Attraction
Golden Gate Bridge
The 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…
There are plenty of things to do in San Francisco for a city of its compact size. It sits on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific and the bay, so views open up from almost every hill: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the waterfront piers are the classic sights, while Golden Gate Park holds major museums and gardens. Neighbourhoods each have their own character, from the Italian cafés of North Beach and the lanes of Chinatown to the murals and taquerias of the Mission and the Victorian houses of the Haight.
Food is a large part of any visit. Expect sourdough, Dungeness crab and oysters, burritos in the Mission, dim sum, and a long list of chef-led restaurants serving Californian produce. The city is hilly but walkable, and Muni buses, streetcars, cable cars and BART cover most journeys. Three or four days is enough for the main sights and a few neighbourhoods; add a day trip to Marin County, Sausalito or the wine country if you have longer. Pack layers, as fog and wind can cool the city quickly, even in summer.
Attraction
The 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…
Attraction
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.
Attraction
Golden 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
SFMOMA is San Francisco's modern and contemporary art museum in SoMa, with works by Kahlo, Rothko, Pollock and Warhol across seven gallery levels.
Attraction
The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park combines an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest dome and natural history museum under a 2.5-acre living roof.
Attraction
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…
Café
Tartine Bakery on Guerrero Street has baked bread, croissants and morning buns since 2002 and is open daily from 7.30am to 6pm with café seating.
Café
Caffe Trieste in North Beach opened in 1956 as the first espresso house on the West Coast and was a haunt of Beat writers and Francis…
Café
Sightglass Coffee's original SoMa café on 7th Street houses its production roastery, an open coffee bar and an upstairs space, with public tastings on Fridays.
Café
Ritual Coffee Roasters opened its first café on Valencia Street in 2005, in a former furniture store with parklet seating and light-roasted coffee.
Café
b. patisserie is a modern French pâtisserie and salon de thé on California Street, with an open pastry kitchen, open Wednesday to Sunday.
Café
The Mill on Divisadero is a café and bakery from Four Barrel Coffee and Josey Baker Bread, known for toast, coffee and bread made with flour…
Hotel
The Fairmont San Francisco is a 1907 Beaux Arts landmark on top of Nob Hill with 606 rooms, afternoon tea in Laurel Court and the Tonga…
Hotel
The Palace Hotel on Market Street rebuilt after 1906 and opened in 1909, and is known for its glass-domed Garden Court and the Maxfield Parrish mural…
Hotel
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco occupies 12 floors of a 42-storey Market Street tower, with city views, MKT Restaurant and Bar and access to an Equinox…
Hotel
The Argonaut Hotel occupies the landmark Haslett Warehouse at Fisherman's Wharf, with 252 rooms, bay views and the Blue Mermaid restaurant.
Hotel
Hotel Zephyr is a 361-room, nautical-themed hotel at Fisherman's Wharf with an 8,000-square-foot outdoor games yard, fire pits and an indoor game room.
Hotel
Inn at the Presidio is a 22-room boutique inn in a 1903 Georgian Revival officers' building in the Presidio, with free breakfast and evening wine and…
Bar
Smuggler's Cove is Martin Cate's rum and tiki bar on Gough Street, with more than 1,400 rums and a menu of over 80 historic and modern…
Bar
Trick Dog is an award-winning Mission cocktail bar on 20th Street, known for themed menus that change regularly and food served until late.
Bar
The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is a 1945 tiki bar in the Fairmont San Francisco, built around a former swimming pool with a floating band…
Bar
Vesuvio Cafe is a North Beach bar founded in 1948, once frequented by Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, across Jack Kerouac Alley from City Lights.
Bar
The Buena Vista at Hyde and Beach streets introduced Irish coffee to the United States in 1952 and has served more than 30 million since.
Bar
The Fillmore is a historic 1,315-capacity concert hall on Geary Boulevard, made famous by Bill Graham in the 1960s and known for its free apples and…
Restaurant
Zuni Café is a Market Street institution open since 1979, known for its roast chicken for two with warm bread salad, oysters and a daily-changing menu.
Restaurant
Tadich Grill traces its roots to an 1849 coffee stand and serves mesquite-grilled fish, seafood louies and classic cocktails in the Financial District.
Restaurant
House of Prime Rib has carved prime rib at the table on Van Ness Avenue since 1949, served with Yorkshire pudding, creamed spinach and a salad…
Restaurant
State Bird Provisions on Fillmore Street serves inventive contemporary American small plates from carts and trays, and has held a Michelin star since 2014.
Restaurant
Quince is Michael and Lindsay Tusk's three-Michelin-star restaurant in Jackson Square, serving a nightly tasting menu built on produce from their own farm.
Restaurant
Yank Sing is a third-generation family dim sum restaurant, founded in 1958, serving more than 100 rotating dishes from traditional pushcarts on Stevenson Street.
Thing to do
San Francisco's cable cars are the world's last manually operated cable car system, with three lines running from Market Street towards Fisherman's Wharf and Van Ness…
Thing to do
The Ferry Building Marketplace is a restored 1898 ferry terminal on the Embarcadero with around 50 food shops and restaurants and a farmers market three days…
Thing to do
Lands End is a clifftop stretch of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area with a coastal trail, the Sutro Baths ruins and views across the Golden…
Thing to do
Pier 39 is a waterfront pier at Fisherman's Wharf with shops, restaurants, a carousel, the Aquarium of the Bay and a colony of California sea lions.
Thing to do
Twin Peaks is a pair of hills near the centre of San Francisco, rising over 900 feet, with sweeping views from Christmas Tree Point across the…
Tour operator
San Francisco City Guides is a non-profit that runs free history walking tours across the city, led by more than 300 trained volunteers.
Tour operator
Red and White Fleet runs bay cruises from Pier 43½ at Fisherman's Wharf, including a one-hour Golden Gate Bay Cruise and an evening City Lights Cruise.
Tour operator
Blazing Saddles is a family-owned bike rental and tour company at Fisherman's Wharf, best known for rides across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.
Tour operator
Local Tastes of the City Tours runs daily food walking tours of Chinatown and North Beach, with all food and non-alcoholic drinks included.
Tour operator
Chinatown Alleyway Tours is a youth-led non-profit offering walking tours through Chinatown's alleys, covering daily life, history and community issues.
Three to four days covers the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park and a few neighbourhoods, with an extra day for a trip out of the city.
Union Square and the Financial District are central and well connected, Nob Hill has grand hotels, and Fisherman's Wharf suits families who want the waterfront close by.
BART trains run from SFO to downtown stations such as Powell Street and Embarcadero; taxis and ride-hailing services also serve the airport.
Yes, hotels and restaurants are among the more expensive in the United States, but many parks, viewpoints and walks are free.
Most visits are trouble-free; keep valuables out of sight, never leave bags in parked cars, and take normal care at night in quieter areas.