Ranking San Francisco’s best seems like an impossible challenge. This well loved city has some of the world’s most iconic attractions that first-time visitors just can’t miss. Still, you could live in San Francisco for years and still have plenty of hidden gems left to explore. Those who know this city well will surely find this list lacking some lesser known essentials. Lacking from the list are the cable cars, but I’ll sneak it in here by suggesting cable cars as a mode of transportation between Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf.
San Francisco is a mecca for cultural events, like concerts, comedy nights, food festivals, and flea markets. These will heavily depend on when you’re visiting, but there’s always something happening. Depending on the season, I recommend checking out some of the city’s sports teams – catch a foul ball at a Giants game, or watch the 49ers score some touchdowns. The sophisticated traveler may prefer to enjoy a performance of the San Francisco Symphony, or a stroll through SFMOMA.
Top 10 Tourist Attractions In San Francisco
1. Fisherman’s Wharf
Yes, it’s touristy. It’s also historical and has some pretty delicious seafood. Fisherman’s Wharf has been around since the Gold Rush, when Italian fishermen would dock their boats and bring in the day’s catch, bringing with them a unique character and culture, which can still be found if you look hard enough.
Today, boats continue to bring their daily haul to Fisherman’s Wharf, where restaurants on the pier serve it up fresh – crab cocktails from vendors right on the street, steaming clam chowder in a freshly baked sourdough bread bowl, or the San Francisco specialty seafood stew, cioppino.
Also tucked away on this pier is the Musée Mécanique, which is a quirky little museum with functioning antique penny arcade games. This is a lesser known hidden gem, that can keep kids entertained while learning a bit about the humble (and sometimes kind of creepy) origins of arcades.
Some would group Pier 39 and maybe some of the other tourist traps in with Fisherman’s Wharf but I say skip those, with the exception of a visit to the sea lions. Fisherman’s Wharf is also a common hangout for the Bushman, but I’ll let you experience that one for yourself.
2. Golden Gate Bridge
Do I even need to explain this one? The Golden Gate Bridge is the icon of San Francisco, and is recognized around the world. Drive across it, walk across it, take the bike loop up to Sausalito and the Marin Headlands for some picturesque views. However you decide to view it, you just have to do it. It’s the most photographed bridge in the world, so just imagine for a minute how silly you’ll feel telling your friends back home how you missed this one.
A bit about the bridge, for the uninitiated: The Golden Gate Bridge spans the strait, which connects the bay to the Pacific Ocean, which is called the Golden Gate – and that is where the bridge’s name comes from – not from its paint color (which is “International Orange,” anyway). Construction on the bridge began in 1933. From the bridge’s completion in 1937 until 1946, it had the longest suspension span in the world at 4,200 feet.
3. Alcatraz
It’s somber, it’s kind of creepy, but mostly it’s fascinating. Used as a maximum-security prison from 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz Island (AKA “the Rock,” before Dwayne Johnson claimed that nickname) sits 1.25 miles (2 km) from the coast, in the near freezing waters and strong currents of the bay. The penitentiary was considered inescapable, and as such, was used to house the worst of the worst offenders – notorious gangsters, ruthless, infamous criminals, like Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, Doc Barker, and Whitey Bulger (who is still behind bars and was recently in the news again on new charges).
The prison was not inescapable, however. Audio guides will tell guests the incredible story of the elaborate escape from Alcatraz, which may or may not have been successful. Visitors to the island can explore the dank cells where inmate served their time, among the sounds of crashing waves and with tiny slivers of views of the open sea symbolizing either hope or despair.
As an added bonus, trips to Alcatraz involve a boat ride out on the bay, which provides plenty of photo ops of the city skyline.
4. Golden Gate Park
I’ll admit I’m cheating with this one. Golden Gate Park is no simple park, holding several other SF essentials: California Academy of Sciences (must-see), the de Young Museum, Conservatory of Flowers, and the Japanese Tea Garden.
In addition to hosting some of the city’s biggest events, the park itself is home to a playground with a hundred-year-old carousel, a lake with an island (Strawberry Hill) and waterfall, a tulip garden complete with a windmill, and its very own herd of buffalo (in the middle of San Francisco!).
5. Union Square
San Francisco’s major shopping district, Union Square features a many storied Macy’s, high-end shopping, a hidden mall, and several theaters. This public square is a mandatory stop for visitors around Christmas time, when the square is decked out in holiday décor, with a giant Christmas tree and an outdoor ice skating rink, it transforms into a winter wonderland – or as close as San Francisco can get to that.
6. Chinatown
Sure, there’s a Chinatown in many major cities in the world, but no other city can boast the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, and the oldest in North America. San Francisco’s Chinatown is a cultural experience, with its bustling crowded streets, shops with whole, dead ducks hanging in the windows, or maybe just their feet, cheap souvenirs. Take in the sights and sounds of Chinatown, stop by a bakery and grab a sesame ball, and then pop in to a restaurant for some dim sum. It’s all about the food. Before you leave, check out the tiny Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory for some fresh cookies, which make a good souvenir or snack.
7. Lands End
One of the lesser known and slightly underrated attractions in San Francisco is Lands End, a recreation area with part of the California Coastal Trail. The trail follows along the rocky shoreline, offering incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and taking hikers to several interesting spots. The Sutro Baths, a complex of swimming pools used around the end of the 19th century, the structure burned down in the 1960s and lies in ruins. The trail also leads to the historic Cliff House and a hidden labyrinth. Head to Ocean Beach when you’re done – though it’s usually freezing, it’s a beautiful beach that allows bonfires.
8. Haight-Ashbury
This district makes the list because it embodies the spirit of San Francisco’s hippie culture, a movement that was an important part of the city’s history during the 1960s. The streets of the Haight are an urban explorer’s delights, with Victorian architecture, record shops and booksellers, cool cafes, and plenty of thrift stores and places to shop for unique apparel. Dead-Heads may want to make a pilgrimage to the Grateful Dead House, where the band members once lived. By night, this district comes alive, offering bars and clubs galore.
9. Lombard Street
Known as the crookedest street in the world, the one-block stretch of Lombard Street features 8 hairpin turns, slowing cars as they travel down the super steep street. While Lombard Street surprisingly isn’t actually the most crooked street in the world, driving or walking down the beautifully landscaped street, checking out the pristine mansions that line the street is a fun activity for any visitor to San Francisco.
10. Painted Ladies (Alamo Square)
The name might sound like some strange San Francisco-esque sideshow, but “painted ladies” refers to the Victorian and Edwardian houses, known for the delicate details and pretty colors, that are scattered around San Francisco. Popular during the late 1800s and early 1900s, these houses are brightly colored and elaborately embellished. A row of these multimillion dollar beauties line the street along Alamo Square, a perfect place to take photos, or have a picnic a la Full House.
Also check: San Francisco Travel Guide
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