Got a day or a few hours of layover in SanFo? Let me show you some of the places you can visit around the city.


Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay, San Francisco is one of the famous cities in the northern part of California.

How to get there?
For this trip, my starting point is Los Angeles, California. From LA, there are straight flights going to San Francisco (I booked via Spirit.com). If you want to save a couple of bucks, you may also want to go there via bus (Greyhound, Megabus and Flixbus all have bus scheds going to SFO). Flight from LA takes 1.5-2 hours while a bus ride takes upto 8 hours depending on the route and number of stops. If you want to go there via private vehicle, it will take about 6 hours drive.
Three of the closest airports around San Francisco area are San Francisco International Airport (main airport in SFO area), Meropolitan Oaklan airport (11 miles away) and San Jose Mineta Airport (30 miles away).

Where to stay?
I have been to SFO twice and on both visits I opted to go for a hostel as accommodations in the city are pretty high. During both times, I booked a bed in a mixed dorm room at Green Tortoise Hostel via booking.com for $75 per night.
I would recommend this hostel to backpackers like me. The staffs are accommodating and most of the people who are staying here are backpackers as well. They are all nice and friendly. The hostel prepares an awesome breakfast for all and they even host events at nights that people could participate in.

Where to go and what to do?
Here are the places I've visited during my quick trips in SFO:

Golden Gate Bridge
Of course, SFO visit wouldn't be complete without seeing one of the famous bridges in the world -- the Golden Gate Bridge.
Some of the best spots to take pictures of the bridge are: Crissy Field; Fort Point National Historic Site; and Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point.

Lombard Street
Dubbed as one of the "crookedest" streets in the world, Lombard Street is also a popular destination in SanFo. Many cars line up just to get an experience of driving down the street.

SFO Cable car
Hop on a cable car to tour around the city. San Francisco cable car system began operating way back 1870s and is the world's last manually operated cable car system.

Ghirardelli Square
Spoil your sweet tooth with chocolates and more at Ghirardelli Square. There are shops and restaurants inside. But, of course, don't forget to try their yummy Chocolate Sundae!

Fisherman's Wharf
One of the busiest area in San Francisco is the Fisherman's Wharf. There are a lot of seafood restaurants and souvenir shops that people can check out. If you are lucky enough, you may even catch practice flights from the Blue Angels!

Pier 39
If you want more shops, specialty stores and restaurants, Pier 39 is another destination to check out. This shopping center is a must-visit destination for tourists.

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
Feel as if you are back in time in the Palace of Fine Arts. The theatre is stunningly beautiful. The garden around is a great place for strolling and picnics (and even photoshoots too!).

And of course, why not end your day by taking another look at the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a perfect background for the sunset!