San Francisco Travel Guide

Established in the 1700’s, the city was first discovered by Spanish settlers who sailed past the Golden Gate and eventually fought back the Ohlone Indian tribes that inhabited this area hundreds of years ago. Initially, it was a sleepy little port town called the Yerba Buena or Good Herb, but things really quickened in pace around the 1840’s when gold was first discovered in the foothills of California.

Years later, the population of the city grew in massive numbers and the city, which is now called San Francisco, became a veritable haven of iniquity. Teeming with wayward soldiers, disillusioned prospectors and beleaguered immigrants, the city has always been very colorful. This chapter however, can be relived even till this day by merely strolling down the streets of Chinatown, along Stockton Street or Grant Avenue and between Pacific Avenue and Pine Street.

After been shaken apart and burned to the ground after the disastrous earthquake of 1906, the city began to take on its modern shape of today. Most of San Francisco’s functional additions have now become its major attractions. At the northern side of the Presidio lies the Golden Gate Bridge, which was complete in 1937 and draws millions of visitors each year. In the middle of the bay, to the east of the bridge is the world famous Alcatraz, which was the infamous prison for all those ‘incorrigibles’ and is now a major tourist attraction. So, if you are visiting San Francisco, it is worth taking a quick boat ride from Fisherman’s Wharf to check out this landmark.

Beyond the hustle and bustle of the city and the razzle-dazzle of its major attractions, San Francisco’s cultural arsenal has a lot to brag about. Amongst these are the Palace of the Legion of Honor, the Museum of Modern Art, the Asian Art Museum and a lot more.

Things to do in San Francisco

When you are planning on visiting San Francisco for your next vacation, here are a few things about the city that you need to know. This is what the city is famous:

• Shopping – Union Square located on Geary and Stockton Streets is a top-notch San Francisco shopping zone. It is a retailer’s dream and features many flagship stores like Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Niketown and Saks Fifth Avenue. If money is not a problem or if you prefer to go window-shopping for artifacts, then stroll along Post Street between Powell and Kearney to find ritzy boutiques by designers of all kinds from Bulgari and Cartier to Gump’s. The Embarcadero Center is an urban shopping heaven, replete with cafes and bars for refueling. A little more hip and less crowded are the Hayes Street and Upper Grant Avenue, where you’ll find many trend-setting alternative retail outlets.
• Food and Dining – Known as the food lovers’ paradise, San Francisco is known for its delectable fares. The cuisines here take their cue from the variety and abundance of the fresh ingredients that are readily available. Places like Zuni Café and Globe are very famous. Because of the Asian influence in the city, you’ll be able to find many dim sum parlors like Yank Sing. Sushi is available in a charged environment such as that of Ace Wasabi. For a mellow mood and great sashimi, Ebisu is a good choice. You’ll find everything here from Japanese to Chinese to Indian and even Italian; food comes in all flavors and forms in San Francisco.
• Nightlife – The nightlife in San Francisco can either be a hit or could be a miss. It is indeed a very sleepy town but you’ll always find a number of determine party animals who have managed to establish a rather colorful reputation for drunken behavior and debauchery. From its gay bars to the regular ones, San Francisco has it all! A lot of the nightlife comes with live music, and there is a lot of it mind you! From bars to clubs and even drag bars, the nightlife in San Francisco caters to the rich as well as the regular folks.

San Francisco Travel Packages

There are many ways in which you can find San Francisco travel packages. Start by looking for a good travel agent. Once you have contacted a reputable travel agent or service, then you’ll probably be more aware about the types of travel packages that are available. There are hundreds of different online travel agencies as well. So, just log onto the net and type in a keyword and you’ll be exposed to hundreds of these agencies.

Apart from this, you can look through travel brochures and magazine for the various types of San Francisco travel packages available out there. There are different types of packages available that range from the ones made for the rich to the more economical ones. The choice is all yours to make!