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.
Visitors flock to Coit Tower to take in views of downtown San Francisco, Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and other landmarks. With its perch in Pioneer Park atop Telegraph Hill, the 210-foot-high (64-meter-high) tower, built in 1933, offers some of the best panoramic photo ops in the city.
If one landmark embodies San Francisco’s breezy, graceful beauty, it’s the Golden Gate Bridge; you may have seen it on postcards, travel guides, screensavers, and social media, but nothing can prepare you for the real thing. This art deco structure spans the Golden Gate strait between the City and Marin County. Drive, bike, or walk across—and stop to look out onto the San Francisco Bay or as far as the Farallon Islands on a clear day.
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.
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.
Riding a cable car is a must-do activity for visitors to San Francisco, but for those interested in more than just a photo op, the Cable Car Museum offers the chance to see how these local icons work. Original cars from the 1870s are also on display.
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.
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.
Dotted with Buddha statues, cherry trees, and koi ponds, the Japanese Tea Garden is a perfect peaceful spot to escape the city. It’s one of the oldest public Japanese gardens in the US, where you can wander along carefully landscaped pathways, admire Japanese design elements, and stop for tea and snacks at the teahouse, in the heart of the garden.
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.
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.
Running for 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) along San Francisco’s Pacific coast, Ocean Beach marks the western edge of the city. The wide shoreline attracts both locals and visitors for picnics, walks, beach bonfires, and beautiful sunsets. Though swimming isn’t common here (the water is cold), surfing is popular.
A hidden gem near Union Square, San Francisco’s Marrakech Magic Theater features the magic and comedy routines of Jay Alexander, a magician, mentalist, and comic who performs his signature acts in an intimate setting.
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.
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.
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Nob Hill neighborhood, the Gothic-style Grace Cathedral is best known for its stained-glass windows that depict modern figures such as Thurgood Marshall, Robert Frost, and Albert Einstein. The church’s commitment to social issues is showcased in its AIDS Memorial Chapel, which houses a bronze altarpiece by activist Keith Haring.
This neighborhood in the northeast section of San Francisco features mostly high-end real estate with enviable views of San Francisco Bay, but it’s also home to one of the city’s top attractions—the crooked block of Lombard Street. One of San Francisco cable car travels straight up and down the hill on Hyde Street, drawing lots of visitors to this otherwise residential area.
A restored World War II submarine docked in San Francisco Bay, the USS Pampanito offers visitors a unique experience of military history. Explore the vessel that sank six Japanese ships in the Pacific, from the claustrophobic bunks shared by 70 submariners to the kitchen and dining area.
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.
Fans of the curious and bizarre feel at home at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it houses rare and unusual plants from threatened rainforest environments. Pass a wide, welcoming front lawn and step inside the giant, white greenhouse to discover the beauty of the natural world.
San Francisco’s Japantown, a microhood of the Western Addition neighborhood, is the oldest Japantown in the US and one of just a few left. It’s home to restaurants serving sushi, ramen, and other fare, a shopping center, a Japanese supermarket, and the 5-tier Peace Pagoda.
Journey through Asia—without embarking on an overseas trip—in this museum dedicated to art from the region. During your stay in San Francisco, view artworks spanning different periods in history and contemporary art from cultural regions, such as India, Japan, China, and Korea.
Home to both the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet, the War Memorial Opera House opened in 1932 and is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. The grand beaux-arts venue seats more than 3,000 people for opera performances and ballets, as well as other events such as concerts and lectures.
Tucked beneath the bluffs of the Presidio on the northwest edge of San Francisco, Baker Beach is a local favorite where a picnic on the sand comes with excellent views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Baker Beach offers a respite from the busy city and a chance to spot dolphins just offshore.
Discover the history of a generation of writers known as the Beats at the Beat Museum, which pays tribute to the movement in memorabilia, books, and a video documentary. This small museum, situated on a busy corner of San Francisco’s Italian North Beach neighborhood, is easy to include on a tour of the city.
Get up-close and personal with California’s native wildlife, including seals, sea lions, sea otters, and elephant seals, at the Marine Mammal Center. Known for its rescue and treatment work, the center offers a range of tours. While entry is free, booking a tour is encouraged, as proceeds go towards helping sick and injured creatures.
From 1910 to 1940, hundreds of thousands of immigrants—mostly from Asia and Mexico—were processed at the US Immigration Station on Angel Island; many were also detained and interrogated. The restored station is now a museum dedicated to the education and interpretation of this period of American history.
Originally owned by the California Fruit Company, followed by Del Monte Foods, The Cannery was once a major fruit and vegetable canning plant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since its 1937 retirement however, The Cannery’s historic building has been preserved and now houses a myriad of shops, boutiques, and restaurants on Leavenworth Street.
Between San Francisco and Santa Cruz sits the sleepy beach resort community of Half Moon Bay. Many of the town’s historical buildings now house upscale restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques, but the coast is the real draw here. The mansion-lined stretch of cliff-backed beach—with its scenic Cowell-Purisima Trail, excellent dining, and endless waves—draws surfers and picnickers throughout the entire year.
One of San Francisco’s main thoroughfares, ever-pulsating Market Street cuts a diagonal line from the Embarcadero on the city’s northeastern edge to the Twin Peaks neighborhood. It’s home to everything from big-name shops, restaurants, and cafés to offices, theaters, and plazas—attracting visitors and locals both day and night.
