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Ideas for Entertaining Visitors in SF Bay

A trip to San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel-by-The-Sea …
These are my favorite things to do with visitors from out of town
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Location:
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Day 1 to Day 9
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Planned Activities

Day 1 - San Francisco

In 4956 trips

Coit Tower

Average Rating (32):
     
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Conventional wisdom holds that this monument is shaped like a fire-hose nozzle. It is not, at least not by design. T …
Thing to Do
Coit Tower
1 Telegraph Hill Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94133-3106
United States
+1 415 362 0808
Day 1 6:00am - Day 1 12:00pm
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In 179 trips

Ferry Building Marketplace

Average Rating (1):
     
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Ferry Building Marketplace is a must-see for San Francisco visitors. This multi-million dollar development has an ab …
Shopping
Ferry Building Marketplace
1 Ferry Bldg
San Francisco, CA 94111-4281
United States
+1 415 693 0996
Day 1 6:00am - Day 1 12:00pm
Notes
Fancy wine, bread, cheese, nuts, fruit... This is the place to take in the fine foods that the locals die for. An very scenic gallery of shops with an amazing view of the Bay and the Bay Bridge.

On Saturday and Sunday there is an open air farmers market.
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In 141 trips

San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park

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Due to much needed restoration, this landmark is closed until 2009. Located across from Ghirardelli Square and house …
Thing to Do
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park
499 Jefferson St
San Francisco, CA 94109-1314
United States
+1 415 447 5000
Day 1 12:00pm - Day 1 6:00pm
Notes
Cool cool art deco building! And facinating maritime artifacts.
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In 10618 trips

Cable Cars

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Once the most popular from of public transportation for early San Franciscans, the cable cars have become a major …
Thing to Do
Cable Cars
401 Van Ness
San Francisco, CA 94102-4522
United States
+1 415 673 6864
Day 1 12:00pm - Day 1 6:00pm
Notes
From Union Square (the shopping mecca of downtown SF), you can take the Powell-Hyde cable car line to the Cable Car museum. After a visit to the cable car museum, you can hop back on and ride in the same direction to Ghiradelli Square and Aquatic Park.

Wonderful views (in clear weather, that is!)
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In 1575 trips

Cable Car Museum

Average Rating (6):
     
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If you want to know how a cable car works, Cable Car Museum is the place to learn. The world's first cable car rests …
Thing to Do
Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason St
San Francisco, CA 94108-1010
United States
+1 415 474 1887
Day 1 12:00pm - Day 1 6:00pm
Notes
If you're have any mechanical interest or you are a history buff, you shouldn't miss this attraction. You'll learn how it all works here (and it's FREE)
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In 1122 trips

Ghirardelli Square

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Don't leave San Francisco without a stroll through this legendary square at Fisherman's Wharf that is named after …
Thing to Do
Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point Street
San Francisco, CA 94109-1192
United States
+1 415 775 5500
Day 1 12:00pm - Day 1 6:00pm
Notes
G Square is really a tourist trap and that pleasant in my opinion. But the Ghirardelli Shop is a great place to get chocolate souvenirs for friends and family at home.
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Day 2 - Monterey, Carmel-by-The-Sea, Pebble Beach

In 6285 trips

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Average Rating (156):
     
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This is one of the best designed aquariums going. A unique feature is the two-story tank, home to a kelp forest in w …
Thing to Do
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940-1023
United States
+1 831 648 4800
Day 2 6:00am - Day 2 12:00pm
Notes
A must see! This is the not just an amazing aquarium, but a serious marine research institution.
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In 1353 trips

Carmel Mission

Average Rating (18):
     
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Also known as Mission Carmel Basilica and more formally, as Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, this was th …
Thing to Do
3080 Rio Rd
Carmel-by-The-Sea, CA 93923
United States
+1 831 624 1271
Day 2 12:00pm - Day 2 6:00pm
Notes
When I moved to California, this was the first Spanish Mission that I visited and it really captured my imagination. A visit transports you back to early California history when El Camino Real was just a footpath connecting the missions of Alta California.
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In 4388 trips

17-Mile Drive

Average Rating (42):
     
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One of the most scenic drives anywhere in the world, this stretch of highway runs between Pacific Grove and Carmel. …
Thing to Do
17 Mile Dr
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
United States
+1 831 373 3304
Day 2 12:00pm - Day 2 6:00pm
Notes
Worth a drive on nice day. Brace yourself to pay the fee ($5?) to drive along the coast to oogle the multi-million dollar homes.
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Day 3 - Tiburon

In 1109 trips

Angel Island State Park

Average Rating (17):
     
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What Ellis Island was to European immigrants, this island was to Asian immigrants. Volunteer guides lead informative …
Thing to Do
21 Main St
Tiburon, CA 94920-2507
United States
+1 415 435 1915
Day 3 6:00am - Day 3 12:00pm
Notes
A good variety of hiking from steep climbs to the top to meandering around the island.

Also, for history buffs, the Angel Island Immigration Station (the Ellis Island of the Pacific) is worth a stop.
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In 126 trips

Guaymas

Average Rating (18):
     
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The waterfront adobe radiates a romantic ambiance with fireplaces, a simple decor and views of The City by the …
Restaurant
5 Main Street
Tiburon, CA 94920-2507
United States
+1 415 435 6300
Day 3 6:00am - Day 3 7:00am
Notes
I've been here several times and have never been disappointed. It's a great place to eat after a day of hiking and sightseeing on Angel Island.
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In 93 trips

Tiburon

Average Rating (1):
     
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City
Tiburon, CA, United States
Day 3 6:00am - Day 3 12:00pm
Notes
Tiberon and Angel Island is a wonderful day trip from San Francisco. You can drive across the Golden Gate bridge and take Hwy 101 to Tiberon, which is a lovely (but totally gentrified) marina town. From there, you can take the Ferry to Angel Island (takes only about 30 minutes), a nice journey by itself.
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Day 4 - San Francisco

In 1630 trips

California Palace of the Legion of Honor

Average Rating (37):
     
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This museum houses more than 87,000 paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and tapestries. Some pieces date back 4,0 …
Thing to Do
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
34th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94121
United States
+1 415 863 3330
Day 4 12:00am - Day 4 6:00am
Notes
This museum houses a great collection of traditional art including wonderful Rodin scupltures. Even if you don't decided to go inside the museum. You can get a wonderful view of the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge from the parking lot!
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In 1118 trips

Musee Mecanique

Average Rating (25):
     
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A penny for your thoughts? In addition to a melange of penny structures, this quirky, offbeat museum which had origi …
Thing to Do
Musee Mecanique
Taylor St & Jefferson St
San Francisco, CA 94133
United States
1 415 346 2000
Day 4 6:00am - Day 4 12:00pm
Notes
This is a quirky out-of-the-way place that tourists don't usually find. Wonderful carnival artifacts from a bygone era.
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In 609 trips

Fort Point National Historic Site

Average Rating (5):
     
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The idea behind building this fort to in 1861 was to fend off attacks by the Confederacy. It proved to be a non-issu …
Thing to Do
Long Ave & Marine Dr
San Francisco, CA 94129
United States
+1 415 556 1693
Day 4 6:00am - Day 4 12:00pm
Notes
This is another out-of-the way spot that tourists don't usually visit. It's an *amazing* and well preserved masonry fort, built in the age before cannons.

Also, if you've seen the wonderful Alfred Hitchcock movie "Vertigo", this is location where Kim Novak falls into the sea.
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Day 6 - Cupertino

In 75 trips

Picchetti Winery

Average Rating (3):
     
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Located on a historic ranch in the hills above Cupertino, Picchetti Winery looks like it did when it was founded ove …
Thing to Do
13100 Montebello Rd
Cupertino, CA 95014-5407
United States
+1 408 741 1310
Day 6 6:00am - Day 6 12:00pm
Notes
If you don't want to spend the day to drive all the way up to wine country, this is is a fun winery and tasting room that's on the Penninsula. On the weekends, they have live music and you can bring a picnic. You should call ahead for their hours of operation.
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Day 9 - Santa Cruz

In 1698 trips

Mystery Spot

Average Rating (42):
     
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For almost 60 years, this attraction has been puzzling its visitors with bizarre phenomena. Apparently, there are un …
Thing to Do
465 Mystery Spot Rd
Santa Cruz, CA 95065-9658
United States
+1 831 423 8897
Day 9 6:00am - Day 9 11:00pm
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Natural Bridges State Park

Nice beach walks. Fantastic tidepools: starfish, anenomes, fish, crabs (check the tide table before you head out)
Thing to Do
Santa Cruz, CA
Day 9 6:00am - Day 9 11:00pm
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Unscheduled - Mill Valley

In 1921 trips

Muir Woods National Monument

Average Rating (40):
     
All reviews
Step back in time and into this primeval forest on Mount Tamaplais. Some of these towering redwoods are more than 20 …
Thing to Do
1 Muir Woods Rd
Mill Valley, CA 94941-4205
United States
+1 415 388 7059
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Talk about this trip (3)
☣ Things ☭ and ☢ stu... (View ☣ Things ☭ and ☢ stu...'s trips)
I would add the Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (especially if you're a yahoo), but otherwise this looks like a great list!
Posted 3 years ago.
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A Yahoo! Contributor
you can skip seventeen mile drive. it is totally overrated. friends raved about it...friends who hadn't been there in over 10 years. so i went. unfortunately, it was nothing like i was expecting--i didn't mind paying the $8.25 to the park service (i support our parks), but when it turned into a home tour, i couldn't wait to get off the 17-mile drive; that's not what i thought i was paying for. it was only when i finally emerged at the ocean that the scenery paid off--saw a couple of sea otters frolicking in the kelp. you can see all the best parts of 17-mile drive driving south from monterey (from the aquarium actually). it's also crowded...so if you're looking for beautiful coastal scenery without the crowds, take an extra day and head into the heart of big sur.
Posted 3 years ago.
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Pablo OBrien (View Pablo OBrien's trips)
This is a wonderful list. You might also want to add the Conservatory of Flowers and the Botanical Gardens, if the weather is nice. Great places for a picnic to break up the sightseeing.
Posted 3 years ago.
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