Pixar cruisers--walk to Ghirardelli in SF

[CeCeGarrett]

We spent 3 nights at the Kimpton Argonaut hotel right across from Maritime Museum....loved the whole area andenjoyed walking past all the old ships.... we walked down to the pier with the sea lions and to the boat to Alcatraz from the hotel...perfect location for exploring wharf area and attractions. Loved that hotel. They have "deck chairs" in the atrium just like on the ships so I felt right at home!!!

If anyone wants to stay at a great hotel near Fisherman's Wharf...this hotel was fantastic. Complimentary wi-fi and wine parties in the evening, a block from Ghiridelli's and right next to the cable turnaround....loved it as it is all nautical themed....rooms were so cozy.

http://www.argonauthotel.com/

MJ

TOTALLY agree with this hotel choice. Also, if you have princesses in your party or super finer things loving Moms , High Tea at the Fairmont is not to be missed.. and it's a super short UPHILL hike to Chinatown. The High Tea is AMAZING.

 

[jlmarr]

TOTALLY agree with this hotel choice. Also, if you have princesses in your party or super finer things loving Moms , High Tea at the Fairmont is not to be missed.. and it's a super short UPHILL hike to Chinatown. The High Tea is AMAZING.

I happened to walk past it while on the cruise last week. Great location. I like the pith helmets on the doorman: http://goo.gl/maps/C8g0d

 

[DMMarla07860]

I've been to SF twice, once on a cruise and once not on a cruise both times walked here from about where the ship docked. For my dad and myself it was a easy walk. If you can't walk good or have trouble walking it might not be east, but for us it was

 

[pudinhd]

Hey, Everyone! We are 4 months out from the repo cruise from LA to Vancouver and are working on our plans. I did some research on Google Maps to plot a walking route from the port to Pier 39 & the Aquarium, then to Ghirardelli Square, then to Lombard Street, on to the Disney Store, and back to the ship. The total walking time is about 1 hour 45 minutes. Obviously, we would spend time at the Aquarium and do some shopping at the Disney Store. I have never been to San Francisco before, so I don't if this is a realistic plan. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[Meghatron]

Hey, Everyone! We are 4 months out from the repo cruise from LA to Vancouver and are working on our plans. I did some research on Google Maps to plot a walking route from the port to Pier 39 & the Aquarium, then to Ghirardelli Square, then to Lombard Street, on to the Disney Store, and back to the ship. The total walking time is about 1 hour 45 minutes. Obviously, we would spend time at the Aquarium and do some shopping at the Disney Store. I have never been to San Francisco before, so I don't if this is a realistic plan. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!! Thank you!

If you're spending any time at Disneyland before the repo, I would do Ghirardelli there and skip it in SF. The DCA shop has all the same stuff plus a custom menu board that lights up and has mechanical animations for the signature sundaes. The SF shop USED to have a factory you could tour, but that's not there anymore, just other stores. I walked my whole family there expecting the factory and it was nothing but a mall with an ice cream/chocolate shop. So disappointing.

 

[gunka]

Walking around the waterfront is easy, as it is flat. If you need to head into the city you may encounter large hills. We used a combination of the Street Cars and Cable Cars to tour the city. The Cable Car dropped us off near Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli's. We had an easy stroll back to the Ship. The Street Cars are easy to ride and not crowded. The Cable Cars are a real tourist attraction so they are very crowded. We waited over a 1/2 hour to board, were as the Street Car we got in the first one - no wait.

 

[Wshop]

Tips - (1) the Exploratorium is currently closed as it is moving to Pier 15 (closer than its old location and opening mid-April 2013); you can take the street car there and while there the Ferry Building is a also nice to visit; (2) the cable car musem in Nob Hill, while small was a hit with my little guy; (3) you can spend hours at Pier 39, for older kids, buy discount 7D experience tickets ahead of time on the internet/ditto with Ripley's; (4) the Disney Museum is very unique and is not geared towards young children but I would say 5/6 years old and above would enjoy it; (5) the Academy of Sciences Aquarium (cab ride to golden gate park) is head and shoulders above the Acquarium by the pier.

 

[algae]

If you want local artisan chocolate, check out Tcho at Pier 19. Short walk from the cruise terminal away from the tourist areas. Maybe not as glamorous as Ghirardelli, but great chocolate and tours of a working chocolate factory.

 

[lilpooh108]

I lived in SF for a few years. From Pier 39 to Ghiradelli's square that is just about the most flat terrained scenic walk you can really have in SF.

After Ghiradelli's square you can take a bus to North Beach/Little Italy and have some yummy Italian food....yummmmm......

What fun! Wish I was going

 

[pudinhd]

Thank you!!!! You guys are extremely helpful! We have been able to narrow down our choices of activities!

I am not extremely interested in the Academy of Sciences and am wondering why DCL doesn't have a shore excursion for it. Would a cab be the best way to get there? I saw that it's about 25 minutes from the port. Thanks again!!

Also, any thoughts on the Duck Tours? We've never done one before.

 

[MAJPLO]

The Academy of Sciences is definitely a better aquarium than the one at the wharf but it is pretty expensive at about $29 per adult. It is relatively small and easy to do leisurely within two hours. Definitely cab is best. Check the times of events for your day of the week ahead of time to maximize your trip.

The Ferry Building is great for local foods for a snack or light lunch.

Your walking plan sounds perfectly doable but there really won't be anything special about the Disney store that you can't find elsewhere unless you are looking for San Francisco themed disney gear.

The street performers and "peddlers" will not bother you for tips. They stand there and do their act with their can/hat/jar in front of them. The "bushman" is funny to watch and that is the most I have ever been approached by anyone in that area and I've lived in the Bay Area for twenty years.

Depending on the ages in your group Alcatraz tours are very popular as well. The Disney Family museum is not good for kids. Lots of history, lots of walking, lots of reading.

 

[valee]

Thanks for mentioning the tea at the Fairmont - it sounds great. We were already planning on splurging for the tea at Butchart Gardens, and now have another place to get our scone fix.
Based on the info in this thread, I'm thinking we may just hit Ghiradelli at DCA before we leave, go to the Disney Family museum by public transport one day, and walk to the new location of the Exploratorium on the other day, and catch tea at the Fairmont.

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

We were on the last Pixar cruise and since we had previously been to San Francisco on the DCL Repo cruise in April 2011 - we wanted to see more of the city. On our last visit we went to Alcatraz, Disney Family Museum and a private city tour arranged by a friend for our group.

For this trip, I booked the premium city tour with San Francisco Comprehensive Shuttle Tours. It was amazing. I truly feel that I "saw" all the sights of San Francisco. Our tour guide was Jan and she was born and raised in SF and she loved her city. Some of the highlights for me were not only seeing Lombard Street, but walking down the staircase on the side of Lombard Street. We also went to the DeYoung Museum and went to the top floor and saw the most amazing view of the city. We also got to see the painted ladies that I saw every week at the beginning of Full House (I know cheesy, but really fun to see in person)...the tour was jam packed and my Mom and I still talk about it.

Here is a link to their website.

http://www.sanfranshuttletours.com/san_francisco_tours.htm

 

[valbob89]

Hey, Everyone! We are 4 months out from the repo cruise from LA to Vancouver and are working on our plans. I did some research on Google Maps to plot a walking route from the port to Pier 39 & the Aquarium, then to Ghirardelli Square, then to Lombard Street, on to the Disney Store, and back to the ship. The total walking time is about 1 hour 45 minutes. Obviously, we would spend time at the Aquarium and do some shopping at the Disney Store. I have never been to San Francisco before, so I don't if this is a realistic plan. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!! Thank you!

What Google Maps doesn't tell you is the number of hills you will walkto get from the wharf to the Disney Store. Some of them are 15 to 20 degrees steep. If you are up to that, it will be a lovely hike.