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American Airlines Flights from Tokyo, Japan (NRT) to San Francisco (SFO)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on American Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Tokyo, Japan (NRT) to San Francisco (SFO) regularly scheduled to depart at 6:00pm and arrive at 10:00am. Usually a Boeing 747-400 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Tokyo, Japan to San Francisco, CA is 9 hours.
During your San Francisco vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Mission Dolores
San Francisco's oldest standing structure, the Mission San Francisco de Assisi (aka Mission Dolores), has withstood the test of time, as well as two major earthquakes, relatively intact. In 1776, at the behest of Franciscan missionary Junípero Serra, Father Francisco Palou came to the Bay Area to found the sixth in a series of missions that dotted the California coastline. From these humble beginnings grew what was to become the city of San Francisco. The mission's small, simple chapel, built solidly by Native Americans who were converted to Christianity, is a curious mixture of native construction methods and Spanish-colonial style. A statue of Father Serra stands in the mission garden, although the portrait looks somewhat more contemplative, and less energetic, than he must have been in real life. A 45-minute audio tour costs $5; otherwise, admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Swiss architect Mario Botta, in association with Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, designed this $65-million museum, which has made SoMa one of the more popular areas to visit, for tourists and residents alike. The museum's permanent collection consists of more than 23,000 works, including close to 5,000 paintings and sculptures by artists such as Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning. Other artists represented are Diego Rivera, Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Klee, the Fauvists, and exceptional holdings of Richard Diebenkorn. MOMA was one of the first museums to recognize photography as a major art form; its extensive collection includes more than 12,000 photographs by such notables as Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Unfortunately, few works are on display at one time, and for the money the experience can be disappointing -- especially compared to the finer museums of New York. Docent-led tours take place daily. Times are posted at the admission desk. Phone for current details of upcoming special events and exhibitions or check MOMA's website.The Caffé Museo, to the right of the museum entrance, offers very good-quality fresh soups, sandwiches, and salads.No matter what, don't miss the MuseumStore, which carries a wonderful array of architectural gifts, books, and trinkets. It's one of the best shops in town.
California Academy of Sciences
Originally clustered around the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park (in multiple buildings) and intending to return there around 2008 after a complete rebuild, this grouping of outstanding museums is now across from Moscone West, near the Yerba Buena Gardens and Center for the Arts. In its new location the Steinhart Aquarium houses some 5,400 animals, including seahorses, turtles, snakes, and poison dart frogs as well as a two-story 20,000-gallon living coral reef featuring Harlequin Tush fish, Yellow Tangs, sea stars, and a giant clam. Kids love the "touch tide pool" where they can get their mitts on live sea life.An edited version of the Natural History Museum has also been transplanted and hosts changing exhibits such as "Ants: Hidden Worlds Revealed," which shows the insects in action within six different live ant colonies. Some of the museum's permanent displays have moved, too, including Snake Alley, where terrestrial snakes reside; Astrobiology, an exhibit exploring life in extreme environments; and ScienceNOW, which presents a frequently changing display of Academy research, breaking science news, and expeditions around the globe. Toddlers will love the Nature Nest, an education center with hands-on learning activities.Families should look into the Academy's calendar of events, which includes fun kid-friendly festivities such as face-painting, storytelling, animal origami, and exhibit-related stories and demonstrations.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
San Francisco area, including:
Prescott Hotel
It may be small and lack common areas, but the boutique Prescott Hotel has some big things going for it. The staff treats you like royalty, rooms are attractively unfrilly and masculine, the location (just a block from Union Square) is perfect, and limited room service is provided by one of the most popular downtown restaurants, Postrio. Ralph Lauren fabrics in dark tones of green, plum, and burgundy blend well with the cherrywood furnishings in each of the soundproof rooms; the view, alas, isn't so pleasant. The very small bathrooms contain terry robes and Aveda products, and the suites have Jacuzzi bathtubs. Concierge-level guests are pampered with a free continental breakfast, evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and even 3 days per week head-and-shoulders massages.
The Maxwell
Its location, 1 block from Union Square, and chic-boutique surroundings make this 13-story 1908 hotel a favorite with business travelers, families, die-hard shoppers, and even Eminem (who stayed here in 2003). Rooms show their age, but rather than wrinkles, you're more likely to look at the imperfections as laugh lines thanks to the rooms' surprising spaciousness (though bathrooms are small) and "Theatre Deco" meets Victorian decor (a sort of smoking club/study atmosphere). Expect velvets, brocades, stripes, plaids, rich color, handcrafted artistic accents, upholstered chairs, hand-painted bedside lamps, luxurious pillows, writing desks, and boldly tiled vanities. The hotel's roomy junior suites offer excellent value, but best of all are the pair of one-bedroom suites on the 13th floor, both of which offer separate living rooms and exceptional views of the city (one has a private rooftop deck and kitchenette). Perks at The Maxwell include a foot masseuse on request for weary shoppers, discount coupons for the local department stores, and a "Kids are VIPs" program that lets parents rent an adjoining room for their kids at half the regular rate and tosses in some kid-friendly extras.
Jackson Court
The Jackson Court, a stately three-story brownstone Victorian mansion, is in one of San Francisco's most exclusive neighborhoods, Pacific Heights. Its only fault -- that it's far from the action -- is also its blessing: If you crave a blissfully quiet vacation in elegant surroundings, this is the place. Each recently renovated room is individually furnished with superior-quality antique furnishings; two have wood-burning fireplaces (whose use is de rigueur in the winter) and two have gas fireplaces. The Blue Room features an inviting window seat; the Garden Suite has handcrafted wood paneling and a large picture window looking onto the private garden patio. After a continental breakfast of muffins, scones, croissants, oatmeal, juice, and fruit, spend the day browsing the shops along nearby Union and Fillmore streets, and return in time for afternoon tea.
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