Pixar cruisers--walk to Ghirardelli in SF

[theggs4ever]

Did anyone walk there? If so, how was it?

Thanks.

 

[minniemoms]

I don't think it's far, but just would like to know just how far.

 

[kristof65]

It depends on what pier the ship is at, but to give you an idea, IIRC from my years in the area, it can take 15-20 minutes to walk from Pier 39 to Ghirardelli. I think the cruise ship piers are a little further away than pier 39, though.

 

[GoofyDisneyDaddy]

It is definitely walkable, and a pretty walk as well, partly along the bay, past pier 39 and the sea lions, and its generally very touristy with shops and what not along the way. Probably a 20-30 min walk.

 

[dittymau]

From where the ship docks there is really neat street trolley that runs along the embarcadero ($2/pp) that will take you the short distance to fisherman's wharf, from there. It is a short walk to ghiradelli square. I also recommend the Buena Vista Cafe nearby for a truly original SF experience, Irish Coffee! BTW, I also recommend a visit to the Disney Museum ($20/pp) for true Disneyphobes...

 

[FOV]

We were just in San Fran this summer and we visited Ghiradelli Square, but not from a cruise ship. It is very close to Fisherman's Wharf. The square itself is tiny. It's a little area with a few shops, including the famous Ghiradelli ice cream parlor. The first time we went there were huge lines to even get into the shops (we were there in July, so a busy tourist time) so we left and came back later. Second time we only waited about 15 minutes to get our ice cream. The sundae was good but of all the things to do in San Fran I would probably skip this and do something else.

If you have kids the Exploratorium is awesome! Even my 14 y/o (the "I hate all museums, all the time" kid) loved it. I had to drag him out of there. We all loved it.

Another thing that we liked was Chinatown. One of my kids favorite things from the whole trip was going to the tiny Chinatown Fortune Cookie factory and getting taste of a warm cookie right off the griddle. The factory is really small but it was interesting and fun to see.

 

[nunzia]

It was super close. We had our cab from the Walt Disney Family Museum drop us off at Ghiardelli for ice crem then strolled back to the ship..slowly on the street, not by the water..and it didn't seem to take long at all. Maybe 10-15 minutes walking slowly and peeking into shops? I think we docked at Pier 35..super quick to Alcatraz also that was at Pier 33. We had the giant Celebrity Millenium docked by us.

 

[caladbolg]

If you have kids the Exploratorium is awesome! Even my 14 y/o (the "I hate all museums, all the time" kid) loved it. I had to drag him out of there. We all loved it.

We did the Exploratorium! Super fun with all the hands-on science exhibits. My 10 year old didn't want to leave. I definitely recommend.

The Wonder docked next door to pier 39. Here's a photo to give you an idea of how close!

 

[BAT]

Nice shot!

 

[jlmarr]

It's about 1.1 miles according to Google Maps. I've created a custom path through the heart of Fisherman's Wharf rather than the most direct path. You can always return via the most direct path, i.e. North Point St.

http://goo.gl/maps/XSp03

...

Be sure to use Street View to get an idea of the inclines involved near Ghirardelli.

 

[jlmarr]

I also recommend the Buena Vista Cafe nearby for a truly original SF experience, Irish Coffee!

Ditto on that. A great Irish coffee. Allegedly it was invented there. Buena Vista is at Beach & Hyde, across the street from the cable car turntable.

BTW, I also recommend a visit to the Disney Museum ($20/pp) for true Disneyphobes...

*Disneyphile

 

[KimnChris]

We did the Exploratorium! Super fun with all the hands-on science exhibits. My 10 year old didn't want to leave. I definitely recommend.

The Wonder docked next door to pier 39. Here's a photo to give you an idea of how close!

Great Pic!

The square is about a 15 min walk - Could take 20 if you have kids.. But an easy non uphill walk, tons to see while your walking..

I highly recommend taking in some bread at the original Boudin bakery.. While walking some things to remember..

A - Street performers / peddlers etc - There will be quite a bit of these guys performing and some even do this hide behind a fake bush and scare you for tips. Just been cautious, but usually nothing to worry about.. Try to avoid if you don't want to get hounded for tips.

B - Taxis and the road - Careful crossing roads and watch out for the taxi's those guys are careless and reckless, stay on the walkways.

C - Pier 39 is pretty awesome just note the food is super expensive. Also the aquarium is pretty cool, but expensive and very short.

KC

 

[ludari]

I walked past Ghirardelli twice on the same day. Not a far walk.

 

[theggs4ever]

Thanks everyone. We will have a 7 year old and a two year old (she is in a stroller). Is the cable car turntable near Ghirardelli?

 

[KimnChris]

Thanks everyone. We will have a 7 year old and a two year old (she is in a stroller). Is the cable car turntable near Ghirardelli?

Yes over by Hyde street there is a turnaround.. Right near the square.

 

[Disneyland Mommy]

We walked there also, and it was extremely easy, and a very flat walk for such a "hilly" city. The only hill we incurred was when you actually get to Ghirardelli Square, you have to walk up a fairly steep hill to get the the actual chocolate shop.

 

[owensamo]

We spent a few days in San Francisco in July, and found that there isn't much at Ghirardelli Square - as someone said, a few shops, and 2 Ice Cream parlors (if the one downstairs is packed, go up and further back in and there's a second, smaller parlour - we found that one first and it was empty). No tour or anything exciting. The Bourdin Bakery does have some kind of tour thing, but it wasn't going on while we were there (we had breakfast *and* lunch there - and I'm tempted to order the Bread of the Month subscription!)

However - if you want chocolate, go to Chocolate Heaven on Pier 39! Oh My Goodness - the name is truly apt! Plenty of Ghirardelli, but they also had their own chocolates, and their blocks of dark and white chocolate were heavenly!

If you walk down by the Hyde Street turnaround park, there's a NPS Maritime Museum that's free to peruse on one of the docks there. There are a lot of really neat ships that they have restored (or are restoring) along with some great views of the Golden Gate bridge.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We're doing the Wonder repositioning cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver next spring. We'll have two days in San Francisco, so we'll probably get our chocolate fix at Ghiardelli Square. I'm also thinking we can do the same thing at the new Ghiardelli shop in Disney's California Adventure before the cruise. hmmm. Maybe we'll do both.

I appreciate the suggestion of taking a taxi from the Disney museum to Ghiardelli Square then walk back to the ship. When DH and I were much(!) younger we walked from one end of San Francisco to the other, right through China Town, looking for authentic Chinese cooking utensils and Chinese cookbooks (in English). Love that city -- just wish we still had the health to do it commando style again.

 

[kkbeaton2]

I was just on the first Pixar cruise, and walked to Ghirardelli Square. It was a quick walk of about 15 minutes (approximately a mile). We walked over there for lunch (an ice cream cone!). We had beautiful weather with no fog either day. It was a lovely visit.

 

[mmouse37]

If you walk down by the Hyde Street turnaround park, there's a NPS Maritime Museum that's free to peruse on one of the docks there. There are a lot of really neat ships that they have restored (or are restoring) along with some great views of the Golden Gate bridge.

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