San Francisco Holidays 2024/2025 | Deposits from £60pp (2024)

San Francisco holidays

San Francisco is a little odd – but let’s face it, that’s all part of its charm. It’s got the twistiest street in the world, its own resident sea lion colony and a former prison flocked by tourists. You can have a very fun holiday here – whether you’re with family or friends, or going alone, on your first visit or your fifth.

San Francisco is one of California’s most visited cities. It’s permissive, relaxed and has great sights. This brilliant city is very walkable – but it’s more fun to take the cable car – especially over the infamous hills. You could stay on Nob Hill or Russian Hill to be near Lombard Street, famously known as the world’s crookedest street.

From here you can easily head down to the seafront for a stroll on the popular Fisherman’s Wharf – a place where you can buy crab chowder to go and watch the sea lions that have taken up residence on its docks. San Francisco’s enormous, longstanding Chinatown is one of the most established neighbourhoods in the city. Roam around, then settle down for dim sum, picking your dishes from a roving push cart.

Whether you want to organise a last-minute city break, or the holiday of a lifetime, it starts when you book your British Airways flight. Add a hotelin the city – and a carfor exploring beyond the bay; and before you know it, you’ll be navigating San Fran like a local. Check out our holiday packagesand prepare to start feeling San Franciscan.

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Make the most of your San Francisco holiday

With so much to see and do in San Francisco, it can seem a little overwhelming to know where to start, but with British Airways’ essential holiday guide you’ll soon have your own ‘to do’ list.

Where are the best places to stay in San Francisco?

Union Square

The public plaza Union Square is in the midst of downtown San Francisco’s upmarket department stores. It’s busy and bustling – but first-time visitors are often taken aback by the homeless population in the area. There are heaps of hotels around that capitalise on the abundance of sights and shops in the district, such as Hilton Union Square. Nearby you’ll find Neiman Marcus and Barneys, plus museums like the Museum of Ice Cream – pure Instagrammer bait – and the longer-established San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco’s touristy waterfront is a pleasure to visit. Fisherman’s Wharf encompasses much of the waterfront – including Pier 39, an area that’s great for shopping, strolling and watching sea lions sunbathing on the platforms below the pier. From Fisherman’s Wharf you can get a ferry over to Alcatraz, viewable across the bay, or Angell Island. Stay at Hotel Zephyrin the area so you can fully explore the popular surrounding restaurants: eat crab chowder on the pier or chow down on chocolate at Ghirardelli Square.

Nob Hill

Nob Hill is where you’ll see historic buildings and experience traditionally ‘classy’ San Francisco: think swanky co*cktail lounges, upmarket restaurants and hotels like the Fairmont. Go to the beautiful Huntington Park (don’t miss its replica of Rome’s Fountain of the Tortoises), and The Masonic, an iconic concert venue that is a wonderful example of mid-century architecture. The free Cable Car Museum is also nearby, where you can see some of San Francisco’s colourful retired trolleys.

SoMa

Head south from Union Square and you’ll reach SoMa. ‘South of the Market’ is all converted warehouses and gritty regeneration. It spans a large area that includes the Civic Center, the Yerba Buena gardens, and, on the eastern edge, Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants – the area’s beloved baseball team.Stay at the four-starHyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMAin the heart of this art district.

Financial District

Downtown San Francisco, with its earthquake-proofed skyscrapers (such as the striking Transamerica Pyramid), is known simultaneously as the Financial District and Downtown. Chinatown nudges this area from the north west, and the Ferry Building sits to the east on the waterfront. It’s a pretty building that holds a farmers’ market. Read more about San Francisco’s neighbourhoods.

Top five things to do in San Francisco

Whatever type of San Francisco holiday you are looking for, you’ll discover lots of places to go and things to see. Here are our top five suggestions of things to keep you busy:

• Walk the city, including famous Lombard street (or take the hop-on hop-off bus)
• Plan a trip to Alcatraz
• Cruise in Golden Gate Bay
• Visit Yosemite National Park
• Book the two-day hop-on hop-off bus Mega Pass plus three attractions

Best places to eat in San Francisco

With more than 3,400 restaurants in the area, you won’t be short of places to satisfy your appetite, whatever type of food you prefer. Here are some of our ideas from in-the-know locals:

• Eat like a local
• Head over to Oakland, its burgeoning foodie scene is well worth checking out
• Enjoy some of the state’s finest co*cktails: pick from one of more than 300 bars in the city
• Head to the Ferry Building to taste cooking from up-and-coming chefs
• Check out the growing number of San Francisco food trucks