Port guide: San Francisco, US

Hollywood movies make this city seem familiar, but San Francisco might surprise you with the range and sophistication of its diverse attractions.

Who goes there

San Francisco is a port of call on itineraries to diverse destinations such as Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico and the South Pacific. Carnival and Princess home-port ships there, and many other cruise lines use it as an arrival and departure port, or while in transit. Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Oceania and Silversea are among the wide range of visitors.

San Francisco Bay has plenty to see after your ship passes under the Golden Gate bridge.

Sail on in

Cruise ships often arrive early, so set your alarm, rug up – San Francisco can be surprisingly chilly – and get yourself up on deck as you sail into a huge but hidden bay right under the span of the Golden Gate Bridge. After that comes Alcatraz, the notorious prison island, then the skyscrapers of the Financial District and Coit Tower, atop Telegraph Hill.

Berth rites

Cruise ships beginning or ending their journey in San Francisco dock at Pier 27, while Pier 30/32 or Pier 35 are more usually used by ships in transit. All are on the Embarcadero waterfront. Terminals aren’t much more than small halls with security checks. You’ll find plenty of dining and shopping nearby, though, and Cruise Terminal Plaza provides open space with lots of benches if you’re waiting for embarkation.

Going ashore

The cruise piers are near Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 where smelly seals bask, and the outstanding Ferry Building Marketplace, a cornucopia of gourmet eateries and farmers’ markets. There’s so much else to see that you’ll have to make cruel choices. Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge should be at the top of your list. The Japanese Tea Garden or Conservatory of Flowers will please nature lovers. Then wander neighbourhoods such as Russian Hill, North Beach or 1960s hippie enclave Haight-Ashbury.

Don’t miss

San Francisco abounds with top-notch museums, so take your pick of De Young Museum for American art, Asian Art Museum for America’s largest collection of Asian treasures, or the spectacular San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The Exploratorium is a hands-on science museum, and the California Academy of Sciences, covering natural history, has an aquarium and planetarium.

Get active

San Francisco’s famously up-and-down streets aren’t the ideal terrain for cyclists, but swaths of the city are fairly flat, and the city is very cycle-friendly. A great ride brings you along the Embarcadero waterfront, over the Golden Gate Bridge and into seaside Sausalito. The vast green spaces of Golden Gate Park provide another good cycling destination. If your legs start to weary, most public transport is equipped to carry bikes. Certain city roads are shut down on some Sundays for cycling and roller-skating.

Best bites

The city has 28 restaurants awarded Michelin stars, and the buzzing dining scene is constantly turning up new and exciting venues. Try San Ho Won for Korean, The Tailor’s Son for Italian, or Mr Jiu’s for Chinese. The Progress and Saison have upmarket Californian fare. The Mission district is great for Mexican, North Beach for Italian and Chinatown for a wide range of dim sum and dumpling venues.

Further afield

Sausalito over the bridge is touted for its Mediterranean look and is often combined with a visit to Muir Woods National Monument, which has colossal redwood trees. Wine aficionados will want to visit Napa Valley or Sonoma County, the latter a two-hour drive. Napa Valley produces some of America’s best wines and is especially known for cabernet sauvignon and cabernet blends.