DK Travel : San Francisco

San Franciscans will, rather candidly, admit that they are the most fortunate people on earth, the occasional earthquake notwithstanding; and most visitors, after a few days of taking in the sights and sounds of this magnificent city, will agree. Ask anyone who has been here and they will tell you it’s their favorite US city. The geographical setting evokes so much emotional drama, the light seems clearer, the colors more vivid, the cultural diversity of the ethnic neighborhoods so captivating and inviting, that it’s a place almost everyone can fall in love with at first sight.

Ghirardelli Chocolate

Stop by for a free sample and then stock up on your mouth-watering favorites. If you’re feeling nostalgic take home some white or milk chocolate cable cars.
Ghirardelli Square

Housing over 70 restaurants and shops, this former chocolate factory has become one of the most frequented destinations in Fisherman’s Wharf. The stores range from tourist T-shirt shops to fine jewelry boutiques.
Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival

A chocaholic’s dream, with the chance to sample various nibbles.
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church

This church has a credo of “the human condition first, not the Bible.” Services can draw up to 1,500 celebrants, with a gospel choir and jazz band. This is also one of the religious institutions where same-sex couples can exchange vows of matrimony.
Global Exchange

The beautiful handmade creations here may come from Vietnam, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico, or Senegal – the makers get the lion’s share of the profits.
Gold Rush Artifacts

“Immigrants and Settlers” and “Adventurers and Goldseekers” chronicle the lives of those who came to California from all over the world in the 19th century, hoping to strike it rich. You’ll see gold prospecting tools, and a 5-oz (142-g) gold nugget.
Gold Rush Days

In 1848 landowner John Sutter noticed a curious glitter in the sediment of the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills and realized it was gold. Despite attempts to keep the discovery quiet, word leaked out, and businessman Sam Brannan displayed a bottle of gold dust and nuggets for the whole city to see. The subsequent stampede of ‘49ers turned the city into a boom town overnight.
Gold Rush Lawlessness

Gold Rush frontier life was so criminal that vigilante justice was proclaimed in the 1850s, leading to secret trials.
Golden Gate Bridge

The much-loved symbol of the city and of California’s place on the Pacific Rim, the Golden Gate Bridge is the third-largest single span bridge in the world, connecting San Francisco to Marin County.
Golden Gate Bridge

This world-famous engineering masterpiece sets off the entrance to San Francisco Bay in the most spectacular way, and never fails to elicit gasps of awe from first-time visitors and old-timers alike.