San Francisco Bay Area
A crimson bridge, cable carriages, a sparkling bay and streets lined with elegant Victorian homes, San Francisco is undeniably one of the world’s great cities. Located in Northern California at the state’s distinctive bend in the coast, the region has an alluring magic that stretches beyond the bay to diverse cities with nightlife and trend-setting cuisine. The Bay Area is also home to some of the world’s finest wine country, including Napa Valley and Sonoma, plus waterfront towns, dramatic beaches and the tech-savvy southern end of the Bay known as the Silicon Valley, where lunchtime ideas at Google, Facebook and Apple, turn into the next brilliant innovation.
The City of San Francisco
It may measure less than 50 square miles, but San Francisco justly ranks as one of the greatest cities in the world. Famous for grand-dame Victorians, classic cable cars, dynamic diversity, a beautiful waterfront and a soaring crimson bridge, the ‘City by the Bay’ truly has it all. Trend-setting cuisine ranging from Michelin-starred dining to outrageous food vans; world-renowned symphony, ballet, theatre and opera; plus almost boundless outdoor adventures, San Francisco justifiably stands out as one of the ultimate must-sees on any traveller’s wish list.
Napa & Sonoma
Cradling California’s most famous wine country, these two world-famous wine regions, both about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, boast rolling hills planted with some of the most coveted grapes in the world. Napa Valley reigns as the land of grand estates, expansive tasting rooms, quaint towns and elegant accommodation, many lining the celebrated Silverado Trail. Sonoma County tends to have a more intimate feel, especially as you head further north towards the Russian River. Whether they’re in a castle or renovated barn, the hundreds of wineries in Napa and Sonoma Valleys earn their gold medals and international accolades.
When to visit? Each season has its charms: spring brings brilliant green new grape leaves and lush hillsides, and fields of yellow mustard add brilliant contrast. Summer warms up, both with events and crowds, so start your day early to avoid both. Autumn brings the crush, and vineyards bustle with workers in the vineyards and the wineries. Winter brings a cool hush—insiders know this is a time to snag reservations at the region’s Michelin-starred, in-demand restaurants, shop for holiday gifts in spruced-up towns and relax in peace at luxurious spas.
Oakland
It’s been called ‘San Francisco’s Brooklyn’ and San Francisco’s sister city, just across the water in the East Bay region, has the same kind of historic twists, beautiful views and exploding food and wine scene as that New York borough. Diverse, dynamic, arty, edgy—Oakland invites you to add a colourful twist to your Bay Area adventures. An influx of young locals, drawn not only by the vibe but by the city’s lower rents, have moved into lofts and condos in the town centre, and so have come the single-pour coffee bars, cafes, galleries and clubs, too. Lower costs in the East Bay have also lured chefs—both established big names and new-gen kitchen whiz kids—to open restaurants here, in settings ranging from splashy Art Deco (Flora) to sleek hipster chic (Plum).
Silicon Valley
Welcome to California’s tech-centric brain pool. Wrapping around the south end of San Francisco Bay, the communities collectively known as Silicon Valley are home base for the heart and soul of computer technology, including silicon chip technology, computer design, apps and Apples, smart phones—smart everything. Some companies are so big and so influential that their names have become part of our vocabulary (if you don’t believe us, just Google it). Hike or bike a trail and overhear the next big idea. Visit a museum that blinks and buzzes with what-if technology. And enjoy the riches of a booming economy, with performance spaces, high-end shopping, and multi-starred restaurants.
Santa Cruz
This ultra-mellow beach town has a decided split personality—and both sides are cool. First, there’s the woo-hoo family fun of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a yesteryear-style esplanade lined with classic roller coasters, arcade games, corn dogs and a historic carousel. Then there’s the downtown Santa Cruz, where local college students browse for vintage and boho chic, and relaxed restaurants focus on organic, local ingredients.
But at its heart, Santa Cruz is a surf town. This is where the sport was originally introduced in the U.S., and top surfers know that the place to be is Steamer Lane. Need more proof? Nearby lives Jack O’Neill legendary surfer and force behind the O’Neill empire, pioneer of the wetsuit and elder statesman of everything surf in the Golden State.
San Jose
The first hit of this city’s unmistakable techy-ness starts right off the bat—if you get here by plane. Meet Space Observer, a 26-foot white-and-chrome robot that welcomes you to Terminal B at ultra-modern Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport. But even if you don’t get the meet-and-greet from the big guy at the airport, you’ll find plenty of other ways to experience the dramatic rebirth of California’s third largest city as Silicon Valley’s urban hub. The town centre is packed with worthy destinations, like ultra-hands-on The Tech Museum), and light and airy San Jose Museum of Art. De Anza Hotel is an Art Deco gem, while the SAP Center, which draws headline entertainers and is home to the San Jose Sharks NHL franchise, is a glassy modern palace.
And of course, there was life before silicon chips. Learn about San José’s rich agricultural and impressive ethnic roots at the expansive campus of History San José, on the south-east side of town.
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