San Fran is one of the top spots to pay a visit for those travelling the USA – for us, it makes for the perfect city to end The Full Coyote Tour. We fit as much as we can into 2 days there but, if you’ve got time to spare after the trip, take a look at this guide on how to spend an extra day in San Francisco.

Coffee by the Bay

Start the day with a relaxing cup of joe close to the Golden Gate Bridge area of the bay. If you don’t manage to get a café right on the water that’s okay (just take a short walk along the front beforehand!). Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, Saint Frank, and Caffe Trieste are some of our personal favourites in the area.

Chinatown (and a few others)

You’ll find yourself conveniently placed in a few of the city’s cultural neighbourhoods – especially the its famous Chinatown. If you want to do a bit of exploring, take a walk around Little Italy and Japan Town first. Then, a walk around Chinatown is an absolute must. You can make sure you see its best bits with self-guided tours on apps which are definitely worth it. Take the chance to see where the fortune cookie was created (if you didn’t know, that’s not actually a Chinese invention).

Chinatown then makes for an ideal spot to grab lunch, pick a restaurant you walk past plus, if you want some food tips, check out our San Francisco food guide.

The Presidio

Once a military stronghold in the city, today The Presidio is a sprawling national park. You can head on some great bike trails or just relax on the grass. If you want to learn and make the most of the park then start off at the Presidio Visitor Center for a bit of orientation. While you’re there, we’d recommend heading over to the Palace of Fine Arts to have a look at one of most beautiful pieces of architecture in the city, with its design dating back to 1915.

Dinner Time

San Francisco is a melting pot of different cuisines to try. We’ve written a food guide to help you with that. Head back over to Little Italy (cioppino is a San Fran must-try dish) or Japan Town to browse their restaurants. If you just fancy something cheap and light then there are plenty of places to grab a bite when you’re walking around this area of the city.

Last Night on the Town

One last drink to say goodbye (or maybe 3). There are lots of places to go out to party in San Francisco but our favourite is the Mission District. The area combines affordable prices with that authentic local flare, which is what we’re all about. Relax with a drink before partying in either The Spots cocktail bar or get a drink and some light food at True Laurel.

When you’re ready to go for a more party vibe there are a few places we’d recommend. If you’re feeling rough and ready to party then Delirium is worth a visit. It’s a dive bar that’s cheap and hosts dance parties in a backroom. Note: this is very different to a fancy cocktail bar. If you want somewhere truly San Francisco then check out Balançoire. The bar is home to latin music, stand-up comedy, dance parties, and top notch drag performances. Balançoire is the city’s culture all squeezed into one bar. Alternatively, if you’d rather find places for yourself, just take a stroll down Valencia Street and you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Ready to travel to America? You can discover the delights of the West Coast on our West Coast America Budget Tour, Canyons to California tour or the Full Coyote. Drop us a message in the chat box below or send us an email at info@thecoyotetrip.com to find out more!

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