San Francisco Short Stay Itinerary from a Local
Posted on November 7, 2015
If your cruise ship docks in San Francisco and you have some hours to enjoy the city, or perhaps you are just driving through on your way down the coast, whatever the short stay reason, this post covers the core tourist highlights with local advise that can be seen in 8 hours or less. If you have more or less time, or are traveling with children, you can easily adjust this itinerary to suit your needs.
For alternatives and off-the-beaten path suggestions, see our post “13 Places Locals take their Guests in San Francisco“, and for a Food tour by locals, read “San Francisco Hood n’ Fud: a local’s guide to eating SF.”
A little forewarning – this itinerary is designed for those who can hoof up hills and comfortably walk about 5 miles (8km). If you feel like this is too much walking, be sure to read the modifiers in each section which will help you plan less walking while still enjoying everything listed on this itinerary. And if you know walking is a deal-breaker, considering hiring a Lyft or taxi for the day, or research other tours like the hop on/hop off bus or other companies who will certainly cover these same highlights.
Before you embark on this tour, you will need to have, and be aware of, the following:
Good walking shoes – self explanatory.
Small pack – for carrying water, stowing your souvenirs, and clothing layers.
Clothing layers – do not ignore this piece of advice – pack a sweater AND light jacket, as the weather WILL try to kill your fun, especially if you are traveling in the summer when the fog can come rushing in like dancing girls. You know how you spot tourists in San Francisco? They are the ones in shorts and tank tops in June huddling in shop doorways while the bitter wind purses their faces up like they just ate a lime. It’s true. Summer weather is unpredictable and often cold (oh, and incidentally the only thing locals hate more than the city being called “‘Frisco” or “San Fran” is being reminded of the Twain saying about summer, so just enjoy that little tidbit amongst yourselves), so heed this advise and pack layers.
A map – I have included basic map links in the section headers and some general directions, but I strongly recommend you carry your own map. San Francisco has a grid but it is interrupted by so many hills and angled streets, it can be overwhelming to navigate. Wifi is excellent in the city if you chose to use your GPS/maps function (check your carrier charges before you fire up your phone, however, to avoid roaming and data costs) but you will likely tap your battery taking 1 million pictures on the cable cars, so it’s worth it to have a copy of the map and not rely solely on your GPS. If you do find yourself without a map or GPS, look for a bus shelter or public toilet as those usually have a map on the side of the structure.
Bathrooms – located inside a business, will be 99.9% for customers only. There are public city toilets (see above photo) which are dark green, oval shaped, with a sliding door and a payment slot for the 25 cent US quarter you will need to use the facility. These are the kinds of toilets that have a 60 second wall to floor showering after you exit that cleanses the entire inside.
Cost – San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the US. A cup of coffee will cost about $4 (3€, 2£), cocktails will average about $10 (9€, 7£), lunch will range from $13-60 (12-54€, 9-42£) per person, depending on your food and booze tastes, and dinner can be anywhere from $18( 16€,13£) to off the chart, depending on your desires. I do list some cheap options, but for the most part, get ready to spend some cash.
Tipping – it is expected that you will tip 20% on the bill – yes, 20%. If you have terrible service you can leave less, but if the service is fair to great, leave 20% and if it was excellent, it’s not unreasonable to tip more than 20%.
Cable Cars and Public transportation– There are three main kinds of public transportation – the bus, the cable cars and the streetcar. At time of publishing, the cable cars cost $7USD for a single ride, and the operators can make change up to $20USD bill. The bus costs $2.25, these drivers can not make change, but you do get a transfer for further travel up to 90 minutes from your first trip. Unfortunately, the cable cars are not generally accessible, but MUNI busses and trains are disable service equipped. More information about the cable cars and MUNI transportation can be found on the SFMTA site. If you decide to explore the cable cars, I would recommend you research the day passes and decide whether that is cost effective (follow the link above).
Getting around – if you arrived by car, I strongly suggest finding all day parking and using other modes of transport to see the sights. You can drive around, but you will need a good navigator and get ready to spend a lot of money and/or time looking for parking. This tour begin and ends at Fisherman’s Wharf, so ask Google or your accommodation host how to get to Fisherman’s Wharf via public transportation or park in a lot near the wharf for the day.
Fisherman’s Wharf to Coit Tower via the Embarcadero
The modifier for this section – if walking up the steps and hill seems overwhelming or health prohibiting, you can catch a bus from Fisherman’s Wharf, up to Coit Tower. This is thrilling as the bus make some crazy tight turns on its steep ascent to the beautiful tower. The bus stop is 0.2 of a mile (0.3kms) from Fisherman’s Wharf.
Coit Tower to North Beach
The modifier:
North Beach to Chinatown
Before you reach the Dragon Gate, however, a must stop for excellent, cheap, sweet and savory treats, is Eastern Bakery at 720 Grant Street (their website is seriously nothing to look at, but you are not going there for graphic designers, you want the Pork Buns). As you reach Bush Street, the emerald green roof of the Dragon Gate will come into view. This is the entrance/exit of Chinatown. Now it’s time for cable cars!