This is one of San Francisco’s great tourist attractions. The area is easily accessible from the middle of the city by cable car and bus, and is a bustling centre for shops, cafes, galleries and museums.

It looks out to the infamous former prison of Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. Cruises leave from Fisherman’s Wharf to these and other places.

You can also hire bikes here to ride the bridge and come back on the ferry from Sausalito.

Among the big draw cards are

• Madame Tussauds
• The Cartoon Archive
• The Maritme Museum
• Ghirardelli Square: home of the famous chocolate
• The San Francisco Aquarium.