Does anyone have any tourist info on San Francisco?

We are headed to San Fran for a wedding in a few weeks and are staying a few extra days. We are looking for inexpensive things to do while we're there. We would like some fun ideas that people have done themselves. We have searched the internet and we get so much info that its overwhelming. Also, we are wondering if we should rent a car or if public transportation is good enough. We definitely want to experience the cable cars.



Any info would be appreciated.Does anyone have any tourist info on San Francisco?
I could write you an essay on the amount of things to do on a budget but I'll try to keep it short.



First off, public transportation is the BEST way to go. Parking and traffic is just horrid. BART is the quickest way around but in many cases it can mean a bus transfer or a nice walk additionally (not bad-I promise, just wear comfortable shoes). PLEASE use the first 2 links i pasted to help you accurately customize your routes--both are just great--so detailed and informative. I live here and I still rely on them sometimes.



Now for the good part. It is very easy to enjoy nature landmarks for FREE in sf (not including the getting there obviously). Take a walk on the golden gate bridge (awesome views), take a stroll on ocean beach, picnic in golden gate park, %26amp; take a taxi to drive on lombard street or walk on it! Coit tower is free and has beautiful views of the whole city (when it's not foggy!) You could squeaze this in a day if you don't lounge too much. The running around might tire you though.



Window shopping is an experience in San Francisco.

Hot spots for tourists include pier 39 (Eat at Boudin sourdough bread factory and head over to Ghiradelli square chocolate factory for dessert--ya gotta eat sometime, right?) plus Haight and Ashbury, our hippie district, which is by golden gate park.



Keep in mind, Pier 39 and a cable car ride is a good day exertion. If you still have energy though, vist north beach and china town also, which all run into eachother. Don't forget to admire the bay while you're at the pier--so beautiful and underrated sometimes, I think.



If you plan on buying souvenirs, China Town has the most inexpensive options and some yummy dim sum and fortune cookie samples from the factory (follow your nose).



Take BART to 16th street and mission to experience fun cafes (morning dew is a great cafe at good prices) and the unique, clashed personalities of that whole area. Tartine bakery is an extremely popular place (food is to die for although a bit pricey) and is about 4 blocks over next to a beautiful park called Dolores park on Dolores street. You can also take a FREE tour of the Dolores mission down a couple blocks. This area is one of my favorite areas to hang out in the city at any hour of the day or night but hasn't caught on with tourists yet I don't think. My other favorite area is embarcadero (Try going to a giants game over there at at%26amp;t park maybe? cheap tix on stubhub).





I hope you can utilize this info-- have fun!Does anyone have any tourist info on San Francisco?
If you are staying in San Francisco proper, you wont find much parking unless you pay for a garage which is about $20 a day at least near your hotel hopefully. You can walk, take a cab, a bus, or streetcar, or the BART much easier than having a car. You probably already know about the tourist sights and I dont know what age you are so I hesitate to recommend things. You can ride out to Ocean Beach, stroll around Chinatown and North Beach, go to Westfield Mall at Market %26amp; 5th, take a cable car at Powell and Market or California St. to Hyde St. pier and have an Irish coffee at Yerba Buena, an historic bar. You can walk around Union Sq. and the alleys. You can go to Broadway and to Columbus Ave where coffee houses and the Beat movement flourished.Does anyone have any tourist info on San Francisco?
As a longtime resident I have a few suggestions.



1: From downtown on Market Street, ride the N Judah streetcar to Ocean Beach. It's a gorgeous trip and it costs practically nothing. Along the way you will see several cool neighborhoods with lots of activity in them. And then at the end of the ride, there is the beach. (It will be cool, so bring along a sweater or jacket.)



2: On the way to the beach you can hop off at 9th and Cole and walk over to Golden Gate Park. Once there you have many options: the de Young Art Museum (the tower is free and from up there you get a panoramic view of the city), the Japanese Tea Garden, and the spectacular California Academy of Sciences (a bit pricey but absolutely great place to see).



3: You should seek out the SF Art Institute (a famous art school located at 800 Chestnut Street). They have great exhibitions of art and the campus is on Russian Hill. From the terrace you have a free view of many landmarks. It is very dramatic. Also, there is a coffee/sandwich shop there.



4: On a sunny day, there is lots of activity in Dolores Park, located on the J Church streetcar line. Many people from Noe Valley, the Mission and the Castro like to lay out on the grass.Does anyone have any tourist info on San Francisco?
Simple 2-3 day tour would be: Golden Gate (drive / bike (rent)), Lombard (drive), Fisherman's Wharf (stroll), Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory (visit), Cable car (ride), Bay Cruise (optional -- $$), China town (stroll), Japan Town (stroll).



Renting a car gives you the most flexibility; parking is difficult but not impossible. There are city tours, municipal buses, and hop-on tour buses as well.