Silversea Expedition Cruises Nach SAN FRANCISCO (California)

Travel from downtown San Francisco to Mission District. Named for the 1776-built Mission Dolores, the Mission District is an exuberant, evolving neighborhood with Latino roots and a hipster vibe.

On this walking tour you will see the Clarion Alley Mural Project of which there are said to be as many as 700 created since 1992. Clarion Alley, once called 'Cedar Lane', is notable for community and arts activity and is essentially an open-air art gallery. All of the businesses and landowners have specifically requested to have their exterior walls pained by local artists, resulting in a colorful display of murals. For many these murals are an important part of preserving the heritage of the neighborhood while also bringing awareness to problems in the local community.

On this walking touring, you will see chef-driven eateries, gourmet ice cream shops and Dolores Park, a popular weekend hangout with skyline views.

Make a stop at the Women's Building, a women-led non-profit arts and education community center, which advocates self-determination, gender equality and social justice. The San Francisco Women's Centers was formed during a time of societal upheaval in the 1960's. By the early 1970's, an energetic and chaotic 'anti-establishment' attitude was making its mark on U.S society as a whole.

The Mission District is also said to have some of the best Arts & Crafts in San Francisco, which we will see on our walking tour.

Discover two of San Francisco Bay's most famous Islands, Alcatraz and Angel Island, making for a fascinating, active day on the bay.

Depart at the pier, with a brief stop at the Ferry Building for great views before driving on to Pier 33 for the ferry ride to Alcatraz. Once on Alcatraz, tour the island on foot including the award-winning Cellhouse audio tour.

The roads and walkways on Alcatraz are steep and the distance from the dock to the Cellhouse is approximately 1/4 mile (.4km). The elevation change is 130 feet (40 meters), the equivalent of walking up a 13-story building!

You can tour the Cellhouse at your own pace, listening to the audio, "Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour."Stop to picture yourself in a dark solitary confinement cell, hear the stories of life inside from real prisoners, and feel the intensity of a prison breakout from correctional officers who lived and worked on the Island.

Say goodbye to Alcatraz ("The Rock") before taking the ferry back to San Francisco.

Take a short bus ride to the North Beach District - this buzzly neighborhood is steeped in Italian heritage and draws you to its checked-tablecloth trattorias, retro-flavored bars and coffee shops.

Enjoy lunch in 'Little Italy' and then head out on foot exploring North Beach. Feel the spirit of the Beat Generation in North Beach (that does not have an actual beach). Situated along San Francisco Bay between Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown, North Beach is an authentic, charming and lively area packed with local history.

During our walking exploration, which will be approx. 1.2 miles, we will visit the east side of Washington Square, where vintage wooden houses climb Telegraph Hill, crowned by Coit Tower. We will also see the famously crooked Lombard Street, the coffee haunts that sparked the 'Summer of Love' and Saints Peter and Paul (Roman Catholic) Church.

The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during mid-1967, when as many as 100,000 people, mostly young people sporting hippie fashions of dress and behavior, converged in San Francisco's neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury.

Late afternoon, bus transfer back to the cruise terminal.

Enjoy a fascinating insight into the lives of those imprisoned on Alcatraz, and visit the free-spirited town of Sausalito.

Alcatraz

This tour begins with a ferry ride from Pier 33 to the notorious former federal prison - Alcatraz. Home to Al Capone and Robert 'The Birdman' Stroud, this austere island fortress retains its mystique even today. An award-winning audio tour allows you to explore at your own pace, while hearing actual interviews of former guards and inmates and the fabled escape attempts of those criminals who made their home on 'The Rock'.

Sausalito

Returning by ferry to the city, board the coach for a picturesque drive crossing the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge. Arrive at the artists' colony of Sausalito, a stark contrast to the prison island. The winding roads, cliff-side homes and houseboat havens make this one of the most unique areas in the region. Enjoy some free time to stroll at leisure and explore the many art galleries, boutiques and quaint shops in this bayside village.

The tour concludes back at the pier

Please note: This tour is for guests in transit continuing onto the next cruise. It requires an extensive amount of walking approximately 2 hours with frequent stops. The ground may be uneven with gravel surfaces and steps at Alcatraz. It is not suitable for guests with limited mobility and those who utilise a wheelchair. We suggest you dress in seasonal attire and wear comfortable walking shoes. Guide does not go to Alcatraz as it is self-guided tour however park rangers can assist. The order of sites visited may vary.

Discover Angel Island, alive with history and teeming with natural beauty. Today's 3/4-day excursion offers an easy hike option that includes a tram tour and an easy hike, or a more strenuous hike of 5.5 to 6 miles (8.8 to 9.6km) that helps you earn your picnic lunch.

Three thousand years ago, Angel Island was a fishing and hunting site for Coastal Miwok Indians. It was later a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, a cattle ranch, and a U.S. Army post. From 1910 to 1940, the island processed thousands of immigrants, the majority from China. During World War II Japanese and German POWs were held on the island, which was also used as a jumping-off point for American soldiers returning from the Pacific. In the '50s and '60s, the island was home to a Nike missile base. Angel Island became a California State Park in 1958.

Named after conservationist Caroline Livermore, the peak of Mt. Livermore is 788 feet tall and has views that span all of the island and bay area from its top.

Take the Angel island Ferry from San Francisco to Angel Island, Tiburon and enjoy a Tram Ride or Hike followed by gourmet picnic lunch on Angel Island. ¾ Day tour of approx. 5.5. to 6 hours total.

Tram Tour Option: The Angel Island Company offers open air Tram tours of Angel Island with seating capacity up to 50 guests. The tram tour takes about an hour and follows the paved perimeter road to Angel Island. The tram stops briefly at Battery Ledyard to enjoy a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Alcatraz. Listen to the professionally produced audio history of Angel Island plays over the audio system as you enjoy your tram tour. Join an easy guided walk of approximately 1-hour after Tram ride.

Moderate Hike Option: The Angel Island perimeter trail offers views of the entire San Francisco Bay along the 5.5-mile loop around the island. This is the most popular trail on the island and is open to hikers and bicycles (rentals available at the island on a first come basis). The route offers a variety of views; on a clear day from San Francisco side of the island near battery Ledyard one can see the Golden Gate bridge, Bay bridge, and Alcatraz from a single vantage point.

After the Tram tour/walk or hike, enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch at the picnic tables outside the Angel Island Café.

Your day at Angel Island State Park ends for all with a Ferry ride from Tiburon (approx. 10 minutes), back to San Francisco and transfer back to the pier.

Depart the cruise pier and travel to San Francisco's Chinatown, the oldest and largest Chinatown in the US, a cultural and tourism leader for the city. Once in Chinatown, set out with a local guide on an exploratory walk through the main streets and the side and back alleys.

Your guide will tell you how Chinese immigrants started to settle in San Francisco around 1848, drawn in by construction jobs on the railroad and the California Gold Rush.

The story of Chinatown is the story of a neighborhood; an American neighborhood, an old neighborhood, an immigrant neighborhood, where the old country still lives inside the new one. The past and the present are inseparably woven together in this neighborhood defined by Broadway, California, Kearny and Powell streets.

Keep a look out during this walking tour for some of these sights: Chinatown Dragon Gate (the official entrance into Chinatown), Fortune Cookie Factory, Sing Chong Building, Tien Hau Temple, an Old St. Mary's Church built in 1853 and the only building that survived the fire that destroyed Chinatown after the 1906 earthquake.

There will be small bite food samplings during the walking tour including dim sum, pastries and fortune cookies.

Travel a short distance to the nearby town of Sausalito and to the Dandelion Chocolate factory and learn the fine art of chocolate making.

Dandelion Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the Mission District of San Francisco. The owners opened their workshop building from their lifetime love of chocolate. In their factory in the Mission district of San Francisco, they roast, crack, sort, winnow, grind, conch, and temper small batches of beans and then mold and package each bar by hand. By sourcing high quality beans and carefully crafting tiny batches, Dandelion Chocolate tries to bring out the individual flavors and nuances of each bean.

Meet your knowledgeable Dandelion Chocolate knowledgeable tour guide, who leads you through the complete chocolate production process, from cacao beans to the finished chocolate bar. Along the way, taste the cacao fruit and roasted cacao beans from different origins, taste warm melted chocolate as it is refining, and of course finished single origin dark chocolate bars. Enjoy an informative session of chocolate making and taste a variety of exotic samples as you make your own chocolate bar.

Depart the Dandelion Chocolate Factory and view the street art murals in the nearby Mission District neighborhood. The Mission District is a virtual outdoor art gallery full of vibrant murals. Throughout the neighborhood, hundreds of walls and fences are adorned with colorful works of art featuring themes ranging from cultural heritage to social political statements. Learn the back story of art and movements that inspired Clarion Allen and the Women's Building before heading back to the cruise pier in San Francisco.

Return to the pier.

Discover the highlights surrounding San Francisco on this exciting full-day tour. Your day begins by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge (1.7 mile long) and then on to Muir Woods, the giant redwood forest nearest to San Francisco. Enjoy a nature walk and to see Giant Coastal Redwoods.

You have a choice of crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in either: a tour vehicle or some may wish to try crossing in an electric bike. Once in Sausalito, all board the tour vehicle and head into Marin Country and to Muir Woods for a walk among giant Coastal Redwoods. Explore this natural treasure, set aside by President Roosevelt in 1908 as a National Monument.

Enjoy a nature walk of approx. 1.5 miles (2.4 km) total on boardwalks, some trail/pathways and creek bridges to view the towering California Redwoods, some over 250 feet tall. Be on lookout for the northern spotted owl, deer and other bird life in the Muir Woods area.

Although the stars of the show are the redwoods, Muir Woods is host to 13 species of ferns, a plant that has been on earth for more than 300 million years. Take the time to identify lady, maiden hair and gold back ferns as you lower your gaze from the redwood canopy above you.

Depart Muir Woods in the tour bus and head for the seaside community of Tiburon to enjoy a local lunch. Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California located on the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay.

Explore on your own around Tiburon for a short time before your 45-minute return ferry ride back to San Francisco.

Take the morning to meet sea lions at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. Board your coach and travel from the pier for your 45-minute guided tour of the Marine Mammal Center around the exhibits and viewing areas. Your guide is available to provide insight into the work of the Center and share stories about seal and sea lion "patients."

Enjoy a 30-minute private behind the scenes experience, which depending on conditions may be an opportunity to explore the Fish Kitchen or see the intensive care unit of the hospital. The Marine Mammal Center is guided and inspired by a shared vision of a healthy ocean for marine mammals and humans alike. The Center's mission is to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.

The Marine Mammal Center leads the field in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary science, and education. Sick and injured animals are rescued, treated and rehabilitated at our state-of-the-art veterinary facilities where we care for our patients until they can be released back to their ocean home.

On your guided tour around the Center, the guide shares stories of patients treated at The Marine Mammal Center, describing the tried and true recipes volunteers use to nurse these animals back to health. Get the inside scoop on our innovative technologies utilized at The Marine Mammal Center and provide tips on how we can all play a part in protecting ocean life.

Behind-the-Scenes experiences vary based on weather and our patient care. Some days you will have the opportunity to explore our Fish Kitchen, while others we might highlight our intensive care unit of the hospital.

Sea-lions are pinnipeds, which means fin or flipper-footed and refers to the marine mammals that have front and rear flippers. This group includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. These animals live in the ocean but are able to come on land for long periods of time. Millions of years ago, the ancestors of pinnipeds lived on land. There are three families of pinnipeds: phocids (seals), otariids (sea lions) and odobenids (walruses).

California sea lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness, and noisy barking. Their color ranges from chocolate brown in males to a lighter, golden brown in females. Males reach 850 pounds (390 kg) and seven feet (2.1 m) in length. Females grow to 220 pounds (110 kg) and up to six feet (1.8 m) in length. The trained "seals" in zoos and aquariums are usually California sea lions.

After your time at the Marine Mammal Center, enjoy a refreshment after the tour and some free time to explore Sausalito. Return to the ship.

In-transit guests can explore the splendid beauty of Muir Woods and Sausalito during this picturesque, half-day sightseeing excursion.

Muir Woods

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 45-minute drive to the Muir Woods National Monument. En route, cross over the Golden Gate Bridge, and take in splendid panoramic vistas in all directions. Upon arrival at Muir Woods, some free time is made available to explore one of the few remaining groves of virgin coastal redwoods. They are among the tallest and oldest of their kind in existence, and can reach heights exceeding 250 feet (about 76 metres). The nature trail at Muir Woods leads into the heart of the cathedral-like grove of trees. Embrace the serenity of this majestic setting whilst learning the fascinating history of the giant redwoods.

Sausalito

Next, re-board your coach and proceed to the artist colony of Sausalito. The winding roads, cliff-side homes and houseboat havens make this one of the most interesting parts of the San Francisco region. Upon arrival, some free time is made available to explore the many art galleries, boutiques and quaint shops of this charming bay-side village, and take in lovely views of the spectacular San Francisco skyline across the bay. At the conclusion of your visit, re-board your coach and commence the approximately 45-minute drive back to the pier.

Please note: This tour involves a moderate amount of walking for approximately 150 yards (about 137 metres), at times over uneven and gravel surfaces, with a few steps to negotiate to get on/off the coach. Walking in Muir Woods and Sausalito is at the discretion of each guest. This tour is not suitable for guests with limited mobility and guests who utilise a wheelchair. Guests are advised to wear lightweight, comfortable clothing with flat, closed-toe walking shoes, and bring sun protection and a light jacket from the ship. Operation of this tour is subject to weather conditions.

This tour is for guests with domestic flights departing after 3:15 pm and international flights after 4:15 pm

From the pier, travel along the embarcadero to Golden Gate Pavilion. The bridge is possibly the most beautiful, and certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world. Often half-veiled by the city's trademark rolling fog, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, named for the strait leading from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay, spans tidal currents, ocean waves, and battering winds to connect the City by the Bay with the Redwood Empire to the north. Spend some free time here for photos before departing for Twin Peaks. En route to the viewpoint, glide through lush Golden Gate Park, San Francisco's enormous arboreal front yard. Conceived in the 1860s and 1870s, this great 1,017-acre landmark, which stretches inland from the Pacific coast, took shape in the 1880s and 1890s thanks to the skill and effort of John McLaren, a Scot who arrived in 1887 and began landscaping the park. From the park, a short drive through the city streets brings you to Twin Peaks. Of the 43 hills in San Francisco, Twin Peaks offers the city's most spectacular views. The almost identical summits, Noe and Eureka, rise approximately 922 feet above the city. On a clear day, you are treated to a 360-degree view spanning the Golden Gate to Alcatraz, to Berkeley, to the peninsula. Transfer to San Francisco International airport.

Please note: This tour requires a minimal amount of walking and most areas visited. This tour is not suitable for guests who utilise a wheelchair. Guests with limited mobility must be able to embark and disembark the coach via the coach steps. Operation is subject to minimum participation. The tour sequence may vary. The fabulous views of the city are weather permitting.

From the pier, travel along the embarcadero to Golden Gate Pavilion. The bridge is possibly the most beautiful, and certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world. Often half-veiled by the city's trademark rolling fog, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, named for the strait leading from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay, spans tidal currents, ocean waves, and battering winds to connect the City by the Bay with the Redwood Empire to the north. Spend some free time here for photos before departing for Twin Peaks. En route to the viewpoint, glide through lush Golden Gate Park, San Francisco's enormous arboreal front yard. Conceived in the 1860s and 1870s, this great 1,017-acre landmark, which stretches inland from the Pacific coast, took shape in the 1880s and 1890s thanks to the skill and effort of John McLaren, a Scot who arrived in 1887 and began landscaping the park. From the park, a short drive through the city streets brings you to Twin Peaks. Of the 43 hills in San Francisco, Twin Peaks offers the city's most spectacular views. The almost identical summits, Noe and Eureka, rise approximately 922 feet above the city. On a clear day, you are treated to a 360-degree view spanning the Golden Gate to Alcatraz, to Berkeley, to the peninsula.

Please note: This tour requires a minimal amount of walking and most areas visited. This tour is not suitable for guests who utilise a wheelchair. Guests with limited mobility must be able to embark and disembark the coach via the coach steps. Operation is subject to minimum participation. The tour sequence may vary. The fabulous views of the city are weather permitting.