San Francisco Tours & Holidays 2024/2025

Dedicated tour managers
All of our holidays are escorted by friendly, dedicated tour managers and local guides

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Our prices include all accommodation, travel, touring itinerary, and much more

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Our team of experts are on hand to assist you before, during and after your holiday

Join us on a holiday to San Francisco

Home to astounding scenery, vibrant culture and a vast array of fantastic dining options, San Francisco is a city that never disappoints its visitors.

Known as a hub for technology and art, it's no surprise that the city feels lively and exciting. There is a wealth of culture to explore, with a seemingly endless variety of galleries, live music and other performances to enjoy. Those fond of history will also find plenty to keep them busy during a holiday in San Francisco. The city is a pleasant mix of old and new, and you'll find numerous world-class museums and historical sights here, including, of course, the infamous Alcatraz. Happily, for such a cosmopolitan city it's also easy to enjoy the great outdoors. Be it parks, beaches, woods or the dazzling waterfront, San Francisco has plenty to offer away from the bustle, and there's an enthralling variety of wildlife to spot within easy reach, too. With so much culture, history and great opportunities to explore the great outdoors, it's not hard to see why the city is so well loved by locals and tourists alike.

Synonymous with the city is its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, an essential stop on all San Francisco tours. Stretching across the mile-long strait from San Francisco Bay and the Pacific, this famous red-coloured suspension bridge was opened in 1937 after four years of construction. Elsewhere, there is a delightful number of other incredible views throughout the city. From Victorian homes and green spaces to the famous Lombard Street with its impressively steep and winding road, you'll find plenty to keep your camera busy. For captivating vistas overlooking the city, the likes of Twin Peaks and Coit Tower are a must, while the cable car to Nob Hill makes for a great little tour of the surrounding area.

Being a small city, even short San Francisco trips provide the chance to explore the best sights and attractions. Neighbourhoods located in the city centre, including North Beach and the Tenderloin are happily very easy to discover by foot, though the cable cars make a fun alternative for tired legs. There are several great neighbourhoods to explore. Fisherman's Wharf is home to the city's much-loved waterfront, full of atmosphere and restaurants and shops. Mission provides a great range of bars and quirky shops, while buzzing Union Square is often hailed as the Times Square of San Francisco. Chinatown is also a fantastic place to wander around; being the largest Chinese neighbourhood outside of Asia it offers authentic charm and a plethora of tantalising eateries.

Things to do in San Francisco

When it comes to sights, attractions and activities, San Francisco holidays certainly deliver. One of the biggest draws to the city is undoubtedly the chance to explore Alcatraz. This former prison, which housed some of history's most notorious inmates, must be reached by boat and provides plenty of fascinating insights into the prison and its prisoners. Elsewhere, the Cable Car Museum and Railway Museum are home to a great array of local history, while the California Academy of Sciences offers the chance to explore a living rainforest and a huge variety of natural history specimens. Art lovers, meanwhile, should pay a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, or SFMOMA, as well as the DeYoung Museum for a multitude of leading fine art and fashion. Away from the galleries, the city's streets also provide a variety of street art; the colourful murals of Mission Street are particularly popular.

San Francisco trips are also perfect for those looking to explore the outdoors. The walk along the waterfront from Fisherman's Wharf is great for a laid back stroll; it makes a great cycling route too. Golden Gate Park is definitely worth a visit. Dating back to the 1860s, this 1000-acre park is home to gorgeous gardens, several lakes and a serene Japanese Tea Garden. The Presidio is another wonderful destination, featuring 24 miles of beaches and trails, as well as a golf course and the Walt Disney Family Museum, while a boat tour on the Bay is the perfect way to enjoy a sunset. Away from the city, Monterey offers a world-famous aquarium and exceptional seafood, while the vineyards and wine cellars of Napa Valley are always tempting.

Animal lovers are also sure to fall in love with the city. Alongside the San Francisco Zoo and the Aquarium of the Bay, there are a number of chances to view the local fauna in their natural habitat. Grey whales, humpback whales, killer whales and dolphins all visit at certain times of the year, and the city's Pier 39 has its own resident colony of sea lions. One of the best stops on San Francisco tours for birdwatchers is the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Stretching across almost 30,000 acres, you'll have the chance to spot sandpipers and herons amid the peaceful ponds and marshes. If you're more inclined to shopping than wildlife watching, you're in luck. San Francisco has a fantastic array of options, from high end department stores like Macys and Barneys to charming independent stores and boutiques.

Food and drink in San Francisco

San Francisco holidays wouldn't be complete without taking full advantage of the spectacular local food scene. The city offers almost every type of cuisine you can think of, in venues as diverse as plush oyster bars and celebrity restaurants to street food trucks and farmers' markets. Being such a wonderfully diverse place, you'll find the food choices truly international, be it Italian, Mexican, Japanese or Moroccan. The city's Chinatown also shouldn't be missed; as the oldest Chinatown in the US you can be sure of a delicious and authentic meal here.

The city provides excellent seafood, as well as a plethora of organic produce and pasture-raised meats. There's also plenty on offer for vegetarians and those with other dietary restrictions will also find they are well catered for. Partaking in the city's laid back cafe culture makes for a wonderful respite from all of the sightseeing, while the city's trendy cocktail bars are the perfect setting to unwind in the evening. Whether you're craving the comfort of pizza and burgers or an artisanal meal in an upscale setting, you won't have to look very hard in San Francisco.