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| City Guide - San Francisco - Sightseeing | ||
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Sightseeing San Francisco sights come upon the unaware traveller so thick and fast they are too easy to miss. Regularly voted Best City in the USA in national polls, it is a visual feast that offers something for every eye. Grand vistas of the Bay and the city provided by the many hilltops and landmarks, like the 55m-high (180ft) Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, contrast with works of art in a myriad of museums, the high-tech offerings of Yerba Buena, and the Pacific Bell Park, new home of the San Francisco Giants. But it is where mankind and nature meets that this implausibly diverse city comes into its own. A visit to the Golden Gate Bridge, which used enough wire to go around the earth several times over and was hailed as impossible to build, is a must. Golden Gate Park covers 400 hectares (1000 acres) and is the largest manmade park in the world, thanks to Scotsman John McClaren. Then there is Alcatraz, the stuff of legend; Grant Street, the city's oldest, running the length of Chinatown; Haight-Ashbury, which rekindles memories of Flower Power and the Beat Generation; Fisherman's Wharf, at the edge of the Bay, offering hundreds of resident sea lions, cheap souvenirs and, always, something to eat. The cable car offers the most exhilarating way to get a view of the whole giddying city. Tourist Information San Francisco Visitor Information Center Hallidie Plaza, Lower Level, Powell and Market Streets Tel: (415) 391 2000. Fax (617) 960 9216 or (800) 220 5747 within the USA. E-mail: vicl@sfcvb.org Website: www.sfvisitor.org Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat and Sun 0900-1500. San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau is at 201 Third Street. Passes The San Francisco CityPass (website: www.citypass.com) allows free admission to four attractions - the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Exploratorium, Palace of the Legion of Honour, California Academy of Science and Steinhart Aquarium - as well as a seven-day Muni Passport, including cable cars, and a Bay cruise. It costs US$ US$33.75 (concessions available), lasts for nine days and can be purchased from the attractions on the day or online in advance. |
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