San Francisco

North San Francisco

This area is pretty hilly which means there's plenty of great views available if you choose a hotel here, and you'll be nice and close to all the main attractions. There are lots of shops and restaurants at Fisherman's Wharf, which is also the departure point for boat trips Alcatraz and tours of San Francisco bay. The surrounding neighbourhood is swanky and the hotels here are upmarket. Chinatown, the largest one outside Asia, Little Italy and Coit Tower are also nearby and you can get a cablecar to downtown. There's plenty of nightlife in north San Francisco whether you want to party all night or to enjoy something a bit quieter.

West San Francisco

The west of San Francisco is all about the great outdoors. There's the beach (although locals don't recommend swimming in the cold water), Golden Gate Park, Lake Merced Park containing San Francisco Zoo and several golf courses. Presidio Park under the bridge holds many interesting attractions, not least a fort, indicating the military past of the greenspace. The Exploratorium is in the Palace of Fine Arts on the edge of this park. Twin Peaks park is also on the edge of this area. Note that the park is extremely popular because of its great views, which means that getting there on a busy day is more than a bit challenging - tour buses can queue for hours.

East San Francisco

Just south of Chinatown is Union Square, and the financial district with its iconic skyscrapers. This is the centre of San Francisco's theatre and entertainment scene. To see a show on your holiday try the half price ticket booths in the square for same-day tickets. The nearby Haight neighbourhood marks the epicentre of the hippy movement and is still pretty bohemian today, whilst the Castro-Noe Valley is the LGBT zone in this famously diverse city. Funky and different nights out abound in this area and in the neighbouring Mission too, and for hip hop and electronica SoMa is the place to be. Catch a cable car to get around easily!