San Francisco Vacation Travel Guide | Expedia

San Francisco is a spectacular, fun city onthe central coast of California about 350 miles from L.

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It's bursting with a youthful energy thatwill guarantee you have an amazing and unforgettable adventure.

On the northern end of the San Francisco peninsula, the city invites you to explore hip neighborhoods, elegant buildings, beautiful parks and gardens, and enjoy a liberal, relaxed atmosphere.

And there's no end of things to see.

Union Square, in the heart of downtown, isSan Francisco's finest shopping region.

The neighborhood is famous for wide streets, clanging cable cars and some amazing shopping.

And don't forget about the Square itself, which is a great place to sit back, relax and do some serious people-watching.

Just a few minutes north, San Francisco'sChinatown is 8 blocks of bustling activity with storefronts and alleyways selling allmanner of strange and exotic goods.

One of the largest Chinese communities inthe US, San Francisco's Chinatown is filled with exotic sights and sounds anda little bit of eastern mystique.

Less than a mile to the east, the Embarcaderois a busy waterfront roadway that runs right around the port area, with some of San Francisco's most famous landmarks, including Market Street, the Bay Bridge andthe San Francisco Ferry Building.

Fisherman's Wharf is at the northern end ofthe Embarcadero and has a great assortment of shops, barsand restaurants, and is right on the bay.

Here you can grab a relaxed meal and a cooldrink and be entertained by colorful street performers, or just enjoy the views along the waterfront.

A short stroll away is Pier 39 which has someof the best views of San Francisco Bay, and a resident sea lion community that hasbeen basking in the sun at the Pier for more than 20 years.

The island fortress of Alcatraz sits ominouslyin the bay and is now a popular attraction, with toursdeparting from Fisherman's Wharf several times a day.

Up until 1963, The Rock was home to America'shardest prisoners but where there was once only concrete, steeland barbed wire, there are now gardens and wildflowers.

If you listen carefully, the eerie passagesand cramped cells still echo with footsteps from the past.

Not far from downtown is the Haight-Ashburydistrict where Victorian-styled buildings echo with memories of the hippy days of the60s.

There are still many pockets of counterculturewhere the Summer of Love lives on, and cafés, smoke shops and music stores stillsell peace and love.

Halfway between Fisherman's Wharf and theGolden Gate Bridge is the Palace of Fine Arts.

A survivor from the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo, and built in the Beaux-Arts style, it's covered in greenery and surrounded bya peaceful lagoon.

It's a perfect place for a quiet afternoonstroll.

At more than a thousand acres, Golden GatePark stretches almost halfway across the peninsula and contains the Conservatoryof Flowers and the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden.

The park is the perfect place to enjoy theoutdoors, or just relax and recharge in some peacefulsurroundings.

The Golden Gate Bridge sits majestically overthe mouth of the bay, and invites millions of visitors to the cityeach year.

Almost 2 miles long and 750 feet high, the Golden Gate Bridge connects San Franciscoto the nearby Marin Headlands.

The pedestrian walkway spanning the lengthof the bridge is a superb way to see sweeping views across the bay and outover the Pacific Ocean.

Baker Beach is located just to the west ofthe Golden Gate Bridge and has spectacular views across the mouthof the bay to the distant Marin Headlands.

It enjoys a reputation as San Francisco'sbest sandy beach, but the views alone are worth the trip.

Just north of San Francisco in Marin County, the ancient redwoods of Muir Woods NationalMonument tower up to 260 feet high with some dating back almost 800 years.

Local rangers can provide guided tours alongpathways that loop through the forest, or visitors can enjoy the hush sounds of nature and explore one of America's natural treasuresat their own pace.

On the eastern side of Marin County is thecharming bayside hamlet of Sausalito.

In its early days it was a small artist colony, but now it's a relaxed bayside community filledwith cafés and art galleries.

A short stroll down any street will bringyou to some of the most beautiful views acrossthe bay.

And over there, in the distance, beckoning like a siren's song is dazzlingSan Francisco – tempting you back for another taste.

A temptation you'll find hard to resist�.