travel blog, minus the bull$hit

As a Bay Area native, trust me when I say San Francisco is a lot smaller than you think it is. It’s literally just a 7 x 7 mile square of a city.

IS IT WALKABLE? Technically yes, if you’re prepared to brave the crazy hills and foggy weather. Muni (bus) and BART (train) are pretty good transportation options. I typically drive into the city though because I’m used to our roads and hills (bless my cars hill assist button) already.

HOW SHOULD I DRESS? The Bay is micro-climates galore, but very predictable in a sense that you should always bring a jacket with you because when the fog rolls in, it rolls in fast. It also gets quite windy being so close to the water. The east sides of SF itself tend to be sunnier though.

Getting straight into it, here’s the best way to hit pretty much most of our major attractions in order of convenience in getting to each location but you can do this top to bottom or bottom to top depending on where you’re coming from! Or do it in random order, I won’t judge. This is a guide that hits the major attractions if you’re crammed on time trying to fit the most in 1 single day in the City so you can spend as much or as little time you want at each spot.

This post will start from the east side of SF along Embarcadero which is what I always do when I take my tourist friends around since I’d get to take the Great Highway home and drive along Ocean Beach which I consider to be the scenic route home. A link to a Google map list including all attractions can be found at the bottom of this post.

Ferry Building

A restored 1898 space now turned into a home to over 50 different vendors selling stuff like produce, food, coffee, a bookstore, etc. There’s also a farmers market here every Sunday.

There’s a Hog Island Oyster location here too if you want to try out our famous oysters and don’t have time to drive further up north.

note: depending on how crunched we are for time, I like to just park here and walk all the way to Ghiradelli Square (or whenever we get tired of walking) then take a Waymo (self-driving taxi) back to my car to continue our little tourist day.

Pier 1 View Point

For a cool view of the San Francisco Ferry Terminal Gate B. It’s pretty cool both day and night to look at!

Pier 33: Alcatraz

Once known as the inescapable prison island (spoiler alert: 3 people escaped somehow), it has now been turned into a popular tourist attraction. You have the option of booking day or night tours with either guided or self guided tours. I’d suggest allotting 2-4 hours spent here, including ferry time. I’m guilty of never having gone yet because each time I’ve tried to go were all last minute decisions and they always happened to be sold out for the day!

You can pre-book tickets with Alcatraz City Tours here.

Pier 39

I love coming here because the vibes are always fantastic, and I like watching the sea lions sunbathe!

Fisherman’s Wharf

Famous for its seafood like Dungeness crab and SF’s famous clam chowder served in sourdough bread bowls, which you can enjoy at street vendors or restaurants all around the wharf. Fisherman’s wharf is a super lively, family-friendly area, but so are most if not all places on this list!

Musée Mécanique

Literally in the same area as Fisherman’s Wharf, just keep walking straight past all the seafood vendors neatly lined up. It’s a pretty cool antique arcade. Make sure you bring quarters or if you have bills on you, they have coin exchange machines. For you Princess Diaries lovers, that arm wrestling machine the Queen tried is located here. And yes, it’s pretty strong (compared to me).

Lombard St.

Ironically, I don’t have any pictures of Lombard St. or of me with the street in the background but my friends have a bunch of videos of me stressed out driving down it!!

Not technically on the way/on the same street, but assuming you need a break from food after having a nice clam chowder bread bowl it’s pretty good to check out this famous street! You can also do this after checking out the Cable Cars before heading over to Fort Mason or the Palace of Fine Arts.

Ghiradelli Square

100% a chocolate lover’s paradise! You can explore a mix of activities ranging from chocolate experiences to shopping, dining, and just enjoying the scenic views. They also have vegan hot fudge sundaes for my fellow lactose intolerant kiddos.

Tip: $18 parking in their garage but spend $25 or more and receive 50% off your parking ticket. Don’t forget to present your parking ticket to the cashier for validation/to get that discount.

Powell & Hyde Cable Car Turntable

Located literally a block away from Ghiradelli Square is one of the stops of the famous Cable Cars of San Francisco. This turntable is where the city’s famous Powell-Hyde cable cars are manually turned around for their return trips.

Fort Mason

Optional if you’re crunched for time! Here are some things you can find at Fort Mason:

• Off the Grid – if you’re in SF on a Friday during the summer (usually between March – October), Off the Grid is at Fort Mason with a bunch of amazing food truck options!
• Farmers market – every Sunday, all year round you’ll find fresh produce, local goods, and artisan products from different local vendors
• Museo Italo American – a museum celebrating Italian-American culture and history through rotating art exhibitions and educational programs
• San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
• Golden Gate Promenade and Bay Trail

Palace of Fine Arts

On sunny days, you’ll find a lot of people sitting out on the grass for picnics and many photoshoots going on due to how picturesque this spot is. The centerpiece of this popular Palace is its grand rotunda, surrounded by a lagoon and curved colonnades. The actual interior is usually used to host performances, concerts, film screenings, and other events.

Presidio Tunnel Tops

One of our newer parks in SF having officially opened in 2022.

Golden Gate Bridge (Welcome Center)

Fantastic lookout point to get a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge and learn about its history. You can also begin your walk across the bridge in the protected pedestrian lane here if you want! The Welcome Center also has a gift shop, restrooms, and a little restaurant you can check out.

IF YOU’RE DRIVING DON’T FORGET THAT THIS IS THE LAST SF EXIT BEFORE CROSSING THE BRIDGE. I’ve accidentally gone onto the bridge like 4 times already. It’s like I never learn????

Baker Beach

Again for you Princess Diary lovers out there! The beach scene was filmed here, although part of that was also filmed in Malibu. Beware (or not…?) that a portion of this beach is a nude area.

Lincoln Park Steps

Gorgeous tiled steps!

Other popular tiled staircase options:

• 16th avenue tiled steps
• Hidden Garden Steps

Here’s me on the 16th avenue tiled steps:

Legion of Honor

A gorgeous building that holds 4,000 years of ancient & European art overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Entrance to the museum is $20.

Sutro Baths and Lands End Lookout

Once the world’s largest indoor swimming complex with 7 different salt water pools, we are now left to revel in the beauty of the ruins of the Sutro Baths. You can wander around the ruins, climb the surrounding cliffs, or hike along the nearby Lands End Trail, which has pretty cool views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Ocean Beach.

Golden Gate Park

Here are some popular spots to check out for quick views:

• Queen Wilhelmina Garde
• Murphy Windmill
• Bison Paddock (with literal bison)
• Stow Lake for a bit of local lore 😉

Here’s a list of other attractions within the park that may need more dedicated time to them:

• California Academy of Sciences
• de Young Museum
• Japanese Tea Garden
• Botanical Garden
• The Conservatory of Flowers

Google maps link with all attractions added.

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