Attractions for Guests of San Francisco Vacation Rentals
Vacation rentals in San Francisco make the perfect home base for enjoying a San Francisco vacation. San Francisco, California has been called the most beautiful city in America. Seeing the views of the ocean, the bay, the night skyline of downtown San Francisco, and the textured, multi-colored buildings of the vastly differing neighborhoods, it is easy to understand why almost every street in the "City by the Bay" looks like it jumped off a post card.A San Francisco vacation can be full of all sorts of experiences. Eat Thai food; attend the opera; explore Chinatown in San Francisco; ride one of the world-famous San Francisco cable cars; visit an antiques shop in the Castro district; and walk the beach in outer Richmond. Vacationers staying in San Francisco rentals can enjoy a myriad of other attractions, including art and history museums, gorgeous parks, and San Francisco nightlife. San Francisco travel is fun for the entire family!
You can get acclimated to San Francisco by spending a half day on the 49 Mile Drive. The route was set up in 1939 to assist vacationers, and it cuts a rough path around the most popular San Francisco tourism sites. Marked by white and blue seagull signs, you will pass by Chinatown, Ocean Beach, Twin Peaks, Seal Rocks Beach, and Golden Gate Park. The tour is self-guided, so the day is what you make of it.
Visitors staying in San Francisco vacation rentals can enjoy incredible views of the city, the bay, and the Pacific Ocean. Probably the best vantage point in the city is Coit Tower, located atop Telegraph Hill. The tower gives a 360 degree view of the entire city. You needn't pay the admission to the actual top of the tower since the views are just as good from around the base. Inside the base, there are some excellent murals painted by various artists in the 1920s, many of whom studied under famed artist Diego Rivera.
Wait for a warm afternoon and take a stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge. This marvel of modern architecture is San Francisco's calling card. Feel the bridge sway as you traverse the span that reaches 746 feet above the ocean. Don't miss a visit to the fabulous Conservatory of Flowers (415-666-7001) in Golden Gate Park. This Victorian-era conservatory showcases orchids, palms, bromeliads, and other tropical plants from around the world. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed on Mondays. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youths, and $1.50 for children ages 5-11.
Aquarium of the Bay (415-623-5300) at Fisherman's Wharf offers a fascinating, up-close look at the marine animals of San Francisco Bay and the surrounding waters. Admission is $13.95 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-11. At the California Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium and Natural History Museum (875 Howard St., south of Market, 415-321-8000), guests of San Francisco apartment rentals can get a behind-the-scenes look at aquatic life support systems. Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; admission is $7 for adults, $4.50 for youths, and $2 for children ages 4-11.
At Pier 39 (Beach Street & The Embarcadero, 415-705-5500), vacationers staying in San Francisco condo rentals can shop in more than 100 stores, enjoy street performers and entertainment, watch the resident sea lions sunbathe, and dine at any of 12 restaurants. The 10,000-square-foot Riptide Arcade offers hours of fun.
The Presidio of San Francisco (34 Graham St., 415-561-5444) is a 1,491-acre national park encompassing woodlands, coastal bluffs, ocean shoreline, a lake, lovely gardens, a historic military post, hiking trails, several picnic areas, a golf course, and more. The park is open every day and admission is free. Another fun outing for vacationers staying in San Francisco condos is the Yerba Buena Gardens (750 Howard St., 415-820-3550), which features a children's garden, public art, museums, a historic carousel, ice-skating, and bowling centers. Yerba Buena Gardens is open daily form sunrise to 10:00 p.m.
Don't miss the spectacular San Francisco Botanical Garden (415-661-1316) in Golden Gate Park. Guests of vacation rentals in San Francisco can enjoy themed gardens representing New Zealand, the Mediterranean, and Central American rain forests in this lovely garden. Admission is free.
Some of the most popular San Francisco tourist attractions include the Hyde Street Pier, home to six restored historic vessels; the Old U.S. Mint, with its collection of coins and metals; the lovely San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge; and Lombard Street, famous for its steep hill and hairpin turns. Vacationers staying in San Francisco lodging can take a fascinating tour of Alcatraz Island (415-546-2896), home to a famous historic prison. Purchase tickets in advance at Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf.
Guests of San Francisco house rentals can learn about the beer brewing process with a free tour at the Anheuser-Busch Consumer Hospitality Center (3101 Busch Dr. in Fairfield, 707-429-7595) or see how sourdough bread is made at Boudin at the Wharf (160 Jefferson St., 415-928-1849). How about a sweet tour of the Jelly Belly Candy Company (707-428-2800), located east of San Francisco in Fairfield?
Families who stay in San Francisco or Half Moon Bay vacation rentals will enjoy touring the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, which offers an amazing collection of the strange and unusual. Admission is $14.99 for adults and $8.99 for children ages 5-12. Other popular family attractions include the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (707-644-4000) amusement park in nearby Vallejo and the San Francisco Zoo (415-753-7080), featuring 1,000 exotic and endangered animals. The zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; admission is $11 for adults, $8 for youth ages 12-17, and $5 for children ages 3-11. Admission is free on the first Wednesday of each month.
Vacationers staying in a San Francisco vacation rental can take a fascinating tour of the World War II Submarine USS Pampanito (415-775-1943) at Fisherman's Wharf Pier 45. Another popular San Francisco attraction is the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf (415-202-0400), which features 270 life-like wax portraits of entertainers and other notables in more than 50 superbly crafted settings.
Ocean Beach in San Francisco extends along the entire west side of the city, offering some great waves and excellent surfing conditions. Another popular San Francisco beach is Baker's Beach at the Presidio, which features fabulous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. China Beach, a great spot for swimming, sunbathing and picnicking, is located at 28th Avenue and Seacliff and has lifeguards available in the summertime.
Those with an appreciation for fine paintings, photography, and sculptures will want to pay a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), located in the South of Market area. The museum houses over 15,000 works from such artists as Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keefe, and Diego Rivera. MOMA was one of the first museums to recognize photography as a serious art form. Guests of San Francisco rentals can see photos from Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Henri Cartier-Benson.
San Francisco boasts a number of other outstanding museums, including the Asian Art Museum, the American Carousel Museum, the Cable Car Museum, the Exploratorium, the MH de Young Memorial Museum, the National Maritime Museum, and many more.
Of course, no San Francisco vacation would be complete without a trip to the wine country just north of the city. Vacationers staying in a San Francisco vacation rental can take a day trip and explore the numerous wineries of the Napa, Sonoma, and Russian River valleys.
In nearby San Jose, visitors can tour the bizarre four-story, 160-room Winchester Mystery House (525 South Winchester Blvd., 408-247-2000). Tours start at 9:00 a.m. daily and one-hour guided tours are $21.95 for adults and $15.95 for children ages 6-12.
A Sausalito vacation rental is perfect for exploring this picturesque area just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors can stroll along the waterfront, go hiking or biking on local trails, visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum, browse the local galleries and shops, and explore nearby Muir Woods and Mt. Tam. Don't miss a visit to the Bay Model Visitor Center, where you can see an acre and a half sized working model of the bay.
About halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, on scenic Highway 1, is the magnificent Hearst Castle (805-927-2093), a 165-room estate built for publisher William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947.
Other nearby attractions for guests of San Francisco and Inverness vacation rentals include the Filoli estate (650-364-8300, ext. 220), where visitors can tour the 36,000 square-foot mansion and 16 acres of European-inspired gardens. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for children ages 7-12. Golden Gate Fields (510-559-7383) in nearby Berkeley offers seasonal thoroughbred horse racing excitement.
Popular San Francisco events include the San Francisco Jazz Festival (800-850-7353), held in October and November; the San Francisco Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival (415-982-6306), held in September or October; and the San Francisco Theater Festival (415-543-1718), featuring free performances by professional theater groups on 10 stages in the Yerba Buena Gardens during July.
With so many things to do in San Francisco, you're sure to have a fabulous vacation! Reserve your San Francisco accommodations today!
