HAVING A BALL BY THE BAY
San Francisco is a home run for sports and sightseeing
By Richard Jones
It was the bottom of the third innings, and the already boisterous 40,000-strong crowd in Oracle Park were about to go wild. San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman was at the plate and, with a rapid swing of the bat, he clocked the ball over the heads of the Colorado Rockies fieldsmen and into the hands of a lucky fan in bleachers.
Although it wasn’t quite a ‘splash hit’ (when the ball lands directly in McCovey Cove), it was good enough for the orange-clad supporters to leap to their feet and cheer their hero’s victory base lap.
The ballgame at Oracle Park was one of the highlights of my trip to San Francisco, a city renowned for its arts scene, hippie culture and tech links, which is now a haven for sports fans.
After enjoying a relaxing couple of hours in the United Airlines Club lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 2, I settled down in the United Polaris business class cabin on my way to northern California. Every seat in the Polaris section converts into a lie-flat bed and, for even more comfort, there are amenities from Therabody and bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue. The 10 hours flew by, as I watched films and TV shows on the 16-inch touchscreen in between being served hot smoked lemon chilli pepper salmon, braised beef short rib and berry cheesecake. It felt like I was staying in a mile-high luxury hotel and dining at a top-class restaurant rather than being sat on a plane.
Once I’d touched down in San Francisco, I jumped in an Uber and made my way to the Inn at Presidio, a tranquil guest house in the middle of the 1,500-acre national park at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. A former US Army post, the Georgian Revival-style building’s 22 guest rooms are the perfect base for outdoor adventurers looking to explore the walking and biking trails or take on a round of golf.
As soon as I checked into my king suite with its roaring fire, I felt at home, while the complimentary wine and cheese evenings by the fire pit were the perfect way to unwind.
Getting around San Francisco is easy and the transport is incredibly varied. There are the usual Ubers and buses, as well as a few quirkier options like vintage trams, cable cars, and the mind-blowing driverless Waymo taxis. But as many of my destinations were 30-60 minutes away on foot, and the spring weather was pleasant, I generally chose to walk.
After strolling down past the Presidio’s Main Parade Grounds, Walt Disney Family Museum and Tunnel Tops to the bay front, I eventually arrived at Beach Street where I met up with Eli, one of the tour guides at Blazing Saddles.
Following a quick demo of how to use the electric bikes, we embarked on a three-hour tour of the Bay Area, taking in Fort Mason, the Marina, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Presidio (including the cool Industrial Light & Magic foyer). However, there was one sight I wanted to check out above all others.
The Golden Gate Bridge has been Northern California’s defining landmark since it opened in 1937, and we got to pedal our e-bikes over the world-famous orange architectural wonder and into Sausalito.
There, I enjoyed delicious seared scallops and a Salsiccia pizza at the charming bayside town’s premier Italian restaurant Poggio Trattoria, before catching the ferry back to Fishermen’s Wharf and spending a half an hour with a beer watching the colony of sea lions at Pier 39. It may seem strange to some that so many tourists now flock to Alcatraz Island, a place that people used to be so desperate to leave in years gone by. I boarded a busy ferry from Pier 33 courtesy of Alcatraz City Tours to check out the haunting former federal penitentiary, which was a military garrison and lighthouse before becoming the infamous home of Al Capone and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly.
‘The Rock’ is now a popular National Historic Landmark, and will remain as such unless President Trump turns it back into a working prison.
For the second half of the week I was based at one of the newest hotels in the revitalised Mission Bay neighbourhood, LUMA, which is just a ball’s throw away from Oracle Park and a few blocks from the home of the Golden State Warriors and Valkyries basketball teams, the Chase Center.
While the city skyline views from my sleek, modern room on the 11th floor were spectacular, they were even better from rooftop lounge Cavaña, where I sipped cocktails and munched on fish tacos. LUMA is also home to Twyne Coffee Bar, ideal for fresh brews and mouth-watering pastries, and if you feel like room service, resident robots Henry, Lumie and Lucy will bring it to your door.
Further up 3rd Street is Dogpatch, another of San Francisco’s upcoming districts. It is home to Bay Padel, where I joined Madridian coach Alvaro for an introduction to the racquet sport that is growing in popularity in America and around the world. Following the clinic on one of the courts, Bay Padel’s Argentinean co-founder Lucas showed me around the impressive converted warehouse which hosts events as well as panel and pickle ball sessions.
The best place in San Francisco to catch big sport events on TV is on the ginormous screens at the new Splash Sports Bar in Thrive City. I pulled up a stool to watch Canelo Álvarez take on William Scull for the undisputed World Super Middleweight title in Saudi Arabia, while chatty bartender Rory kept the pints flowing and the buffalo chicken wings and fries coming.
The following evening, the streets around LUMA were flooded with sports fans decked out in either Giants orange or Warriors yellow. I had tickets for the baseball game, and after looking around the stadium with Lisa from Oracle Park Tours, I joined the Giants supporters in cheering them onto a 4-0 victory over National League West rivals the Rockies. At the same time, a few blocks away, the Warriors were soundly beaten by the Houston Rockets in the NBA play-offs, so I probably chose the right match to attend.
Despite the amount of people around the venues, the roads and nearby bars and restaurants coped well. Big sporting occasions are nothing new for San Francisco – the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium is due to host ‘soccer’ matches at the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl LX, while the 2028 PGA Championship and the 2033 Ryder Cup are both being held at the Olympic Club. The Women’s Elite Rugby League debuted in March 2025, while new professional women’s soccer team Bay FC played its inaugural season last year.
Over the years, millions of people from around the world have visited San Francisco to clap eyes on its iconic sights and soak in the culture.
And although you still can enjoy that side of the cool Californian conurbation, the Golden City is also a home run for sports fans having a ball by the Bay.
FACTBOX
To find out more about holidays in San Francisco, California, visit the San Francisco Travel Association’s website at sftravel.com
Standard queen rooms at the Inn at the Presidio, available from £285 per night. See presidiolodging.com/inn-at-the-presidio/
Deluxe king rooms at LUMA Hotel San Francisco in the Mission Bay district available from £168 per night. Go to lumahotels.com/san-francisco
United Airlines is offering 20 flights per day from London Heathrow to the USA during summer 2025 (an increase from 17 flights per day in winter). This includes three daily flights to San Francisco, with return fares in economy from £580.92, including one checked bag, based on departures in September 2025. For more information and to book, please visit united.com
Holiday Extras offers a wide range of car parking and hotel options at all major UK airports, including London Heathrow. For more information, go to holidayextras.com
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