Cable cars, fog and the Golden Gate
San Francisco packs a great deal onto a small, steep peninsula. Ride a cable car over Nob Hill, walk or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, and take the ferry to Alcatraz, the former island prison in the middle of the bay. Neighbourhoods each have their own character: the murals and burrito shops of the Mission, the Painted Ladies near Alamo Square, the dim sum of Chinatown and the food stalls of the Ferry Building. The fog rolls in most summer afternoons, so pack layers, and save a day for Muir Woods or the Napa and Sonoma wine country.