San Francisco Tours & Holidays

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Learn more about Intrepid’s COVID-19 policy

Getting around San Francisco is quite easy considering the size of the city. Walking or taking public transportation is the prefered option of travel with the streets being easy to navigate and the public transportation system easy to use. The 'muni' (large municipal transportation system) operates bus, streetcar lines and San Francisco's famous cable cars making it the most efficient way to get around the city. 

What to pack for your vacation to San Francisco mostly depends on what time of the year you're traveling in. San Francisco sees mostly mild weather year round so t-shirts, shorts and jeans are a safe bet. It might also be wise to pack a few sweaters as the nights can get a little chilly. You should also pack comfortable walking shoes as that is one of the prefered ways of getting around the city, as well as sunscreen to protect you from the sun's UV rays when you step outside. 

The climate of San Francisco is considered a modern maritime one with mild weather all year round. This means during the Winter the temperatures are quite mild and during the Summer the temperatures can be on the cooler side, however the chance of rain during the months of June, July and August are very low. This cooler climate is due to the city's proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the cold sea water that runs through the bay.  

Read more about the weather in San Francisco

Known as being "the crookedest street in the world" and is one of the steepest street in the city of San Francisco, Lombard Street is located between Hyde and Leadenworth streets and is famous because of a zig-zagging, one-block section with 8 hairpin turns. Hundreds of tourists flocks to this street to marvel at its incredible layout and breathtaking landscape. 

There are a bunch of different hikes around the San Francisco area if you're craving a little bit of nature's beauty from coastal walks to mountain trails. They include: 

• Lands End Trail 
• Batteries to Bluffs Trail 
• Twin Peaks Hike 
• Fort Funston Trail 
• Lover's Lane Trail 
• Angel Island Hike 

San Francisco is a very popular city with tourists coming from all over the country to marvel at its beauty and famous landmarks. If you're traveling from cities within the state of California or its surrounding states, chances are you'll be driving. Below is how far away San Francisco is from its surrounding cities by car: 

• San Francisco is about 48 miles from the city of San Jose, making the journey by car just under an hour. 
• The city of Palo Alto is 33 miles away from San Francisco, making it about a 40 minute drive. 
• San Francisco is a 2 hour drive from Monterey in California, making it a 118 mile one-way trip. 
• San Francisco is roughly 192 miles from Yosemite National Park in California. The journey by car would take you around 4 hours. 
• Lake Tahoe is located right on the state lines of California and Nevada so it's roughly 210 miles from San Francisco. It would take you about 3 and a half hours to drive there. 

Read more about how long it takes to get to San Francisco from neighboring cities

Surprisingly the San Francisco Bay is quite shallow with an average depth of about 43 feet. At its deepest point which is right under the Golden Gate Bridge, the bay stands at 360 feet. At its shallowest point, the depth of the bay is only about 15 - 17 feet which is at the northern and southern areas respectively.

Alcatraz prison was closed in March of 1963 due to how expensive it was to maintain. Being completely isolated from the mainland, a lot of resources had to be brought in and the facility itself required too much restoration and regular upkeep. During its time, Alcatraz was known as one of the harshest prisons in the US and housed some of the country's most notorious criminals so its little wonder there have been reports suggesting paranormal acitivity within the prison including ghost sightings and unexplained noises. 

Read more about the history of Alcatraz

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of San Francisco's most famous landmarks and has been since its construction in 1933. Spanning a massive 2 miles in length, this bridge connects connects San Francisco to Marin County and features stunning architecture that makes for some great photos. 

The weather in Muir Woods is much like that found in the city of San Francsico but a little cooler with temperatures mostly staying in the 70's F. If you're walking through the wood in the early morning or in the late afternoon you'll likely see fog and it's recommended that you bring appropriate cold weather clothes such as sweaters as it can get chilly with the dense tree cover.