Things to do in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park stretches almost halfway across the 6 mile (10km) wide peninsula, from the Pacific Ocean to the Haight's Panhandle. Apart from gardens (including a flower conservatory and a charming Japanese tea garden), lakes (rowboats, pedal boats and motor boats can all be rented), sporting facilities (including horse riding, archery, softball, golf, lawn bowling, horseshoe pitching and petanque), the park also has a host of museums and an aquarium, making it a useful escape even when the fog rolls in and the temperature plummets.

The city has plenty of other wide open spaces. Lincoln Park Coastal Trail is an interesting walk from the ruins of the Sutro Baths at Ocean Beach to the northwestern tip of the city, known as Lands End; there are some great views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. South of Golden Gate Park, the city's hilly terrain makes its final skyward lunges at Twin Peaks and Mt Sutro. The 900ft (270m) summit of Twin Peaks offers a superb viewpoint over the whole Bay Area, especially at night. There are viewpoints at both ends of the Golden Gate Bridge, but Vista Point, the northern one, not only gives you the bridge, but the San Francisco skyline as well.