San Francisco Hotels & Tourism

Rollercoaster streets, countless countercultures, salt-lick breeze.

Birthed by the 19th-century gold rush, this hurly-burly 'City by the Bay' may call to mind hippies, cable cars and the Golden Gate. Modern reality is more edgy: bohemian artists, high-tech entrepreneurs, ecoactivists and foodies.

The treats of San Fran are not just for locals. The basic pleasures of life - innovative food, sparkling nightlife and those glorious views - are here for everyone. Watch the white fog fill the Golden Gate as the sunset lights up the windows across the bay, and prepare to leave your heart here.

San Francisco covers the tip of a 50km (30mi) peninsula in northern California, with the Pacific Ocean on its western side and the San Francisco Bay to the north and east. San Fran is actually just one of many cities in the Bay Area; others include Oakland (east across the Bay Bridge), Berkeley (just north of Oakland) and San Jose (an hour's drive southeast of San Francisco, near the southern tip of the bay). Marin County and the Wine Country lie to the north, across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The most touristed part of the city resembles a slice of pie, with Van Ness Ave and Market St making the two sides and the Embarcadero the round edge. The steaming toppings of this homebaked slice are the classy shops around Union Square, the highrise Financial District, the classy Civic Center, the down-and-out but up-and-coming Tenderloin, swanky Nob Hill and Russian Hill, Chinatown, North Beach and the epicentre of tourist kitsch, Fisherman's Wharf. To the south of Market St lies SoMa, an upwardly mobile warehouse zone of clubs and bars that fades in the southwest into the Mission - the city's Latino quarter - and then the Castro, the centre of gay life.

The vast swathe from Van Ness Ave west to the Pacific Ocean encompasses upscale neighbourhoods like the Marina and Pacific Heights, ethnically diverse zones like the Richmond and Sunset Districts and the self-conscious timewarp of Haight-Ashbury. Three of the city's great parklands - the Presidio, Lincoln Park and Golden Gate Park - are also in this area.

Welcome to San Francisco, California! Enjoy the vibrant street life, and then retreat to the peace and quiet of your San Francisco hotel, motel, B&B, San Francisco resort or even budget hostel. There are great San Francisco accommodation options for couples, singles, families and even those visiting for business. Whether you’re visiting San Francisco as part of a longer holiday in the USA, as part of a trip around California, or as a single-destination holiday, you’ll find some of the USA's best sights, experiences and hotels. Enjoy the amazing Golden Gate Bridge and the famous Alcatraz, go shopping in Haight Ashbury, and sample the famous Chinese, Mexican, sushi and vegetarian food for a unique San Francisco experience. Wherever you’re staying, hotels.com.au offers a huge range of San Francisco hotels and San Francisco accommodation options.