Five things to do in San Francisco

Destination: San Francisco

Five things to do

1. Visit the Exploratorium at Pier 15: The Exploratorium is like Questacon (the National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra) on steroids. Conveniently located at Pier 15 close to public transport, the Ferry Building Marketplace and cafes, this museum of science, art and human perception offers visitors of all ages plenty of hands-on exhibits. Adults $US29 ($39.55), youths (13-17) $US24 and children (4-12) $US19.

2. Visit Alcatraz Island: Yes it may seem a little cliche (like walking across the Golden Gate Bridge when visiting San Francisco) but a visit to "The Rock" is well worth the effort. In peak holiday periods, you need to book in advance. If you do it online, make sure you buy tickets via the official website: www.alcatrazcruises.com

3. Visit the Walt Disney Family Museum: Located in The Presidio which is part of the picturesque Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the museum recounts the wonderful world of Walt Disney and his family. Disney's life is illustrated through interactive galleries, music, videos, drawings and displays. Also take the opportunity to explore The Presidio itself.

4. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on the go: Although the SFMOMA is closed for expansion until early 2016, you can still experience exhibitions and displays around the San Francisco Bay area. For more information on what's on, visit www.sfmoma.org

5. Drive to Los Angeles: Considered one of the best coastal drives in the world by Conde Nast Traveller, California's Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles is one to put on your bucket list if you enjoy road trips. We chose to stay overnight in Monterey and Santa Barbara with a quick stop at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

Fact file

By far one of the best hotels we stayed at during our US holiday was the Omni San Francisco Hotel. Ranked #2 of 234 hotels in San Francisco by Tripadvisor, the overall experience at the Omni was outstanding.

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