The first thing you gonna hear is "Wow, sea lions!" in all possible languages. And as you the view of the pier would open, you are bound to have the same reaction. Yeah, that's them!Playing, fighting, sleeping, interacting- and all that without any cages or borders. Going up the stairs on the upper terrace you can find the center which deals with making researches and counting their quantity in the bay at the moment in time. Definitely, this is a unique place to watch those creatures in their natural habitat!
Taxi-drivers know this place very well, but you can also use tram 'F'- a very typical and colorful transport of San Francisco. Bus '39' also has its stop here. If you are driving a car- keep in mind that parking is a huge problem and you can either come here in the early morning or better go directly on the paid parking. That's why it is better to get here by other means of transport.
San Francisco is famous for its fogs and wet climate and the temperature may rise up to 25 C in winter or go down till +10 in summer, so I do recommend you to take both: sunhats and sunglasses, as well as umbrellas and warm coats.
What is near to Pier 39:
What is near to Pier 39:
- San Francisco Aquarium;
- The Coit Tower with its picturesque panoramic view on the whole city opens (take Bus 39); Boudin Bakery, where the bread of all shapes and forms is produced and bakers can communicate with the customers by the special glass window facing the street.
Money matters:
The access to the Pier is free.
Pieces of Advice:
- It is better to observe lions from the upper terrace as the view would not be obstructed by the crowd and if you have a lens, which is powerful enough, the photos would be even better.
- The bayside is the second center of the city and there is a huge number of restaurants on all tastes and budgets. You may try a variety of dishes with shrimps in 'Bubba Gump- famous for being a favorite place of Forest Gump (you want to miss it- the posters and adverts are everywhere); clam chowder- a soup with a crab meat, which is very special for this place and is served practically in any restaurant, as well as chocolate shops are not to be missed!
- If you enjoyed chocolates and sweets sold here, better go to the seaside shops, which are in 5 minutes walk from the pier (in both directions)- the prices are lower, but the quality is the same.