Lonely Planet will get you to the heart of San Francisco , with amazing travel experiences and the best planning advice. Grab your coat and a handful of glitter, and enter the land of fog and fabulousness. So long, inhibitions; hello, San Francisco. Loll in Golden Gate Park, stroll across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, get spooked at Alcatraz, ride a legendary cable car, maneuver down the crookedest street in the world, or take a day trip to wine-soaked Napa Valley; all with your trusted travel companion. Inside Lonely Planet San Francisco Travel • Full-color maps and images throughout. • Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests. • Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots. • Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices. • Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss. • Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including history, music, art, architecture, literature, cinema, cuisine, wine, and more. • Free, convenient pull-out San Francisco map (included in print version), plus over 38 color maps. Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, downtown, North Beach, Chinatown, Nob Hill, the Mission, the Haight, and the Castro, as well as Berkeley, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Napa and Sonoma Wine Country, and more.
Went to San Fran this past May. Weather estimation was on point, I did not wear shorts!
Unfortunately, what they don't mention in this is that you really don't want to park on the public beaches. Yes. It was dumb. But we parked there anyway. Our car window was smashed and some of our bags were stolen.
Here's a pro-tip for travelers to San Fran: the vast majority of pharmacies are not open on Sunday! If something happens, like your medicine gets stolen and you need an emergency replacement and it happens to be Sunday, head for the Chinese Hospital Pharmacy because it's sort of the only pharmacy open. Even then, you might not get your prescription filled.
But this book is great. I used it to make all sorts of really neat plans that got de-railed. While I don't actually know how helpful it was in execution, I know it was fun to flip through it!
Although I did get to take their suggestion to walk down the Filbert Street steps from the Coit Tower. That was spectacular, 10/10 would recommend.
I found this guide very helpful during our visit to San Francisco. Easy to use and some great tips on good restaurants and cafés. Was very helpful in planning the best way of seeing the sights and visit restaurants in our limited 3 day visit.
This was published in September of 2022 so the information was new and had been updated with relevant COVID-related information. The book was organized well and had many easy-to-navigate maps. The information about public transportation options was detailed and easy to understand. There was just so much good information and history about San Francisco- we were glad to have had it on our recent trip (March 2023).
Good introduction to SF. Has overview of the more touristy areas, landmarks, neighborhoods, and little history of the city. Picking places to eat or stay definitely needs to be double-checked online through sites like Yelp or Tripadvisor.
Useful content and well-organized, but I read it as an e-book, and it kept freezing up! I have never had that problem with an e-book before. Too much trouble to bother with. I'll stick with paper!