According to Joe DiMaggio, the legendary baseball star, San Francisco is the 'friendliest city in the world.' And that warm welcome extends to the entire San Francisco Bay Area. It's home to some of the finest vineyards in the USA, including Napa Valley and Sonoma. Plus there are countless lovely little waterfront towns to visit and numerous delightful beaches to discover.
Edgy, diverse Oakland, known as 'San Francisco’s Brooklyn', lies over the water in the East Bay area.
Whatever floats your boat you'll adore the bay area in all its remarkable diversity, everything from ancient wilderness to cutting-edge contemporary entertainment. Here are 3 of the best things to do.
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Choose from ten superb farmer's markets
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Explore the colourful houseboats of Sausalito
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Delve into the dark past of Alcatraz Island
Some of the most lush, green and fertile countryside in California. A taste for the good life. An appreciation of diversity, a respect for everything different. The Bay Area is very hard to resist.
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Ultimate California
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This is the home of Silicon Valley, one of the most tech-savvy areas on earth, in dramatic contrast to the glorious natural surroundings. Add trend-setting cuisine and a mellow vibe and the magic of the region is almost impossible to resist. Fabulous international shopping. Eating out to die for. And there's more. Here are three fantastic San Francisco Bay Area experiences, all unique and all unforgettable.
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The Golden Gate Bridge, which towers a dizzying 746 feet above the bay
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Michelin-star restaurants run by celebrity chefs
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The stunning Napa and Sonoma wine regions
Experience all three and you'll get a real flavour of one of the most beautiful, unusual and pleasingly eccentric US destinations. As a Brit, you'll feel right at home!
Love nature? Muir Woods National Monument's massive old-growth coast redwoods are giant leftovers from 1800s logging. Marin's landscapes are eye-wateringly lovely. And the beaches are simply stunning...
There are more fantasy-like movie star mansions than you can shake a stick at in the Bay Area, amazing ice-cream creations embellished with eccentric décor. And seeing is believing at the splendid Waterfall Overlook Trail in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Grass Valley is in gold country, a remarkable historic experience blending the incredible wealth of the mine owners with the poverty and deprivation of those who worked the mines. The Bay Area is big country, with big experiences on tap and a big, welcoming personality. Beaches, mountains, deserts, city bustle and that famous California charm await you.
You want a holiday destination that offers a huge variety of things to do, see and experience, something for everyone whatever you like to do best. You want glorious weather, that famously good California climate. You've found it. Some describe the San Francisco Bay Area as a box of chocolates in which every single chocolate is absolutely delicious. If you enjoy being spoilt for choice, you can't beat this eye-wateringly attractive place for sheer variety, a genuine warm welcome and an experience you'll remember for many years to come. An American dream of a holiday.