what to do during layover in san francisco

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When choosing our flights home from our trip to Florida, we had the option to have a iv-hour layover in Montreal, or a 10-hour layover in San Francisco. I had been to San Francisco before just Mike had non, so I saw this as a great opportunity to show him around a city I really enjoyed and have wanted to return to.

San Francisco turned out to exist the perfect city to relish a long layover in. With a train connecting the airport to downtown, this meant we could speedily (and easily) get into the urban center to start exploring. Once downtown, we had a diversity of transportation options to go us around, including the subway, cable cars, streetcars, hop on-hop off sightseeing buses and the rideshare service Lyft.

By the time we stored our luggage, got downtown and had a quick snack, we were left with about 5.5 hours to explore San Francisco before having to head dorsum to the airport. This was definitely non enough time to do San Francisco justice, but Mike said he was yet able to get a adept feeling for what the metropolis was all about.

So, with a little strategic planning and prioritizing, here's what we managed to see and practise with only five.five hours in San Francisco!

How to Spend a 10 hour Layover in San Francisco

If you're anything like us, y'all'll accept a hard fourth dimension narrowing downwardly what to see in San Francisco. There are and so many great options!

Since we had limited time to work with, nosotros opted to visit some of the nearly well known places of San Francisco, saving the other areas for hopefully a longer visit one day!

Visit the Gilded Gate Span

The Golden Gate Bridge was number one on our listing of places to come across in San Francisco. How could it not be?

An icon of the city, this suspension span spans the Gilded Gate strait, linking San Francisco to Marin County. It's graceful design, soaring towers, Art Deco elements and International Orange colour have helped brand the Gilt Gate bridge one of (if not the almost) photographed bridges in the world.

To maximize our enjoyment of the bridge, we had our Lyft driver drop united states of america off at Crissy Field. We and then walked along the bay towards the Golden Gate Bridge. We continued on the path up to Fort Indicate, which offers some truly wonderful views of both the bridge and bay.

We decided seeing the bridge wasn't enough, so we walked beyond it to get the complete Gilt Gate feel. Information technology was windy up at that place, but worth enduring because the views of the urban center were fantastic!

As the cars noisily whizzed by u.s., it was somehow peaceful to look out at the sailboats enjoying a sunny solar day out on the water.

Walking beyond the bridge, I started to think near how a piece of architecture, an accomplishment in technology, tin can inspire so many people. Numerous writers, photographers, painters and musicians have had their artistic energies stimulated by this span. People travel from all over the globe to see information technology. It seemed to be a place the locals appreciated as well.

Every cracking metropolis has an icon, a signature landmark. For San Francisco, that symbol is the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bout Effectually on a Hop on-Hop off Sightseeing Motorbus

After walking beyond the Gilt Gate Bridge, nosotros boarded a hop on-hop off bus. On the way, we passed through the small, simply scenic waterfront urban center of Sausalito.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to become off at whatever stops until Fisherman's Wharf, but it was a great way to see a chip more of the city while learning about it from the commuter's live commentary.

Alcatraz

Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf is a bustling part of town with many restaurants, shops and tourist attractions. It'southward non my favourite area of the city, only was a great place for us to take a meal because Mike could enjoy some fresh seafood, while I savoured some of San Francisco's famous sourdough bread.

Pier 39

Subsequently eating at Fisherman's Wharf, we walked to Pier 39. This surface area also has a lot of restaurants and shops. What makes it unique though, is the sea lions that hang out on the pier.

It was quite the sight to run into a big group of sea lions all huddled together enjoying the concluding bit of afternoon sun. Nigh just laid in that location, merely a few were quite active, playing and swimming near.

Walk Along the Embarcadero

Nearing the end of our layover in San Francisco, we connected to walk along the Embarcadero towards the Ferry Building. From the walkway nosotros got some views of Coit Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco.

In one case at the Ferry Building, we headed away from the water and into the Fiscal District where we boarded the BART train at Embarcadero station and sadly headed back to the aerodrome.

Last Thoughts About Our Layover in San Francisco

Both Mike and I were happy that we chose to have a long layover in San Francisco. With x hours between flights, we had enough time to get acquainted with the city and see the main sights.

Of grade, we didn't see everything we wanted to- that would require a few days! I call up nosotros could have saw more via the sightseeing bus had nosotros not lingered then long at the Aureate Gate Bridge. It was such a beautiful day, in a beautiful location that we didn't desire to blitz around too much, instead making sure to take in the moment!

Tips for Making the About of a Layover in San Francisco

Getting to San Francisco from the Airport:

• We took the BART train (Bay Area Rapid Transit) from the aerodrome into the city. We got off at Embarcadero Station, which is in the financial district, near the San Francisco Bay and Ferry Building. The trip took about xxx minutes.
• From Embarcadero, you'll be close to a cable machine line, streetcar line, subway line and hop on-hop off double-decker finish.

Storing Your Luggage:

• If you have a comport-on bag, you'll be able to store it at the airport. The Drome Travel Agency offers luggage storage for 24 hours, simply the service is quite pricey. You lot can encounter the prices here.
• The Airport Travel Agency is located in the International Concluding (departure level, near the entrance to terminal G). Hours are 6:00 am- 11:00 pm.

Getting Around San Francisco:

• Nosotros decided to effort Lyft, a rideshare service based in San Francisco, because we wanted to get from the Financial District to the Golden Gate Bridge as quickly equally possible. Nosotros popped into a Starbucks and used the free WiFi to download the Lyft app. Minutes later on, a commuter was there to selection usa upwardly. It turned out to exist cheaper and faster than a taxi (not certain if this is nonetheless the example), and then we would definitely use Lyft again.
• We besides used the City Sightseeing hop on-hop off bus to get effectually. The double-decker had 3 different tours/routes to cull from, ranging from 75-90 minutes to complete the full loop. The frequency of departures varies betwixt routes, so make sure you consider this before choosing your tour. Also brand note of the last pick-up fourth dimension of the 24-hour interval. Another option for hop on-hop off sightseeing tours is Big Motorbus San Francisco.

Buying Digital Tickets to San Francisco Attractions:

• For quick and easy access to San Francisco's attractions, here is a trusted site where you tin can buy advance, mobile tickets to some sites/activities. Digital ticket commitment is instant and you can show your phone at the ticket holders entrance- no need to print your tickets.

Data was updated January 2022, but tin change without observe. Please confirm straight with service providers.

Accommodations in San Francisco

If yous determine to stay longer, here is a listing of hotels in San Francisco. Please consider booking your San Francisco accommodations through the included link. It costs nothing extra and helps back up this website. Cheers!

More California Destinations and Travel Guides

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• One Twenty-four hour period in Joshua Tree National Park- Hikes, Nature Walks and Scenic Spots
• Borrego Springs Sculptures- The Metal Sky Art Sculptures of Ricardo Breceda
• Ladder Canyon and Painted Canyon Trail- A Unique Hike in the Mecca Hills, California

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