San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world! Loved for its breathtaking views, beautiful parks and amazing architecture.The City by the Bay has iconic sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge and its famous Cable Cars traveling down beautiful steep hills lined with historic Victorian homes. As Herb Caen wrote…”One day if I go to heaven…I’ll look around and say “it ain’t bad…But it ain’t San Francisco.” Let us explain to you why Musicians, Poets, Novelists and Movies are all drawn to San Francisco.

History

San Francisco is steeped in history and you can learn and experience the history in many locations throughout the city. (Following is a quick list but please read our insiders guide for more detail)

1849 Gold Rush
1906 earthquake and fires
Al Capone and the famous inmates of Alcatraz.
The oldest chinatown in North America.
The Psychedelic Music Scene. The 1960’s epicenter of music including bands like Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Janis Joplin.
The Hippies movement and counter culture was centered in the Haight-Ashbury district and the famous Summer of Love 1967
The Beatles gave their last concert in San Francisco.
The original United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco

Arts

San Francisco has over 50 museums
Must see museums include SFMOMA, California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum, Exploratorium, Legion of Honor and Asian Art Museum
Unique family friendly museums include The Walt Disney Family Museum and the Cable Car Museum.
Performing Arts including Theater, Ballet, Opera, and Symphony.

Architecture and Sites

San Francisco has hundreds of unique and world-renowned architecture and iconic sites: Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, The Painted Ladies, Alcatraz Island,Lombard Street, China Town, Coit Tower just to name a few. But there is so much more.

Food and Wine

The San Francisco Bay has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin star restaurants in the United States. Its proximity to the Wine Country, diverse Neighborhoods and culinary innovation by acclaimed chefs make San Francisco a must for Foodies.

Sports

From professional to college sports enthusiast. San Francisco has it all for fans to come and watch.
For the outdoor weekend athlete. San Francisco has amazing places to hike, surf, wind surf, sail and race!

Music and Experiences

San Francisco is known for its music scene. Plan a visit around a concert or music festival.
There are so many other food festivals and experiences to plana trip around. Visit our blog and subscribe to our site to get notifications of great events in San Francisco.

Travel by Time of Year

San Francisco has many microclimates. You can experience summer and winter weather on the same day in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Winter (Nov–Mar): The rainy season, featuring cool temperatures (44°F–57°F) and frequent rain, especially in January and February.
Spring (Apr–May): Mild to cool with decreasing rain and the start of spring flowers.
Summer (Jun–Aug): Dry and cool/moderate, characterized by high temperatures between 60°F–70°F, frequently accompanied by heavy morning/evening fog (“Karl the Fog”) and strong coastal wind
Fall (Sep–Nov): Often warm and sunny (“Indian Summer”), with the highest temperatures of the year and very little rain.

Key Tips:

Layering is Essential: Due to microclimates, it may be sunny in the Mission District and foggy at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Rain: Nearly all rainfall occurs between November and April.
Clothing: Even in summer, evenings are cool, so warm layers are necessary.