San Francisco holidays

Make the most of your San Francisco holiday

With so much to see and do in San Francisco, it can seem a little overwhelming to know where to start, but with British Airways’ essential holiday guide you’ll soon have your own ‘to do’ list.

Where are the best places to stay in San Francisco?

Union Square

The public plaza Union Square is in the midst of downtown San Francisco’s upmarket department stores. It’s busy and bustling – but first-time visitors are often taken aback by the homeless population in the area. There are heaps of hotels around that capitalise on the abundance of sights and shops in the district, such as Hilton Union Square. Nearby you’ll find Neiman Marcus and Barneys, plus museums like the Museum of Ice Cream – pure Instagrammer bait – and the longer-established San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco’s touristy waterfront is a pleasure to visit. Fisherman’s Wharf encompasses much of the waterfront – including Pier 39, an area that’s great for shopping, strolling and watching sea lions sunbathing on the platforms below the pier. From Fisherman’s Wharf you can get a ferry over to Alcatraz, viewable across the bay, or Angell Island. Stay at Hotel Zephyr in the area so you can fully explore the popular surrounding restaurants: eat crab chowder on the pier or chow down on chocolate at Ghirardelli Square.

Nob Hill

Nob Hill is where you’ll see historic buildings and experience traditionally ‘classy’ San Francisco: think swanky cocktail lounges, upmarket restaurants and hotels like the Fairmont. Go to the beautiful Huntington Park (don’t miss its replica of Rome’s Fountain of the Tortoises), and The Masonic, an iconic concert venue that is a wonderful example of mid-century architecture. The free Cable Car Museum is also nearby, where you can see some of San Francisco’s colourful retired trolleys.

SoMa

Head south from Union Square and you’ll reach SoMa. ‘South of the Market’ is all converted warehouses and gritty regeneration. It spans a large area that includes the Civic Center, the Yerba Buena gardens, and, on the eastern edge, Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants – the area’s beloved baseball team. Stay at the three-star Cova Hotel near Union Square and Little Saigon.

Financial District

Downtown San Francisco, with its earthquake-proofed skyscrapers (such as the striking Transamerica Pyramid), is known simultaneously as the Financial District and Downtown. Chinatown nudges this area from the north west, and the Ferry Building sits to the east on the waterfront. It’s a pretty building that holds a farmers’ market. Read more about San Francisco’s neighbourhoods.