We embarked on a trip to San Francisco after a visit to LA.
We decided to take the FlixBus again from the Vignes Street parking lot in LA that is very conveniently located via public transport.
Getting there by Metro is very convenient and just cost us a $1.75 ride to Union station. Once there, follow the signs to Vignes street and you should see the FlixBus parking lot.
As you drive into San Francisco, it is hard to avoid seeing the beautiful cherry blossom trees, walnut trees and orange trees. The smaller ones are called halos instead of clementines as it is a hybrid.
Once inside the city, the best way to move around is by buying a day pass on your MuniMobile app. It costs only $5 and allows you unlimited usage of all the Muni modes of transport except the historic Trams.
If you’d like to try the trams you would instead need to buy a $12 pass. Or a single use ride is $7.
Buying the pass from tour app is quite easy. If you are not from USA just enter 00000 for your zip code at payment check out.
One of the more iconic rides is the tram to Fisherman’s Wharf. Take the F train from The Embarcadero and Washington. And ride it for about 8 stops getting off at Jones St and Beach St.
You can catch the tram from the Ferry Terminal whilst enjoying views of the Financial District.
Make sure to visit the Sea Lions at Pier 39. They are huge! And cute!
You can also decide to take a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island but make sure to book in advance as the tickets sell out like hot cakes !
At the Pier 39, make sure to walk upstairs where the Bubba Gump and Alcatraz Gift Shop are located. You will get awesome views and no crowds.
After this you could stop by Fisherman’s Wharf and enjoy a meal. Or walk to Ghiradelli Square and get a hearty sundae or shake! This is where it all began and one of the most iconic places to have it.
You can also enjoy views of the Golden Gate Bridge from here.
Keep waking down and head towards Lombard Street. The worlds most crookedness Street! It is quite an uphill walk, so make sure you pace yourself for it!
The views form above are worth it though. I really cannot imagine how residents manage to park their cars on a daily basis there.
If you are up for it, enjoy a doughnut from Krispy Kreme
Or enjoy a gourmet hot dog from The Dog house
Or you can indulge in a snack of Takoyaki from one of the shops in Fisherman’s wharf. Along with some cooling boboa tea!
After a tiring day, specially climbing Lombard Street ! You might want to stop by Chinatown for some oily treats. This is the place from fresh dim sums; spring rolls and a lot more!
You can take the #28 Daly City, which drops you off right at the Golden Gate Parking lot.
From here enjoy good views of the Golden Gate Bridge.You can decide to walk it as well, it is about 1.7 miles long and should take you about an hour to each side.
Right outside the Welcome Center you can take the Chrissy Fields route on the free shuttle called the PresidiGo. Get off at the last stop which is the Presidio Transit Center. This is about a 10 minute ride.
From here you can take the Presidio Hills route which will take you to the Bakers Beach.
The transit stop can be a little confusing as all 3 routes stop there.
So make sure you are on the right bus. The downtown route might take you all the way to Embarcedero.
The shuttle will drop you at the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Bowley Street. It is about a 10 minute hike downhill until you get to Bakers beach.
The shuttle is about every 30 minutes, so make sure you plan accordingly!
Once you are back to the Transit Center, you can take the Crissy Fields again and get off at Palace Des Fine Arts. Just make sure you are catching the right shuttle. The order was:
Downtown Loop
The hills
Crissy Fields
The Palace Des Arts, might seem a little out of place at first in modern Sam Francisco.
However this is a must visit. You will be awed by the beauty of the structure, surrounded by the serenity of the water. We enjoyed our time walking around and took in the arching beauty of the structure.
After you are done, you can either walk to the Transit Center (about 10 minutes or 1 km) or get the Crissy Fields shuttle again to head to the Transit Center.
Once here, you can enjoy some WiFi and food at the Presidio Transit Cafe, and then catch the Downtown Shuttle. The trip takes about 25 minutes and drops you off at either
Van Ness Stop
Embarcadero BART
Transbay Terminal
Our recommendation would be to stop by Embarcadero Station, as you can get quite a few connections from here.
Alternatively you can walk a bit and catch the #21 from Market Street / Drumm Street and visit the Painted Ladies! The houses made famous by Fuller House
Golden Gate Park.
The main attractions here are the Botanical Gardens, and the Japanese Gardens.
You can catch the bus #44 and it will bring you right inside the gardens.
After a tiring walk around, you can stop by Lemonade which is a very hip shop serving soothing lemonades and fresh food in line with the nature walk you might have just had!
Walk around the park and you will find many beautiful trails. This is one with a small pond just a little further up from the Japanese gardens.
After the natural walk, we headed to the International Airport Departures at SFO. It was about a 30 km drive from the Inner Sunset District.
So long SF, until next time!