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Best Attractions in San Francisco (2026)

San Francisco's main sights are spread around the edges of a compact city, from the waterfront to the ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge is free to walk, and its Welcome Center on the city side explains how it was built. Alcatraz Island is reached only by ferry from Pier 33, and tickets regularly sell out, so book it first and plan the rest of your trip around it. Golden Gate Park holds a cluster of major sights: the de Young museum, with its free observation tower, and the California Academy of Sciences face each other across the Music Concourse, so one day can cover both.

Museums open and close on different days, which matters when you plan. SFMOMA is closed on Wednesdays, while the de Young and the Legion of Honor are closed on Mondays, and the Exploratorium is usually closed on Mondays too. Combine the Legion of Honor with the clifftop trails of Lands End, Coit Tower with an afternoon in North Beach, and the Palace of Fine Arts with a walk towards the bridge. Mornings are usually calmer at the busiest sights. Bring layers whatever the season, as wind and fog can change conditions quickly, especially on the bridge and around the bay.

10 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 attractions in San Francisco

  1. Golden Gate Bridge Suspension bridge and landmark, PresidioThe Golden Gate Bridge is the 1937 suspension bridge across the mouth of San Francisco Bay, free to walk, with a Welcome Center and café on the city side.
  2. Alcatraz Island Historic prison and national park site, San Francisco BayAlcatraz Island is the former federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, now run by the National Park Service and reached only by ferry from Pier 33.
  3. Golden Gate Park Urban park, Golden Gate ParkGolden Gate Park is a 1,017-acre park stretching over three miles to Ocean Beach, home to major museums, gardens, a lake and a bison paddock.

Attraction

2. Alcatraz Island

Historic prison and national park siteSan Francisco Bay

Alcatraz Island is the former federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, now run by the National Park Service and reached only by ferry from Pier 33.

View details — Alcatraz Island

Attraction

6. de Young Museum

Fine arts museumGolden Gate Park

The de Young is a fine arts museum in Golden Gate Park with American art, textiles and art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, plus a free observation tower.

View details — de Young Museum

Attraction

7. Exploratorium

Science museumEmbarcadero

The Exploratorium is a hands-on science and art museum on Pier 15, with hundreds of interactive exhibits and adults-only After Dark evenings on Thursdays.

View details — Exploratorium

Attraction

8. Coit Tower

Observation tower and muralsTelegraph Hill

Coit Tower is a 1933 concrete tower on Telegraph Hill with Depression-era murals on its ground floor and an observation deck reached by lift.

View details — Coit Tower

Attraction

9. Legion of Honor

Fine arts museumLincoln Park

The Legion of Honor is a 1924 fine arts museum in Lincoln Park, modelled on a Paris palace, with ancient and European art and views of the Golden Gate.

View details — Legion of Honor