Things to Do in San Francisco
Plan your days in San Francisco, your way
Start with the one landmark that matters: walk the Golden Gate at morning, before the crowds arrive.
The Ferry Building feeds you next, oysters and sourdough and farmers hawking peaches.
Ride a cable car once, not because you must, but because it is genuinely fun.
Spend an afternoon wandering the Mission: murals on Balmy Alley, a burrito the locals endorse.
Dolores Park gives you the skyline with your coffee and the city's mood for free.
Golden Gate Park offers a Japanese Tea Garden when you want quiet and a bison paddock when you don't.
North Beach at dusk means espresso, old bookstores, and maybe a slice of focaccia.
Twin Peaks or Bernal Heights, pick one, and take the sunset from above the fog line.
Keep one day unplanned; this city rewards turning left on a whim.
You'll leave having seen the famous things and the good things, which are often different things here.
Top attractions and places to eat in San Francisco
Alcatraz Island
A former federal prison on an island in San Francisco Bay, now a national park site with tours of the cellhouse and grounds. Travelers visit for its notorious history and bay views.
attraction · 4.7 rating
Golden Gate Bridge
The world-famous suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait, a defining symbol of San Francisco. Travelers come to walk, photograph, and take in views of the bridge and bay.
attraction · 4.7 rating
PIER 39
A bustling waterfront marketplace on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf featuring shops, restaurants, sea lions, and bay views, one of the city's top tourist attractions.
attraction · 4.2 rating
Fisherman's Wharf
A famous waterfront tourist district known for seafood, sea lions, and bay attractions. Travelers go for the lively atmosphere, dining, and views.
attraction · 4.1 rating
Lombard Street
A famous San Francisco street known for its steep, one-block section with eight sharp hairpin turns lined with landscaped gardens. Travelers visit to see and photograph the crooked, winding roadway and the views from atop the hill.
attraction · 4.3 rating
Golden Gate Park
A large urban park featuring gardens, museums, lakes, and open green space stretching across western San Francisco. Travelers come to stroll, picnic, and visit the many attractions within its grounds.
park · 4.6 rating
Ferry Building
A landmark marketplace and transit hub on the Embarcadero, filled with artisan food vendors and a farmers market. Travelers go for gourmet food shopping and waterfront views.
market · 4.5 rating
Chinatown San Francisco
The oldest and one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, filled with markets, temples, restaurants, and shops along its historic streets. Travelers come to explore its dense cultural atmosphere, food, and architecture.
attraction · 3.9 rating
Twin Peaks
Twin hilltops offering sweeping panoramic views of San Francisco and the Bay from one of the city's highest points. A must-visit viewpoint reached by car or a short walk.
attraction · 4.6 rating
Fog Harbor Fish House
A seafood restaurant at Pier 39 known for sustainable seafood, clam chowder, and sweeping views of San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz. Travelers come for fresh fish dishes in a scenic waterfront location.
restaurant · 4.4 rating
Scoma's Restaurant
A longstanding seafood restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf known for fresh fish and waterfront dining. Travelers go for classic San Francisco seafood.
restaurant · 4.3 rating
California Academy of Sciences
A large natural history museum and science center in Golden Gate Park featuring an aquarium, planetarium, and living rainforest under one roof. Travelers visit for immersive exhibits spanning biology, space, and ecology.
museum · 4.5 rating · $49
Coit Tower
An iconic Art Deco tower atop Telegraph Hill known for its Depression-era murals and panoramic views of San Francisco and the bay. Travelers go for the interior frescoes and the observation deck.
attraction · 4.2 rating · $11
Palace of Fine Arts
A monumental Beaux-Arts rotunda and colonnade set beside a lagoon, originally built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. Travelers come to admire the grand architecture, stroll the grounds, and take photos.
attraction · 4.6 rating
Cable Car Museum
A museum housed in the working cable car powerhouse, displaying the machinery, historic cars, and history of San Francisco's iconic cable car system. Travelers come to learn about the city's transit heritage.
attraction · 4.5 rating