San Francisco attractions

One of the most-visited destinations in San Francisco, the multilevel Pier 39 complex is home to shops, restaurants, street performers, and a video arcade. Many boat tours depart from the pier daily, making it a key stop on the tourist circuit. Its location on the San Francisco Bay means visitors can also admire panoramic views and even watch sunbathing California sea lions.

The largest natural island in San Francisco Bay, Angel Island—a California state park—is often overshadowed by the much smaller Alcatraz Island. Yet with an equally interesting history as a West Coast version of Ellis Island, Angel Island also offers hiking, biking, and picnicking, all with views of the San Francisco Bay, city skyline, and Golden Gate Bridge.

The heart of San Francisco’s 1967 Summer of Love, the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood will forever be associated with the hippie movement and American counterculture. Today the district’s mix of boutiques, smoke shops, vintage stores, restaurants, and bars makes it a favorite among locals. It also has a high concentration of the beautifully restored Victorian homes the city is known for.

San Francisco's Man-made Treasure Island was created for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition and then became home to a naval training station and other military sites. In recent years, the small isle has become a trendy destination for its urban wineries, a monthly festival, and unbeatable views of downtown San Francisco and the bay.

Scottish-born conservationist John Muir, who spearheaded Yosemite National Park’s founding, famously wrote, “No temple made with hands can compare.” While the phrase may seem cliché, many would argue it’s true. Of Yosemite’s natural landmarks, Half-Dome, the mammoth rock formation that looks like a mountain from another planet, is best known, but hardly less inspiring than the high-altitude meadows, giant sequoia groves, and waterfalls dispersed over this expanse of protected wilderness.

Fort Mason’s use as a military site dates to 1864, but it’s now part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The 13-acre (5-hectare) site houses art spaces, a bar, restaurant, and coffee shop and is also known as the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. Its Great Meadow is a favorite for a warm-weather picnic.

Since it was founded in 1776, the Presidio of San Francisco has had many lives, from a Spanish military site to an American Army post to a National Park Service location. Today, it draws visitors for its cultural sites, hiking trails, public art, restaurants, and views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay.

San Francisco's Painted Ladies are a pristine example of the city's candy-colored, Queen Anne-style architecture. Also known as Postcard Row—and one of the most-photographed sights in the city—the houses stretch uphill right across from Alamo Square Park and boast impressive views of the downtown skyline beyond. They are known for featuring in the opening credits of the late-1980s TV show Full House.

One of San Francisco’s prettiest neighborhoods, the Marina District enjoys a prime perch on San Francisco Bay with pastel-colored, low-rise architecture, stylish shops, and upscale restaurants. Surrounded on three sides by either green space or water, the area draws active locals who enjoy walking, running, and biking with bay views.

Sitting just below the Golden Gate Bridge on the very northern tip of San Francisco, Fort Point National Historic Site was built in the mid-1800s to guard the entrance to San Francisco Bay during the Gold Rush. Today, the small site can be explored on foot and provides a fantastic vantage point of the bridge and bay.

Closely associated with LGBTQ culture, San Francisco’s vibrant, brash Castro district is a lively neighborhood of shops, bars, rainbow flags, and hilly streets lined with impressively restored Victorian homes. Harvey Milk—California’s first openly gay elected official—was a famous Castro resident, honored here with Harvey Milk Plaza.

Home to San Francisco’s main governmental offices, Civic Center is a central gathering spot for visitors to major museums and performing arts venues. The tree-lined UN Plaza leads to the impressive gold-leaf dome of City Hall while surrounding Beaux Arts-style buildings invite you to stroll around the square or buy tickets to a show.

Located on the northern edge of the city right on the waters of San Francisco Bay, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the maritime history of the West Coast. Attractions include the Maritime Museum, two piers, a visitor center, and a fleet of historic ships.

A wide swath of beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area backed by restored wetlands is just part of Crissy Field’s story. An integral part of San Francisco’s waterfront, Crissy Field hosts a yacht harbor, a tidal marsh, and Crissy Promenade—a popular bike and pedestrian path that climbs from the beach to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

The home to San Francisco’s hipster scene and the hub of the city’s Latin community, the Mission District is one of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods. It’s known for its outstanding and diverse food scene, buzzing nightlife hot spots, and a scenic park that’s a popular weekend hangout for locals.

What began as the headquarters of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory in the 1890s is now a multilevel retail square across the street from San Francisco’s Aquatic Park. Instantly recognizable by its clock tower and large Ghirardelli sign—both popular photo ops—the red-brick complex is a destination for waterfront dining, shopping, and sampling chocolate.

Rising more than 900 feet (274 meters) above San Francisco, Twin Peaks provides a panoramic view of the city and beyond. On clear days, you can see for miles from these two hills, taking in the Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio, Alcatraz, downtown San Francisco, and Berkeley, Oakland, and Sausalito across San Francisco Bay.

The Transamerica Pyramid was the eighth-tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1972. But no matter its ranking, this 853-foot (260-meter) office building continues to be a symbol of San Francisco. With its distinctive silhouette and white quartz exterior, the structure is an instantly recognizable part of the city skyline.

One of the United States' premier science and natural history museums, the California Academy of Sciences holds a fascinating collection of 38,000 natural wonders. With its Morrison Planetarium, Steinhart Aquarium, four-story rain forest dome, and open-air, green "living roof," the academy is a highlight for many visitors to San Francisco.

Idyllic Pacific Heights, San Francisco’s most desirable address is famous for its historic homes—including Painted Lady Victorians—high-end shopping and dining on Fillmore Street, two hilltop parks, and billionaire residents. Everything in this neighborhood comes with postcard-worthy views across San Francisco Bay.

Tunnel View is the most visited scenic overlook in Yosemite and the site of Ansel Adams’ famous shot. When driving into Yosemite National Park from the south, Tunnel View offers your first glimpse into Yosemite Valley. At the end of a tunnel, a magical valley is revealed, with towering granite peaks and domes, and waterfalls spilling over cliffs.

One of San Francisco’s original Seven Hills, Nob Hill is the historic and present-day home of the city’s upper crust. This area features luxury apartments and mansions, elite hotels, and towering Grace Cathedral. A short but steep walk from Union Square, Nob Hill gives visitors a look at how the other half lives in San Francisco.

Revel in nature’s wonders and discover which creatures call the waters of Northern California home at the hands-on Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf. There, marvel at the wonders of jellyfish or tunnel under sharks to view the true underbelly of marine life in the immersive exhibits.

In cities around the world, Madame Tussauds is known for its wax recreations of famous figures, from movie stars to politicians to athletes. Modeled after the original Madame Tussauds in London, the San Francisco wax museum features life-size models of Steph Curry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Marilyn Monroe, and Jennifer Aniston, to name a few.

A rocky point at San Francisco’s westernmost tip, Lands End is a shutterbug’s dream. With epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, sweeping vistas of the Pacific coast, and access to the ruins at Sutro Baths, Lands End is wild, windy, and beautiful.

When the sun breaks through the clouds in San Francisco, the Mission District feels it first, and locals flock to Mission Dolores Park to soak up those rays and enjoy picnics and lawn games on the grass. Noted for its view of the San Francisco skyline and proximity to some of the city’s best places to eat, Dolores Park is the place to be on a sunny afternoon.

Dotted with Buddha statues, dwarf trees, and koi ponds, the Japanese Tea Garden (or Hagiwara Tea Garden) is a tranquil place amidst the urbanity of San Francisco. Experience the beauty and harmony of a traditional, Japanese-style garden, enjoy a cup of tea at the teahouse, and experience other aspects of Japanese culture in the heart of Golden Gate Park.

If de Young Museum’s Herzog & de Meuron architectural design doesn’t capture your attention, the bird’s-eye view of Golden Gate Park from the observation tower will. Wander the collections of Oceanic and American art, as well as galleries of impressive textiles and decorative arts.

The San Francisco Legion of Honor museum houses a broad collection of ancient and European art. Best known for Auguste Rodin’s statuteThe Thinker in its front courtyard, the Legion, as it is called by locals, is equally impressive for the jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Ocean visible from nearly every window.

When outdoorsy San Franciscans need a nature fix, they head to the Marin Headlands, a wildlife haven on the coast known for its hiking trails, Pacific Ocean views, and historic sites. Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the headlands sit just across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County.