Some San Fran moments need no introduction, and cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge is one of them. Join family-owned Blazing Saddles for a guided e-bike tour along the waterfront into Sausalito, passing some of the city’s best-known sights as your guide shares the stories, history, and details you might otherwise miss.

Sausalito may be better known today for its waterfront, hillside homes and postcard-pretty setting, but there’s another side to its story worth knowing. In the years after the Second World War, the town became a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people (including discharged service members), and by the 1940s and 50s it was home to eight gay and lesbian bars - remarkable for a town of its size. Those bars may no longer be there, but the connection hasn’t disappeared. Sausalito now holds its own Pride celebration each June, and rainbow crossings offer a small, colourful nod to that history.

Once you’ve explored, take the ferry back towards San Francisco for views across Alcatraz and the skyline. Later, see the Bay from yet another angle on an Adventure Cat sunset sail, passing Alcatraz and travelling beneath the Golden Gate Bridge as the light changes across the water. Back on dry land, dinner has to be Crab House at PIER 39, followed by time to wander Fisherman’s Wharf.

Start the morning in the Mission District with a hot chocolate at Café de Olla, then wander up to Dolores Park for green space, city views and a slower start to the day. Dolores Park Cafe is nearby for breakfast or lunch before heading to the Castro for the afternoon.

From Dolores Park, head into the Castro, one of San Francisco’s most significant LGBTQ+ neighbourhoods and a place where history still sits right alongside daily life. Follow the Rainbow Honor Walk, pause at Harvey Milk Plaza, browse Fabulosa Books, then make your way to the Castro Theatre, the historic 1922 movie palace that has become an LGBTQ+ cultural landmark in its own right. Here, the story is everywhere: underfoot, above the shopfronts and in the places that still bring the community together.

Stay into the evening, when the Castro shifts gear. Its independent bars and venues bring a different energy to the streets, making for a suitably spirited end to your time in San Francisco