San Francisco is one of the most iconic and beautiful cities in the United States, known for its hills, cable cars, Victorian architecture, and scenic bay views.
As a frequent visitor and lover of San Francisco, I want to share the very best things to do in San Francisco- the wonderful city by the bay.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover the top attractions, neighborhoods, sites, activities, tours, food, and more to make the most out of your San Francisco vacation.
I’ve organized everything clearly with headings and sections so you can easily find what you’re looking for.
Whether you’re planning a quick weekend getaway or longer stay, this guide has everything you need to know for an unforgettable time in San Francisco!
Getting Around San Francisco
Before diving into the top sights and activities, let’s first go over the best ways to get around San Francisco. The city’s famous hills and compact layout make walking a go-to, but public transportation opens up all corners of the city.
Cable Cars
No visit to San Francisco is complete without a ride on the iconic cable cars! The manually operated cables dating back to 1873 are a National Historic Landmark. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines offer scenic routes through popular neighborhoods. Be sure to hold on tight on those steep climbs!
BART
San Francisco’s metro system Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) efficiently connects downtown and outer neighborhoods. It’s my preferred way to get from the airport to the city center. BART also reaches across the bay to Oakland and Berkeley.
Muni
Muni trains, streetcars, and buses reach all parts of the city. Purchase passes at visitor centers or stations to save money. The F-line streetcars offer a historic ride.
Uber, Lyft and taxi apps are ubiquitous in San Francisco and great for point-to-point trips. Rates are higher during rush hour and peak times.
Top Neighborhoods and Districts
Now let’s explore some of San Francisco’s top neighborhoods and districts. Each area has its own unique sights, shops, restaurants and atmosphere.
Fisherman’s Wharf
The bustling waterfront district known as Fisherman’s Wharf offers family-friendly attractions. Wander Pier 39 to see barking sea lions, shop and eat. Tour historic ships at Hyde Street Pier and take in Golden Gate views. The Musée Mécanique penny arcade provides old-school amusement.
Seafood lovers flock here for creamy clam chowder served in sourdough bread bowls, crab sandwiches, and more. You’ll find no shortage of restaurants and casual eateries. Fisherman’s Wharf makes a very convenient home base with hotels and easy transport links.
Tours & Things to do hand-picked by our insiders
Golden Gate Park
At over 1,000 acres, Golden Gate Park packs in countless activities within its lush grounds. brides, lush meadows, lakes, gardens and museums give locals and visitors plenty of recreation.
Must-see stops include the California Academy of Sciences natural history museum, the Conservatory of Flowers botanical gardens, the Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young Museum of fine art, and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Kids love the park’s carousel and playground.
Golden Gate Park provides the perfect outdoor escape from the city with biking, walking, and paddle boarding. On Sundays, John F. Kennedy Drive closes to traffic for pedestrians and cyclists.
Chinatown
Enter the Dragon’s Gate into bustling Chinatown, one of the oldest and largest Chinese enclaves outside Asia. Wander the lively streets browsing traditional medicine shops, produce stalls, souvenir stores and temples. Cathay House and the Chinese Historical Society of America bring additional cultural insight.
Chinatown’s packed restaurants serve up dim sum dumplings, noodles and tea to sate your appetite any time of day or night. It still feels wonderfully stuck in time here, though modern touches like boba tea have crept in!
The Castro
The Castro District captures San Francisco’s diversity and acceptance. Rainbow flags line the streets in one of America’s first and finest gay neighborhoods. The Castro Theater, Twin Peaks Tavern and other community centric businesses create a spirited, welcoming vibe. Worth a wander anytime.
Alamo Square
Postcard rows of Victorian houses known as the Painted Ladies overlook Alamo Square park, providing the classic San Francisco snapshot.
Fun fact: the backdrop famously appeared on 90s sitcom Full House. After grabbing your photo, take in sweeping city views from the hilltop green space.
Surrounding Lower Haight delivers eclectic shopping and dining, including vintage stores and rock-and-roll themed bars.
Mission District
The Mission brims with Latino culture, artistic energy, trendy food and drink spots, and vibrant street art. Historic Mission Dolores, San Francisco’s oldest surviving structure, anchors the district while murals splash color far and wide. Treasure hunt the curated selections at boutique shops, and sample empanadas, tacos, pupusas and more. Bars and lounges fuel San Francisco’s nightlife.
Union Square
Union Square puts you at the heart of downtown San Francisco bordered by high-end department stores and hotels. Catch a cable car, go museum hopping, shop ’til you drop, or take in a show at a legendary theater. Union Square buzzes day and night with visitors from around the world.
Marina District
Young professionals and families flock to the upscale Marina District lining San Francisco Bay. Chestnut Street serves as the walkable main artery of boutiques, restaurants and cafés against quaint residential blocks.
The Palace of Fine Arts brings Italian Renaissance elegance and style. The neighborhood offers easy access to the waterfront pathway, Crissy Field park and nearby Golden Gate Bridge.
Top Things To Do In San Francisco
Let’s explore some of the attractions and landmarks that make San Francisco so postcard perfect and world famous. These quintessential spots belong on every visitor’s itinerary.
1. Golden Gate Bridge
With Art Deco towers rising 746 feet into San Francisco’s fog, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge deserves its renown beauty. Walking or biking across the 1.7 mile span treats you to incredible bay views and ocean breezes.
For a special experience, book a bridge tour and journey to the top of the towers or along the exterior. Whether glimpsing ocean liner traffic or marveling at engineering up close, the Golden Gate Bridge never ceases to impress. Time your visit for sunset when golden light bathes this marvel.
2. Alcatraz Island
Once the nation’s notorious maximum security prison housing mobsters and the criminally insane, Alcatraz now lures visitors as an eerie time capsule. Book ferry tickets and embark on the short bay crossing before joining a self-guided audio tour of the island prison’s grim interior — D Block solitary confinement and more. Plan at least half a day to soak up the dark history. Spring through fall, night tours also operate.
3. Cable Cars
A ride jostling up and down San Francisco’s gravity-defying hills on wooden cable cars recalls their invention in the 1870s. These National Historic Landmarks battling traffic and gradients symbolize the city like no other transport. Hop aboard at Powell & Market Street stops or along routes clanging by popular sights for thrilling rides. Just hang on tight!
4. Chinatown Neighborhood
Walking under the elaborate Dragon’s Gate entrance transports you 7,000 miles across the Pacific to China. Chinatown thrives as the oldest and largest Chinatown outside Asia. This living monument still feels wonderfully stuck in the past with its bustling crowds and shops unchanged for generations. Beyond the souvenirs, dive deeper by entering side temples or joining a guided tour. Don’t leave without sampling dim sum!
5. Palace of Fine Arts
This resplendent remnant of San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition beautifully fuses Roman and Greco architecture. Stroll the grounds to see swans glide across the serene lagoon beside the grand rotunda and colonnades backdropped by the bay. Hang out along the grass or pose on the elegant stone steps. The Palace of Fine Arts makes my favorite romantic spot as the sun dips behind the Golden Gate Bridge.
6. Lombard Street
The steep single blocks of Russian Hill deliver some of San Francisco’s steepest streets, but only Lombard earns fame as “the crookedest street in the world.” Watch cars creaking down the red brick curves flanked by manicured flower beds on this world famous block. Come take a photo walking down or glimpse the silly spectacle from the bottom of the hill.
7. Coit Tower
Crowning Telegraph Hill, the fluted white concrete column of Coit Tower has watched over San Francisco since 1933. Take in sweeping 360 city and bay views from the viewing platform 210 feet up. Advance reservations let you skirt lines by heading inside to gaze at vibrant Depression-era murals portraying city life. Coit Tower makes one of my favorite San Francisco landmarks.
8. Ferry Building Marketplace
San Franciscans flock to the grand Beaux-Arts Ferry Building for cafés, gourmet groceries, traiteurs, and farmers market bounty. Grab an ice cream or bayside lunch, go wine and cheese sampling, or bring home artisan olive oil and chocolates. Surrounding plazas offer front-row seating to Watch ferries shuttle across the bay with seagulls soaring by the iconic clock tower.
Outdoor Activities
Lace up your sneakers or rent a bike because San Francisco serves up awesome outdoor options among bay breezes and rolling hills.
9. Golden Gate Park
At over 1,000 acres, Golden Gate Park provides plenty of room to roam among gardens, lakes, trails, and top attractions. Join locals jogging and cycling on car-free Sundays. Fly a kite at Hellman Hollow. Paddle and boat at Stow Lake. Wander the National AIDS Memorial Grove. Then explore institutions like the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden and Botanical Gardens.
10. Ocean Beach
Wrap up and enjoy exhilarating ocean breeze walks along San Francisco’s wild 4 mile Ocean Beach running along Golden Gate park and Lands End. Warm bonfires crackle in designated pits as hardy souls fly kites and surf the chilly Pacific waves. Follow the Coastal Trail from Sutro Baths ruins to the famous Cliff House restaurant perched dramatically atop Seal Rock.
11. Biking the Golden Gate Bridge
Walkers and cyclists can cross the 1.7 mile Golden Gate Bridge span to take in thrilling views of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island and the Pacific Ocean from a special vantage point 225 feet above the water. Renting a bike makes the perfect activity for active visitors. Take your time pedaling the bridge and riding over to quaint, artsy Sausalito before returning via ferry.
12. Dolores Park
Join diverse locals at Dolores Park for one of the best free activities in the city. Find a patch of grass to lounge, barbecue, play frisbee, people watch, or soak up unbeatable downtown views. People flock Friday evenings for picnic dinners with wine and cheese. The casual, friendly scene perfectly captures San Francisco’s accepting spirit.
Best San Francisco Tours
Tours make fantastic introductions to San Francisco, taking you directly to key attractions with insider expertise from knowledgeable guides. Here are top picks covering key sights.
13. Big Bus Hop-On, Hop-Off
For those short on time looking to see it all, Big Bus Tours let you conveniently hop-on and off their red double deckers at over 30 stops around major attractions. Included activities like a bay cruise or cable car ride help you maximize sightseeing. Multilingual guides and audio commentary really add value while you take in sights like Lombard Street, Golden Gate Park, Union Square, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf and more.
14. Alcatraz & Fisherman’s Wharf
This popular small group tour pairs a ferry ride to infamous Alcatraz prison with extended time exploring the sights and tastes of Fisherman’s Wharf. You’ll journey through the eerie, abandoned cell house with an expert guide before enjoying a bay cruise back to Pier 39. Sea lion greetings, escape rooms and hearty seafood lunches deliver a quintessential San Francisco experience.
15. Muir Woods & Sausalito Day Trip
Escape the city to majestic Muir Woods National Monument filled with towering old growth redwood trees. Their hushed cathedrals reach skyward delivering a powerful sense of nature and renewal. Afterwards, continue across the Golden Gate Bridge to relaxed Sausalito. Stroll the waterfront, browse shops and galleries before taking a ferry back. It makes my favorite quick nature getaway!
16. San Francisco at Night Tour
On this small group tour, uncover San Francisco’s history, secrets and ghost stories as you walk between Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf after dark. Costumed storytellers spin colorful tales of characters like Joshua Norton and Janis Joplin over 3 hours. The route showcases illuminated sights like Coit Tower glowing atop Telegraph Hill that add atmosphere.
Where to Stay
San Francisco offers diverse accommodations options across downtown, vibrant neighborhoods and along Fisherman’s Wharf. Here are some of my top recommendations:
Boutique Hotels
For quaint character and charm, boutique inns like the Hotel Majestic or Inn at Union Square put you in the heart of the action. UK media company Luxury Travel Diary even named the Hotel Majestic among the most luxurious hotels in California.
Historic Hotels
Prestigious Nob Hill institutions Fairmont San Francisco, Mark Hopkins, and Stanford Court weave luxury stays with illustrious pasts. Recent renovations make them as fresh as ever with fantastic views. The Palace Hotel likewise blends Victorian elegance with modern conveniences.
Hipster Havens
For offbeat personality and local flavor, go boutique at places like The Marker near Union Square or Hotel Zephyr Fisherman’s Wharf with retro games and record players in rooms. Hotel Zoe near Union Square also impresses design forward travelers.
Hostels
San Francisco offers high quality, affordable hostels catering to solo travelers and youth. Top picks include Downtown Berkeley Hostel & Suites, Pacific Tradewinds, and Fisherman’s Wharf Hostel with bay views. Most offer private rooms in addition to dorms.
Best Restaurants
San Francisco’s celebrated dining scene spans trendsetting California cuisine to diverse ethnic eateries. Foodies find infinite options, these being some perpetual favorites.
1. Benu
Uber-exclusive Benu ranks among America’s top fine dining restaurants, seducing the senses with some 20 exquisite courses artfully presented. Be prepared to splurge for once-in-a-lifetime tastes masterminded by esteemed chef Corey Lee. Examples span matsutake mushrooms on pine branches to an ethereal eel crisp resembling stained glass. Reservations book extremely far in advance.
2. The House
For inventive Asian fusion in the Mission District, The House impresses with taste sensations like short rib pot stickers, whole roasted branzino and crowd-pleasing Singapore slings at their sultry lounge. Chef-owner Richie Nakano consistently earns acclaim.
3. Swan Oyster Depot
Expect detours and lines at this tiny seafood counter serving award-winning chowder and crab for over 100 years. Whether you score a seat at the vintage bar or take out your haul, obligatory oysters, shrimp Louie salad and other catches guarantee happiness. Cash only.
4. Tonga Room
Rainstorms crash over the indoor lagoon every 30 minutes as you feast on fusion flavors and sip mai tais at this kitschy tiki temple opened in 1945. Between the thatched huts, floating boats and live music, the Tonga Room offers endless fun with Polynesian dishes. Make reservations and adhere to the dress code or risk being turned away at the door.
5. Zuni Café
Trailblazing chef Judy Rodgers may have passed, but her legacy thrives through Zuni’s locally sourced California fare and legendary wood-fired roast chicken.
Start with addictive Mediterranean olives and sticky-sweet cornbread, then see why lines perpetually snake out this Market Street staple. I never tire of Zuni.
San Francisco offers infinite dining adventures from street food to Michelin star splurges. For more recommendations, check outneighborhood restaurant guides covering Chinatown dim sum to Mission District Latin flavors and beyond. Bone appétit in San Francisco!
Final Word
San Francisco delivers unlimited possibilities for magical moments among rolling hills and glittering bay views. Iconic attractions transport you back in time, while world-class museums, food and culture propel you forward. Quintessential sightseeing accompanied by outdoor adventures creates balanced days fully immersed in all the city has to offer.
I hope this guide steers you to an unforgettable San Francisco vacation tailored exactly to your travel style and interests — be that culture, cuisine, outdoor escapes into nature and more. San Francisco joyfully welcomes all with open minds and hearts. When you inevitably fall in love, join the club… then start planning your next visit!
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