San Francisco is both a top travel destination and one of the most expensive cities in the country. Consider staying in the motel district in the Marina or Cow Hollow neighborhoods instead of the more expensive downtown hotel district. Ask your lodger to help you get a public transportation pass for your stay instead of taking cabs or expensive tours. Here are some real deals that are free--and awesome.
Golden Gate Park
One of the country's great public parks, Golden Gate Park stretches from the west side of San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean. The park is full of paved and unpaved paths for walking, jogging, cycling or skating. Check out the park on a Sunday afternoon when the main drive closes to traffic. Skaters, cyclists and people taking Sunday afternoon strolls take over the wide central road. While in the park don't miss the Bison preserve in the central part of the park or the windmills on the far western end. For a budget-priced meal near the park, try the Inner Sunset neighborhood along Irving Street just two blocks from the park.
View of the Bay
San Francisco rests on 44 different hills, 14 of them the original hills on which the city was first built. Combine a good, steep walking workout with the chance to see one of the best views of the San Francisco Bay and the city itself. Start in the North Beach neighborhood. Take in the shops, bakeries, coffee houses and restaurants of San Francisco's version of Little Italy. Take Filbert Street all the way up to the top of Telegraph Hill for fantastic views of the city and bay. While at the top of Telegraph Hill, visit Coit Tower, a local landmark.
Golden Gate Bridge
The best view of the city and the San Francisco Bay is from the sidewalk on the Golden Gate Bridge. Best of all, it's free. To get there, go to the Golden Gate Bridge Visitors Center and walk on to the bridge. The walk back and forth is almost three miles. Bring a jacket because the winds from the ocean can sometimes be brisk.
The Marina Green and the Golden Gate Promenade
One of the most beautiful urban coastal paths in the country runs along the shore of the bay from the Marina neighborhood all the way to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Start your hike, jog or ride from the Marina Green, a small park with a jogging path. This path connects to the Golden Gate Promenade which will take you along the shore of the bay. Take in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the headlands on the other side. Stop in Crissy Field along the Promenade to fly a kite or just watch.
Hike the Presidio
The Presidio is a former military base that dates back to the 18th Century. Now a mixed-use public and private park, the area has some great hiking trails with some steep inclines. Get a map of the Presidio and chart out a hike. You can go all the way to the coast line through the paths of the Presidio, all the while surrounded by ancient oak trees and fresh coastal air.
Catch a Sunset
Although some hotels in town will boast that they have great views of the sunset, the best places to catch the sun setting over the Pacific are actually free. Catch the sunset with the sound of the tide at Ocean Beach on the western end of Golden Gate Park. Or, if you take that walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, time it so you are smack dab in the middle of the bridge as the sun goes down. You won't forget it.
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