5 days in San Francisco

       

 

First of all, San Francisco is a really expensive city. It means that it would be a good idea to make up your mind if you want to travel on a budget or go all in for the tourist attractions. So we decided on the former. 

Where to stay: We stayed at the Super 8 hotel on Union Square which was cheap taking into consideration the high prices of San Francisco. It was located really well and we could easily walk to Chinatown, Downtown, Fisherman's Wharf and the Painted Ladies. 

How to get around: We walked a lot since San Francisco is a quite small town. But we also used Uber to get around for places that were too far away for walking such as the Golden Gate Park. Uber is much cheaper than taking a taxi! 

(Characteristic houses of San Francisco)

(Painted Ladies)

(Pier 39)

(Pier 39)

Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 are definitely worth a visit when in San Francisco. The ambience was cheerful. Be aware of pickpockets, though. 

How to keep the costs low: 

Avoid touristy spots. It might seems obvious, but you can easily get tempted to spend money on tourist attractions that are not really worth it. I.e. the cable car is a must see in San Francisco, but the companies also know that they can charge quite a lot for their tourist attractions. We decided to walk instead and save the money. 

Avoid eating out in touristy areas: These places are often overpriced. My advice would be to ask locals for eating spots. Usually they are more than willing to give you some tips. 

Free things to do in San Francisco: 

Places like Chinatown, Painted Ladies, walking on the Golden Gate Bridge, Fine Palace of Art and visiting Pier 39 are all free. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the Japanese Tea Garden is free to visit until 10.00 am. It was a beautiful garden, but I don't know if I think it would have been worth the money if I had to pay for it. Many of the gardens have free entry on specific days - make sure to check it out in advance. 

(Chinatown)

(Chinatown)

(Rose Garden)

(Golden Gate Park)

 (The Japanese Tea Garden)

(Downtown)

(Looking over at Alcatraz - make sure to book a ticket to Alcatraz as they sell out well in advance)

(Palace of Fine Arts)

You may have seen the sign on Pinterest or Instagram before, but I need to highly recommend this bakery when visiting San Francisco. Their cookies are so delicious! Mr. Holmes Bakery is located on 1042 Larkin Street.  

 Other places to visit: 

The Castro: It is mostly known for being the largest and first gay community. The area should be full of rainbows and really colorful.

The mission district and Haight-Ashbury should also be worth a visit.