside the tower, floor-to-ceiling murals painted in the 1930s depict scenes of early San Francisco. Also Marina is a very nice neighborhood. In Marina district you can also see the Palace of Fine Arts.

7. Twin Peaks is a popular sight seeing point. From there you have a panoramic view of all San Francisco.

8. San Francisco is full of popular parks located in different parts of the city. Don’t miss Golden Gate Park, Dolores Park, Alamo Square and the Presidio.

9. Haight-Ashbury. The Haight-Ashbury district is noted for its role as a center of the1960s hippie movement. As you walk the streets you can still feel the hippie atmosphere.

10. Mission Street between 16th and 24th Streets – known to be the Latinos District. A colorful collection of authentic restaurants, taquerias, Mexican bakeries, produce markets, specialty shops and murals.

FOOD.

BREAKFAST:

• Mama’s
• The Groove
• Nopa
•  Brenda’s French Soul Food

JAPANESE:

• Umami
• Ozumo

OTHER CUISINES:

• Slanted Door (RECOMMENDED!)
• Chez Mama
• Zuni Cafe
• Tacolicious on Valencia st. for chill night but amazing mexican food and margaritas
• Tipsy pig
• Boulevard
• Ike’s Place
• A16
• Kokkari Estiatorio
• Nopa
• RN74
• Foreign Cinema

Other tips..

• Insurance: If you don’t have any kind of health insurance and interested to get one that will cover you for the length of your stay in the States. Please find a couple of suggestions as follows: http://www.worldnomads.com/ or http://www.europ-assistance.com/http://www.europ-assistance.com/en
• Telephone: The cheapest option is T-Mobile. For more details visit http://prepaidphones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans. The recommend plan (For long stays!) is the monthly Plan Unlimited Talk, Text and Web at 50$ + International Unlimited Talk and Text at 10$.
• Transportation-BART: www.bart.gov-MUNI: hwww.sfmta.com/cms/home/sfmta.php-TAXI number: 415.333.3333 www.yellowcabsf.com

One-two hours from San Francisco

– Sausalito If you are not scared of riding a bike for a couple of hours, Sausalito is an amazing place to visit. It is located on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge (30 minutes by car) from the center of San Francisco. Riding your bike across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito is a great way to spend a day. The views are breathtaking. After your ride and a day of fun in Sausalito you can return to the Ferry Building or Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco by ferry, and your bike rides with you on the trip back. It’s about an 8-mile bike ride from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Ferry pier in Sausalito. The trip usually takes 2-3 hours, and the bike shops rank it as “Easy to Moderate” in difficulty. Even if you are not an expert you can do that! There are bike racks in Sausalito for parking your bike near the ferry, but make sure you get a bike lock with your rental.

Renting a Bike: Bike rental shops are scattered across the Fisherman’s Wharf area of northern San Francisco, and around the Ferry Building. They include safety gear and a map with your rental. More information here http://www.oursausalito.com/golden-gatebridge-bike-to-sausalito.html

– Santa Cruz In many ways the quintessential California beach town, Santa Cruz, 75 miles south of San Francisco, is sited at the foot of thickly wooded mountains beside a clean sandy beach. Of course the wonderful beaches are the main attraction, but Santa Cruz is famous also for majestic redwood forests in Santa Cruz County’s 14 state parks. Here http://www.santacruzca.org you can learn about the latest news for visitors, or check out what’s happening this week. Many things to see and do in Santa Cruz County are absolutely free! Remember: Californian beaches are pretty windy so bring with you a swimsuit but also a sweatshirt!

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Enjoy, and fall in love!!!!

Toomzie