Those lucky enough to live or work in San Francisco understand why it is one of the top tourist destinations. In fact, San Francisco is one of the 100 most visited cities in the world, and attracts the 5^th highest number of foreign visitors of any city in America. One cannot possibly take in all of the sights and sounds the city has to offer, but here are 5 activities that everyone needs to do to enjoy an authentic San Francisco experience.

1) Visit the Haight-Ashbury

Centrally located in the city, Haight-Ashbury district is notable for being the epicenter of the “hippie” movement. The counterculture, steeped in its love of art, psychedelic rock music and sticking it to “the man”, came to ahead in the summer of 1967 when thousands of young men and women converged on the quaint neighborhood to take in concerts and participate in demonstrations. Today the neighborhood still boasts the counterculture aesthetic, but has slowly transformed into a popular shopping hub, offering a mix of unique boutiques, record stores and mainstream shops.

2) Take in Chinatown

[Image Credit: Z & Y Restaurant]

Many large metropolitan areas have a Chinatown, but none are as prolific as San Francisco’s. Established as a port of entry for working-class Chinese immigrants in the 1850’s, Chinatown remains an important epicenter for the Chinese culture in America, with dozens of social clubs, places of worship, shops and restaurants committed to maintaining cultural authenticity. San Francisco’s Chinatown is noted for being the birthplace of westernized Chinese cuisine, bringing dishes like Dim sum to the forefront. If planning a day in Chinatown, prepare for crowds; the district is the most densely populated area of the city.

3) Catch a game at AT&T Park

You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy an afternoon at AT&T Park, the home of the MLB’s 2012, 2014, & 2016 World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Located along the water in the cities China Basin neighborhood, the stadium has been home to the team since 2000, when they moved from the aging Candlestick Park. The beautiful stadium offers gorgeous views of the bay that visitors can take in while scarfing down a helping of the famous garlic fries offered there.

4) Fisherman’s Wharf

Another heavily visited area, Fisherman’s Wharf has so many things to do it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Established as the home base for seafood in the mid to late 1800’s, mainly by immigrant fisherman from Italy, the Wharf is still dozens of great seafood restaurants that serve fresh crab, lobster rolls, and clam chowder. The Wharf is also home to floating museums like the USS Pampanito, a World War II-era submarine. Most visitors converge at Pier 39, which features the Aquarium of the Bay, the famous sea lion enclave, and serves as the launching point for ferries to other surrounding Bay Area communities.

[Image Credit: Bistro Boudin]

5) Take a stroll through Golden Gate Park

Need a break from all the hustle and bustle downtown? Then a relaxing afternoon in the San Francisco’s largest park is right up your alley. Stretching over three miles long, thousands of visitors visit the park each year to enjoy the trails, lakes, and trees abound. The park is also home to great museums like the De Young and the Academy of Sciences, as well as the Japanese Tea Garden (the oldest in the US). After at day at the park, there is no better way to end it than a meal at the Beach Chalet, a great restaurant at the north end of the park that offers breathtaking views of the ocean

Canada is a fascinating place to visit, a land that has so much variety within it’s borders and a country far bigger than many think. From busy cities, beautiful landscapes, rugged mountains, icy towns and bilingual locals, Canada has something for everyone and here are our top 4 picks for what to do in the land of the mounties.

Niagara Falls

This monstrous waterfall tops this list, technically 3 waterfalls in one, Niagara sits across the US and the Canadian border and is a natural wonder. There are several options available to see the best of the falls, you can admire them from a distance on the streets of Toronto, take a bus tour around the falls, jump on one of the boats that sail around the bottom of the falls ( remember your waterproof coat) or you can even head on a tour underneath the falls in an underground tunnel. Don’t miss this incredible waterfall when you head to Canada.

Hit the Piste

Such is Canada’s proximity to the Arctic Circle and it’s rugged mountains, it makes for the perfect place to go skiing and several resorts in the north exist solely for this reason. If you want to go skiing in Canada the top resorts are Whistler, which was used during the Winter Olympics, Banff, which also has one of the World’s largest film festivals each year and Panorama mountain village, a resort that also has fantastic biking and golfing options. If you like to ski or would like to try it out then Canada is the perfect place for you.

Visit Vancouver

Vancouver is arguably the coolest city in Canada, a beautifully located city that sits on the West Coast right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by mountains. The city is a great place to spend some of your time in Canada, a city with a vibrant art scene that can be felt through the streets bars and restaurants and a city that offers visitors countless activities to see and do. There are huge open spaces where you can partake in sporting activities, museums like the Science Centre and the Museum of Anthropology to visit and plenty of live music and art shows taking place every night for you to have some fun.

Dine at the CN Tower

At  the time of it’s creation in 1976, Toronto’s CN tower was the World’s largest building standing at a huge 553 metres, the building has since been beaten to this elusive record but it is still an incredible building and one that you should try and visit. At the top of the tower there is a revolving restaurant and dining there is an absolute must. As you sit and spin you will have the greatest views possible of the city including the monstrous Niagara Falls. The food is fantastic in the restaurant and offers fusion style cuisine that has been inspired from all of the World. This is a great opportunity for you to dine in a type of restaurant that you really won’t find anywhere else in the World.

Florida is one of the World’s most visited holiday destinations, a state that is packed with things to do for everyone and anyone and should really be seen to be believed. Florida has become especially attractive to families over the last 20 years owing to it’s incredible array of theme parks and child friendly attractions, it’s also worth noting that there is plenty here for all tourists. If you’re heading to the Sunshine State this year then here are our top picks for places to go and see.

Disneyworld

This list simply wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the most famous theme park in the World, Disneyworld. This mecca for family entertainment is split into 4 main parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom which collectively gives visitors one of the largest varieties of theme park fun than you’ll find anywhere in the World. Kids will love to see the characters from their favourite films and parents will love the rides, don’t leave Florida before visiting Disneyworld.

Everglades

The Everglades are a huge region of wetlands in Florida that houses thousands of species of animals and incredible varieties of flora for you to see. The best way to travel through the Everglades is on a hover boat which you can rent with a driver to truly witness the best of this area of Florida. You can see Alligators, reptiles, birds and large cats amongst many other species. When you’re in the Everglades it feels as though you’re in an entirely different continent and you should try your best to spend some time there when you go to Florida.

Kennedy Space Centre

The JFK Space Centre in Florida is an active launch site for US missions into space with a fantastic visitor centre. If you are in luck then you may well be able to catch the launch of a shuttle although this doesn’t happen too frequently. Regardless, you will have a fantastic time in the space centre learning about the history of space travel and seeing artefacts from previous space missions and things collected from space, there is even a space simulator here for you to fulfil those dreams of being an astronaut.

 

Sea World

On the outskirts of Florida is the aquatic theme park Sea World, a huge complex that gives visitors the chance to see some incredible marine life all in one place. The park has several rollercoasters along with other attractions like dolphin and whale shows. You can easily spend a day or two in the park and learn about these incredible aquatic creatures. The killer whale show is the most famous here but one of the best attractions is the Shark Encounter, an underwater tunnel that allows you to see sharks and barracudas up close. To make things easier for places like SeaWorld I’d recommend that you get your Florida park tickets in advance online.

Miami Beach

A visit to Miami Beach is well worth doing when you’re in Florida, not only is this a beautiful beach with scorching temperatures, but it is also one of the liveliest regions in Florida. Famed for it’s beautiful people, wearing designer clothing and stylish sunglasses such as Oakley sunglasses, the beach is packed with bars, restaurants, clubs and juice bars and there is always something going on. Miami has a great deal of money in it and it’s a great place to people watch and see some of the incredible cars that drive around these parts.

Regardless of whether you are an adult or a child, Disney World in Florida is a magical place that will fill you with excitement, fun and wonder. The complex covers almost 30,000 acres of land and within it’s walls are theme parks, adventures, hotels, restaurants, bars and live shows. The park features four main theme parks, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdom and the Hollywood Studios. The vastness of the park means that it can be difficult to see it all so here are my top 5 slightly different things that you simply must do on a visit to Disney World.

Go Diving

In the Epcot theme park they offer an experience called DiveQuest which gives you the chance to SCUBA dive into a 5.7 million-gallon saltwater tank. During the 3 hour tour you will dive around the Caribbean Reef’s and have the opportunity to swim with dolphins, sea turtles and sharks, quite an incredible experience and all while you are still inside a theme park. If you are SCUBA certified then this is an opportunity you can’t miss out on.

Enjoy a Campfire

Chip n’ Dale’s Sing-a-Long campfire takes place at 7pm each night near the Meadow Trading Post during the Autumn and Winter months, just as the sun is going down. These organised campfires are a perfect end to the day for families and couples alike. The organiser will start the sing-a-longs, keep the fire burning and hand out marshmallows for you to toast on the roaring fire. There is something about a campfire that is incredibly relaxing which is just what you’ll need after a day at Disney World.

Learn to Surf

At Disney’s Typhoon Water Park they have an enormous wave pool which simulates waves large enough to surf on. Surfing lessons are offered everyday for guests aged 8 and over and for a variety of skill levels, whether you are a beginner or you’ve done it once or twice, the lessons on the wave pool are a must. The pool can produce waves of up to 6 foot which may seem daunting at first but once you’ve tried and bailed a few times, you’ll soon be able to take them on.

Dinner and a Movie

The AMC Movie Theatre now offers 6 ‘dine-in’ movie theatres where you and the family can sit down for a fun movie and have your meal at your seat. The range of food is your standard burgers, fries, hot dogs and pizzas and adults can enjoy an alcoholic beverage if they wish as well. There is a service button on each seat so if you’re in need of a top up or an extra order or fries, the staff will be on hand to provide you with them so that you don’t miss any of the movie.

Go Racing

There are two experiences at the Walt Disney World Speedway that allow you drive either an exotic car around it’s track or a NASCAR race car at top speed around the ring. The Richard Petty NASCAR experience gives you the chance to drive one of the racing machines for between 8-50 laps depending on your choice and the Exotic Driving Experience gives you a range of high end sports cars to show off your skills.

Regardless of what you decide to do here I would encourage you to buy your Disney World tickets early, as you can imagine the popularity of the park means that you might miss out on some things that you wanted to do and also buying tickets early can offer save you plenty of money and hassle.