23 Dec Tip #6: Avoid the tourist traps

Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley; world-famous, amazingly underwhelming.

Fisherman’s Wharf is just a tourist trap with expensive cafees and restaurants, crowded piers, and bad public transport. I came, I gave it a chance, and I left. The sea lions are cool, and you can visit the Buena Vista Café (the origin of the Irish Coffee), but apart from that: Just stay away – there’s so many better places to be in and around San Francisco.

Union Square is not a bad place, it’s just crowded, surrounded by over-priced and underwhelming restaurants, too much people – both locals and tourists, and is just a hectic place. Go there if something fun is happening, but stay away in general. If you want good food, don’t get off at Powell Station (close to Union Square). If you want to take in San Francisco, go to The Mission, The Castro, the amazing parks, Tenderloin (it’s not as scary as people say), or just any other area of San Francisco. Yes, take some pictures in the city centre, but if you’re staying for more than a week, Union Square and the middle of downtown San Francisco is not the place to be.

Golden Gate Bridge is a bridge. It is orange.

Napa Valley is just an expensive version of Sonoma Valley. If you want to experience good wine, or just get shit-faced in the middle of the day, Napa Valley is the most expensive and underwhelming one. If you want great wine, without paying triple the price, look up some of the smaller wine areas – or just go to Sonoma (even though this area is getting more famous and expensive as well).

In general, when staying in San Francisco for a semester, a year, or several years, the touristy areas are places to visit once, maybe twice.

– Hans-Olav