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.

Magic Theater

In the 1970s, none other than Sam Shepard was the resident playwright of the Magic, and its stage has seen performances by the likes of Sean Penn and Nick Nolte. It specializes in bringing new plays to light, usually by up-and-coming Americans. It also offers “raw play” readings of as yet unstaged works.
Make-Out Room

Cool live music provided by local up-and-comers and DJ nights make this a Mission favorite. The decor is original, the drinks are cheap, and the staff is appropriately witty.
Mama's Girl

This is probably San Francisco's most popular breakfast spot, and with good reason. The food is divine, the portions are big, and the location (on Washington Square in North Beach) is appealing.

They serve breakfast from 8-3, and lunch for about half that time.

Now the bad news: they don't take credit cards or reservations. Mama's is popular with locals, and it's not unusual to wait an hour and a half for a table!

One parent can stand in line while the other takes the kids across the street to the park to watch people doing Tai Chi. Or next door to Sts. Peter and Paul Church (where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married).

Stay in close contact by cell phone though, you'd hate to lose your table after all the trouble you took to get it.
Mama’s on Washington Square

The greatest French toast in town.
Mandarin Oriental

Located on the top 11 floors of Downtown’s third-tallest building, this is one of the classiest hotels in the city. Its East-meets-West decor is magnificent, its restaurant one of the finest, and the rooms, amenities, and service superb.
Marin County Headlands

To visit these raw, wild hills with astonishingly beautiful views is to enter another world; yet it’s only half an hour’s drive away, by way of the Golden Gate Bridge. The scale of the rolling terrain is immense, and the precipitous drops into the ocean dramatic. This is an unspoiled area of windswept ridges, sheltered valleys, and deserted beaches.
Marin Headlands Hostel

Nearby are the Muir Woods, and great beaches.
Marina District

This is a pleasant, upmarket zone, featuring bars and trendy boutiques along Chestnut Street. Marina Green is a vast lawn where locals love to jog, skate, fly kites, picnic, or walk their dogs. At the tip of the breakwater that protects the Marina, you can tune in to the bizarre sounds of the Wave Organ, an instrumental structure of underwater pipes through which the tides slosh in a vaguely musical fashion.
Marina Inn

The charm of a San Francisco Victorian awaits you here. The marble lobby is the focal point of this four-story hotel built in 1924, and the sitting room is the setting for Continental breakfasts. After a day’s sightseeing, return to the inn for afternoon sherry.
Marina Motel

Tucked away in a flower-filled Mediterranean courtyard decorated with murals, this motel offers guests a peaceful oasis right in the heart of the beautiful Marina District. Rooms are simple and clean, and parking is included.

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under $100
- $100-$200
- $200-$250
- $250-$300
- over $300