{"id":353,"date":"2017-05-03T15:42:55","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T15:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jupiter.ourgoogle.in\/projects\/sftodo\/?page_id=353"},"modified":"2017-12-04T11:11:01","modified_gmt":"2017-12-04T11:11:01","slug":"fishermans-wharf-san-francisco","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/fishermans-wharf-san-francisco\/","title":{"rendered":"Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf San Francisco California Is A Blatant Tourist Trap"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content\">\n<p align=\"center\" class=\"heading\">San Francisco&#8217;s Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf: Tourist Trap<\/p>\n<div class=\"right\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"fishermans wharf sf\" border=\"0\" height=\"327\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/fishermans-wharf-san-francisco-crowds.jpg\" width=\"436\"><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><i>Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf is Hardly a &#8220;Hidden Hotspot&#8221;&#8230;<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\">Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf is San Francisco&#8217;s most popular destination and features the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/pier39\/pier39_san_francisco.html\">Pier 39 shopping \/ restuarant mall<\/a>. A long coastal row of seafood <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/food.html\">restaurants<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/sftravel.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/07\/clam-chowder-fishermans-wharf.html\">clam chowder stands<\/a>, and souvenir stores is combined with a major fishing pier. The wharf can be reached by cable car from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/union.html\">Union Square<\/a>. Most <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/ferry.html\">ferry rides<\/a> take off from here to scenic Marin County and tours to Alcatraz. While popular, you may want to avoid a stay of over a few hours in Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf if you dislike crowds and &#8220;tourist traps&#8221;. However, Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf is great for a 1-2 hour (daytime) stop for fresh sourdough, seafood, and souvenirs for your friends back home. I also love riding on the $25 charter sail <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/boats.html\">boats<\/a> that leave from the wharf.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf really sucks, but you&#8217;ll go anyway &#8212; I guarantee it. Everybody who visits wants to come to this San Francisco landmark gone sour. The best thing is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sealionsfishermanswharf.html\">sea lions<\/a> on the side of a vile mall called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/pier39\/pier39_san_francisco.html\">Pier 39<\/a>. There are a zillion sea lions and they bark and make noise a lot. It&#8217;s cool (the sea lions). But this area (the wharf) teems with tourists, crowds, rip-off artists, flim-flam&#8217;s, scams, and those extremely annoying people who offer to write you a ticket for having the best smile. Hold onto your wallet here and get out quick. You&#8217;ll realize quickly you&#8217;ve made a wrong turn, but the temptation to come is almost unavoidable.<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<style>.example_responsive_1 { width: 280px; height: 90px; }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 500px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 468px; height: 90px; } }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 800px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 1170px; height: 90px; } }\n   <\/style>\n<p>   <ins class=\"adsbygoogle example_responsive_1\"\n   style=\"display:block;margin:0 auto;background:transparent; overflow:hidden\"\n   data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6725039255769208\"\n   data-ad-slot=\"4557221221\"><\/ins><br \/>\n   <script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n   <\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"left\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fishermans Wharf\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/fishermans-wharf-crowd-1.jpg\" width=\"481\"><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><i>Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf Central &#8211; Junction of Tourism Crowds<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\"><b><span style=\"background-color: #FFFF00\">Top 5 Reasons Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf Sucks:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">1.) <b>Crowds<\/b>, crowds, crowds. Pushy, rude tourists overflow the wharf streets. If you want an intimate or unique experience &#8212; this is not the place to go.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">2.) <b>Parking:<\/b> The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/park.html\">Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf parking<\/a> charges $6 per hour up to a maximum of $30. There are few or no discount places for parking and street parking is a joke.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">3.) <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/fishgood.html\">Activities<\/a>:<\/b> The basic Wharf scam is that people come for the Alcatraz tours, and end up with huge waits (up to all day) &#8211; and get stuck shopping and &#8220;dining&#8221;. Here&#8217;s our best tip &#8211; you want the boat ride &#8211; the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/metreon.html\">shopping<\/a> is a waste of time and the restaurants&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..(see below!)<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">4.) <b>Awful Food:<\/b> If I wanted to set up a restaurant to charge the highest prices &#8212; for the worst food &#8212; with a captive audience &#8212; Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf would be at the top of my list. If you think you are dealing with a family fisherman&#8217;s restaurant taking fish out of the Bay and onto your plate &#8212; you&#8217;re in for a rude &#8212; and expensive awakening. Make sure you know what you&#8217;re getting from the <a href=\"http:\/\/sftravel.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/07\/clam-chowder-fishermans-wharf.html\">clam chowder<\/a> stands, we review and rank them all.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">5.) <b>Scams:<\/b> From flocks of panhandlers to a variety of questionable charitable organizations; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/timeshare-san-francisco.html\">timeshare<\/a> marketers; etc.; etc. &#8212; this is the place to get talked out of your money. Be wary at the Wharf and hold onto your wallet.<\/p>\n<style>.example_responsive_1 { width: 280px; height: 90px; }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 500px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 468px; height: 90px; } }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 800px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 1170px; height: 90px; } }\n   <\/style>\n<p>   <ins class=\"adsbygoogle example_responsive_1\"\n   style=\"display:block;margin:0 auto;background:transparent; overflow:hidden\"\n   data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6725039255769208\"\n   data-ad-slot=\"4557221221\"><\/ins><br \/>\n   <script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n   <\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"left\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fishermans Wharf Boats\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/mclaughlin-boats.jpg\" width=\"450\"><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\" class=\"style2\">Photo by: Peter McLaughlin<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\"><b><span style=\"background-color: #FFFF00\">Top 5 Reasons Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf is &#8220;Awesome&#8221;(?):<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">1.) <b>Sea Lions<\/b> &#8211; The sea lions at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/pier39\/pier39_san_francisco.html\">Pier 39<\/a> are a very cool and totally unique experience. If you are sucked into the wharf &#8211; do not miss the sea lions at Pier39.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">2.) <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/boats.html\">Boat Tours<\/a>:<\/b> The Wharf isn&#8217;t the point of why you are there &#8211; it is a takeoff point to cruise San Francisco Bay. Don&#8217;t waste time at Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf without taking an Alcatraz tour or Bay Cruise.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">3.) <b>Fresh Street Crab:<\/b> Vendors selling fresh crab have high prices &#8211; but very fresh product. Give it a try &#8211; it&#8217;s the Wharf&#8217;s original attraction for decades.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">4.) <b>Convenient Location:<\/b> The Wharf is convenient to walk from downtown hotels for the very hardy and to a variety of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/bus.html\">public transit<\/a> and now historic streetcars. It is also close to other popular attraction neighborhoods like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/beach.html\">North Beach<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/mgreen.html\">Marina<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"right\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fishermans Wharf Performers\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/sipkin-silver-peopl.jpg\" width=\"285\"> <\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\">5.) <strong>Street Performers<\/strong>: Every kind of music, art, mime, and performance can be seen on the streets of Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf &#8212; night and day. Performers are creative, clever, and know their audience of throngs of visitors from around the globe. Typically, tips \/ gratuities are expected (although not mandatory) by the performers who often also sell CD&#8217;s, movies, and art.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">6.) <b>Breadth of Experiences:<\/b> They might not all be awesome experiences &#8211; but there are a lot of things to do at Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf. From boat tours to restaurants to commercialized &#8220;museums&#8221; and souvenir shopping &#8211; there are many things to do there.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Every good thing supposedly attainable here is much better and cheaper elsewhere&#8230;. If you want seafood, check out our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/food.html\">restaurant<\/a> reviews. Safeway has great sourdough bread. Parking is beyond horrible. A <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/park.html\">parking lot<\/a> is available at very creative prices. Many <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/ferry.html\">ferries<\/a> do leave from here, which is a worthwhile reason to stop briefly.<\/p>\n<style>.example_responsive_1 { width: 280px; height: 90px; }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 500px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 468px; height: 90px; } }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 800px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 728px; height: 90px; } }\n   @media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { .example_responsive_1 { width: 1170px; height: 90px; } }\n   <\/style>\n<p>   <ins class=\"adsbygoogle example_responsive_1\"\n   style=\"display:block;margin:0 auto;background:transparent; overflow:hidden\"\n   data-ad-client=\"pub-6725039255769208\"\n   data-ad-slot=\"7375538875\"><\/ins><br \/>\n   <script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n   <\/script><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">When you&#8217;re ready to fight crowds for ice cream and chocolate &#8211; check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/ghiradelli-square.html\">Ghiradelli Square<\/a> and their chocolate shop &#8211; located right at the end of the wharf to get your energy pumping again&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><i>R.K. writes on his great experience at the Wharf<\/i>, &#8220;The Wharf is a GOOD place to take tourists, because of the Ripley&#8217;s Believe it or Not museum, and the Wax Museum, Ghirardeli Square, the sea lions, the clam chowder in a bread bowl, sidewalk entertainers, and the souvenirs (they don&#8217;t burn a hole in your wallet). I agree it&#8217;s not an accurate picture of San Francisco, but its a pretty fun place for kids and grownups. And the view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz aint half bad!&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"left\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"sea lions fishermans wharf\" border=\"0\" height=\"327\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sea_Lions_Ship2.jpg\" width=\"436\"><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><i>Sea Lions Chilling at the Wharf = Very Cool<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\"><i>M.C. writes with an opposing viewpoint<\/i>, &#8220;I disagree with your review of the Wharf. Maybe because I went either early morning (after the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/alcatraz_island.htm\">Alcatraz tour<\/a>) or later in the evening, but I thought it was beautiful!!! If it makes me a stupid tourist to be amazed by the fog and the fact that I couldn&#8217;t see Alcatraz from a sunny shore, so be it!!! I found it very relaxing as well as amazing to sit and watch the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sealionsfishermanswharf.html\">Sea Lions<\/a>. Unlike New York, where I come from, I found very little gouging of prices on the tacky souvenirs I brought back for friends and family, and even better buys on the nicer things I purchased for myself. (prints, sweatshirts, t-shirts)&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/fishgood.html\">Recommended Wharf Activities<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/htlfish.html\">Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf Hotels<\/a><\/b> &#8211; Reader Opinions<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin:30px 0;\">\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3888.01785167218!2d77.59534661458683!3d12.970709418407832!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x3bae1679c8e3336f%3A0x80a08db1adb1b7be!2sFishermans+Wharf!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sin!4v1493826266887\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n   <\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"leftpanel-mobile\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>San Francisco&#8217;s Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf: Tourist Trap Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf is Hardly a &#8220;Hidden Hotspot&#8221;&#8230; Fisherman&#8217;s Wharf is San Francisco&#8217;s most popular destination and features the Pier 39 shopping \/ restuarant mall. A long coastal row of seafood restaurants, clam chowder stands, and souvenir stores is combined with a major fishing pier. The wharf can be reached [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/353"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=353"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1046,"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/353\/revisions\/1046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sftodo.com\/sanfrancisco\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}