San Francisco plan help please

[DisneyArab]

We are a family of 5, kids will be 15,14 and 9 when we have 4 nights in San Francisco in July. We are staying in the Embarcadero District. We are assuming we will be awake early on our first few days (going by our Florida experiences) and will struggle to stay awake too late at night. I wonder if Dibbers with experience of the city could take a look over my plan, advise if it's do-able and anything we are missing.

Day 1 - wander into Union Square (daughter is getting a new phone from the Apple story - so that's her top priority)

Day 2 - Walk to Pier 33 for Alcatraz tour.
In the afternoon, Fishermans Wharf, Pier 39 to see Sea Lions, Ghiardelli Square, Lombard Street

Day 3 - Cable car first thing to Haight Ashbury (is it worth a visit?), Painted Ladies of Alamo Square (daughters want to see the houses from Full House), Golden Gate Park.

Anything else we could add this day?

Day 4 - Pacific Heights area for a wander, Walk over Golden Gate Bridge, spend some time in Sausalito - any recommendations for anything to do there?

I'd be very grateful if anyone could offer any advice. Many thanks.

[jdouds]

Hi for the bridge and sausilito would highly recommend you cycle out to the bridge, ( cycle path all the way ) then over bridge and into sausilito . It's a nice place to spend some time and then get the ferry back, this is done by hundreds every day

[tocpe321]

I recommend the Dylan’s Tour. It includes San Francisco, Sausalito and Muir Woods.

Friendly, humorous and informative tour guides.

We had a great day.

[Tweety1]

Originally Posted by tocpe321

I recommend the Dylan’s Tour. It includes San Francisco, Sausalito and Muir Woods.

Friendly, humorous and informative tour guides.

We had a great day.

See more...

I’ve booked Dylan’s tours so excited
What about the Disney museum?

[Disney Wishing]

I think your plan is certainly doable.

Haigh Ashbury is an quirky area. We called in there as part of our Dylans tour a couple of years ago (I think the itinerary has changed since) and it was interesting for a bit of a wander but an hour was enough for us.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is a must for any Disney fan. We spent a few hours in there. Be warned you'll need tissues for the end.

Museum Mecanique is a fun way to spend an hour. It full of old fashioned penny arcade machines and old pinball machines. Free to enter and most machine we just a quarter or two to play. It's near Boudin's Bakery in Fishermans Wharf.

Muir Woods is beautiful if you like the outdoors.

[loobey73]

Everything you have planned looks great so far. We did our honeymoon there. Would definitely agree with the bike tour over the bridge into Sausalido and catch the ferry back to San Fran. Great bike ride. Also you could do a tour/ walk to coit tower great views of San Fran. Would love to go back. Have a fantastic time

Lou

[cornishfrogboy]

We have two full days in San Francisco, staying just off Union Sq near Powell St Stn. Time being short, it is..
Arrive in afternoon and catch BART from SFO to Powell St. Spend evening in Union Sq
Day 1, Walk from the square and down to Fishermens wharf to catch the Ferry to Alcatraz. On return it will be late afternoon and a meal in the square before a cable car back up to Powell.
Day 2, Walk down to Dylans tours and pick up bikes. Cycle down to the sea via the Lombard St crooked road (downhill sounds best), then around to the Golden Gate and over to Sausolito. Dump bikes and then transport to Muir woods before being transported back to Union Sq or Fishermens Wharf (they do both). A taxi to the Haight Ashbury sign and back.
Pick up car from Howard Street and then out over the Bay Bridge.

Haight Ashbury, from research is a difficult one. To walk there, I would have to go through the Tenderloin and this is not recommended by many/any, particularly if dark. Haight Ashbury itself appears a rather rough area and the entrance to Golden Gate park has plenty of homeless. I may be ill advised, but with a tight schedule, it was an easy one to drop, particularly as Alcatraz and the Cycle trips were 'must do' trips.

Maybe I can do 'summer of love', Joplin, Grateful dead, Byrds etc on a later visit!

[Guest]

I'd recommend the Fire Engine tour to Sausilito and back. Real fun on a 1950s mack fire engine.

sanfranciscofireenginetours/

Folk really shout and wave at you as you go over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Walking from Embarcadero to Pier 39 is fine but to Union Square is a bit of hoof. Get one of the street cars (trolleys) F line and experience a novel bit of SF transport. You might just see a Blackpool tram! The MUNi passes are great value to get around and give you 10% off at Ghirardelli outlets.

If you like zany comedy try a night at Beach Blanket Babylon - very topical stuff. No kids I'm afraid.

Great restaurant - the Elite cafe at 2049 Filmore Street. Blueberry pie milkshake is to die for.

[DisneyArab]

Thanks for everyone's ideas, much appreciated. Will have a look into Dylans tours - it certainly gets great reviews. The cost had slightly put me off as we are having a big 3 week tour of San Francisco, Disneyland, San Diego and New York, so need a lot of spends. Will look into it again though - would like to see Muir Woods.

With regards to the bike hire, do you need to bring the bikes back on the ferry, or is there a drop off point at the other side of the bridge? I had read a couple of trip reports where the ferrys were manic busy with bikes on the way back and it had slightly put me off - it had been my original plan to cycle over.

The Disney museum and the fire truck also look great - will investigate.

Thanks again everyone for your ideas.

[DisneyArab]

Originally Posted by jdouds

Hi for the bridge and sausilito would highly recommend you cycle out to the bridge, ( cycle path all the way ) then over bridge and into sausilito . It's a nice place to spend some time and then get the ferry back, this is done by hundreds every day

See more...

Thank you. Could I ask, where you hired your bikes from?