What a great way to explore the city of San Francisco, simply purchase a ticket for the City Sightseeing bus tour.
Make sure you pick up a tourist brochure or map from one of the many stands around Fisherman’s Wharf so that you receive a $10 discount on the 48 hour, 3 loop pass. For the sum of $39.99 you can travel around the Downtown Loop, The Night Tour and the Golden Gate Tour.
We were staying at the Holiday Inn Express, Fisherman’s Wharf, so we were really close to the departure point in Leavenworth Ave.
Once everyone has boarded, the bus sets off along Jefferson into past the Anchorage, Cannery, Cable Car, Ghirardelli Square, Hyde St Pier, the Maritime Museum and Aquatic Park.
Stop 2 is on the Barbary Coast near the Fog City Diner, then it’s on past Levi’s Plaza, where you could once buy a pair of jeans and soak in a hot tub to shrink them onto yourself, Telegraph Hill, Filbert St, and the Coit Tower which has 400 plus stairs to climb to reach the base of the tower. We did consider climbing the stairs as we had previously climbed the to the top of the Sacre Coeur in Paris which has many hundreds of small concrete steps. But decided to do it next time we are here.
Coit Tower looks out over San Francisco and gives amazing views of the city. The tower was built by Lillian Hitchcock Coit who was a great admirer of firemen. One story we were told was that she became fixated by firemen after being rescued from a fire by them when she was seven years old. I don’t know if this is true or just a fanciful elaboration on the part of our guide.
The 210 foot art deco tower resembles the nozzle of a fire hose and its design was quite controvesial when it was built in 1933.
Stop 3 is at the Ferry Building (one Market St – opposite the Hyatt Regency). This stop takes in the ferries, Farmers Market, BART, Embarcadero Shopping and AT & T Park which is the home of the San Francisco Giants.
Stop 4 SOMA (South of Market)3rd St – Opposite the Museum of Modern Art. This stop takes in the Moscone Center, Metreon Center, Yerba Buena Gardens, Bay Bridge, California Academy of Sciences, SF MOMA, Cal Train.
Stop 5 City Hall – Civic Center ( Cnr of Fulton & Larkin). This stop takes in the beautiful San Francisco City Hall where Marilyn Monroe married baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio on January 14, 1954; the Asian Art Museum, Opera House, San Francisco Ballet, New Library, UN Plaza.
Stop 6 Union Square (Geary St – in front of Macy’s). Handy to major department stores, San Francisco shopping centre, Crocker Galleria, Hotels, Theaters and the Cable Car turnaround.
Each year 4 celebrities are given a large heart to decorate. These hearts are then placed in the four corners of Union Square and are eventually auctioned off with the funds going to charity.
Stop 7 Chinatown Gate ( Grant Ave & Bush St – Triton Hotel). Here you will see the Pagoda Gates, Financial district, Chinatown shopping and restaurants.
Stop 8 Chinatown/Financial District (Kearny St – Hilton Hotel). This stop is in the Financial District where you will see the Transamerica Pyramid, Bank of America Building, Portsmouth Square, Fortune Cookie Factory.
Stop 9 North Beach (Stockton St – Moose’s Restaurant). Here is the Italian District Restaurants, access to Coit Tower without having to climb the steps to reach the base, Washington Square.
Stop 10 Lombard St (Cnr of Lombard/Columbus). Check out the crookedest street, Russian Hill and the Hyde Street Cable Car.
Stop 11 Fisherman’s Wharf (Pier 43 1/2 Bed & White Fleet). This stop gives you access to Pier 43, Pier 39 where you can see the seal lions and shop, hop on the Carousel or watch the 3D movies, take a Bay cruise, go into the Wax museum, Ripleys Believe it or Not, visit the submarine the USS Pampanito or watch the bakers in the window of the Boudin Bakery the have a bowl of their excellent clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, or eat at one of the many restaurants on Jefferson. And of course don’t forget the souvenir and antique shopping.
Filed under: America & Canada • San Francisco
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Wanda and Paula are friends and business partners that love to travel. We developed this website to share our experiences, what we've learned over the years and also to provide reviews on hotels, airlines, restaurants and anything else travel related.
You’ll see no fewer than three states today, and we will stop frequently to allow you to take photographs, stretch your legs, and admire the scenery. The air is clean and often crisp, and soon you’ll be at the gates to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon! Mule back is the way to see the Canyon, as the sure footed creatures take you down the narrow and sometimes precipitous path.