Free San Francisco

Kindle Guide to 101 Free Attractions

101 free San Francisco attractions and things to do are in the Kindle guide, 101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco, in the Travel Free eGuidebooks series.

101 Free Things To Do In San Francisco

Free San Francisco? Well, it's an expensive city but there are plenty of free things to do and free attractions (if you know the right days to turn up). In fact author Daniel Davidson has found 101 of them, included in the San Francisco guide in his admirable series of Travel Free eGuidebooks.

You can see from the Table of Contents what's covered in the guide. We'll also show a screenshot of the first page of Chapter 1, the Free Museums and Galleries. It doesn't show the museums and galleries covered in that chapter, but does show you how helpful the book is.

The reference to 'over 200 museums in San Francisco' takes you to a Wikipedia page listing all of San Francisco's museums, which has photos and, in turn, links to Wikipedia's entries on each museum, with of course links from there to the museum websites.

The page also shows one example of the bonus material included in the guide - free attractions that the author found in the wider Bay Area that were too far away to include in the main part of the book.

Click on the image below to enlarge it

101 Free Things To Do In San Francisco

So What's Free in San Francisco?

If the book merely listed obvious free attractions like parks and markets, there wouldn't be much special about it. It's still useful to have them, but as a reader I'd expect more than that.

And the book delivers. Who would have thought you could get free food and drink in an expensive city like San Francisco? And I don't mean the Soup Kitchen. The author tells you where you can get a free pizza and free beer (yes, really), a free sake tasting, free chocolate, and even free oysters.

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at sunset

It Costs Nothing To See The Golden Gate Bridge

The book also lists some free walking tours, and other tours where children go free. There's a separate chapter on free activities for kids, too.

But what's most impressive about the book is the generous way the author shares what he's found. There are links to organizations that can help, phone numbers, information about magazines, and loads of other extras like a link to a Google map where the author has pinpointed all the kids' playgrounds in the city, and another link to a web page listing 44 kid-friendly parks in Marin County.

Alcatraz

It is a little cheeky to include Alcatraz as a free attraction. Technically it is, as there's no charge to get onto the island itself. You do have to pay for the ferry there and back, though!

To be truly free you'd have to swim both ways. But I suppose if you're going to list the attractions with free admission, you can't not include this major San Francisco landmark.

Alcatraz

I did find one or two little technical errors, which I hope the author corrects. In my version, although there is a Table of Contents at the front of the book, I was unable to click on 'Table of Contents' on my 'Go to' menu to take me back there. And in that Table of Contents, when I click on item 2, Interactive Map, I'm taken not to the map but to the very end of the book.

Free San Francisco Interactive Map

The Interactive Map is there, and what a bonus it is for an ebook compared to a printed guidebook. If you have an internet connection you can access it online, and it lists all 101 of the free things to do in San Francisco.

In fact, thanks to the wonders of technology, you can see the map here:

View 101 Free Things To Do In San Francisco in a larger map

If you're staying in or near San Francisco you can use the map to get your driving directions. You also get the address, phone number, a link to the website if there is one, the chance to search nearby for other attractions in the area, and read other people's reviews of the place. One other feature is that it shows you when the map entry was last updated. I was very impressed to see that although the book first came out at least 12 months ago, the map was last updated just over three weeks ago as I write this review.

Free San Francisco: Amazon Reviews

It's always useful to check out the Amazon reviews for Kindle travel guides, as there are some real rip-off titles out there - sometimes just a few pages in badly-written English. Fortunately this isn't one of them, and it has mostly 4-star and 5-star reviews.

I can't believe the 1-star review which says the book only has the same free tips that are available in any city. What? Did we read the same book? Can you get a free sail-boat ride in San Francisco Bay in any city? Or free urban bicycling workshops? Or get a free sake tasting? I don't think so.

The 101st Free Thing to Do in San Francisco

I'm not going to spoil the fun but I love the author's listing for the 101st free thing to do in San Francisco. It's highly appropriate.

Buying this Guide to Free San Francisco Attractions

We really do recommend this book highly, if you're planning to visit San Francisco. Even if you're not too bothered whether something is free or not, the author has still unearthed lots of fun things to do in the city. The guide will work best if you have a good internet connection, but even if you're using a standard Kindle with poor connectivity, it's still worth it.

101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco is available for the Kindle at Amazon in the USA, Amazon in the UK, And at other Amazon stores worldwide.

CityPASS San Francisco

If you're going to be spending any time in San Francisco then we really recommend doing what we did, and getting a San Francisco CityPASS. Not only does it get you into some of the top attractions like the California Academy of Sciences and the Aquarium of the Bay, it also includes a 7-day Cable Car and Muni Bus Passport and a free cruise in San Francisco Bay. We definitely got full use of ours!

Other San Francisco pages

John Steinbeck California Guide
This John Steinbeck California Guide, A Journey into Steinbeck's California, shows readers how towns like Monterey, Carmel and Salinas influenced the author.
Touring Alcatraz
Touring Alcatraz, the former island prison, is one of the best things to do in San Francisco and attracts over 1.5 million visitors a year.
Green Guide USA West
The Green Guide to the USA West from Michelin covers California, the Pacific North West, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and even Kansas and Alaska.
Northwest Wine Country
Northwest Wine Country is a food and wine lover's guide to vineyards, fine dining, accommodation, restaurants in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia.
Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast
Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, published by Voyageur Press, is a guide in words and pictures to historic lighthouses along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Ten Fun Family Things To Do In San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel picks ten fun family things to do in San Francisco, from museums and the zoo to cable car rides and trampoline parks.
Pacific Coast Highway Moon Guide
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide from Moon covering California, Oregon and Washington
Epic Drives of the World
Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.
California Living and Eating
California Living and Eating by Eleanor Maidment is a handsome coffee table book celebrating the food and lifestyle of the Golden State with 80 tasty recipes.
San Francisco
Information about San Francisco, including what to see, where to stay, where to eat, and links to sources of information including the official visitor website.
Gardens Of the Pacific Coast Highway
Plant lovers can visit hundreds of gardens along or near the Pacific Coast Highway,ranging from lush gardens in the Pacific North-West to southern California.
California Bed and Breakfast Inns
The guide to California Bed and Breakfast Inns lists over 250 boutique hotels, wine country cottages and more.
Visiting the Golden Gate Bridge
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to visiting the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco including how to get there and free walking tours of the bridge.
Best Golf Courses in San Francisco
The Pacific Coast Highway Travel guide to the best golf courses in San Francisco for all budgets and skill levels, including courses close to the city center.
Napa and Sonoma Guidebook
The Napa and Sonoma Guidebook to California Wine Country is from the Moon Handbooks’ travel guide series with reviews of wineries,vineyards, and wine tastings.
Cannery Row in Monterey
To John Steinbeck Monterey's Cannery Row was a place of sardine canneries, bums and honky tonks, but today the Monterey Aquarium attracts visitors.
Ten Best Films Set in San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel picks the ten best films set in San Francisco from crime and thrillers like Dirty Harry to classics like Hitchcock’s Vertigo.
Ten Best Things to See at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The ten best things to see at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) include works by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips: Lonely Planet Guidebook Review
Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.
Best Time to Visit San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel’s advice on the best time to visit San Francisco, covering the weather and climate from month to month and season by season.
Brewpubs and Good Beer on the West Coast USA
Brewpubs and good beer are at the heart of the Good Beer Guide to the West Coast USA which lists the best bars and breweries from Seattle to San Diego.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.
Guide to the Olympic Peninsula
Moon's Spotlight Guide to the Olympic Peninsula covers hotels, restaurants, and sights, including Forks, the Olympic National Park and other places.
The Best Coast Book Review
The Best Coast is a west coast travel guide, sub-titled A Road Trip Atlas it doesn't use photos but instead has hundreds of beautiful illustrations.
Road Food Guide
West Coast Road Eats is a road food guide covering the Pacific Coast from California through Oregon to Washington, giving the best road trip food stops.