San Francisco Bay Area Travel Planning Guide

Would one week in sf be to long to stay ? We’re from Aus

I live in Sunnyvale and work in Cupertino and go to SF almost every weekend, but this is hands down the best Bay Area in & around travel ideas video ever.

Hello, Is it easier to get out and reach car rental companies in John Wayne airport ? LAX seems more complicated for sure.

Still ok

This is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJvgVAOFpWg

Somebody mentioned Taco Bell as a joke, I’m sure, but next time you go to SF check out the Taco Bell in Pacifica. It is right on the ocean and has to have the most beautiful views of any fast food restaurant anywhere. A fun place to go for a humorous selfie at least. No kidding, look it up in Google!

Thanks for the info of SF

Hi, question so the little Saigon is not a good place to stay since is close to tenderloin

Hi Chris. We love your videos and they have been so helpful. We started our trip in New York, now in SanFrancisco and then going to Los Angeles, vegas, Grand Canyon, Boston. Thank you so much and we will see you again in one of these videos. By the way we tried In n Out Burger today, it was great. Xxxx
We are from the UK

Yes Golden Gate Park is worth a visit. Steinhart Aquarium-Cal. Academy of Science (planetarium, natural history exhibits, aquarium), Japanese Tea Garden w/landscaped plants and teahouse, Stow Lake can walk to top of the man-made hill in the middle of this small man-made lake with views of Golden Gate Bridge as well can rent row boats or paddle boats to traverse the lake, Botanical Garden w/plants from CA as well as Australia i.e. Med. Climate botany mult. walking paths, used to be Cliff House restaurant at west ocean end of the park but there is Lands End with trail along ocean w/views of Golden Gate Bridge as well trail down to water's edge, a vintage Carousel from the 30s plus De Young Art Museum, a Conservatory of Flowers that's akin to Victorian architecture glass with metal framing greenhouse w/tropical plants (for plant lovers or to see unique structure but really just 30-45 min is sufficient), Segway rentals to tour the park etc.. could easily spend 4-5+ hours in just Golden Gate Park!
There's the Marin Headlands on north end of the Golden Gate Bridge with WW1 & WW2 gun fortifications-ruins, Point Bonita lighthouse with a suspended bridge from headland to the piece of land w/ the lighthouse about .3 mile walk but only open on limited days; times, Marine Mammal Rescue Center rehabilitate seals; sea lions, access to hiking trails that go north towards Muir Beach and Mt Tamalpais- nearby towns like San Anselmo.
Stinson Beach which often has warm weather even when S.F. beaches are cooler; colder, but on hotter days it can take extra 45-60+ minutes because of the traffic going from Hwy 101- San Rafael over the hills to coast-Stinson Beach - nearby Muir Woods with easy access to Redwood Groves but gets crowded so go earlier or weekdays and easier access than Redwoods near Santa Cruz- Santa Cruz Mtns.
If like lighthouses further north from Pt. Bonita noted is Pt. Reyes with 300+ steps down to the lighthouse- they built it higher but this area is foggy so too often it was above the fog and no use so they had to relocate it down closer to the water. When it's sunny it's dramatic and there is Drake's Bay- lagoon nearby on the Pt. Reyes Seashore and nearby are villages along Tomales Bay (Pt. Reyes Station, Inverness, Marshall with places to eat raw oysters; grill oysters; outdoor eating picnic tables)- if hit area early enough could include the wineries near Santa Rosa; Rhonert Park on way inland back to hwy 101 for simpler accessibility to wine tasting without fully committing the time and distance to Sonoma or Napa.
For alt. to going south past Big Sur down to Pismo Beach etc.. can take hwy 1 north from Stinson Beach to the towns of Pt. Arena (a third lighthouse), Elk, Albion, Guala, Little River, Mendocino (akin to an East Coast sea village) with viewpoints, small hotels, B&B, shops, headlands and pocket beaches. These are old logging towns that became getaways & art enclaves- perfect for 2-3 day trip. Temperatures can really vary with 65-70+ in Mendocino etc.. then 85-90+ along hwy 101 (Willits, Healdsburg, Cloverdale - key turn off to head to coast); Seabiscuit the famous race horse is buried near Willits.
All the best,

If you have a rental car go straight to your hotel and check your bags. Leave nothing in the car or trunk. Thieves come from all over the region to do the break-ins. A major police crackdown is underway and car break ins are down, but best to be safe. The Presidio is not our equlivilent to Central Park, that would be Golden Gate Park, which is similar to NYC's great park but actually larger. Alamo Square and the painted ladies and the Golden Gate Bridge are difficult to get to, but you can reach them by bus. One alternative park is Dolores Park between the Mission and the Castro. The top of the park (south end) has a panoramic view of the city and is very popular and a fun place where the locals hang out. You can reach it directly by the J Church. Then walk over to Mission Dolores the oldest building in the city (1776) and you can stroll over to the Mission to see the faous murals and get the best burritos in the world. The Castro is at the end of the F-Market line which is an above ground trolley, but the underground light rail trains travel from the Ferry building down market and out to the neighorhoods. they are our city subway/tramway like those in Eruopean cities. BART is for more distant travel to cities around the Bay Area. The ferry to Sausaslito is a great option for a half day trip. You get out on the bay for much less than the tour boats out of Fisherman's Wharf.

Thank you for the planning guide

I hate to be picky but when you were showing the Oakland airport you were pointing out the old Alameda Naval Air Station. Oakland Airport is at the the south of the island of Alameda.

Owen, from Ireland, asked, "what's your favourite place to visit!.

I love Thé Handlery Union Square hotel!!! I’ve stayed there just shy of a dozen times and have never been disappointed

hello.question: public transport from sfo airport to fisherman wharf , please ? thanks

Just the video I needed to watch😀

Great info and I’m thinking to hire a bike to the golden gate. Are we allowed to carry a bike on the ferry from Sausalito to ferry building though?

It's pronounced "Sannozay". I say that as a native of San Jose.

Very helpful! I initially had a reservation in Fisherman's Wharf but changed to the Hyatt in the Financial district per your recommendation. Thanks!

Do not go to San Francisco. It is the most disgusting city in America. Worse than Third World countries.

I think that you should mention the Golden Gate Bridge 🌉 WELCOME CENTER art and souvenirs inside and the coffee shop at top entrance to the bridge since the very early days of the 1940’s

It’s called North Beach (not Little Italy)…are you a Bay Area import? 😆 That’s a nice parking hack using hotel valet parking, if you must have a car. Thanks for the video.

The park near the Golden Gate Bridge is the Presidio. Home of the new Disney Museum and the Legion of Honor. Golden Gate Park has the Academy of Sciences (great life sciences museum), De Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden and Sunday Park Skates Also has free concerts in the park. The SF Zoo is also near there. So much to do and see! Hotels are better than ABNB because then people who need places to live can actually rent those homes.

Don’t really agree with your Japantown take it’s a great part of the City and the food there is nice with the ambiance

I never heard any of the locals call it "Little Italy". It's always called "North Beach". Golden Gate Park has a bunch of really good museums inside, besides the park itself.

Don't bring your pocketbook ladies! Wear a jacket with an inside pocket to put your debit card and credit cards and phone in the pocket. I don't care if it's hot out. I am wearing a jacket with an inside pocket.

If I ride a bike over the bridge can I stop back into Alcatraz via ferry back to the pier? Vids are awesome!! wish there was more to watch haha

Can you park at hotel valet if you are not a hotel guest?

im just concerned these travel guides might be so informative and picturesque, that eventually it negates the need to actually go there for yourself...

What about Yosemite

What area of town is channel street, san Francisco?

Westfield San Francisco Centre, Lake Taho, Exploratorium, Academy of Science, AND THE CALTRAIN public transportation from SF to SJ!!!! Hillsdale Mall and Stanford Mallalong the way!!! Plus you can get aboard the bart from the CALTRAIN!!!!!!!(easier for tourists) Plus in Oakland a great Japanse Restaurant called Yoshi's where famous musicians play

Thank goodness he didn't mention places locals actual go to

We are planning to rent a car , to go San Francisco,Napa valley and Big Sur.

Hi, thank you so much for this video, very informative and very useful for people who are going to visit San Francisco. I would just like to ask if it is advisable to take the Hop on Hop off bus in going around San Francisco? Thank you again so much

I am planning to visit SF. I will have cameras. i wonder how safe is the place near union square to the different piers and financial district. Also, after sundown which are the safer places to be at say till 8 pm ?

@yellow productions what software are you using to show us this via the map? I want to study this more etc.

I loved the question that you got about where would you go "for a month". It just occurred to me that even though I have travelled all over the world, I have only been to three places for a month: The Boston Area, the San Diego Area and the Detroit/Ann Arbor Area.

You listed the first two, but I would actually recommend the third for a month. If you went there from Mid-Aug to Mid-Sept, you could do all of the following in 4 weeks (even assuming that you would still work remotely 5 days a week):

1. See the three world class museum gems in the area: The Detroit Institute of Arts and the Henry Ford Museum (which is every bit as good at the Smithsonian), and Greenfield Village which is the same size as Disneyland and the inspiration for it. It is also where you can ride in a Model T and see both the Wright Brothers Cycle Shop and Edison's original laboratory, which were both shipped piece by piece there.
2. Cross the border SOUTH (not a typo) into Canada and even go to Toronto.
3. See a game in the biggest stadium in the country (Michigan Stadium) and experience one of the great college campuses in the world.
4. See the freshwater beaches and sand dunes of places like Saugatuck and Sleeping Bear Dunes. Late August/Early September is when the air is warm and the water is perfect. The Great Lakes is not like the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. They are unsalted and clear, no sharks or jellyfish either.
5. Spend a weekend in Mackinac Island, which does not allow cars. It is full of bikes and horses only. Also you can cross the 5-mile long Mackinaw Bridge (which is every bit as spectacular as the Golden Gate Bridge, but a lot more remote) into the land of Yoopers (people who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan).
6. Go to Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital of the world.

Sorry... I was in the flow with ideas there. Anyways, perhaps a topic for you to cover?

ANYWHERE tourists go in SF there are car break ins. And also in places they don't go. Best to cab or uber from a hotel, rental cars are target #1

William Winchester had already passed when the Winchester House was built. Sarah moved West after she was a widow.

Buddy, this video was the best video ive ever see on SFA guide. you have answered all of my questions. Legend.