Golden Gate Bridge

Opened in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge spans the strait between San Francisco and Marin County, and its red-orange towers are the city's signature. You can walk or cycle across on the pedestrian path, about 2.7 kilometres each way.

For photographs, the viewpoints at Battery Spencer on the Marin side and Baker Beach in the city are the best. A bay cruise from Fisherman's Wharf passes under the bridge and around Alcatraz Island, whose former prison can be visited if you book well ahead.

Summer mornings are often foggy, with the towers vanishing into cloud, while September and October usually bring clearer skies. Combine the bridge with lunch in the waterfront village of Sausalito and a ride on one of the city's historic cable cars.