Four Day Travel Itinerary for San Francisco

San Francisco is a beautiful city with plenty of rich history and culture. San Francisco a.k.a. the city by the bay has year-round cool weather however, the best time to go is during the month of May. During the month of May the weather will average in the seventies making this a perfect time to see the city with a t-shirt during the day and a light sweater or coat in the evening.

There are dozens of great hotels in San Francisco available for different price ranges. In the end it all comes down to where you want to stay in the city. Downtown/Union square is central and located around all of the shopping while Fisherman's wharf is near the bay and Pier 39. I am loyal to Hotel Nikko, a downtown Japanese style hotel. Getting around isn't hard in this beautiful city. Taxi's are abundant but for a real locals tour of San Francisco try the trolley car or ‘Bart'.

Upon arriving in San Francisco and checking into your hotel head to the nearest Walgreen's, you can find one on almost every corner along with a Starbucks. Pick up a detailed map of the city. San Francisco is not very big but it sure is easy to get turned around. Head over to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. After the Museum take a walk over to Yerba Buena Gardens. Enjoy a nice day under the sun and stroll through gardens. There are some great photo opportunities here. For dinner try Hornblower Cruises and Events. They offer a three hour dinner and dance cruise nightly. The views are breathtaking. Watch the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge and cruise right by Alcatraz Island. Don't forget your camera for this dinner.

There are tons of small café's and breakfast shops on almost every corner in San Francisco. As mentioned above, Starbucks are very in demand as well. So it shouldn't be hard to find breakfast within the budget. Café Infusion is one of my person favorites. I enjoy their breakfast bagel sandwich. They are located across the street from Bloomingdales in downtown San Francisco. While you are downtown make sure you check out the shopping scene. The San Francisco Center is the local mall. After getting your shopping fill take a tour of the beautiful city. There are numerous different tour companies. Including private, bike, fire truck and even segway tours. Make sure the tour visits all of the popular tourst attractions of San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Lombard Street, North Beach, grace Cathedral, China Town, Downtown, Fisherman's Wharf, The Golden Gate Park etc. Private tours are the best to get a customized tour of the city. I recommend Golden Gate Getaways for a quality inexpensive custom tour. Dress in your finest for dinner and head down to Pier 29 for dinner and a show. Teatro ZinZanni is a ton of fun and a barrel of laughs. The dinner is delicious and the show is hilarious.

After getting breakfast take some time to explore Fisherman's Wharf. Start at the West and work your way East and over to Pier 39. If you can, catch the Powell/Hyde cable car it will take you directly to the East end of Fisherman's Wharf. There are plenty of shops to explore. In-N-Out is a great place to stop if you are craving a good hamburger. Ripley's Believe it or Not and the Wax Museum are neighbors. Stop in both of these attractions for fun and good laughs. The Rainforest Café is a wild restaurant with excellent food. Even if your only stopping in for dessert. Continue along until you reach the famous Pier 39. At the East end of the pier you will find Sea Lions sunbathing. They are there year round and you'll probably hear them before you see them. Pier 39 is full of street performers, small shops, rides and an arcade. Make sure you visit the Aquarium of the Bay for and under water view of marine life. Buy tickets in advance for Alcatraz because they sell out daily. If it is possible, take the night tour, it isn't as busy and has special programs. After a long day it is time for Dinner. Palomino is a casual but trendy restaurant with dim lighting that sets the tone for a very relaxing evening.

The last day should always be a relax day because it includes packing up, checking out and driving or flying back home. Use this day to sleep in an hour late if you can and make sure you have packed well before check out time. If there is time visit Sausalito, spend the day taking in this small island and it's breathtaking views of the city.