San Francisco can be compared with Buenos Aires, Cape Town and Sydney. One would be hard pressed to name another city positioned so glamorously, between the ocean and Sierra Nevada mountains to the east and west and redwood forests and the California desert to the north and south.

Originally a Spanish fishing village with 400 people on a large natural harbour, San Francisco was named after the old Franciscan mission when the West Coast region became US territory in 1847.  The city quickly mushroomed, the Gold Rush of 1849 inspiring a migration so rapid that seekers almost fell into the Pacific in their desperation for a new life. The population soared to more than 300,000.

They came from the west and the east - thousands of people escaped famine in China for a hard life on the railroads, and were subjected to appalling discriminatory laws.  Japanese immigrants settled separately, in the Western Addition neighbourhood and, later, what is now Japantown. Chinatown and Japantown are now the biggest Asian enclave outside Asia.

Another event changing the landscape of the city was the devastating earthquake of 1906, when the fires levelled its wooden Victorian homes.  A handful survived, the city's famed and colourful 'Painted Ladies' in Alamo Square.

San Franciscans rebuilt their city on the sea. In place of horse-drawn streetcars that traversed Russian and Nob Hills, cable cars arrived at the approach of the 20th century. Places to visit include Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower, Embarcadero, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Italian North Beach and Sausalito.

All sports are played within restricted seasons which vary across the country.

The best times for touring the west coast are:

• Hockey ~ August to October
• Lacrosse ~ March to June
• Rugby ~ September to December and March to June
• Soccer ~ March to December

You'll be accommodated in either billets or hotels. The deciding factor will be when you travel. If you are a school and are in their school term, most of your accommodation will be in billets. There will be hotel accommodation as well so that you'll have the benefit of being with your friends. 

If you are travelling out of school time, your accommodation will be in hotels like the Neo Gothic architecture of the Pickwick Hotel, situated one block from the Cable Car and only four from Union Square.

Our policy in choosing hotels is quite different to our competitors, most of whom concentrate on price. We're after location, quality and value for money and the Pickwick reflects that.

You'll feel like you've entered the golden age of art deco when you enter this luxury boutique style hotel. It's a blend of the very best of old world hotel elegance combined with today's modern facilities. The rooms have a French Provençal feel about them, as well as on-demand films and games, internet access, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. There is a fitness centre and a Café for  breakfast.

• Nob Hill ~ Highest point in the city with amazing views of San Francisco Bay.
• Alcatraz ~ For 34 years this was a maximum security prison, situated on 'the rock' in the Bay, made famous by infamous residents like Al Capone and 'The Birdman', and considered impossible to escape from. 
• Fisherman's Wharf ~ The pier area of the city, with plenty of seafood restaurants and souvenir stores.
• Cable Car ride ~ No visit to San Fran is complete with a ride on one of the city's signature mode of transport, perfectly equipped to tackle steep hills.  The system, declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964, has 40 cable cars that operate on the Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde and California Street lines.
• Coit Tower ~  This 210 foot tall tower has been a prominent feature in the city's skyline since its dedication in 1933.  Walk up Telegraph Hill to the Tower.
• Golden Gate Bridge ~ The city's most famous landmark and one of the world's most famous bridges.  Spanning 6,450 feet and linking San Francisco to Marin County, the bridge was completed in 1937 at a cost of $35 million.
• Fort Point ~ Built to defend the city and the Bay during the Civil War, this stone fort and its cannons soon became obsolete. However, the designer of the Golden Gate Bridge was so taken by the fort's masonry that it was decided to build around it rather than remove it for the bridge's south anchorage. Fort Point now functions as a museum.
• Chinatown ~ The largest Chinatown outside of Asia.
• Union Square ~ The heart of the shopping district.

• Yank Sing ~ Specialising in more than 100 varities of dim sum, Chinese pancakes, you'll never be bored.
• The Slanted Door ~ Vietnamese restaurant serving well-prepared food and an interesting menu.
• Los Hermanos ~ Extremely popular restaurant serving some of the best Mexican food to be found.  Also serve take aways.
• Fog City Diner ~ Possibly the country's most famous diner, Fog City serves an upmarket version of typical American comfort food.