The City by the Bay is one of the world’s great cities and rightfully deserves its place among this list of urban superstars. Visitors will be overwhelmed by the natural beauty which embraces this culturally diverse metropolis and find that there is an incredible amount of things to do and see within such a compact area.

When trying to prioritise your agenda, don’t forget that San Francisco is a tapestry of smaller neighbourhoods. The city’s charm is a direct result of the sum of its parts, so be sure and make time to adequately explore a few of the quirky and engaging districts such as The Castro, Haight-Ashbury and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Some of the world’s finest museums, art galleries, and architecture can be found here and many of the world’s greatest musicians, art collections and special tours make a stop in this city, so you never know what will be waiting for you when you arrive. The dining and entertainment scene eclipses that of most other cities, so don’t worry about finding the right restaurant or the hippest bar, because most of them fall under that category.

Unless you have a couple of weeks to spend here, you’ll find that there will always be something else you wanted to do. Even the locals find the wealth of entertainment and cultural options overwhelming. Avoid doing a whirlwind tour, where you only scratch the surface of San Francisco. Spend the time getting to know a couple of the neighbourhoods, and start planning your return visit.

Accommodation is abundant in San Francisco with a number of top-class hotels available at very reasonable rates. Regardless of whether you are looking for luxury, comfort or facilities, many of the city’s hotels offer a wealth of options popular with all.

San Francisco’s life began with a gold rush in 1848, giving rise to the infamous ‘Forty-Niners’ who flocked to the American River in search of fortune. Although this initial discovery was short-lived, another bigger find came in the form of silver in western Nevada. This bonanza in the 1860s was the real catalyst that made a world-class city out of San Francisco, as silver barons built their mansions and immigrants poured into the city to supply the miners.

One result of this boom was the emergence of the wild Barbary Coast, giving the city a just reputation for vices of every kind and this rebellious free-flowing spirit has carried on into the present day. The Chinese were the first major ethnic group to settle here, helping to work the mines, then later to build the railroad. The massive earthquake and fire of 1906 levelled most of San Francisco and provided a much-needed wake up call to the residents.

The city quickly rebuilt itself, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and transformed the metropolis into modern centre of trade and culture. Throughout the 1930s, bridges such as the Golden Gate were built which connected the compact city to the surrounding area. San Francisco never lost its sense of progression and freedom however and continued to attract unique individuals such as the Beatniks and the Hippies during the 1950s and 1960s

As the 1960s faded away, San Francisco’s gay community stepped up to assert itself with brave openness, helping to ensure the city’s continued status as a place to freely express yourself. The volatile nature of the region’s earthquake-prone geography is an apt reflection of its residents. People come to San Francisco for the lifestyle, the stunning scenery and the incredible diversity which permeates every nook and cranny of this timeless city by the bay. They live for the day, because each one could be their last.

San Francisco has one of most consistently cool climates in America, making it pleasant to visit any time of the year. There is often a fog and a chilly bite to the air, but temperatures rarely drop to anything considered freezing. Summers tend to bring the majority of the city’s trademark fog and some of the finest weather. But it arrives later than most cities, with September and October being the warmest months. Winter brings cool days with plenty of rain and rather cold nights.

The trick to beating the weather in San Francisco is to dress in layers. Most mornings are blanketed with a chilly fog that rolls in off the Pacific Ocean, requiring a sweater and even a woolly hat to keep warm. By lunchtime however, the fog burns off leaving crisp blue skies and pleasantly cool to warm temperatures. By stripping off a layer, you can stay comfortable all day, because once the sun sets, you’ll need to put that sweater back on. No matter what time of year you visit, bring a layer of warm clothes such as a jacket and fleece, because the capricious weather in San Francisco can change in minutes.