San Francisco in one day - highlights within arm's reach

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24/10/2015

San Francisco was one of the places we did not want to miss. But it was not so easy as we found out it to b eone of the most expensive cities in the world as for accommodation either in the city or its surroundings. We did not want pay more than 120 USD a night but we simply did not want to skip it. Finally we set out from Los Angeles by a night bus and decided to visit San Francisco in one day.

San Francisco in the morning

We arrived at Folsom Street early in the morning before 6 am. The city was getting up and half empty streets began gradually filling with people rushing to work. We went towards the Financial Center where we had breakfast and set off for a walk. On the way there we stopped at the most famous building in SF Transamerica Pyramid. Afterwards we headed to Chinatown which we really liked but we came there to early so everything was still closed. We decided to have a small morning workout so we climbed the hill up to the Grace Cathedral. Then we just roamed in the city streets and observed the bustle and hustle.

Fisherman’s Wharf – Pier 39 and markets

In a beautiful sunny day there is nothing better than going for a walk to the Fisherman’s Wharf. On the way there we visited local market at Ferry Building Marketplace. We liked the market, it had really wonderful atmosphere. But we did not stay long as there were so many attractions in San Francisc to see. The stroll along the pier was amazing, all
the piers and the views on the city like Financial Distric or at the Coit Tower that is a small dominant of San Francisco. After a while we reached Pier 39. It is famous especially for its sea lion colonies one can observe there. They are totally adorable! And there is also a great view on the Alcatraz where we were not able to go because reservations for this trip must be made long time in advance. Remarkable is also Pier 43 ½ where we explored the USS Pampanito submarine (check our gallery, you must see it! 😉 ) and also huge battleship SS Jeremiah O’Brien. Other historical ships can be seen at Hyde Street Pier. Who likes shopping should definitely go to Ghirardelli Square. And who is on budget like us, can go there anyway and hop on the bus driving you to the pearl of San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street

Golden Gate Bridge we do not have to introduce. Probably the most famous bridge in the world and we have to admit it is truly great and beautiful. Unfortunately we did not have great visibility and weather on the bridge side but even though we enjoyed our visit and saw what we wanted. If you are in San Francisco this is really a must see sight. 😉 And do not miss Lombard Street that is said to be the most crooked street in the world. It is a real rarity but allegedly Vermont Street in San Francisco should be more crooked. We were lucky to see there something rare. Motorcycle meeting of american policemans 😉 They came in hundreds.

Legendary Cable Car and beautiful Painted Ladies houses

What we could not miss was the highlight of San Francisco the legendary Cable Car. We took a ride on the Powell-Mason line that has been operating since 1888. 2,6 km (1,61miles) long ride was so nice and we really enjoyed it. The driver let us stand on the edge and make videos. For 7 USD/person it was totally worth it! And when we decided to visit San Francisco in one day we had to see beautiful houses we know from the photos called Painted Ladies. They can be found in a quiet street and there are many of them. By this San Francisco totally wrapped us around its little finger. People live here stylish and merrily.

San Francisco in one day – possible and worth it

Everything has its end. So we went to eat something, pick up our backpacks from the bus station and get by BART (local trains) to the airport to enjoy another adventure. Visit San Francisco in 1 day is possible even though demanding. We walked 35 km (21,75 miles) and it was amazing number of 45 000 steps (so far our the most challenging day on trip in terms of steps) that day too see everything we wanted but no regrets. Exhausted and tired we said goodbye to the USA and set off to Southeast Asia where Vietnam was our first stop.