Air China International Flights from Shanghai, China (PVG) to San Francisco (SFO)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Air China International, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Shanghai, China (PVG) to San Francisco (SFO) regularly scheduled to depart at 1:45pm and arrive at 8:15am. Usually a Boeing 747-400 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Shanghai, China to San Francisco, CA is 10 hours and 30 minutes.
During your San Francisco vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Golden Gate Bridge
The year 2005 marks the 68th birthday of 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 spans tidal currents, ocean waves, and battering winds to connect the City by the Bay with the Redwood Empire to the north.With its gracefully swung single span, spidery bracing cables, and zooming twin towers, the bridge looks more like a work of abstract art than one of the 20th century's greatest practical engineering feats. Construction was completed in May 1937 at the then-colossal cost of $35 million.The 1 1/4-mile-long steel link (longer if you factor in the approach), which reaches a height of 746 feet above the water, is an awesome bridge to cross. Traffic usually moves quickly, however, so crossing by car won't give you too much time to see the sights. If you drive from the city, park in the lot at the foot of the bridge on the city side and make the crossing by foot. Back in your car, continue to Marin's Vista Point, at the bridge's northern end. Look back, and you'll be rewarded with one of the greatest views of San Francisco.Millions of pedestrians walk or bike across the bridge each year, gazing up at the tall red towers, out at the vistas of San Francisco and Marin County, and down into the stacks of oceangoing liners. You can walk out onto the span from either end, but be prepared -- it's usually windy and cold, and the bridge vibrates. Still, walking even a short distance is one of the best ways to experience the immense scale of the structure.
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.
The Cannery
The Cannery was built in 1907 as a fruit-canning plant and was converted into a mall in the 1960s. It contains 30-plus shops, a ceramic studio and gallery, and several restaurants, including Jack's Cannery Bar (tel. 415/931-6400). Vendors' stalls and sidewalk cafes occupy the courtyard amid a grove of century-old olive trees and, weather permitting, street performers are usually out in force, entertaining tourists. Note: This is a tourist destination that many locals avoid.
York Hotel
Even as a local, I drop by the York frequently because it's home to the Empire Plush Room, the city's best jazz and cabaret club that also features Va Va Voom, a cheesy-fun burlesque show. But for the visitor, the hotel, built in 1922 and boasting a role in Hitchcock's Vertigo, is a boon because it's a hell of a deal. Awarded three diamonds by AAA, the hotel has ridiculously helpful staff, a workout room, and promotional rates, which include a continental breakfast served in the spacious lobby. Rooms swathed in terra cotta and green are abundantly cheery and come loaded with nice touches like dark-wood writing desks, newly upholstered and comfy chairs, alarm clocks, tub/showers, and walk-in closets.
Hotel Beresford Arms
The bargain prices are the main reason I recommend this dependable, though slightly unfashionable, hotel. On the plus side, many rooms have bidets and Jacuzzi bathtubs. You also have the choice of a wet bar or fully equipped kitchen -- an advantage for families -- and continental breakfast is included in the rock-bottom price. All accommodations include plenty of in-room perks, including clock radios and $5 video rentals for the VCR, and there's a "Manager's Social Hour" (included in the room rates) with wine, tea, and snacks. The downsides are minimal: a few funky furnishings, small bathrooms, and the occasional old mattress. The location, between the Theater District and Union Square, in a quieter section of San Francisco, is ideal for visitors without cars, and the price for what you get is hard to beat. Tip: Rooms that face Post Street might be a bit noisier than others, but they're also larger and sunnier, and some have window seats.
The Juliana Hotel
A European-style boutique hotel in the best possible way, the Juliana is hard not to like. Completely renovated in 1996 and again in 2001, rooms are trendy-French, with yellow and pale-blue-striped wallpaper, and candy-striped yellow-and-red upholstered chairs. It's vibrant and cheery, for sure, but not the kind of place where you'd want to nurse a wicked hangover. With coffee available in the lobby in the morning and wine at night (included in the room rate), there's no real reason to leave. Guest rooms and bathrooms can be on the small side, but the junior suites have plenty of space and lovely homey touches.
