Issue 38 / Spending 48 Hours In San Francisco

by Vallisa Chauhan

Spending 48 Hours In San Francisco

Feb 24, 2016

So you've got exactly 48 hours in San Franscisco. What do you do? With our handy hour-by-hour breakdown of key things to do while in this city by the bay, you are all set! Your fun starts . . . now!

^{Map of San Francisco

Photo Credit: www.mapaplan.com}

First, pick a central hotel. It may cost a little more but if you're covering the city in 48 hours you want to be in a central location. Union Square is a good bet.

Day 1

8 am: Start of the day.

If your hotel offers breakfast, that's a good start; it means won't waste time looking for something. If not, there are a number of places in Union Square that offer great breakfast. After breakfast head towards Lombard Street for a great photo opportunity. If you have a car then take a drive down the steep windy road. If you don't, then stand at the bottom and make sure you take a great selfie.

^{Lombard Street

Photo Credit: www.roadtrippers.com}

9.30 am: Alcatraz

Lombard Street is on your way towards Pier 33 where you can buy tickets to visit Alcatraz. It's suggested to purchase these tickets in advance as you don't want to be disappointed. Alcatraz is the former prison where the likes of Al Capone, Alvin Karpis and Arthur 'Doc' Barker were held, amongst many more.

12 am: Nearly lunch time.

For lunch head towards Fisherman's Wharf. It's a nice little area where you can walk around before you choose a restaurant to settle into. As the name suggests there are plenty of seafood restaurants in the area and it's also the location of the famous Pier 39.

^{Fisherman's Wharf

Photo Credit: www.ecs.utdallas.edu}

Either before or after lunch head to Ghirardelli Square. This is where you will find the famous chocolate shop that sells an array of different flavours. Try the delicious hot chocolate.

2 pm: Cable Cars

One of the most talked about attractions in San Francisco is the cable cars. Two of the lines are from Fisherman's Wharf so that's a good time to jump on. The Powell-Mason line heads towards Union Square, so if this is where you are staying then try the Powell-Hyde line instead. Many riders consider the 12-block stretch on Hyde Street to be the most scenic part of the cable car ride as the Powell-Hyde car runs through the colourful neighborhood of Russian Hill passing shops, restaurants and awesome looking apartment buildings.

4 pm: Golden Gate Bridge

Finish off the day at the Golden Gate Bridge. People may have told you about the bridge but it is breathtaking when you see it. Until 1964 it was the longest suspension bridge main span in the world and it is definitely one of the most photographed bridges. Before walking or riding the bridge, stop off at one of the view points near the bridge so you can take a few pictures of its length.

^{Golden Gate Bridge

Photo Credit: Bloggers Own}

6.30 pm: Shopping at Union Square

After spending the day sightseeing, spend the evening near the hotel where you can grab dinner and do some shopping.

Day 2

Since the first day was about seeing all the big tourist spots, on day two explore the real San Francisco, seeing how the locals live and checking out all the neighbourhoods.

Below are some of the best neighbourhoods to visit.

The Mission District

Where: 14th to 30th Street

You would be lucky to be able to afford to live in the Mission District as the prices are sky high in this area. But back in the day it was occupied by immigrants and therefore it is one of the hippest districts to visit in the city and still has some dirt cheap restaurants and ethnic cuisines.

Haight-Ashbury

Where: Haight Street

Haight Street is not what it was in the '70s so don't go there expecting it to be all hippiefied. But strolling through here you can find some amazing thrift shops and unique boutiques. Any transportation can take you to this area as it is so famous.

The Castro

Where: Between Market and 18th Street

Known as being the first largest gay community in the world, this area is filled with a number of coffee shops and restaurants. The GLBT Museum houses one of the world's largest collections of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender historical material. There are many public institutes named after Harvey Milk and one is the plaza situated in this district. Harvey Milk was an American politician who was the first man to openly say he was gay and be elected for public office.

^{GLBT Museum

Photo Credit: www.tripadvisor.com}

You can also find the Castro Theater in this district which was named a landmark in September 1976.

Walnut Creek

Where: Between Berkeley and Concord

If you have a car then drive out of the hustle and bustle of the city and head towards Walnut Creek. The area is full of shops and restaurants and is a really nice little town to have a bite to eat and grab a coffee. There is a place called Coffee Shop located on 1321 Locust Street, that makes amazing coffee that's filtered right in front of you in a completely different way to anything you have ever seen.

^{Coffee Shop

Photo Credit: www.yelp.com}

^{Main Image Photo Credit: www.gifttimerugby.com}

Vallisa Chauhan

Author

Vallisa Chauhan (@vallisachauhan) presents the Flagship breakfast show on Lyca Radio 1458. She has scripted and produced a full feature film called "Those 4 Walls" and is currently working on other projects. She loves travel and movies and tries to fit in both as much as she can.