10 hour layovers in LA and Sanfrancisco (on way back) - ideas please for itinerary

Which direction are you traveling when you have your SFO layover? Will you be starting that day in Asia or in the UK? I am trying to figure out your body clock.

You could take BART to the city. Buy a round trip ticket. You can do this ahead of time on your smart phone. If you get off at Embarcadero you can stash your bags at the Hyatt bell desk. The Hyatt is at the exit of BART. I’m sure for a nice tip they would be more than happy to help a tourist.

From there you can walk a block to the Ferry Building. Very authentic local eateries and more. You can walk along the bay from there. Boudins is towards and past Pier 39. There you can get authentic original San Francisco sourdough bread. If you are there in November/December that is normally crab season. Pair that bread with crab for a perfect lunch or dinner. Or head to the Buena Vista for Irish Coffee.

Another option or add on is to walk up Columbus Ave through North Beach. Coit tower has some beautiful views and art work. There are some old time bars where the Beat generation got its start as well as some great Italian restaurants.

Also from the Hyatt, you can hop on a cable car. You can ride the cable car up California street and transfer at Powell street for the other 2 lines to take you to wharf. Allow an hour for BART each way. That’s the fastest and easiest way to get to town. BART can be caught at the International Terminal at SFO. My suggested itinerary can easily use 5-6 hours of time. Uber can help you get around the streets if you don’t have time to walk.

As for LAX, there is no public transportation in and out the airport. You can take Super Shuttle or another legit shuttle to Santa Monica and enjoy the beach scene. The shuttles are cheaper when you get on and off at a hotel. (Lowe’s would be easy.). You could again store your bags there or next door at the JW Marriott. . Or you can of course Uber which would be faster. The Pier is interesting. The Merry Go Round used in “the Sting” is there. There is a beach walk that you can take or rent a bike. Even though Santa Monica is 10 miles from LAX, it can take over an hour to get to the airport. Budget 3 hours for traffic time depending on the time of day.

Have fun!

Wow - thank you so much for your replies and amazing information! We are heading to SF on way out from UK - will be leaving 6am UK time so i expect we will be a little all over the place!

There is public transportation, sort of, from LAX to historic Union Station in downtown LA. We know people who have used it for exploring and doing a downtown walking tour. https://www.flylax.com/flyaway-bus/union-station. FlyAway fare is $9.75 one way. Truly, freeway traffic can be excruciatingly slow so plan a short time out of the airport no matter where you decide to go.

As others have said, SFO is very easy with BART leaving right from the G wing of the International terminal and Embarcadero is a terrific place to start your wandering. Download the app for a Clipper Card on your phone and tap in and out with your phone as you go.

I haven’t used it but SFO does have luggage storage. I’m guessing it will be more expensive than just tipping the bellman at a hotel but more convenient.

https://www.flysfo.com/passengers/services/storage-facilities

What time of year?

If you are arriving from the UK you will have to allow time for going through passport control, and don’t forget to factor in transportation time to get to and from whatever you do. If you are staying in the U.S. your next flight will be a domestic one, so allow at least 2 hours for that. If international, allow at least 3 hours. Your 10 hours may only actually be 5 or so. Still enough time to see something, but not as much time as you might think.

For the San Francisco portion of your trip, SFO has luggage storage. It is likely to be a bit more convenient than carry it around with you and leaving it at a hotel.

As for what to do, there are so many options. Just allow yourself enough time to get back to the airport and through the check-in process. While you can use BART, it is not my favorite way to travel lately. I would recommend getting an Uber or Lyft.

Ideas:

• Visit the Embarcadero & Fisherman's Wharf: Mo R had a great suggestion for a brisk walk and good food. There are some nice, casual places at. the Ferry. Building. If you want something. that is upscale burgers, then Gotts has a great menu. They. started in Napa. Valley. as Taylor's and are know for their Ahi Tuna burger. My other favorite at. the Ferry. Building is Hog Island Oysters. I drive an. hour from my. home just to partake in the fresh seafood and oysters. If the weather is nice, you can even take a Ferry across the Bay. At Fisherman's Wharf, Boudin is known for the their Sourdough (not the best place to eat, but great for bread), also there is Scoma's for the best Cioppino, it is old school San Francisco.
• Visit the North Beach & ChinaTown. These are adjacent to one another. At North Beach, you can try. Tony's Pizza Napoletana. Tony. is a 13-time world pizza champion. You can each every. style. of Pizza in his North Beach location.

These are just a few that are outdoors with places to relax along the way. It is also relatively easy. to navigate if your jet lagged. There are other areas that I love: the Mission and the Presido area. If you are interested in them, let me know and I can make some more detailed suggestions.

Frankly, I would NOT want to visit San Francisco these days.

For LA, the airport is a bit far from downtown. Not sure that I would want to visit LA either.

Pay heed to the warning that your time may actually be 5 hours.

I think BART to the Embarcadero stop is perfect. As has been noted, there are several places in the Ferry Building to get a nice meal. Stop at the Acme bakery counter for super delicious baked goods. Imo, their baguettes are the best. Their other offerings are wonderful, too.
If you walk out the bay side of the building, you’ll get great views of the bay and the Bay Bridge. There is also a pedestrian walk that stretches quite a ways, from which you can get more bay views.
If time permits, you might also do a cable car ride. One terminus is right there, almost at the top of the stairway from BART.
Ignore the naysayers. S.F. Is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Rosalyn ( formerly resident of Bay Area for 62 years)

I didn't realize SFO had baggage storage. Ironically, we may have a 10 hour layover in SF next year and we may need to stow the carryon bags. We used to live in East Bay and I never had to be concerned with bag storage since SFO was our originating airport from home. Good to know.

I'll be eating my own cooking and we will BART to SF to kill a few hours if we choose this flight.. It's fun to play tourist. We'll probably do Ferry Building and if time permits hit the BV for a nostalgic visit and grab an Irish Coffee.