Cable cars in operation
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Cable cars in operation
40
Golden Gate Bridge visitors
10 million annually
San Francisco is a little odd – but let’s face it, that’s all part of its charm. It’s got the twistiest street in the world, its own resident sea lion colony and a former prison flocked by tourists. You can have a very fun holiday here – whether you’re with family or friends, or going alone, on your first visit or your fifth.
San Francisco is one of California’s most visited cities. It’s permissive, relaxed and has great sights. This brilliant city is very walkable – but it’s more fun to take the cable car – especially over the infamous hills. You could stay on Nob Hill or Russian Hill to be near Lombard Street, famously known as the world’s crookedest street.
From here you can easily head down to the seafront for a stroll on the popular Fisherman’s Wharf – a place where you can buy crab chowder to go and watch the sea lions that have taken up residence on its docks. San Francisco’s enormous, longstanding Chinatown is one of the most established neighbourhoods in the city. Roam around, then settle down for dim sum, picking your dishes from a roving push cart.
Whether you want to organise a last-minute city break, or the holiday of a lifetime, it starts when you book your British Airways flight. Add a hotel in the city – and a car for exploring beyond the bay; and before you know it, you’ll be navigating San Fran like a local. Check out our holiday packages and prepare to start feeling San Franciscan.
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We know how important it is to be close to the sights when you stay in a big city. We have a range of great hotels in San Francisco that have all been carefully selected for their quality and their location. Stay on Nob Hill – San Francisco’s affluent area – at Fairmont San Francisco, a luxury hotel with amazing views over the city. If you want to be near the popular Fisherman’s Wharf, then stay at the nautical-themed Hotel Argonaut, at the wallet-friendly Kimpton Alton Hotel or choose Hotel Zoe Fisherman's Wharf – a boutique pocket of luxury.
Accommodation in the fancier districts of San Francisco can really add up, but we can help you find some great affordable places to stay. From places near Union Square and all the museums, galleries and urban attractions to hotels nearer the Bay, you’ll find something to suit most budgets.
Want to have a taste of luxury but need to stick to a budget? British Airways has plenty of four-star hotels to choose from, from beside the Bay to Telegraph Hill, within easy reach of San Francisco’s attractions and with great facilities.
Make your trip to San Francisco extra special with our collection of five-star luxury hotels. Perhaps you’re celebrating a special occasion, looking for the location of a lifetime, or just want to be pampered? We only bring you the best of the best – so that your stay in San Francisco is one to remember.
InterContinental Hotels MARK HOPKINS SAN FRANCISCO
Holiday Inn Express Fisherman's Wharf
InterContinental Hotels MARK HOPKINS SAN FRANCISCO
£809pp
Enjoy these great benefits:
Combine hotels or car hire with your flight booking to save money
Carefully selected hotels
24-hour support helpline during your trip
Low online deposits
93% of our customers would book with us again
New: Avios part payment on holidays
Secure your holiday with a low deposit and flexible instalments – you can decide when you make the payments and how much they are.
Spread the cost with our low deposit holidaysSan Francisco is perfectly located for exploring California’s best bits: Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, San Jose and Big Sur. They’re all nearby – so, it’s time for a road trip. Add car hire to your flight with British Airways – with 24-hour support, multiple drop-off points and no hidden costs, it’s the easiest way to get the holiday you want.
Pick up your car at over 5,000 locations with our dedicated car hire partners, Avis and Budget
Roadside assistance, 24-hour customer support and ATOL protection as standard
All mandatory charges are included, plus Executive Club Members collect Avios on every rental
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.
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 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.
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 four-star Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA in the heart of this art 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.
Whatever type of San Francisco holiday you are looking for, you’ll discover lots of places to go and things to see. Here are our top five suggestions of things to keep you busy:
With more than 3,400 restaurants in the area, you won’t be short of places to satisfy your appetite, whatever type of food you prefer. Here are some of our ideas from in-the-know locals:
Secure your holiday with a low deposit and flexible installments – you can decide when you make the payments and how much they are.
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Check out the eateries, shops and sea lions at Pier 39