Visit San Francisco!

San Francisco is renowned for being one of the most exciting cities in the USA. Its spectacular setting and views, plus vibrant cosmopolitan culture atract huge numbers of tourists from all over the world every year. The city has a relaxed and open-minded ambience, and offers a fantastic array of sightseeing opportunities.

San Francisco is a relatively small city. About 800,000 residents live on a 46½-square-mile tip of land between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.San Franciscans cherish the city's colorful past; many older buildings have been spared from demolition and nostalgically converted into modern offices and shops. Longtime locals rue the sites that got away -- railroad- and mining boom-era residences lost in the 1906 earthquake, the baroque Fox Theater, and Playland at the Beach.

San Francisco's charms are great and small. You wouldn't want to miss Golden Gate Park, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Golden Gate Bridge, or a cable-car ride over Nob Hill. But a walk down the Filbert Steps or through Macondray Lane or a peaceful hour spent gazing east from Ina Coolbrith Park can be equally inspiring.

So, climb to the top of one of the city's 43 hills with a unique panorama of Victorian houses, and, please, do not forget your camera. See you there!

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Things You Need to Know Before You Go!

- When is the Best Time to Visit Frisco?

- San Francisco's peak tourist months are July & August and all hotels are busy. September & October are better times to visit, as the crowds have thinned and the weather is still warm and sunny. Don't forget to take a sweater and jacket for evening as fogs off the Pacific Ocean can chill the air.

- What Events Are Going On in Frisco All Year Round?

- January-February: Chinese New Year! Two weeks of Chinatown festivities, dates depend on the lunar cycle [or better call Events info: 415-391-2000].

- March: St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) Irish and would-like-to-be-Irish dress in GREEN for a parade on Market Street.

- April: Cherry Blossom Festival: Japantown celebrates Japanese Art & Culture.

- May: Cinco De Mayo (May 5th): Mexican celebration centered in Mission District.

- June: Gay Pride Freedom: Huge march, usually starting or ending at Civic Center Plaza.

- July: Independence Day (July 4th): Fireworks & 50-cannon salute on the northern waterfront. North Beach Festival: music, food and sidewalk chalk art.

San Francisco Marathon: the country third -largest marathon crosses Golden Gate Bridge.

- September: SF Blues Festival (last weekend in September) - an open air celebration of blues.

- October: Halloween Parade (October 31)- Outrageous costumes along Castro Street, plus an official celebration at Civic Center.

- November: Day of the Dead (November 2nd)- Mexican tribute to the spirit world, with a parade through the Mission District.

- December: X-mas is everywhere!

San Francisco Events Info: 415-391-2000

Nob Hill & Russian Hill

San Francisco

On impossibly steep Nob Hill, California's early industrialists built fabulous mansions that looked down upon the rest of San Francisco. While only the imposing Flood Mansion remains--now the Pacific Union Club--the area's five-star hotels bear the names of other Nob Hill denizens: The Mark Hopkins, the Renaissance Stanford Court Hotel, and the Huntington. Facing Huntington Park is Grace Cathedral, a 3/4 replica of Paris' Notre Dame. Adjoining Nob Hill is Russian Hill, where San Francisco's old money has a great view of the Bay. The "Crookedest Street in the World" resides here and snakes down Russian Hill for the 1000 block of Lombard. The traffic is generally impossible--walk it!

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