Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

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hey, I love fisherman's wharf and pier 39 and I often go here since it is one of my favorite places in the city to have my fave clam chowder in a sourdough bread and some good ole shrimp cocktail and just to savor the view but still, it is a tourist trap for tourists since the prices of the food and shop items and the souvenirs here are on the high side as compared to shopping at the downtown area so if you are shopping for souvenirs, just buy at the union square area since it is a little cheaper there. Even the lobster and the dungeness crabs here are way expensive at $ 14.99 a pound for the lobsters and $ 12.99 a pound for the dungeness crabs.

Unique Suggestions: you cannot resist going to the fisherman's wharf and pier 39 since it is one of the major attrations of San Francisco but again, don't buy souvenirs here if you are on the budget conscious type since the prices are higher than in the union square area.

Fun Alternatives: no alternative since you will definitely go here but again don't buy the stuff if your are budget conscious

website: www.visitfishermanswharf.com/
address: The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
phone:(415) 956-3493

On holidays from Australia and went to Fishermans Wharf and noticed 5 or so camera stores all on the same street. Thought great stuff all this competition is great for the consumer. In to first store and they gave us a great price on camera and then proceeded on an intenses don't take no for an answer had hard sell on accessories and lenses at massive markups hopping we only done research on the camera itself. We stuck to our guns and after 20 minutes said only the camera please. Then they told us they don't have any in stock and to try the people further down. Yet there are 3 on the shelf.

Repeat the process at each shop, each one given opportunity to retry the exact same hard sell on more lenses. They are all texting each other as well so they know you are coming. The 4th shop we went to before telling them no to the $700 additional lens they tell you cost them $450 that a google search show is $300 RRP. I asked if they had the camera in stock and to double check and it was all yes yes. Then told them no to the extra lenses and only wanted the camera. Then we are told the camera cost they said was not what they said multiple time in last 20 minutes. When I told them they did they abuse me and said "Am I calling him a lier". I pull out iPhone and told them I recorded conversation as 4th place on same road that has tried something. They told me and my wife we were trouble makers and abused us as we were walking out.

Buyers beware.

Unique Suggestions: Research what you want and dont buy anything you have not researched prior.
Get everything in writing on the receipt they promised you and pay on credit card if your credit card offers you fraud protection

Fun Alternatives: Stick to brand name shops.

Fisherman's Wharf has always been touristy but it wasn't always the tourist trap it's become now. First of all, everything in that area is twice what it would be anywhere else. Aside from a few reasonable street vendors, the prices there are pure gouging. Also, the homeless in the area are allowed to run wild. They harass tourist, are very aggressive and have the run of the place, courtesy of the City.

The fact is, Fisherman's Wharf is not San Francisco. it's purely a tourist trap.

Unique Suggestions: There is a wonderful boat tour of the GG Bridge and Alcatraz area that leaves from the Wharf. For only $15 you get a one hour tour of the bay and go under the GG bridge and around Alcatraz Island. It was the best think I did.

Fun Alternatives: Anywhere but Fisherman's Wharf.

Most local San Franciscans claim that they would never be caught dead at Fisherman's Wharf, an area by the waterfront that is filled with tourist oriented restaurants and shops. Yet it is the #1 tourist attraction in San Francisco. I can relate to this sentiment of the locals, I feel the same way about Navy Pier in Chicago. And yet just like with our local tourist trap, I completely understand why people visit Fisherman's Wharf, this is where the boat cruises leave from, this is where you can rent bicycles from, find souvenirs for the folks back home and find family friendly chain restaurants including Hard Rock Cafe and In-N-Out Burger. We ended up here several times during our trip, eating a bowl of chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from Boudin's twice, or to find a connection to a bus or tram. I even thought that this location would have made a better base for our visit seeing as we always seemed to end up down here, I read that there's no nightlife and it's deserted after dark but we saw plenty of people in the evening.

Unique Suggestions: You're a tourist, accept that you are a tourist and take a walk through the area

This seems to be on every tourist's To Do list, but it's an area of San Francisco that makes me wince. There are far too many people, few of them local, and a multitude of shops selling tasteless souvenirs and T-shirts, e.g. I Got Crabs at Fisherman's Wharf.

Unique Suggestions: If you absolutely must go to the Wharf, buy a shrimp cocktail to eat as you walk. It will make the tackiness bearable.

Fun Alternatives: Just beyond the Wharf, near Aquatic Park (marked by long lines of tourists waiting for cable cars), there are two shopping complexes that are still touristy but of passable merit.

The Cannery - This red brick complex really was a cannery and has now been converted to shops and restaurants. There's often live entertainment in the courtyard.

Ghirardelli Square - Former chocolate factory. It used to be all shops and restaurants, but the new Fairmont Hotel now takes up much of the Square. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop is still there -- treat yourself to an ice cream concoction and buy bars of San Francisco chocolate to take home. Unless, of course, you're from Belgium. :)

I had a particularly unpleasant start to my US trip in May this year after I went into a camera shop in Jefferson St, Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco.
This is further to a comment by someone else who had a similar experience a few years ago, so I thought I would add my experience/advice.
I went in looking for a humble charger, first they tried to flog me a completely useless one for my Canon 1Ds MKII DSLR(which I stupidly forgot to pack,but got away with it in the end anyway!!).Upon seeing this piece of kit they seemed to assume I was just another stupid rich tourist and then tried to flog me some super duper image enhancing piece of glass for my Canon gear,which defied the laws of physics as far as I could see.They totally bored me for 15 minutes while knocking it down from 800 to 300 bucks in the process, hmmmm!?
Unusually for me I kept my composure in this really irritating hard sell situation and eventually left, by which time the clowns got really rude and tried to make out they were keeping the shop open just for me, ah so considerate of them!!
Unlike me folks, anyone going there please be prepared and have the gear and give these cowboys a miss.Fortunately the rest of my round World trip went brilliantly.
Most of us go on holiday because we earned it(me no exception), so please don't let these clowns waste your hard earned leasure time, enough said.
Tony Browne.

Personally, I think Fisherman’s Warf is a little overrated, but, if you feel compelled to venture to the people-packed congestion, which is the Warf, make sure you keep an eye out for the Bush Man. One of my favorite “street performers” I’ve ever encountered. His genius is in his simplicity. He breaks off a tree branch with plenty of leaves that can conceal him from the distracted tourist passer-bys. As people walk by him, he growls and shakes his branch at them…9 out of 10 times startling the hell out of ‘em. It is hilarious to watch the unsuspecting folks scream and jump and drop whatever they’ve got in their hands.

I don’t know how long this guy has been in business, or if there have been several Bush Men over the years. Like a time honored tradition that has been passed down from father to son time and time again – or if the originator has franchised out the program. Regardless, keep your fingers crossed you can catch him in action.

Be very aware if you decide to shop for cameras along the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. One particular shop I went to was a good example. It was about 160 Jefferson St opposite Boudin Cafe (the latter has great Chowder and Sourbread by the way). I wanted a specific camera lens and was told they don't have stock and to come back tomorrow (CLUE #1: as described by altizachen in 2004). They gave a fake low price to bait you (CLUE#2). After I wasted my time and effort getting back there the next day at their specified time, I found they never had the stock. They said they had it at the warehouse (CLUE#3), even though they said they would have it at the store that day. Anyway, as I was also looking for a polarizing lens filter and was leaving San Fran that day, I decided to check out the filter and just get that - yes, stupid in hindsight. When I was about to purchase it, suddenly the price was more than double (they said the lower price they quoted the night before was for another filter) - bait and switch (CLUE#4). Then at the checkout they still tried to squeeze a bit more from you, specifically, increasing the price by another dollar and then not give you the change you should get. When I queried about it, they get all fired up and abusive (totally unprofessional) and accuse you of being scummy. It's not the amount, but the principle, and they certainly had been cheating through the whole process. Lastly, the last warning sign (CLUE #5) I should have paid more attention to was them arguing and then bad mouthing another customer.

As for districts to avoid : Tenderloin region, and Market St between 8th and 5th street at night. It was rather scary walking through there with all the dodgy characters milling around (and I'm not talking about the harmless beggers). It's may be fine during the day but a different picture at night. Surprising how scenary can change suddenly from one section of Market St to the nicer, more touristy area of 4th St and Market St for example (all within a 5-10 min walk).

Unique Suggestions: Don't buy your camera equipment from the dodgy shops near Fisherman's Wharf (particularly the one opposite Boudin Cafe). If you do, be very wary of their techniques and their poor quality gears they try to sell you. Always ask for a receipt because they will not give one you otherwise. Even that is probably worthless. I will always buy my equipment from a big reputable camera shop in the future, even if I have to pay more.

Avoid certain districts at night, ask your concierge if you are staying at a hotel; they should be able to map out the district for you.