By Lisa Russell
When visiting
San Francisco, there are several must-see sights, and there are several ways to see them. By land, by air or by sea, sightseeing in San Francisco can take many forms. Visitors are free to choose from several different sightseeing experiences.
Kayak Tours
Exploring the nooks and crannies of the San Francisco Bay with an up close and personal kayak tour makes for some unforgettable memories. City Kayak offers tours at several different times of day, but their sunset tours are the most popular. City Kayak also rents Sea Kayaks by the hour and provides safety-certified trainers to teach you how to use one.
City Kayak
South beach Harbor
The Embarcadero, Pier 40
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 357-1010
www.citykayak.com
Free Walking Tours
Historic neighborhoods in San Francisco can be a great place to take a leisurely stroll and see the sights. Practice your photography skills with free guided walking tours of Ghirardelli Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf and the steep hillsides of the surrounding Victorian neighborhoods. San Fransisco City Guides offers free guided walking tours, led by volunteers who simply love sharing the history and architecture of their city with visitors.
San Francisco City Guides
c/o SF Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4266
www.sfcityguides.org
Helicopter Rides
Helicopter tours are popular for sightseers. They offer an aerial view of San Francisco that really brings the city to life. San Francisco Helicopters and Bay Aerial both offer tour packages for the Bay area.
Bay Aerial Corporate Office
364 Fletcher Drive
Atherton, CA 94027
(650) 515 3383
www.bayaerial.com
San Francisco Helicopters
P.O. Box 280776
San Francisco, CA 94128
(650) 635-4500
www.sfhelicoptertours.com
Cable Car
See the city the same way locals have seen it for more than a hundred years, by cable car. Cable cars still operate; in fact, there's an entire cable car museum that offers free admission. It's centrally located within the cable car route system, so that visitors can board a real cable car directly from the museum and go for a ride.
Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 929-1873
www.cablecarmuseum.org
Tour Alctraz Island
Now managed by the National Park Service, this historic prison once housed the most dangerous criminals in the country. It has been abandoned and left to decay in the harsh Pacific elements. Admission is free, but they do charge for the ferry ride. Alcatraz cruises is the only company that the National Park Service allows to land here.
Alcatraz Island
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Fort Mason, B201
San Francisco, CA 94123
Ranger Station (415) 561-4900
www.nps.gov/alca
Alcatraz Cruises
Pier 33, Alcatraz Landing
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 981-7625
www.alcatrazcruises.com
Golden Gate Bridge
If you dare, you can walk the 1.7 miles across the bridge. Or, you can just lie on a blanket on the grass at one of the parks on either end of the bridge and watch the ships coming in and out of the bay. Either way, you simply cannot visit San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, a marvel of modern architecture.
The Golden Gate Bridge
P.O. Box 9000, Presidio Station
San Francisco, CA 94129
(415) 921-5858
www.goldengatebridge.org
About the Author:
Lisa Russell is an entrepreneur and writer from Washington State, with a professional background in education, cosmetology and the restaurant industry. She's been published in regional parenting publications, homeschooling publications and has published over 10,000 articles online since 1999. She studied Early Childhood Education at Antelope Valley College.
