The street car sign says it goes nowhere in particular and as the sun rises in San Francisco there are locals doing Tai Chi in Washington Square. There’s a roar as a taxi cab negotiates one of the steepest hills in the city riding halfway to the stars it seems. San Francisco has that laid back but efficient feel to it from the exquisitely painted Victorian houses to the fast service in restaurants and friendly welcome from the locals. There are many things to see in San Francisco but if time is short here are a few suggestions to get the best out of a stay in this beautiful city by the bay.

Image courtesy of www.frontendeveloper.com
1. Chinatown
The Chinese came to San Francisco to build the Transcontinental Railroad and many stayed to develop the area known as Chinatown. Walk through the street markets piled high with oriental fruit and vegetables and observe the ornate temples with incense burning. Visit the Fortune Cookie Factory to see how this San Franciscan invention is made. Don’t forget to sample some of the best Chinese food around in one of the restaurants that make this area so special.
2. Go shopping in the Castro
Home to much of San Francisco’s gay and lesbian community The Castro is decked with rainbow flags and has some eclectic shops selling all manner of things that you might not find elsewhere – great for souvenir hunting! There are vibrant cafes and restaurants, live music from time to time, a real buzz in the air and a warm welcome to anyone in this great San Franciscan district which borders the area between 17th and 20th Streets. For entertainment the Castro Theatre has the original organ and fittings and is a real experience.
3. Alcatraz
Known as The Rock, Alcatraz sits in San Francisco Bay and was a notorious prison from which there was no escape. The cells have been home to the likes of Al Capone and Robert Stroud, or the Birdman of Alcatraz. Reached by boat it is fascinating to walk around as it is full of stories and legends as well as a quite sinister, yet intriguing, atmosphere. The views from the island are worth a trip just to see the bay and city skyline from a different angle. Don’t forget to see the garden created by prisoners on the island.
4. Visit the Painted Ladies
One of the loveliest things in San Francisco are the various styles of Victorian architecture. On Steiner Street in the Alamo Square District the Painted Ladies, also called the Six Sisters, stand in a row with pastel painted frontages. These beautiful houses survived the 1906 earthquake and are each painted in three or more colours giving them an exquisite style unique to San Francisco.
5. Hang on to the Strap
There are three ways to ride one of San Francisco’s cable cars. Either sit inside, or on one of the outside seats, or if you want to ride like a local hang on to the strap like Doris Day as these beautiful old cable cars ascend through the steep streets .It is the perfect adventure for those on family holidays as it will thrill young children but they do need to be supervised. For a glimpse of the best sights of San Francisco ride facing east as you go up on the Powell Hyde Line. Visitors can travel from Hyde Street to Union Square where a short walk takes you to Wells Fargo Bank and the place where miners used to have their gold dust weighed and where the Pony Express was first developed. Nob Hill is another cable car with a precipitously vertical ride through the city and good fun to experience.
6. Take a bike ride from Pier 39 to Sausalito
With a city built on 43 hills cycling holidays are not the first thing that comes to mind in San Francisco. Bicycle tours from Pier 39 are very popular and a wonderful way to take in the sweeping views across San Francisco Bay and along the waterfront. Pedal past North Beach and across the famous Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. Take a rest in delightful Sausalito with its Victorian houses and restaurants before the return ride or alternatively take a ferry crossing past Alcatraz to Pier 39.














