San Fransico has numerous issues to do, from strolling throughout the Golden Gate Bridge to driving its iconic cable vehicles. Dive into Alcatraz Island’s wealthy historical past, really feel the Mission Murals’ creative pulse, and indulge in the legendary Irish Coffee on the Buena Vista Cafe.
Whether you’re purchasing at Union Square or marveling on the creative masterpieces in the SFMOMA, the town provides one thing for each traveler. Join us as we information you thru the highest issues to do in San Francisco.
Best Things to Do in San Francisco
There is little doubt that visiting San Francisco can be an American trip you’ll keep in mind for years to come. I do know we did!
San Francisco is among the greatest cities in California if not among the finest cities in the US, and planning a visit there’s so thrilling. Whether you wander by San Francisco’s Chinatown or need to discover the very best spot to view the long-lasting skyline at sundown, this information has all the very best issues to do in San Francisco.
Getting Around SF
When we first visited San Francisco, we purchased a hop-on hop-off bus ticket, and it was an effective way to see all the main San Francisco sights in a short while.
Book personal your airport switch to make touchdown on the airport simpler. Enjoy a personal switch instantly to your downtown SF Hotel. The metropolis is simple to navigate, particularly in case you keep someplace central. For a greater thought of the place to keep, try our information on the place to keep in San Francisco.
1. Ride the Cable Cars
San Francisco’s cable vehicles are legendary, and no journey can be full with out hopping on one and doing a metropolis tour. This tour is an effective way to see the town’s prime highlights, together with Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill, The Italian Quarter, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Details right here.
Cable automobile rides are thought-about an icon of the town, and it’s best to take a experience simply for the expertise whereas visiting. Plus, driving its cable vehicles is one of the best ways to sort out San Francisco’s steep hills. You’ll discover most sights in the center of San Francisco.
You don’t want to take a tour to experience the cable vehicles; they’re a part of the town’s transportation. The greatest method to get round San Francisco is on foot or public transport. The metropolis’s public transport system known as Muni. You will pay per particular person experience or buy a Muni Passport, which additionally provides you limitless rides on all public transportation for a one-three or seven-day interval.
2. Cable Car Museum
Visiting the Cable Car Museum provides an perception into the town’s particular transportation system. Location is vital, and the museum takes the ‘location, location, location’ motto significantly. The museum overlooks the pulley system, and guests can wander exterior onto the deck to observe the behind-the-scenes motion of its well-known cable vehicles.
The exhibit covers every part from outdated classic vehicles from the 1870s to mechanical shows and historic artifacts like black-and-white pictures
3. Walk Lombard Street
Lombard Street is named the “crookedest street in the world” and options eight hairpin turns. It was designed in the Twenties when the vehicles of that point lacked the facility to make it up the steepest of hills.
To go to Lombard Street for your self, you’ll be able to stroll or drive. If you’re strolling, contemplate strolling down Lombard Street quite than up – belief us, your legs will thanks. The road weaves by the neighborhood of Russian Hill, which is stuffed with steep hills. Read extra: 16 Great Hikes in San Francisco, California
4. Walk The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is among the most iconic landmarks in your complete world. Whether staying for 24 hours, 72 hours, or two weeks, the Golden Gate Bridge can be on the prime of your itinerary.
The Golden Gate Bridge was constructed to join the town to Marin County throughout the Golden Gate Strait, and at the moment, strolling throughout is among the hottest issues to do. The stroll begins at Vista Point. The greatest method to go throughout the Golden Gate Bridge is on a guided tour. This guided bike tour is a 3-hour tour taking you throughout the bridge and to different prime San Francisco sights.
The iconic bridge is a large a part of the town skyline. The Bay space across the bridge is so in style that it’s now thought-about a nationwide park. The space known as Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is stuffed with completely different viewpoints and mountain climbing trails.
To expertise the Golden Gate Bridge stroll throughout it on the pedestrian footpath and head to viewpoints for a panoramic view. Marin Headlands is the very best place to watch the sundown, whereas Fort Point is the very best shot for daybreak and dawn.
5. Baker Beach
Baker Beach is a quiet, one-mile-long seashore that’s serene and sensible for a seashore stroll or a dip in the ocean. It additionally has one of many metropolis’s greatest views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, which spans the bay perpendicular to the seashore. Even in the cruel noon gentle, you’ll be blown away by the view. Prepare to be wowed fully at sundown and keep lengthy sufficient to watch the bridge and metropolis gentle up.
The seashore will get crowded (you’ll be able to’t preserve good issues a secret for lengthy), however don’t let that cease you from visiting. If something, the crowds make Baker Beach a bit safer to go to – particularly at sundown in low-level lighting. To get there, take the 29 Sunset bus or taxi, uber or Lyft. Parking is proscribed.
6. Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is a nationwide historic landmark and is over a century outdated. The infamous island was as soon as one of many world’s most high-security jails. Alcatraz housed well-known inmates resembling Al Capone and Billy Cook – the Killer.
You can go to the island and tour the jail, together with the cell block.
The jail closed in 1963, and since then, it has change into one of many US’s greatest historic and cultural sights. If you’re keen on darkish historical past, it is among the greatest locations to go to in San Francisco.
There are impartial reveals to uncover, audio excursions, and a guided strolling tour on sure days. The jail continues to be in wonderful situation, and wandering the cell corridors is an eerie glimpse into the island’s pre-Sixties life. This highly-rated tour features a self-guided audio tour of Alcatraz Island. Details right here.
7. Fisherman’s Wharf
What would a visit to San Francisco be with out recognizing the well-known California sea lions? If you head down to Fisherman’s Wharf, you’ll discover Pier 39, the favourite spot of a big colony of sea lions. They first appeared in 1989 and haven’t left since.
This might be probably the most touristy space of the town, however additionally it is the right place to go to if it’s your first time in the town. Here, you’ll additionally discover the well-known San Francisco clam chowder, tickets for Alcatraz, and vacationer experiences like Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and The San Francisco Dungeon.
8. Visit San Francisco’s Chinatown
San Francisco’s Chinatown is North America’s Oldest Chinatown and is a must-visit. The entrance is simple to discover and is marked by a hanging Dragon Gate at Grant Avenue and Bush Street.
This neighborhood of exercise and flurry covers 30 sq. blocks the place you’ll be able to immerse in Asian tradition, eat dim sum, do some purchasing, and take in its bustling environment.
Take a culinary tour for an immersive expertise by the neighborhood sampling genuine Chinese meals as you stroll the slender streets indulging in dim sum, tea, fortune cookies, and extra.
9. See the Painted Ladies
Ready to meet some film stars? The Painted Ladies are a row of Victorian homes incessantly used as movie units in films and tv collection – Most Notably Full House. But Full House isn’t the one title you’ll acknowledge. Mrs. Doubtifre was additionally the setting of those stunning girls.
You can guide this San Francisco Movie tour that can take you to iconic places which were seen on the large display screen. More than 50 well-known films have been filmed in San Francisco, and this 3-hour journey options the Painted girls and extra!
The pastel-colored homes are positioned in the neighborhood of Alamo Square Park. And whilst you can’t enter the Painted Ladies since they’re personal residences, you’ll be able to snap loads of pictures from the skin.
Alamo Square Park is positioned throughout the road from the Painted Ladies and has stunning views of the homes, metropolis and bay. The park is simply off the Hayes Street and Scott Street intersect, simply accessible by bus from the town heart. The Hop on Hop off Bus additionally stops in this space.
10. Golden Gate Park – De Young Museum
Golden Gate Park spans 1000 acres with museums, manicured gardens, and vacationer sights. It warrants a full day to see all of its sights. From horseback driving to bike leases, it’s simple to spend a day having fun with every part the park has to supply.
A treasure of Golden Gate Park is the De Young Museum, a high quality artwork museum. If you need your artwork gallery repair, this museum is among the greatest issues to do.
The museum is full of fashionable artwork and historic treasures. You might view a Thirteenth-century wooden sculpture one minute and The Obama Portraits Tour the following. De Young Museum is fast-paced and encourages fast pondering, encompassing American artwork and artwork from Africa and Oceania.
11. Spot the bison at Golden Gate Park
Another cool factor to see in Golden Gate Park is its bison herd at Bison Paddock. The animals are cared for by the San Francisco Zoo, and the paddock is open for members of the general public to spot the bison over the fence line. If you’re visiting Golden Gate Park, why not make a detour?
The first bison was introduced to Golden Gate Park in 1891 to recreate the Wild West and support conservation makes an attempt. Thanks to conservation efforts, bison are not below menace of extinction.
12. Japanese Tea Garden – Golden Gate Park
Fancy a calming stroll? Walking by the Japanese Garden is among the most serene outside actions in San Francisco. It can be the oldest public Japanese backyard in the US. Make certain to cease on the tea home.
Located in the guts of Golden Gate Park, it’s a stunning place to go to in central San Francisco to benefit from the serenity of a Japanese backyard. It is stylish in the springtime when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. But even in winter, the backyard has a relaxing allure.
13. Take a San Francisco Bay boat tour
On a ship tour, you’ll cross many sights, together with the SF Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. You might select a sundown catamaran tour with dinner or a daytime sightseeing cruise with informative commentary. This Golden Gate Bay Cruise additionally consists of the hippy enclave of Sausalito. Make certain to preserve a watch out for dolphins and whales.
An effective way to discover the highest San Francisco sights is to buy a San Francisco Explorer Pass. Choose 2, 3, 4, or 5 sights and excursions. More particulars right here.
14. California Academy of Sciences
Think science museum, after which enlarge it by 100. The California Academy of Sciences is an unimaginable museum containing an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and pure historical past museum worthy of spending a complete day (if not two). You can guide tickets forward of time, together with entry to all in sooner or later on the California Academy of Sciences.
15. Palace of Fine Arts
Don’t miss going to the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco – We captured this magnificence at sundown. The Palace is the one remaining construction from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
With its Greek-style colonnades and hovering central rotunda, the Palace of Fine Arts is beautiful and has been featured in a number of films. The structure’s grandeur and scale make is a picturesque place to chill out and have a picnic.
16. Have breakfast at North Beach
North Beach is San Francisco’s ‘Little Italy,’ and the hospitality is second to none. You’ll really feel such as you’ve stepped into Europe with the al fresco retro eating. The space has loads of Italian eating places, and it is among the greatest locations in San Francisco for nightlife. The native favorites for breakfast are Nob Hill Café, Caffe Macaroni, and Tosca Café.
Or you’ll be able to take a stroll as you take pleasure in genuine Italian Gelato whereas purchasing for books at City Lights Bookstore and Publishing or visiting the Beat Museum.
17. Wander the Mission District
The Mission District is famend for its spectacular Mission Murals. The greatest locations to see the Mission murals are alongside Clarion Alley, Caledonia Alley, Balmy Alley, and Horace Alley
As you wander by the neighborhood, you’ll encounter partitions and alleys remodeled into dynamic canvases, showcasing beautiful murals that inform tales of heritage, battle, and group.
The fundamental thoroughfares of the Mission District are Mission Street and Valencia Street, identified for its various array of eating places and outlets. Visitors will discover classic outfitters second-hand information and bookstores most notably Quarius Records, Dog Eared Books, and Borderlands Books.
Plus, the Mission District is acknowledged as an rising hotspot for purchasing, eating, and nightlife.
This strolling tour is an immersive cultural journey that provides a novel glimpse into the guts and soul of the town. The space can be identified for its second-hand information and bookstores it’s a treasure trove of nostalgia with shops like A
18. City Lights Bookstore
Speaking of Bookstores, City Lights Bookstore is a San Francisco Institution specializing in world literature, the humanities, and progressive politics. It was based in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, who left two years later.
The retailer gained fame following the obscenity trial of Ferlinghetti for publishing Allen Ginsberg’s influential assortment “Howl and Other Poels. In 2001, City Lights was designated an official historic landmark.
TreasureFest, previously referred to as Treasure Island Flea Market, is held on the final full weekend of each month. This vigorous occasion transforms Treasure Island into an eclectic hub of indie crafts, antiques, and reside music.
Launched in 2011 by San Franciscans Angie and Charles Ansanelli, the pageant was designed to foster group involvement and spotlight native expertise.
With over 400 native distributors, customers will discover classic items, handmade crafts, and distinctive antiques, all set in opposition to the scenic backdrop of the San Francisco Bay.
Visitors may take pleasure in a wide range of meals vans, interactive DIY workshops, and reside music, creating an immersive expertise that encapsulates the spirit of San Francisco. The occasion’s pet-friendly environment, themed markets, and number of culinary choices make it a pleasant vacation spot for all sorts of vacationers.
20. Hayes Valley
Nestled in the guts of San Francisco, Hayes Valley is a vibrant neighborhood identified for its stylish boutiques, beautiful eating, and dynamic artwork scene. Stroll alongside Hayes Street to uncover a various choice of fashion-forward outlets and specialty shops, good for distinctive finds.
Food fanatics can savor numerous culinary delights, from cozy cafés to upscale eating places serving international cuisines. The space can be a cultural hub, house to the San Francisco Jazz Center and a stone’s throw from the famend SF Symphony and Opera.
Don’t miss the Proxy, an outside house internet hosting movie screenings and meals vans, providing a style of the area people spirit.
21. Shop at Haight Ashbury
Haight-Ashbury turned well-known primarily due to its position as a central hub of the hippie counterculture in the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties. By the mid-Sixties, it had change into a middle for the hippie motion.
Today, Haight Ashbury is thought for its distinctive boutiques, distinctive eating places, classic and retro-themed outlets, just like the well-known Amoeba Records and Booksmith. The space can be identified for its focus of Victorian houses, colourful murals, galleries, and artwork areas.
22. See the Parrotts Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a 210-foot constructing providing panoramic views over the San Francisco skyline, plus a house for an estimated flock of 400-plus parrots. The parrots don’t simply reside in the tower; they’re everywhere in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood.
You can climb to the highest of the tower for an affordable entrance value and see the entire metropolis on a transparent day. You’ll have the opportunity to spot Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, plus all of the skyscrapers and skyline landmarks.
The tower was constructed in the Nineteen Thirties but stays among the finest viewpoints in SF. You may additionally need to learn: The Ultimate San Francisco Photography Guide
23. Ferry Building Marketplace
Ferry Building is an indoor artisan meals market. If you need to seize breakfast or lunch on the go, you actually can’t discover anyplace higher. Once a major public transport constructing, it’s now a spot for native distributors and farmers to promote their natural and handmade produce.
The market advocates for regional and conventional manufacturing – constructing a powerful sense of group whereas preserving native historical past and life. Grab a cup of Joe at Blue Bottle Coffee and revel in perusing the outlets. The Saturday Farmers Market is the very best time to go to.
24. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Step into the World of Wonder at SFMOMA: A San Francisco Must-See for Art Aficionados. As one of many metropolis’s premier locations, SFMOMA is house to a staggering array of over 33,000 artworks, encompassing a various vary of contemporary and modern items.
From awe-inspiring installations to thought-provoking work and sculptures, the museum presents works by illustrious artists like Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol.
25. Asian Art Museum
For those that love the high quality arts, the Asian Art Museum comprises over 18,000 Asian artworks and is among the world’s best collections. The exhibitions are dynamic and thrilling, utilizing a wide range of mediums, together with video, basic canvases, and gem stones.
26. San Francisco Botanical Garden
Visiting the San Francisco Botanical Garden is a beautiful method to escape the town. The 55-acre backyard has 8,000 flower varieties, together with native and worldwide vegetation. Visitors can discover from a succulent backyard to a towering Redwood grove, passing by African calla lilies.
You’ll discover the Great Meadow & Fountain Plaza and Redwood Grove in the gardens. The botanical backyard’s Redwood Grove provides a glimpse of those majestic bushes for those that can’t go to the Redwood National Forest or John Muir Woods.
Plus, the backyard has the biggest assortment of Magnolia bushes exterior of China, with the very best viewing time from mid-December by March.
27. Lands End Lookout
This space known as Lands End as a result of it’s positioned actually on the finish of all land to the west, as its cliffs finish on the base of the Pacific Ocean. Here, you’ll discover Ocean Beach, the place superior surfers showcase their expertise.
Its waves are notoriously big and unsuitable for swimmers due to harmful currents however sunbathers can safely watch the motion from the shore. On a transparent day, the hikers can see far into the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Marin Headlands to the north, and the Golden Gate Bridge to the east.
The historic Sutro Baths and Park on the Lands End Main Parking Lot may also be discovered. The Sutro Baths are among the finest locations for images, the place you’ll discover San Francisco’s Heart. A rock formation in the form of a coronary heart.
Besides the Sutro Baths, different viewpoints embody the Eastern Coastal Trail Lookout, Lands End Labyrinth, and Dead Man’s Point.
28. Angel Island
Angel Island is one in all our favourite San Francisco issues to do. The island was as soon as an immigration station (not not like Ellis Island in New York), and a navy base. Visiting right here provides a stupendous 360-degree view of the town and the Bay Area.
The island is now a state park bursting with trails, greenery, and San Francisco’s historical past. It is the second largest island in SF Bay and is conveniently positioned, making it a incredible day journey.
It has loads of pure magnificence in addition to historic buildings to discover. The island is an ideal choice if you’d like an tour from the CBD.
To go to, catch a ferry from Fisherman’s Wharf. You can then select to discover independently or buy a guided strolling tour.
29. Mission Dolores Park
This 16-acre park is among the hottest parks in San Francisco. It has every part: a soccer area, tennis courts, a basketball courtroom, and frequent cultural occasions.
It has wonderful views of the bay, and the park has considerably of a cultural and historic stamp. Mission Dolores Park has a number of monuments, such because the Mexico Liberty Bell and Miguel Hidalgo Statue.
And, with all of the cultural occasions like festivals and music performances, it’s price checking to see if something of curiosity coincides along with your go to. Who is aware of? Maybe you’ll strike fortunate. Plus, the environment can be second to none, even in case you don’t know any performers.
30. Watch a Giants sport at Oracle Park
What is extra American than baseball? The San Francisco Giants are a number one baseball workforce in the Major League with a fierce following throughout the US.
Whether or not you’re a sports activities fan, watching a baseball sport at Oracle Park is among the most enjoyable and atmospheric issues to do in SF.
A baseball sport is a incredible method to respect the American (and San Franciscan) spirit.
The main league baseball season usually runs from April to October, longer in the event that they make the playoffs. It is price checking to see if a sport coincides along with your go to or contemplating it when reserving your journey.
31. Hike Up Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is among the greatest mountain climbing trails in the town for spectacular metropolis views of the bay. It is a closely trafficked loop path, and you’ll drive or cycle up to the lookout.
It is the second-highest peak in San Francisco (922-foot tall ) that overlooks your complete Bay Area and the town’s landmarks.
The hike feels distant from the town, with forest trails, eucalyptus bushes, rocky outcrops, wood walkways and filth paths taking you up to Eureka Peak and Noe Peak.
32. Visit the Buena Vista Cafe
As the birthplace of the American model of Irish Coffee, the Buena Vista Cafe provides a pleasant mix of wealthy espresso, easy Irish whiskey, and creamy topping, creating an unforgettable style sensation.
Savoring this famed beverage isn’t nearly having fun with a drink; it’s about being a part of a timeless San Francisco custom. The cafe’s cozy, welcoming environment and panoramic metropolis views make for the right backdrop to take pleasure in this basic concoction.
33. Attend the Stern Grove Festival
The Stern Grove Festival is a collection of free performing arts occasions held every summer time. Established in 1938, it takes place in the picturesque Sigmund Stern Grove, a eucalyptus-wooded pure amphitheater about two miles south of Golden Gate Park. The pageant spans a 33-acre web site from nineteenth Avenue and Sloat Boulevard to thirty fourth Avenue.
Since its inaugural live performance on July 10, 1938, carried out by the Bay Region Symphony of the Federal Music Project, the pageant has featured numerous performances. In 1943, the San Francisco Ballet carried out on the pageant for the primary time, changing into a daily in its summer time lineup.
The pageant underwent renovations in 2004, reopening its 68th season in June 2005.
How to Get to San Francisco
San Francisco sits in Northern California, a few six-hour drive north of Los Angeles. The metropolis is simple to attain through air, rail, highway, and sea. We visited San Francisco on a highway journey and located driving an effective way to get round. You can evaluate automobile rental costs right here.
The fundamental airport is the San Francisco International Airport, which is positioned 13 miles from downtown. To get downtown, you’ll be able to take the airport shuttle busses, taxis, Uber, and Lyft.
Best Time to Visit San Francisco
Spring and fall are San Francisco’s two shoulder seasons. However, fall (September to November) has a number of the warmest temperatures and fewest crowds – a win-win.
September is San Francisco’s warmest month and is ideal for strolling across the metropolis and exploring the very best close by mountain climbing trails.
San Francisco is a metropolis that fits all seasons, however if you’d like the very best expertise we recommend visiting in the autumn.
At the start of autumn, you’ll additionally discover probably the most road festivals and markets in San Francisco. This season is stuffed with life and exercise and has the climate to match.
Questions People Also Ask About San Francisco
Is 2 Days Enough for San Francisco?
Two days in San Francisco may be enough to see a few of its highlights, nevertheless it gained’t enable for a complete exploration of the town. With a well-planned itinerary, you’ll be able to go to well-known landmarks such because the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Alcatraz Island.
What is the Number One Attraction in San Francisco?
The Golden Gate Bridge is commonly thought-about the primary attraction in San Francisco. This iconic suspension bridge is a marvel of contemporary engineering and provides breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and the town skyline.
How Can I Spend a Few Days in San Francisco?
Just a few days in San Francisco may be spent exploring a mixture of its well-known sights and native experiences:
Day 1: Visit the Golden Gate Bridge, discover the close by Golden Gate Park, and see the Painted Ladies. Spend the night in the colourful neighborhoods of the Haight-Ashbury or the Mission District. Day 2: Take a ferry to Alcatraz Island in the morning. In the afternoon, go to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. You might additionally discover Chinatown and Union Square.
What is San Francisco Popular For?
San Francisco is in style for its various tradition, iconic landmarks, and exquisite pure surroundings. It’s identified for the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, cable vehicles, and vibrant neighborhoods like Chinatown and Castro.
Where to Stay in San Francisco
We have a whole article breaking down the very best neighborhoods and lodges for each funds and customer. You can learn it right here. Where to Stay in San Francisco – A Guide To The Best Neighborhoods
San Francisco is an unimaginable US vacation vacation spot. The metropolis is one in all America’s hottest vacationer locations and has a legendary, legendary attract. With its world-class museums, incredible purchasing, and eating at every part from a sustainable seafood restaurant to having fun with one of many metropolis’s well-known festivals, San Francisco simply lives up to its big repute.