A Solo Aussie in San Francisco – Top 10 things to do in San Francisco – Solo Female Travel

San Francisco is one of the places in the world that I love to return to, it’s a great place to travel to as a solo female traveller.

New adventures await me each time I visit.  On my very first visit,in I was accompanied by my daughter Lana, as part of a trip for her 21st birthday.  We had such a wonderful time exploring this amazing city, discovering the different communities, eating our way through delicious chowder and chocolate and learning about the history that created the San Francisco of today, that I was eager to return on another of my frequent visits to the USA.

On my first solo adventure to San Francisco, I flew in from Portland Oregon and arrived in San Francisco early in the morning.  Although the airport is a little confusing, it wasn’t long before I found the subway into the city.

A journey into the city on the BART takes about 30 minutes and is easy to navigate.

Having recently been to France, I had booked a little boutique hotel with a French feel, in situated in Nob Hill, just off Powell Street where you can catch the cable car.  An early morning arrival afforded me the opportunity to watch this beautiful city awaken on my way to my hotel.  Early morning is my favourite time in any city.  It’s the time when you can wander the streets and see the sights before the maddening crowds emerge from their slumber.

San Francisco is a great place to travel as a solo female traveller.  My hotel was quant and cosy, the staff were lovely and friendly and it was the first time I had experienced evening nibbles and wine events where I got to meet some lovely people, some travelling on their own too.

People visit San Francisco from all over the world and it doesn’t take too long before you hear someone speaking with your own accent.

The city has a number of distinct neighborhoods with influences from all over the world and it’s easy to taste different foods from different cultures here.  San Francisco is home to the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.  Throughout the city, you can see wonderful architecture and the harbor is truly magnificent on a sunny day. Although not so easy to walk (San Francisco is hilly), its easy to get around on the cable cars, trams and the variety of hop on hop off buses.

If you are setting off on your first solo adventure, San Francisco is a great place to go.

Here are my top 10 places to see and things to do in San Francisco, a beautiful, friendly city:

#1      The Golden Gate Bridge – believe the photos you see, this is a truly remarkable structure

#2      Take a ride on a San Francisco Cable Car – the world’s last manually operated cable   car system.

#3       Fisherman’s Wharf  – A walk along Fisherman’s wharf on a sunny day is a treat.  There’s plenty of great food, little shops and the view over the bay and back over the city is beautiful.

#4        Check out the sea lions – just remember to hold your nose, these guys are a bit smelly

#5        A Hop on Hop Off tour of the city – You can catch these from Union Square (I got a whole day ticket for $20 and had the bus to myself one day).

#6        A walk through Chinatown –  San Francisco’s Chinatown is an interesting place.  Wandering down some of the alley ways you’ll find some great street art and interesting things to see and do.

#7        Walk around the Italian Quarter – situated in the North Beach area, the Italian Quarter is a great place to have a meal and drink a decent coffee.

#8        Visit the Mission District – Home to some amazing street art, great architecture and quirky shops.

#9        Check out Lombard Street – Nicknamed the world’s “crookedest” although it’s not actually the longest or curviest street in the world it is the best known and well worth a gander.

#10      Visit the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park

San Francisco is a great city to visit as a solo female traveler.  It’s got a great vibe and plenty of things to see and do.

 

Happy Travels

@Julie