One mile offshore from San Francisco, you'll find Alcatraz Island. It encompasses one of the oldest lighthouses on North America’s West Coast, and the infamous prison. Take a tour around the legendary prison, which held some notorious criminals like Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Franklin Stroud, the 'Birdman of Alcatraz'.

As San Francisco's commercial hub, Union Square has some of the city’s best and most luxurious boutiques and restaurants. There's also a great cultural scene here. You can catch productions at the American Conservatory Theatre, one of the city’s most acclaimed theatre houses, or admire masterpieces by artists like Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso at the Martin Lawrence Galleries.

Golden Gate Park covers over 1000 acres of public land and is the fifth most visited park in the USA. There’s plenty to see and do here, including visiting the Conservatory of Flowers, one of the world’s largest conservatories and the park’s oldest building. You’ll also find windmills, the De Young Museum, lakes, a botanical garden, and bison paddock.

When it was built in the 1930s, this suspension bridge was the world’s longest and tallest bridge. Today, it has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World. The Golden Gate Bridge should feature on any San Francisco itinerary. You can admire this feat of engineering up close by cycling or walking across it.

Pier 39 is a fantastic place to bring kids of all ages. In addition to excellent shops and restaurants, the area also has entertaining street performers, virtual 3D rides, and one of the pier’s most prominent features – a two storey carousel. California sea lions lounge on the docks and the nearby Bay of Aquarium offer plenty of animal interactions.