What to do with 72 hours in San Francisco for active travelers?

Here’s a sample itinerary crafted with active travelers in mind.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1:  Friday

Friday Afternoon

1. Limousine service to Hotel Vitale from SFO for the group of 4 (2 couples). 
2. Check-in to Hotel Vitale (8 Mission Street, San Francisco), which is in the Financial District near the Ferry Building.  
3. Walk around the neighborhood:  Ferry Building or to Union Square for some shopping.  

Friday Evening

1. Dinner at Kokkari (200 Jackson Street at Front Street, SF 94111).  At this Greek restaurant, you can order food family style or order individual entrees.  

 

Day 2:  Saturday

Saturday Morning

1. Around 8 am, walk over to the Ferry Building for the Farmer’s Market (8 am – 2 pm).  Peruse the stalls and grab breakfast there.  (Coffee and breakfast can also be provided by the hotel, but it’s so much more interesting at the Farmers’ Market.)
2. Go to Bike Rentals San Francisco – (location in Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf) and have a leisurely bike ride along the Embarcadero and Bay Blvd to Marina Blvd and cross the Golden Gate Bridge and arrive in Sausalito.  Along the ride, you will pass Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Marina district, and Crissy Field.  

Saturday Lunch – Afternoon

1. Arrive in Sausalito around 11:30 a.m. to noon.  While in Sausalito, have lunch at seafood restaurant Scoma’s, which offers views of the SF cityscape.  After lunch, take the 2:10 pm ferry back to the Ferry Building, San Francisco (arrives at 2:40 pm).  The ferry will take bicycles.  Drop off the bikes and head back to the hotel for some rest and relaxation before Alcatraz cruise and post-cruise dinner.
2. Cab to Alcatraz by Night Tour departure point (Pier 33).

 

Saturday Evening

1. Alcatraz by Night Tour:  If you are traveling during the Winter Hours (November – mid-March), the cruise departs 3:40 pm and returns at 6:40 pm.  If you are traveling after mid-March, the cruise departs at 5:55 pm and returns 8:50 or 9:25 pm. If you are traveling during the summer hours, then I would suggest they get an apertivo in the Hotel Vitale bar Americano before going to Pier 33 to board the cruise to Alcatraz.   Otherwise, I would recommend they drop off the bikes and hop on the F line Wharf street car to Pier 33. 
2. Dinner at  Hillstone Restaurant if you’re traveling in the summer, which is located near Pier 33 and open late (until 11 pm). Hillstone serves traditional American fare.  If you are traveling during winter, then back to the hotel and get ready for dinner at Tadich Grill, a San Francisco institution.

Day 3:  Sunday

Sunday Morning

1. Sleep in and then head to Yank Sing in Rincon Center for dim sum brunch at 10:30 am.  I have always enjoyed group brunches at Yank Sing. As with most dim sum restaurants, food is served family style, however, if you want to order their own plates you can.

Sunday Afternoon

1. Hop in a cab to the Legion of Honor Museum, which is located near Lands End.  This beautiful French-inspired and intimate museum is open from 9:30 am to 5:15 pm on Sundays.  There is a Rodin “Thinker” in front of the museum and the beauty and nature of San Francisco at its doorstep.  Enjoy a snack or late lunch (if they’re hungry) in the Museum’s cafe, which offers soups, salads, sandwiches, and drinks.  
2. After perusing art, walk around Lands End and end up near the Lands End Labyrinth. Depending on how much you want to walk, they can see the following sights:  The USS SF Memorial, the Holocaust Memorial, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, the Cliff House, the Sutro Baths, and more.

Sunday Evening

1. Head to North Beach (Little Italy) and have dinner at Ideale Italian restaurant on Grant Avenue, a visit to City Lights Bookstore, which was made famous with the Beat Generation (e.g., Jack Kerouac), and an after dinner drink at Vesuvio’s (another SF institution).

Day 4:  Monday, afternoon departure

1. Pack and have breakfast at the hotel.
2. Check out of the hotel and stow bags at the front.  Have an early lunch at 11:30 am at Boulevard, which is a few steps away from Hotel Vitale and has an innovative menu.
3. Take the limousine service to SFO and say “good-bye” to San Franciso!