What to see in a seven-hour San Francsico stopover

A car is a great way to explore the hills of San Francisco

Tuesday 24 February 2015 20:14 GMT
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Q. Four of us arrive in San Francisco from a cruise on Easter Sunday with seven hours before we need to be at the airport. We will have luggage; one of the party has walking difficulties. Any suggestions? Lesley Whitaker

A. Arrange to be met on arrival by a guide/driver who can pick you up, pack your bags in the trunk, and spend the best part of the day taking you around the highlights. It's a Sunday, so traffic should be light. He or she can start by taking you out across the Golden Gate Bridge; there are several excellent viewpoints, which do not require much walking.

Back in the city, a car is a great way to explore the hills of San Francisco, including a drive down the "crookedest street in the world", as one block of Lombard Street is known. If you want to ride on a cable car, your guide could shadow your journey on this fun form of transport.

On the shore of San Francisco Bay, Fisherman's Wharf will be busy and fun for people watching, but your guide will probably have better ideas about places to eat and drink.

Haight-Ashbury is a fascinating area of alternative lifestyles, and in parts feels as though time has stood still since the 1960s. West of here, a great place to end your visit is out on the ocean at the bar of the Cliff House.

It will not be cheap. The well-regarded Dylan's Tours (dylanstours.com) runs private trips for $110 (£70) per hour. This is the price for up to 14 people, so you could ask others on the cruise to join you and make the per-person price much lower. The firm stresses gratuities are not included, and it would not be unusual to tip the guide $50. But it should be a memorable end to your trip.

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