About San Francisco and the Bay Area
San Francisco is a popular tourist destination, known for its crisp summer fog, lofty rolling hills, diverse mix of architecture, and its many famous landmarks. San Francisco’s distinctive climate is known for being very mild year-round, with a cool Mediterranean feel. Since it is surrounded by water on three sides, the weather is influenced by the chilled currents of the Pacific Ocean.
When in San Francisco, there is never a dull moment. With its many attractions and visitor and local spots, there is always something to do. View the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and visit the Golden Gate Park, which is a haven for outdoor admirers. Take a trip to the infamous Alcatraz Island, where you can take a guided tour of the facility and learn about its vast history. For the wine connoisseurs, there are many wineries in the area with various wine tours available.
Enjoy close encounters with sea lions at Pier 39, which also boasts many restaurants, shops, attractions, street performers and events.
For the adventurers, be sure to make a stop at Fisherman’s Wharf. Here, you can take the San Francisco Bay cruise that takes passengers on a sea voyage around Alcatraz, Angel Island and under the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. You can also rent a bike to get around the vast wharf, go sport fishing on the bay, visit the Maritime Museum or just stroll through the shops and stop for a meal of local seafood specialties.
Be sure to visit the variety of neighborhoods in San Francisco. Watch fortune cookies being made in Chinatown, travel through Mission District; San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood, and Union Square; a shoppers mecca!
This is just a small preview of what you will find in San Francisco.
Silicon Valley is in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology companies including Apple, Cisco, Google, HP, Intel and Oracle. The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually came to refer to all the high-tech businesses in the area; it is now generally used as a metonym for the American high-tech sector. Despite the development of other high-tech economic centers throughout the United States and the world, Silicon Valley continues to be the leading hub for high-tech innovation and development, accounting for 1/3 of all of the venture capital investment in the United States.