With its Spanish roots and hippy chic reputation, San Francisco is probably the least American city in the whole of the United States yet throughout its short history, it has made its own name as a place where many a pioneer has come to chase, and in some cases achieve, the elusive American dream.

From the gold rush of the mid 19th century to the DotCom boom of the late 20th century, the city has been a magnet for adventurous souls to make their name and fortune. Today the gold may be gone but the visitors still swarm in from far and wide to experience its stunning bayside and laid back atmosphere.

Although most traces of the Ohlone Indians, who once made their home on the small peninsular on which modern day San Francisco sits, are long gone, the legacy of the Spanish settlers, the Mission Dolores, lives on in the Mission district, south of Market Street – a huge promenade that slices the city and roughly separates the old from the new.

The north side stretches up to the bay opening and the famous Golden Gate Bridge, encompassing the 60s hippy-Mecca of Haight-Ashbury, the vibrant China town and Little Italy, century-old street cars and unfeasibly steep hills certain to tire out even the fittest. Just resist the temptation to hang off the side of the historic trams or it's a long roll to the bottom.

On a misty day, grab your camera and head to the top of the city to watch the magical spectacle of clouds of white fog partially obscuring the bay at sunset.

To while away the hours of a lazy summer day, head to the Golden Gate Park, which stretches from Haight-Ashbury to the coast and slurp your way through oversized sodas whilst admiring the Chinese and botanical gardens.

Landmarks such as Coit Tower, situated on a hill, and in the shape of a fireman’s hose, in the east of the city, which offers panoramic views across the bay, and the City Hall, which contains a history of the 1906 Earthquake that flattened large parts of the city, offer another chance to get snap-happy.

But moving indoors, those who want to see life from behind the bars of one of the world's most infamous prisons can head to the island of Alcatraz where kindly tour guides will even lock you in a cell for a bit.

While the city is often remembered for the Haight-Ashbury of the Summer of Love, and wearing flowers in long flowing hippy locks, the only real remainder of this is now in the souvenir shops lining the namesake streets.

But if that seems too sedate, the shopping of Main Square offers a chance to spend some serious cash. For a spot of light culture, head to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and independent galleries of Sutter Street to take in the best that the city's thriving art community can produce.

And when the hunger pangs kick in, a plethora of restaurants offering gastronomic delights from fantastically fresh seafood from the bay to pancakes dripping with butterscotch sauce are never hard to find.

The affluence brought by the DotCom money combined with the world’s biggest gay community and the ever-pleasant Californian climate also gives the city a thriving nightlife with numerous festivals and parties throughout the year not to mention a multitude of bars and clubs rangy from the dark and dingy to the chic and pricey.

As a history laden yet thoroughly modern city, San Francisco has as much to offer today’s tourist as any of the pioneers who came before.