The top sights, highlights, tours & travel itinaries curated by our Travel Experts.
The lively coastal city is located in northern California on the west coast of the USA. Let yourself be inspired by the dream beaches on the Pacific, the cosmopolitan ambience and the numerous world-famous sights of the West Coast metropolis. Since San Francisco was built on more than 40 hills, you can enjoy fascinating panoramic views in many places.
Be sure to explore the city on a ride in the historic cable cars, San Francisco captivates with its contrasting districts and constantly reinvents itself. Stroll the streets filled with colorful Victorian homes, wander the exotic Chinatown district, admire surfers surfing and explore the world-class dining scene Less
One of the most famous bridges
The famous prison island
A unique experience
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in the USA and a masterpiece of engineering. The iconic rust-coloured suspension bridge was completed in 1937 and has spanned the San Francisco Bay ever since. Crossing the bridge by car, bike or even on foot is not to be missed on your San Francisco vacation. For the best view of the imposing Golden Gate Bridge, take a boat ride across San Francisco Bay. You can also admire the bridge in its full width from Point Diablo and Point Bonita in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Part of any visit to San Francisco is a stroll through the waterfront district of Fisherman's Wharf. There, a number of piers line the waterfront, including the popular Pier 39, which features a carnival, an aquarium, and inviting waterfront restaurants. Pier 39 is also home to a colony of several hundred sea lions, which you can see year-round.
The former prison island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay is another landmark of the coastal city. The old fort on the island housed a prison from 1861 to 1963 that became one of the most notorious in the world. Criminals like George "Machine Gun" Kelly or Al Capone have served their sentences there. Today the island and the prison can be visited. From there you have a wonderful view of San Francisco. Bring binoculars and look out for nesting seabirds such as cormorants, gulls and herons.
A unique experience on your San Francisco trip is a stroll through the Chinatown neighborhood with its narrow streets. You enter this through the impressive Dragon Gate, which was a gift from Taiwan to San Francisco. Mandarin and Cantonese are the dominant languages in the district. The buildings were constructed in Chinese style and house countless Asian shops, supermarkets and Chinese restaurants. Immerse yourself in this foreign world and indulge in the culinary delights of the fragrant cookshops. Less
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