Explore the Embarcadero
San Francisco is a great walking city if you can handle the hills. If you can’t, there’s the Embarcadero, one of the flattest parts of town. Start your waterfront stroll from the Exploratorium on Pier 15, an interactive museum for all ages. Past that is Pier 33, where ferries head to the old prison of Alcatraz. A trip there to explore and return will take two or more hours but there are more than just cellblocks.
Make sure you check out the beautiful gardens and the snowy egrets and cormorants that congregate on the west side. After, head for the famous Fisherman’s Wharf for refreshments or just to enjoy the tourist crush. Get a historic F tram back along the waterfront to the Ferry Building at the end of your day and then you’ll be ready for a break. The grilled cheese sandwiches at Cowgirl Creamery really are the business.
The Embarcadero is also great for exercising. Go for a run or for a cycle—there are places to hire share bikes all along the Embarcadero (and throughout the city). If you want to check out the shore from offshore, try a kayak.
Location
The Embarcadero sits adjacent to downtown and along San Francisco’s waterfront. It’s tourist-central and is jam-packed with things to do and is a great place to get some sun and people watch. It’s also, joy of joys, one of the flattest parts of a hilly town.
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