One of the vacations I have enjoyed the most has been my trip to San Francisco, it was my first time in the city and I went on my own.
It’s funny that my only trip without having companion resulted in the most wonderful experience I’ve had by that time. I have come to the conclusion that it’s because you can do whatever you feel like doing, without having to ask someone their opinion, you can just go to the places you choose and stay there as long as you want.
The day I had to flight to SF I woke up really late! So there was no time to walk to the trolley station so I had to call for a van service to lax. Everything worked fine, I was on time for my flight and soon I was taking off to San Francisco!
As soon as my airplane landed, I started feeling a bit anxious because it was my first time on a city I had never been before on my own. San Francisco’s airport is so big and has so many exits, but fortunately I was able to find the right one and once I rode on the subway from the airport to my hostel, I was ready to explore one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been.
Here are the highlights of my visit to San Francisco:
Chinatown
The first place I went to in San Francisco was Chinatown, a gigantic area that resembles China’s essence so well. With its busy streets filled with live music, Chinese ornaments, restaurants, souvenir shops and very artistic paintings on some of the buildings, Chinatown is a wonderful place to visit and a must when going to San Francisco.
Pier 39
Nothing better than a walk around the marvelous views that Pier 39 offer, where you get a chance to admire the sealions lying on wooden rafts, taste a delicious Clam Chowder, go shopping or see the street performers do some crazy dancing.
Golden Gate
In my case, I love cycling so I did a bike tour around the Bay Area of San Francisco and rode across the Golden Gate to Sausalito, which was my favourite part of my vacation. I was able to enjoy some gorgeous views from the bridge and the sea. But whether you like biking or not, you can always have a spectacular view of this iconic place.
Alcatraz Island
A tour to one of the most important prisons that existed is something you should do when going to SF, the island of Alcatraz. Nowadays it operates as an historic place that receives millions of tourists each year. Walk around the cell blocks, where some of America’s most notorious criminals Al Capone and Robert Franklin Stroud fulfilled their penitence.
Alamo Square
If you want to spend a very peaceful time then go to this neighbourhood where you can rest for a while at its most famous park, Alamo Square Park. There you can also see some beautiful Victorian houses, “The Painted Ladies”, and walk through some local coffee shops, bars and restaurants in the evening.
Cable Cars
In San Francisco I walked a lot, in fact I never used public transportation there except for a cable car ride because, well, I couldn’t not hop in one cable car. This transportation system basically goes through the entire city and it’s one of the most iconic features of SF. But apart from that and the bike tour, I walked long distances all the time, from Chinatown to Pier 39, or from Union Square to Alamo Square (my hostel was near Union Square).
Lombard Street
If you google San Francisco, you’ll always get a picture of this steep and crooked street, Lombard St. That’s because is definitely one of the most unique things of the city. Watch as drivers maneuver their cars in this curvy zigzag , or if you rented a bike, try riding it downhill!
San Francisco left me a lot of incredible experiences, and very special ones because I treasure all of them for myself, so I’d say to everyone that read this that traveling alone isn’t such a bad thing after all!