Ten UK members choose San Francisco to:
- Have a cultured and laidback West Coast city-break
- Enjoy its gay-friendly and liberal atmosphere
- Sample its varied and acclaimed cuisine
San Francisco combines the charm of a small city with the museums, restaurants and nightlife of a major metropolis. Ten UK Americas expert Zia Bapuji gives her insider tips:
Accommodation
San Francisco carries its Californian heart on its sleeve: it's laidback, it's cool and its hippy heart is still beating. Nowhere is this more true than at Cavallo Point, the luxury eco-friendly lodge on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge (due to open this June). As well as spectacular views of the bay and the bridge, Cavallo Point will offer a healing arts centre, spa and a variety of cooking and fitness programmes. The lodge's restaurant will serve fresh and organic foods with an extensive wine list.
The boutique St Regis Hotel, neighbouring the Museum of Modern Art, provides remarkable city views, according to members. Members also recommend the newly opened InterContinental San Francisco Hotel, designed by Patri Merker, whose translucent blue tower dominates the South of Market (SoMa) neighbourhood.
Shopping
For a long day's shopping, start with a coffee in one of Union Square's many cafes, and then wander round the area's mixture of boutiques, department stores and high street outlets. Cable cars are the best way to travel up and down San Francisco's notoriously steep hills.
Sightseeing
San Francisco is a city full of historic lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) commemorative memorials, political precedents and historic events. Take a walk through the Castro, go on one of the city's many LGBT cultural tours and then head off to SoMa to dance the night away.
Of course, no visit to San Francisco would be complete without a trip to the infamous Alcatraz. Members say that the night tour will give you an eerie experience of this notorious prison (talk to us about pre-booking this popular tour well in advance as it often gets booked up, especially during the summer months).
If boarding a buggy, climbing aboard a cable car, or ferrying through fog sounds nice but rather traditional, a San Francisco Segway Tour is a whole new way to appreciate the beauty of this city by the bay. As the world's first and only self-balancing electric transport mechanism, the Segway Personal Transporter has set a new standard for eco-friendly sightseeing.
With the Golden Gate Park on their doorsteps it's no wonder that San Franciscans like to get out and about. Bike the Bridge Tours take in Fort Mason, the Marina and the bridge itself. Or, if you'd like something zippier, try out a helicopter Vista Tour and swoop over the bay bridges.
Eating
There's one area where San Francisco is far from relaxed, and that's gastronomy. Boasting no fewer than 34 Michelin-starred restaurants and home to the California Culinary Academy and the San Francisco Baking Institute, it's sometimes hard to know where to start. Members recommend the Vietnamese cooking at The Slanted Door, located in the restored Ferry Building across The Embarcadero, and the traditional French Fleur de Lys in Union Square. Old favourites include Masa's on Nob Hill and fish restaurant Scomas, in Sausalito.
