From the techie start-up crowd and creatives in the Mission District to the veterans who’ll tell you tales of hippie happenings in the Haight, San Francisco makes room for everyone in its 49 square miles. LGBTQI+ folk claimed the Castro neighborhood, Latino culture thrives in Calle 24, and a well-heeled conglomerate swish around Nob Hill. And San Francisco became home to the world’s largest Chinese community outside of Asia for good reason.
The diverse neighborhoods feel like fellowships, but they’re never cliquish—that’s simply not the San Francisco way. Sure, you can find your tribe here, but don’t commit to just one neighborhood on your travels. The best way to get under the skin of the city is by venturing from place to place to discover the things to see and do in San Francisco.
Eat
San Francisco restaurants run the gamut. First timer? Embrace all that’s tourist-tastic about San Francisco by heading to Fisherman’s Wharf, the world-famous market that features stalls and shops selling goods. Pick up a city classic—clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from Boudin. You can watch how the bread is handcrafted as your slurp, thanks to the open-plan bakery. Wave a quick hello to the noisy sea lions at Pier 39 before wandering west to the historic Ghirardelli Square for an enormous ice cream sundae with all the trimmings from San Francisco’s favorite chocolatier.
If that all sounds too mainstream, venture eastwards from Fisherman’s Wharf until you reach the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building Marketplace. Beneath the landmark clocktower, a busy public food market thrives in the elegant building that was once the city’s transport epicentre. Come for sustainably sourced fare and freshly baked organic bread to devour with specialty espresso or Chinese tea. If you’re craving a sugar boost between city explorations, deliberating over sweet treats from the organic doughnut shop or delicately crafted Parisian confectionery may steal more of your time than intended.
Long sightseeing days call for on-the-hoof eats, but plan for something more leisurely come suppertime. The chance to experience how different cultures have made their mark on the city is tempting. But however worthy the sushi in Japantown, dim sum in Chinatown, or the burritos in the Mission District are, don’t miss out on quintessential Californian fare.
An abundance of organic restaurants with locally sourced ingredients dominates the scene here. San Francisco’s best restaurants come armed with menus featuring fresh Pacific seafood, free-range meats, and seasonal local produce. Those helmed by award-winning chefs are a sure bet, such as the widely celebrated Spruce. San Francisco restaurants with a view are in similarly hot demand, with the 19th-floor Top of the Mark in the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel a long-standing favorite, having welcomed guests for 80 years. But wherever you pull up a chair, thanks to nearby Napa and Sonoma Valleys, the wine lists in San Francisco are to die for.
Play
You’re utterly spoiled for choice when it comes to things to do in San Francisco. Visitors return time and time again to revisit old favorites and get round to seeing places they couldn’t squeeze into previous visits. But with some savvy planning, you can cover a lot of ground quickly in The Golden City.
There are attractions galore around Golden Gate Park and Fisherman’s Wharf, particularly for families. For those looking to get deeper under the skin of the city, fascinating and historic neighborhoods, including the Mission District, Haight-Ashbury, and Chinatown, won’t disappoint.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a gleaming icon of the city and part of what makes San Francisco instantly recognisable. Attracting over ten million visitors every year, it’s one of the city’s most beloved locations. It opened in 1937 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world for over 20 years, but its popularity didn’t wane after losing that crown. It runs north to south, connecting the City of San Francisco to the County of Marin.
If the San Francisco weather plays in your favor, take to two wheels and cycle over the Bridge. There are plenty of places to hire bikes, including tandems, e-bikes, and family tag-alongs. Cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge is the ideal way to get your bearings, admire the glorious city skyline, and catch a glimpse of the infamous Alcatraz Island as you cross the Golden Gate strait. After freewheeling into the pretty town of Sausalito on the Marin County side, stop for lunch, a glass of local wine, and a spot of window shopping before letting the ferry do the hard work on your trip back to the city.
If you’re interested in learning about the bridge’s design and history, its ‘international orange’ hue, and its grueling maintenance and painting schedule, then the Welcome Center on the city side has plenty of information. Exhibits include stories about the people responsible for bringing the Golden Gate Bridge to life.
Golden Gate Park
It’s often an overstatement to say that a park has something for everyone, but Golden Gate Park comes close. It’s free to enter and spans over 1,000 acres, so if you’re keen to see as much as possible, then a segway, bike or electric scooter tour will help cover ground more quickly. As well as delightful gardens with sweet names such as Doughboy Meadow and Bunny Meadow, there are also lakes and waterfalls to seek out.
Golden Gate Park hosts several major attractions and museums, including the esteemed de Young Museum, a landmark art museum. Arguably, the California Academy of Sciences is the jewel in the Park’s crown. Inside, a living rainforest, aquarium, and planetarium transport visitors deep into the physics and biology of our world. When you reemerge (equal parts dazzled and better informed), the rest of Golden Gate Park is prime leg-stretching territory.
Make your way to the National AIDS Memorial Grove for a moment of reflection. Or, in the summertime, look out for one of the 12 hidden pianos around the Botanical Garden for an impromptu singalong. The Japanese Tea Garden is a scented wonderland of flowers to explore, then sip a cup of green tea in the Japanese Tea House.
Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island, and the Piers
Fisherman’s Wharf is a cherished destination in San Francisco and an area that’s unashamedly geared towards delighting tourists. The majority arrive at Fisherman’s Wharf on one of the traditional bell-clanging San Francisco Cable Cars – a must-do experience for any first-time visitor.
From the Cable Car stop, many make a beeline for Pier 39 to see the Wharf’s sea lions, a fixture here since the 1990s. There can be as many as 900 lolling around the marina in the winter. Watch them for a while, then wander around the little trinket shops and stop to buy obligatory saltwater taffy.
Boat trips to the infamous Alcatraz Island depart from Pier 33. The former maximum-security federal prison has a notorious history and equally notorious occupants, including Machine Gun Kelly and Al Capone. The journey to the island is part of the experience – a 15-minute boat trip with views of the city, Bay Bridge, and the Golden Gate Bridge before approaching the formidable Alcatraz. Once you arrive, tours take around 2.5 hours. For a spookier experience, venture to Alcatraz under cover of night. On an evening tour of this island jail, you’ll hear tales of what unfolded here as you creep around the cells.
A 20-minute walk or a quick zip on the F-line streetcar from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Embarcadero takes you to the Exploratorium at Pier 15. This so-called Public Learning Laboratory has hundreds of hands-on science exhibits and experiments. It’s a place designed to be thought-provoking and inspire inquisitiveness across six main galleries, including an outdoor section that investigates the natural forces that affect San Francisco and the Bay.
The Presidio
The Presidio of San Francisco is a famous city park with some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Main Post is the central hub where you can collect maps to help guide you around the park’s 24-mile network of biking and hiking trails. There are many to choose from, including those that lead you past public art installations or lead you from woodland to beaches. Smooth bikeable options are popular, but there are more challenging options too. A dedicated ecology trail carves a route through the Presidio’s different wildlife habitats through redwoods, oaks, and Monterey pines to serpentine grasslands and wildflower meadows. You might spot a hummingbird at El Polin Spring if you’re lucky.
Keen photographers love The Presidio for the views, and there are eight designated lookout points to see the landscape at its finest. On a bright day, most make tracks to Bakers Beach or Crissy Field East Beach, sandy stretches with striking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Plan ahead and go with a picnic (perhaps procured with organic supplies from the Ferry Building Marketplace) and take a well-deserved interlude from city explorations.
Back at Main Post, you’ll find The Walt Disney Family Museum. It’s a discovery of the life and work of Walt Disney from his early beginnings to building Disneyland and beyond – plus a look at a formidable legacy that has endured like no other. If you fancy trying out an illustration class, check the schedule and plan your trip around the workshops.
Coit Tower
The hills of San Francisco lend themselves to remarkable views throughout the city. But perhaps the best views of San Francisco are from the top of the 210-foot Coit Tower, an art deco structure on top of Telegraph Hill. Its observation deck has 360-degree views of the city. On a clear day, there’s a chance to see all of the city’s neighborhoods, including Chinatown, the Financial District, and Nob Hill, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. But don’t be surprised if the city is wearing its infamous veil of fog to add a moody atmosphere to the view, or obscuring it completely.
The Mission District and Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods
San Francisco’s quirky history and offbeat culture are epitomized in the Mission District and Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods. In the Mission District, more than 400 murals portray the city’s many sides as it is now and in days gone by. Balmy Alley has some of the oldest and most famous street art. Take a solo stroll or opt for a guided tour for the lowdown on the stories behind the creations.
Over in Haight-Ashbury, a different side of the city comes alive when the sun sets. While Haight-Ashbury’s wildest times may be left in the 1960s, beneath its gentrified façade, there’s still a hint of the Summer of Love left lingering. While a night out in this neighborhood rarely disappoints, it’s equally enticing during the day when the area’s famous Painted Ladies can be properly appreciated. These elegant and vibrant Victorian residences have withstood the ravages of times gone by, including the devastating 1906 earthquake, the toll of the Great Depression, and a plan to flatten them to make way for a freeway in the 1950s. Today, they’re still one of the most photographed sights in San Francisco.
Stay
Palihotel San Francisco
When it comes to San Francisco hotels, location counts for a lot. Palihotel not only has a can’t-beat-it position (one block north is Chinatown, and one block south is the prime shopping territory of Union Square), but it has a self-proclaimed “California-Centric” style. Happily, this means corporate bland is a big no-no. Diminutively sized rooms are easily forgiven for superb styling and ooh-lovely extras such as walk-in rainforest showers, Smeg minifridges, and coffee machines.
Hotel Kabuki
Japantown is a wonderfully central part of San Francisco to reach various city attractions, and Hotel Kabuki is a plush place to crash in after the end of busy days. The bedrooms are flooded with natural light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. The whole hotel pays homage to its neighborhood with plenty of Japanese influences, including a meditation garden.
