Things to see and do
One of the city's biggest landmarks is the Golden Gate Bridge – the most photographed bridge in the world. The bridge was built in the 1930s to stretch across the Golden Gate Strait, and it's close to a mile wide. Another main attraction in San Francisco is the Museum of Modern Art, which by itself welcomes over 600,000 visitors annually.
For a family day out, take the kids to the Exploratorium. The museum's aim is to 'change the way the world learns', with science, art and nature exhibits. The Aquarium of the Bay is another family-friendly attraction, and the clear tunnels to view marine life through are almost 100m long.
Multicultural San Francisco
The city is known worldwide for being an incredibly gay-friendly holiday destination. You might be able to catch a show by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus during your holiday. Choose a welcoming hotel on lastminute.com and you'll save enough to check out the diverse local bars and clubs. To see the true culture of San Francisco, take a wander around the suburban areas. Many neighbourhoods band together to hold their own street festivals.
Getting around
San Francisco's cable car network is a tourist attraction in itself. It's the last manually operated cable car service in the world which is still in use. The three lines cover the city's downtown area and major points of interest. On Market Street and the Embarcadero, a different set of heritage streetcars run to and fro.
Food and drink
Make sure to visit Chinatown for authentic Chinese food – it's the biggest outside Asia, eclipsing the Chinatown districts in cities like London and Yokohama. San Francisco is known for producing its own version of sourdough bread and for Dungeness crab served at restaurants in the Fisherman's Wharf district.
Keep an eye out for food trucks as you explore the city. These pop up regularly in squares and on street corners, serving a variety of quick dishes. Keep in mind that San Franciscans are experts at queuing, especially when there's good food waiting at the front of the line.
