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.

Mission Dolores

The 18th-century Spanish mission, site of the area’s earliest settlement, is worth a visit for its tranquility, as well as for the education it provides about the city’s early history (see Mission Dolores).
Mission Dolores

The city’s oldest building is also the only intact chapel among the 21 California missions that Father Junipero Serra founded in the late 18th century. Its founding just days before the Declaration of Independence makes San Francisco older than the US.
Mission-era Artifacts

A 17th-century icon of St Peter is just one remnant of the Spanish Mission years. You’ll also find early colonial tools, and a section of adobe wall.
Miyako

The Japantown Mall is designed to resemble a typical Japanese village. This restaurant offers all Japanese delights, including udon (noodles in broth).
Moby Dick

This old-time Castro hangout attracts a more mature crowd. It’s generally a bunch of regulars getting together for pinball or pool – or gazing at the aquarium over the bar. The windows are big, so you can keep track of what’s going down on the street. The music is largely 1980s retro that sets a fun-loving tone.
Monaco

In the heart of the Theater District, this quirky but extremely comfortable hotel is run to perfection. The fairy-tale decor is joyously original, being at once a celebration of color and elegance, and the beds may be the most comfortable in the world. The stylish restaurant is an attraction in itself.
Monterey

This town is renowned for its world-class aquarium, the Monterey Jazz and Blues Festivals, and Cannery Row, made famous by author John Steinbeck, who described it as a collection of sardine canneries and whorehouses. Established by the Spanish in 1770, Monterey was the first capital of California (see Spanish Control) some early buildings survive.
Mount Tamalpais

No more breathtaking view exists than that from the summit of mystic “Mount Tam,” sacred to the Native Americans who once lived here. At 2,570 ft (785-m) high, those who hike up to the summit can take in practically the entire Bay Area at a glance. The area all around is a state park, a wilderness nature preserve with more than 200 miles (320 km) of trails that wind through redwood groves and alongside creeks. There are picnic areas, campsites, and meadows for kite flying. The steep, rough tracks here gave rise to the invention of the mountain bike.
Mount Tamalpais

The road that leads up to the top of “Mount Tam” is appropriately called Panoramic Highway. All the way along, it provides you with dramatic views of the Marin Headlands, both on the Bay and ocean sides, and as you approach the summit, far-reaching views of the Bay Area.
Mrs Doubtfire

Native San Franciscan Robin Williams is in drag in this 1993 spoof. Golden Gate Park is shown to full effect.

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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
Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
- under $20
- $20-$40
- $40-$55
- $55-$80
- over $80