City
About San Francisco Getting To San Francisco San Francisco Attractions
About San Francisco

Climate
San Francisco is blessed with a temperate marine climate and enjoys mild weather year-round. The average temperature between May and June is 64 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It is advisable to bring a sweater or light jacket.

 

Family Fun

San Francisco is known for having something for everyone, including the little ones. From riding the cable cars to the world famous Pier 39 to check out the local Sea lions, San Francisco is sure to please everyone.

 

Cuisine

Hosting some of the world's best chefs, San Francisco is a culinary mecca. With dozen's of places to choose from like Bubba Gump shrimp co. from the movie Forrest Gump, Sinbad's waterfront restaurant with spectacular views, Palio D' Asti serving your favorite Italian, The Buena Vista serving world famous Irish Coffee, and the list goes on and on. You are guaranteed to find something to satisfy everyone's taste buds. For more info on San Francisco dining go to www.sanfrancisco.com/dining

Restaurant Reservations

RESERVATIONS TONIGHT!, San Francisco's Premier Concierge Service, offers answers for all your restaurant and entertainment needs and can make restaurant reservations for you. Contact them at www.reservationstonight.com or call 800-392-DINE (toll free) or 707-795-4885 before leaving for San Francisco , or visit the Restaurant Reservations booth on-site, located in the PAvilion, Hall A, Moscone Convention Center .

Shopping

Are you ready for retail therapy? San Francisco offers some of the best shopping in the world. From the occasional spender to the shopaholics you are sure to find something to cure that shopping itch. Just four blocks away from the Moscone center you will find Union Square one of San Francisco 's premiere shopping experiences. You will also find the city's vibrant shopping district, and the Powell Street cable cars ready to wisk you away to Nob Hill, Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf.

 

Culture

Cosmopolitan flair, spectacular scenery and cultural diversity make San Francisco one of the top destinations in the world. Perennial favorites include Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge , Golden Gate Park and the Mission District. Its shopping hub, Union Square , anchors a who's who of world-famous stores. The city is acclaimed as home of the "world's best restaurants." Perhaps you can incorporate a night out on the town to go along with your days at the Moscone Center collecting your CME's.

Getting to San Francisco

 

Airports and Ground Transportation

The San Francisco area is served primarily by San Francisco International Airport (SFO), located 14 miles south of the Moscone Convention Center . It has numerous daily flights to and from major cities throughout the U.S.

 

Once on the ground, there are plenty of transportation options from which to choose, including taxi and limousine service, shuttle service, the city's BART public transportation system, and all major car rental companies.

 

BART operates a rapid rail transit system throughout the Bay Area with direct service to the San Francisco International Airport . Tickets are $4.95 each way; the Web site for details and to plan your trip is www.bart.gov .

 

There also will be plenty of taxis when you land at San Francisco International. An average taxi ride from the airport to the downtown is $35. The cost for a taxi ride does not go up if you share. Taxis are available at the roadway Center Islands , on the Arrivals/Baggage claim level of all terminals.

 

Cable Cars

The San Francisco Cable Cars are the quickest way to entertainment and excitement. You can pick up one of the cable cars just three blocks from the Moscone Convention Center . There are three lines running at one time. The California Line will take you through the Financial District, Chinatown , and over Nob Hill. The Powell-Mason Line begins at the Powell/Market turntable, and the line runs from there up and over Nob Hill and down to Bay Street at Fisherman's Wharf. The Powell-Hyde Line also begins at the Powell Market turntable and runs over Nob Hill and Russian Hill before ending at Aquatic Park near Ghiradelli Square . The cable cars run from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. , and the cost is $3.00 each way -- or you can get a one day pass for $9.00. Go to www.sfcablecar.com to learn more about the cable cars.

San Francisco Attractions
  • Boudin San Francisco Sourdough Museum & Bakery Tour

San Francisco 's legendary sourdough French bread is being saluted at the wharf. Boudin Bakery is world famous for its Original San Francisco Sourdough French Bread, which is still baked with the same "Mother Dough," or sourdough starter, used since 1849. Established in the Gold Rush, Boudin Bakery is the oldest business in San Francisco . Privately owned and operated, the cafes sell a variety of food and bakery products. For more information, go to www.boudinbakery.com.

 

  • Pier 39

There is something for everyone at Pier 39, San Francisco 's #1 attraction. Whether it's family fun, distinctive shopping, an up-close look at California 's playful sea lions, an encounter with a street performer, or superb dining, San Francisco 's Pier 39 is the place to be. The 45-acre complex is home to more than 110 shops, 13 full-service restaurants, entertainment, and numerous attractions. For more information, go to www.pier39.com .

 

  • Aquarium of the Bay

You can explore the wonders of the bay as you walk through 300 feet of crystal clear tunnels, surrounded by sharks, eels, octopi, and thousands of marine animals indigenous to its waters. At the end of each tour, you will also get a chance to visit a Touch of the Bay: Here you'll encounter a series of pools where you can touch live bat rays, leopard sharks, and tide pool animals. It's a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the captivating inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay . For more information, go to www.aquariumofthebay.com .

 

  • Cable Cars

A visit to San Francisco isn't complete without experiencing the steep inclines in the open-air cable cars. The world's first cable-powered street railway was built in San Francisco by Andrew Hallidie in 1873. San Francisco is now the last city in the world to operate cable cars. For more information, go to www.sfcablecar.com .

 

  • Chinatown in San Francisco

Chinatown feels like another continent placed inside a city. Among the exotic live markets, dim sum diners, and ancient herb shops are the nearly 9,000 residents of Asian descent who call the neighborhood home. Weaving in and out of the streets of Chinatown , you can taste delicacies you've never tasted before, bargain with shopkeepers for imported delights, and experience a culture with a flavor all its own. For more information, go to www.sanfranciscochinatown.com .

 

  • Alcatraz

Alcatraz Island is one of Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular destinations, offering a close-up look at a infamous, historic federal prison long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the island can explore the remnants of the prison and learn about the Indian occupation of 1969-1971, early military fortifications (the first U.S. fort on the coast), and the West Coast's first (and oldest operating) lighthouse.

 

  • Fisherman's Wharf

Built in 1900, Fisherman's Wharf is the quintessential San Francisco tourist destination. You'll experience vendors hawking seafood, kitschy gift shops, street performers hamming for the crowd, the tangy smell of sourdough bread wafting through the air, or a fleet of historic ships and ferries shipping off to Alcatraz . Beat the crowds and take a stroll along the wharf at sunrise, where you'll see the city's fishermen at their busiest. The beautiful views of the bay will remind you why more than 15.1 million people travel to the city each year. For more information, go to www.fishermanswharf.org .

 

  • Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, larger than the city of San Francisco itself, are a naturalist's paradise. Boasting museums, gardens, miles of coastline, historical buildings, and ample room for serious recreation and play, these areas are a quiet retreat from the city's constant buzz of energy. You will find plenty to do here, like visiting the de Young Museum, home to one of the most diverse and important art collections in the United States . Also take a walk through the Japanese Tea Garden, where just past the pagoda-roofed gate, a giant Buddha beckons visitors to walk through this corner of tranquility dating back to 1894. The breathtaking and peaceful area boasts both wet and dry gardens, pavilions, a tea house, and a system of bridges. What's the Golden Gate Park without the Golden Gate Bridge , the crown jewel of the San Francisco Bay ? This landmark is San Francisco 's greatest visual identifier. The bridge's bold orange color wasn't just meant to catch the visitor's eye, but the eyes of captains maneuvering ships in the bay's trademark fog. The bridge took four years to build and has hosted nearly two billion drivers in its lifetime. For more information, go to www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/ggpark.shtml .

 

  • Wine Country

Napa Valley wine country is a destination that will delight all your senses with more than 100 wineries to choose from. There are endless things to do in Napa Valley , such as ballooning, skydiving, golf, gourmet sampling, wine tasting, and dozens of tours to choose. For more information, go to www.napavalley.com .

 

Sonoma Valley has some of the most unique wine-tasting tours you will find and is the birthplace of the wine industry. A prime grape-growing region, it offers a rare blend of nature, agriculture, and the artistry of wine-making. For more information, go to www.sonomavalley.com . Both locations are about 30 minutes away from downtown San Francisco .

 

Museums

 

  • Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

The Asian Art Museum is one of the largest museums in the world devoted exclusively to Asian art, with a collection comprising nearly 15,000 objects spanning 6,000 years of history. The museum has a multitude of collections ranging from tiny jades to monumental sculptures of stone, bronze , wood, and other materials; paintings on screens; hanging scrolls and other formats; porcelains and ceramics; lacquers; textiles; furniture; arms and armor; puppets; basketry; and much more. For more information, go to www.asianart.org .

 

  • California Academy of Sciences

Discover the California Academy of Sciences' new downtown aquarium and Natural History Museum. The inside-out design provides a behind-the-scenes look at aquatic life support systems. Daily visitors will meet the biologist who cares for more than 5,000 animals, if you're lucky, you may be able to help feed the fish! For more information, go to www.calacademy.org .

 

  • Cartoon Art Museum

The only museum west of the Mississippi dedicated to the preservation, education, and exhibition of cartoon art in all forms! In 1984, a group of cartoon art enthusiasts began organizing exhibitions by using artwork from their own collections. For several years, the Cartoon Art Museum was a "museum without walls," setting up shows in a local museums and corporate spaces. In 1987, with an endowment from Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, the museum established residence in the heart of San Francisco's new vibrant art center, Yerba Buena Gardens. Don't miss your chance to view rare, original cartoon art. For more information, go to www.cartoonart.org .

 

  • Chinese Historical Society of America

Established in 1963, the society houses the largest collection of Chinese-American artifacts in the country. The museum traces the experiences of the Chinese-American from the 1850s to the present. It features large graphical panels with both English and Chinese captions. The society is the first such Chinese-American historical society in North America . For more information, go to www.chsa.org .

 

  • Hyde Street Pier Historic Ships

    The only "floating" national park, Hyde Street Pier is home to the world's largest collection of historic ships. You can board several National Landmark vessels, including the 1886 square-rigged ship, Balclutha , 1895 schooner, C.A. Thayer ; and 1890 ferryboat, Eureka . Ranger-led tours, special cultural, historical and educational programs held daily.

    For more information, go to www.nps.gov .

 

Last Revised: 4/25/06