San Francisco is one of the most delightful cities in the world. “You could live in San Francisco a month and ask no greater entertainment than walking through it” wrote Inez Hayes Irwin, author of Californiacs. It is true, the best way to experience San Francisco is to have a walk through the city.

San Francisco lies on a tip of land between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, which has made famous the steep city roads traversed by the traditional cable cars. They are still in operation today and are one of the charming features of the city. The beautiful Golden Gate Bridge is certainly another, often shrouded in mist, it has an air of mystery about it.

The different neighbourhoods of San Francisco retain strong cultural, political and ethnic identities and give the city its unique flavour. Union Square is the place for shopping with hundreds of designer shops and sophisticated department stores, and the Fisherman’s Wharf is an area full of character with great seafood restaurants, marinas, street performers, tourist shops and hundreds of sea lions who have made one of the old ferry piers their home. The lively Chinatown is a veritable labyrinthine of tea and herb shops, fish markets, and exotic produce stalls spilling onto the streets, whilst the North Beach Italian Quarter area is a laid back collection of deli’s and bakeries ideal for visiting early in the morning for an expresso and pastry.

The cuisine in San Francisco is fantastic with a wealth of places to eat, and if you need a chocolate fix, San Francisco is the city with many famous chocolatiers.

A trip out to the infamous prison on Alcatraz Island on a ferry is always a interesting experience and gives you another view of the city. As if all that isn’t enough to make San Francisco an ideal city break, there is an array of great places to visit nearby, from the beautiful California wine making region and the sophisticated Lake Tahoe area, to the stunning Yosemite National Park and the world class beaches of Santa Barbara.