The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and spans the strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Its 1,280-metre main span was the world's longest at the time, and its International Orange colour makes it stand out in the fog. Visitors walk or cycle across, with classic views from Battery Spencer and Fort Point.

Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay was a federal maximum-security prison from 1934 to 1963, holding notorious inmates such as Al Capone. Earlier a military fort, it was later occupied by Native American activists from 1969 to 1971. Ferries take visitors to the island for an audio tour of the cellhouse.

Fisherman's Wharf is a bustling waterfront area on San Francisco's northern shore, known for seafood stands serving Dungeness crab and clam chowder in sourdough bowls. Pier 39 is home to a colony of sea lions, shops and restaurants. Ferries to Alcatraz and bay cruises depart nearby.

Lombard Street in San Francisco is famous for its one-block stretch with eight sharp hairpin turns on Russian Hill. Built in 1922 to reduce the steep slope, the brick-paved road is lined with flower beds and elegant homes. It is often called one of the most crooked streets in the world.

The Painted Ladies are a row of colourful Victorian houses on Steiner Street facing Alamo Square park in San Francisco. Built in the 1890s, they are framed by the modern city skyline behind them. Often called Postcard Row, they gained worldwide fame from the opening credits of the TV series Full House.

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest in North America, established in the 1840s. Entered through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue, it is filled with temples, herbal shops, dim sum restaurants and lantern-strung streets. Waverly Place and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory are popular stops.

Muir Woods National Monument protects one of the last old-growth coastal redwood forests near San Francisco. Some trees are more than 75 metres tall and over 1,000 years old. Boardwalk trails wind along Redwood Creek through Cathedral Grove. It was named after naturalist John Muir in 1908.

Napa Valley, north of San Francisco, is one of the world's most famous wine regions, known especially for Cabernet Sauvignon. Over 400 wineries line the valley between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountains. Visitors enjoy tastings, the Napa Valley Wine Train, hot-air balloon rides and acclaimed restaurants.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium, housed in a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row, opened in 1984. It is famous for its towering kelp forest exhibit, sea otters, jellyfish galleries and the Open Sea tank. It plays a major role in marine research and ocean conservation.

Big Sur is a rugged stretch of California's Central Coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific. Highway 1 winds along cliffs and across the famous Bixby Creek Bridge, built in 1932. Redwood forests, state parks and hidden beaches make it one of America's most scenic drives.

McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a 24-metre waterfall that drops onto a beach in a turquoise cove on the Big Sur coast. It is one of the few waterfalls in California that falls near the ocean. A short trail leads to an overlook with a classic view of the falls.

Hearst Castle is the lavish hilltop estate built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947. Designed by architect Julia Morgan, it is filled with European art and antiques. The Neptune Pool, with its Roman temple facade, and the indoor Roman Pool are famous highlights.

Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, is known as the Queen of the Missions. Its twin bell towers and classical facade overlook the city and the Pacific Ocean. The church, gardens, cemetery and museum tell the story of the Spanish mission era in California.

Santa Monica Pier dates from 1909 and is a classic Southern California landmark. It features Pacific Park amusement park with a solar-powered Ferris wheel, an aquarium, arcades and restaurants. The pier marks the symbolic western end of historic Route 66.

Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is one of the world's most famous luxury shopping streets. Its three blocks are lined with designer boutiques and palm trees. The cobblestone Via Rodeo and the historic Beverly Wilshire Hotel at its southern end appear in many films.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame stretches along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street with more than 2,700 brass stars honouring stars of film, television, music, radio and theatre. Nearby are the TCL Chinese Theatre with celebrity handprints and the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards.

Griffith Observatory opened in 1935 on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. Its Art Deco building offers free public telescopes, astronomy exhibits and a planetarium. The terraces provide panoramic views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign, especially at sunset.

The Getty Center, opened in 1997, is a hilltop museum and research complex in Los Angeles designed by architect Richard Meier. Its travertine buildings house European paintings, sculpture, manuscripts and photographs. Admission is free, and its gardens and terraces offer views over the city to the Pacific.

Balboa Park is a 486-hectare cultural park in San Diego, home to more than 15 museums, gardens and the San Diego Zoo. Its Spanish Colonial Revival buildings were built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Highlights include the Botanical Building, the California Tower and El Prado walkway.

The USS Midway Museum is an aircraft carrier moored in downtown San Diego. Commissioned in 1945, the Midway was the longest-serving US Navy carrier of the 20th century. Visitors explore the flight deck with over 30 restored aircraft, as well as crew quarters, the engine room and bridge.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park preserves the area where the first European settlement in California began in 1769. It features restored adobe buildings, museums, shops and Mexican restaurants. It offers a glimpse of life in the Mexican and early American periods.

La Jolla Cove is a small, picturesque beach framed by sandstone cliffs in San Diego. It is part of an ecological reserve, with clear water popular for snorkelling and kayaking among garibaldi fish. Sea lions and harbour seals lounge on nearby rocks and at Children's Pool.