Fisherman's Wharf050

This area was once owned by Italian fishermen. There are still over 50 fishing boats that work the San Francisco Bay. Get there early in the morning to see them unload their haul for the day. Nowadays it's the tourist who owns the Wharf and the area is packed with expensive seafood restaurants, but you can also find great family friendly restaurants that won't break your budget (in fact, there are over 100 restaurants in the area).

There are a number of great attractions to visit here including the Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and the Aquarium of the Bay. Each commands a steep admissions fee - between $8 and $13 - but look for discounts in tourist publications along the street. And, of course you?ll find plenty of souvenir shops.

Still, the Wharf is colorful, noisy, crawling with street performers, and has plenty for kids to get excited about. Here's where you can catch the ferry to Alcatraz (at Pier 33) or Angel Island, (at Pier 41) or walk over to Pier 39, a waterside festival marketplace with shops, restaurants, and family attractions - and watch the sea lions splash around!

Just up the street is Ghiradelli's Ice Cream Parlor, once the site of a real ice cream factory, and now the purveyor of colossal sundaes with names like Alcatraz Rock and Golden Gate Banana Split. The pier at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf is the site of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, which has five sailing ships you can climb on and poke around in.