SFO vacation advice plz

[cashflyer]

My inlaws from Ireland are coming to visit us in SC next month.
They would like to go to San Francisco for 3 days up to a week.

I know they want to drive across the bridge, to visit Alcatraz, and to visit Fishermans Warf. I'm trying to escape Lombard Street because I have read that it's really a PITA for the privilege of just driving down a curvy street.

My primary question is:
Is it better to fly into SFO or OAK ?

My secondary question is, what else is a "must do" for tourists?

[cashflyer]

I know it's not in SF, but is the USS Hornet worth a visit?

[berettafan]

not far from Tahoe. some beautiful scenery.

[cashflyer]

There are relatives in Tahoe, and that will be our stop after SF.

We'll have 3 days in SF, and they are looking for things to do in SF. Kind of thinking Yosemite is off the table as they want to stay in SF.
My wife says the in-laws are not going to be interested in riding bikes.
I'll search for the other thread.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Craig T]

My wife and I spend a lot of time in SF. As for SFO or OAK airports, it really doesn't matter. There is easy public transport options from both. BART from SFO is the easiest. I would say to go with whatever is the cheaper flight.

I had relatives in from England. The two things they enjoyed most about SF were Muir Woods and getting fried garlic grabs in China Town. Muir Woods is beautiful, with easy walking trails and giant Calif redwoods. They have forests in Ireland, but nothing like the CA redwoods. Welcome to Muir Woods, the only surviving primordial redwood forest in the San francisco Bay Area.

The new San Fran Museum of Modern Art is open now. If they're into that, it's one of the best in the world. https://www.sfmoma.org

It's baseball season. Catching a Giants game might be fun for them. The new stadium is awesome! Dress warm though. The summer breeze off the bay can be colder than an arctic winter.

[JossP80]

SFO/OAK can access the heart of SF from BART very easily (the latter via air train). I actually prefer taking OAK if I'm taking the train in. If you'll be renting a car, SFO can be easier--the Oakland bridge can be a pain.

Other than that and the usual places mentioned, presidio food truck fair I believe is still every Sunday, and views from the twin peaks radio tower are pretty amazing. If you're traveling with any Generation Ys, the Full House home is fun to gawk at once in your lifetime.

[craigster59]

The Buena Vista near fisherman's Wharf for a good old Irish coffee.

[look 171]

We were just there with the kids his summer. Do the city tour on that double decker bus. The guides are usually pretty good and you get to enjoy the city instead of driving. Harbor cruise (worth seeing IMO. We do that every time we go up there) and go to Sausalito or a little relaxing lunch right off the harbor. Of course, there's pier 39 right next to Fisherman's Warf. We drove Lombard Street. It was not bad. The wait was 10 min to get through it, but we did it around 9am. Ride the cable car, but be prepare to deal with rude operators. We did it a a few times with the kids, but those guys were not to nice to the dumb tourists. Part of their fault too because they want to see and get in the operator's way.

[look 171]

If they like history, go to Point fort under the Goden gate. From there you can walk up a little path and actual walk a portion of the Golden Gate bridge.

I vote for the wine country if time allows. NAPA, or go up to Calistoga. Just pull into a winery and enjoy the beauty of those places and have a glass of wine. Its only a 1.5 hour away.

[LakeCleElum]

Twin Peaks park....360 degree view. Pacific Ocean, Golden gate, SF Bay, downtown, Oakland, etc:



If they have a rental car, north on Hwy 1 to Stimson beach area and beyond.

[Seahawk]

Both sides of my family are from the Bay Area. I have little to add restaurant/tourist wise since I haven't spent a substantial amount of time there since college.

I can tell you that look 171 is spot on: Harbor cruise is the deal if they are up for it: San Francisco Bay Cruise and Sightseeing | Blue & Gold Fleet

I have recommended that for many friends and everyone has said that the harbor cruise was the highlight. The city looks amazing from the water...going under the GGB is better than walking it.

I lived on Euclid Ave in college and liked to go up to Inspiration Point, often empty of people. Incredible views.

[javadog]

I always flew into Oakland and caught a cab to my hotel downtown. Renting a car is a bad idea unless you plan on traveling outside the city every day. If you fly into SFO, the scenery is better on the ride up into town but I would avoid BART. It's not a pleasant experience these days and old people don't want to deal with hauling luggage from the BART station to their hotel. Just spring for a cab.

It's hard to recommend specific things to see without knowing what their interests are. They might enjoy Chinatown, if they're very fit. Everybody enjoys the view from Twin Peaks, so that's maybe one reason to rent a car for a day. If you go that direction you might consider a lunch at the Cliff House and spending some time in Golden Gate Park. There's a variety of interesting things to see there. There are several world class museums in San Francisco, depending on what interests them. Most people enjoy a trip out to Alcatraz. You probably ought to book that in advance, though. Taking the ferry across to Sausalito and having dinner over there is not a bad plan. You won't find the greatest restaurants there, but the view is nice.

The homeless have overrun the city, so wondering through some of the famous old neighborhoods isn't much fun. I'm not a huge fan of anything near fisherman's wharf, but there are other waterfront destinations that might be worth a look.

It's really hard to be more specific without knowing what they like to do.

[Hugh R]

OAK is a cheaper flight generally, and much less likely for flights to get cancelled/delayed due to fog than SFO.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Twin Peaks park....360 degree view. Pacific Ocean, Golden gate, SF Bay, downtown, Oakland, etc:



If they have a rental car, north on Hwy 1 to Stimson beach area and beyond.

If you do go to Stinson Beach, head a little further north to Hog Island Oyster Farm and enjoy fresh oysters on Tomales Bay...
https://hogislandoysters.com/locations/marshall

[scottmandue]

If you are going to Alcatraz you may want get reservations ASAP I hear it sells out.
When we were planing our trip (it got canceled) I was thinking of flying into OAK, may not be a problem but the BART between OAK and SF goes through a tunnel under the bay. They also have ferry boats between SF and OAK

[Deschodt]

Might already be too late for alcatraz, book it now... it's cool... lovely views of the city.
By the same token, take the ferry (roundtrip) from Pier1 to Sausalito, spend a nice afternoon there ducking tourists and return, great shots of the GG bridge for free, pleasant walk in sausalito, eat at the barrel house for nice views ! In the city, take the cable car because you are a tourist but only one way, from Ghiradelli square area towards the heart of the city... return is busy with huge lines, so uber your ass back...

Driving isn't that bad if you avoid Friday evening 3-6PM, parking at hotels is pricey but.... A rental car gives you access to the outskirts of the city which IMO are better than the city itself - you can take the bay bridge to treasure island, take nice pics of the city at night, and drive right back (free), you can drive to the hill above the GG bridge (much better view than the tourist spot below), to rodeo beach on the marin side, check out the giant sequoias at Muir woods (very nice), check out to stinson beach, or nice little downtown areas like Mill valley that looks like an alpine city in switzerland... On the other side, Pacifica is kinda cool too, if not too foggy that day, you might see whales while eating lovely peruvian food at the beach...

City wise, a car lets you drive the super steep streets too (it's a hoot and if you get air in a rental, well...), and take maybe Divisadero down towards the marina for a kick-ass view.... Explore some city neighborhoods, Noe valley (pretty), the castro district (interesting), potrero hills, *lots* of good eating in those aforementioned locations, away from the tourist trap that is fisherman's wharf... (try "sunflower" in potrero hills if you want the best vietnamese ever, #26 I think). I'd rent wheels. That's just me, I'm not fond of public transport and this city has its share of homeless and strange folks, and the cool cable cars are super busy... BART stinks and is full of weirdos, no thanks....

PS: OAK and SFO are MOL equidistant in travel time. SFO runway 28's been a mess lately, and yeah to fog closures.. OAK is better all things considered, super quick little airport with less lines to go home... PPS: dress in layers... it can be 80F at noon, then the fog comes in and it's effing 52F like 10 min later ;-)

[Tobra]

If you are going to go to Alcatraz, make the reservations now, like right now, today. If you can't make that, you can take the ferry, maybe to Tiburon to have lunch at Sam's and get a nice ride across the bay. Golden Gate Park is nice for a picnic, especially on Sunday when the streets are closed, or you could do the tour at Anchor Brewery If the weather is clear, the view from Twin Peaks on South side of the city is stellar, as the view from Mt Diablo on the other side of the bay.

If you want to drive down Lombard, the wiggly part, approach it from the South on Hyde St.

Have you asked them what they want to do, aside from Alcatraz? Muir Woods is really something, almost a spiritual experience.

[Borders Reivers]

City Lights Bookstore for the atmosphere, culture and the history.

City Lights Books

You must go all the way upstairs; the footsteps that walked there...

Yes that back row is named Via Ferlinghetti for founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti


Also Scoma's Restaurant at Pier 47. Great San Fran seafood. Pier to Plate.

http://scomas.com/

[Rick Lee]

If you want real Chinese food, it ain't in Chinatown. You have to go to Millbrae or Richmond for that. Chinatown is for tourists. Parking in the city is very expensive. I've only ever done it on the company dime, so I didn't care then. I'd definitely head up to Muir Woods and Sausalito. Fantastic place in Sausalito called Fish (cash only, no cc's). Napa and Sonoma are cool, but very crowded on weekends. I think I was last there on a Thurs. and it was already unbearable. And don't go to a winery you've heard of. You can buy that stuff anywhere. Go to the ones that only sell at the winery - V. Sattui, Viansa, etc.

[JavaBrewer]

+1 on already mentioned sites.

John Muir woods is a must see. Bring a light coat as it gets cooler and moist on the ground floor. Comfortable walking shoes and a small backpack for drinks and food. No plastic containers.

Alcatraz Island Tour. Book now, probably the best organized tour I have ever been on. They have an evening tour that is supposed to be incredible (was sold out for us) that books even further out.

Ferry to Sausalito. Fun trip and decent food options. Nice smaller walking town that's low stress compared to SF.

Agree that OAK or SFO airports are about the same logistically from SF city. As said buy whatever is cheapest.

Notes, the cable cars are a must ride, but be aware the end points in the North Beach and Embarcadero are super busy. We normally board from a Western starting route and ride down to city and then Uber back. So much good food there it's impossible to list it all out. Depends on your preferences and budget. Agree that Pier 39 is very touristy but if you like sea food and a good budget then Scoma's which is about a 15 minute walk away never disappoints. Also agree to avoid a rental car if staying in the city - they will pay $20+/day just to park it at the hotel.