In San Francisco for one day... What have we got time to do?

[erniebernie]

Good afternoon from beautiful day here in Kirwee New Zealand we are looking at doing a b 2 b cruise that includes ending and starting in S.F and was wondering if we will have time to do a couple of touristy things, Alctraz being one of them.Also looking at cabins in  1058 to 1087 range or obstructed view Deck 4. Any helpful hints would be welcome. Thanx Allison.

[tv24]

Hello Allison and welcome to San Francisco!  I worked in SF for 34 years and now live just across the Bay in Oakland.  If the weather is nice, a long walk from the cruise terminal along the Embarcadero is about as good as it gets.  I prefer the South direction toward the Bay Bridge, taking you past the lovely Ferry Building which is now a food market.  They there are parks, waterfront, outdoor art and splendid views of the Bay and the city.  You will end up at the baseball park.  In the North direction you go past a number pf piers, including Pier 39 with tourist attractions and seals and then on to Fisherman's Wharf.  There are other good walks in town, but these 2 are easy from the cruise terminal.

[lissie]

Deck 1 is great - very easy access to the theatre and the main atrium.  We've stayed in inside cabins so I  think those numbers are ocean view? Quiet and stable. 

 

We had a few days in SF before boarding QE last year. Alcatraz is basically next to where the ship docks. But book tickets in advance - this is the official website Alcatraz Tours & Tickets (Official Provider) | City Experiences 

 

Fisherman's wharf is also very close - incredibly over the top and touristy but  probably worth an hour or 2. 

[Chart Room Princess]

The open top hop on hop off buses can get you anywhere in the city from the pier. Even if you don’t hop off you see all the highlights of the city.

[lissie]

12 hours ago, Chart Room Princess said:

The open top hop on hop off buses can get you anywhere in the city from the pier. Even if you don’t hop off you see all the highlights of the city.

Except they don't go to any of the good places - they are banned from most of the icnonic streets - which are narrow and windy (WellingtonNZ and SF have a lot in common) . We did a private  tour with an unmarked car and went to some great places including driving down the crooked street !   You'd be better off hopping on a trolley bus or cable car  if you really want to see some local streets. 

 

And yes we stopped at the "painted ladies" Tour Buses Banned Around San Francisco's Famous 'Painted Ladies' - CBS San Francisco (cbsnews.com)

[ace2542]

Go to Alcatraz and ask the tour guide why those escaped never got a  boat to pick them up.

[steve4031]

I recommend Alcatraz or riding cable cars.  A day pass for MUNI allows unlimited rides.  There are vintage street cars running along the embarcadero.  This is called the F line.  Also a great ride.  

[naturelovergirl]

One of my favorite things to do in San Francisco is to walk the Golden Gate Bridge!

A wonderful experience!

 

The Cable Cars are also always fun.

[tcdcruiser]

I've lived in the SF area for 30 + years.  Here are some suggestions.

 

Walt Disney Family Museum - about 4 miles from the cruise terminal

https://www.waltdisney.org/

Located within the Presidio.  Most visitors are surprised to find a SF & Disney connection.  A fascinating collection of personal treasures.

 

Muir Woods National Monument - about 16 miles from the cruise terminal

https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

Parking reservations required.   This place is truly spectacular.  

 

 

[naturelovergirl]

@tcdcruiser

Sooooo agree on the Muir Woods!!!!

Absolutely wonderful.

[NE John]

A second vote in favor to spend a few hours within the grounds of The Presidio. Great SF history there. 

Chinatown is also an experience but seriously be careful around there with some unbalanced homeless people and strong drug use on the streets. 

[swjumbo]

Do not go into the city centre, unless you enjoy poverty.

Open drug taking, smell of urine in many doorways, lots of lovely coffee shops and bars now closed. 
It is not safe. Homeless everywhere and you will be harassed. 

As other contributors have said, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, GG Bridge, Muir Woods or my favourite is a ferry to Sausalito and a nice luncheon. 

[LittleFish1976]

7 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Do not go into the city centre, unless you enjoy poverty.

Open drug taking, smell of urine in many doorways, lots of lovely coffee shops and bars now closed. 
It is not safe. Homeless everywhere and you will be harassed. 

As other contributors have said, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, GG Bridge, Muir Woods or my favourite is a ferry to Sausalito and a nice luncheon. 

 

That's welcome advice not to go into the city centre. I'll be staying in SF for a couple of nights prior to joining a cruise - what area would be best to stay in for a solo female who is not looking for night life?

 

[swjumbo]

Anywhere down by the Wharf is great just stay clear of the hotels around Union Square.

It’ll be worth a Hop on Hop off bus tour to have a look at how this amazing city has become. 

Edited March 18, 2023 by swjumbo

[LittleFish1976]

21 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

Anywhere down by the Wharf is great just stay clear of the hotels around Union Square.

It’ll be worth a Hop on Hop off bus tour to have a look at how this amazing city has become. 

That's great, thanks so much.

[Victoria2]

6 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

 

That's welcome advice not to go into the city centre. I'll be staying in SF for a couple of nights prior to joining a cruise - what area would be best to stay in for a solo female who is not looking for night life?

 

When we stay in S.F., we go for the hotel [we've stayed at the same one the same one] and take cabs [we don't use Uber] to where we want to go. However, cabs are expensive so factor that into your plans if you plan to stay out of the city.

[snowballs mom]

We were just in SanFrancisco for two days during a March Celebrity Pacific Coastal itinerary. For the first day we had advance purchase tickets for the hop on hop off bus. It was quite rainy off and on, so in the morning we got off the bus and spent a couple hours at the Ferry Building (shopping and coffee), then walked back to our ship for lunch. After lunch it was still rainy, so we decided to ride the bus for the full two-hour tour. By the time we reached Golden Gate Park, the sun had come out, and the ride over the Golden Gate Bridge was really nice. For day two we had pre-purchased Alcatraz tickets. Alcatraz is part of our national park system, so it is very well-organized with a number of displays. The tickets include the 15 minute ferry ride to and from, as well as a headset for the audio tour. Touring the prison plus the ferry back and forth was about three hours. 

 

If you are interested in Alcatraz, I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance, since the various times do sell out. Prepurchasing the HoHo bus tickets gave us a bit of a discount, as well as saving time. The company (Big Bus Tours) has an app, and I suggest downloading that to your phone, then purchasing tickets through it.