San Francisco is a city located in Northern California, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. San Francisco greets its visitors with the iconic and imposing Golden Gate Bridge, offering a unique setting in the world. There is certainly a lot to see in San Francisco. From its famous coloured houses, its bay and its curious harbour, to its historic tram and the most famous jail in the world.
It is a city that you will fall in love with at first sight, where its climate and gastronomy make it an essential stop on any trip to the West of the United States. If you want to know what else you can see in the state of California, don’t miss our post: What to see and do in California.
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Things to do in San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is the great icon of the city, and of course one of the things you have to see in San Francisco. Its construction began in 1933 to support the San Francisco Bay ferry service, which was unable to handle the growing volume of vehicular traffic. Its chief engineer was Joseph Strauss, whose statue you can see next to the visitor centre. The Golden Gate Bridge, with a total length of 2.7 km and a maximum height of 227 m, was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening in 1937 until 1964.
San Francisco Cable Car
The cable car is not only a means of transport but a great entertainment in itself. This kind of tramway offers the option of touring the city. You have the option of riding inside a glassed-in compartment or on the outside, sometimes hanging from the carriage.
The city’s first electric tram was tested in 1873, so we can considered the cable car as a survivor from another era. In 1964 the cable car system was declared a National Historic Landmark. As a result it continues to lend a special atmosphere to the streets of San Francisco.
Alcatraz
Located in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was a solitary island for thousands of years until it was converted into a fort and became part of the United States defence plan. In 1934, Alcatraz was reopened as a maximum-security prison to which prisoners considered incorrigible and dangerous, such as Al Capone, were transferred.
Prisoners at Alcatraz attempted to escape from the rock on fourteen occasions, although the most significant escape attempt occurred in 1962 when Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers managed to escape by water. In 1963 Alcatraz closed its doors definitively as a prison, but it has been chosen by many Hollywood directors as the setting for great film successes such as: The Alcatraz Escape, The Rock, The Man from Alcatraz or Prisoners of Alcatraz.
City Hall
The current San Francisco City Hall opened in 1915 to replace the one that was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The building is notable for its great dome, which, at 90 metres high, is one of the largest in the world, and the interior of City Hall is impressive for its grandeur. It resembles a grand palace, with every detail and ornamentation taken care of to perfection, making it the place of choice for many couples to get married.
San Francisco’s City Hall has been used on several occasions as a set for films such as “To Hell with the Devil”, “Wedding Plans” and “The Rock”.
Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco’s first port was built here in 1853 and quickly became an important maritime distribution centre for fresh fish. Today, Fisherman’s Wharf is an area where you can enjoy a variety of activities. You can visit the old Aquarium of the Bay, learn the ins and outs of the USS Pampanito Submarine, get into the history of World War II by touring the decks and cabins of the SS Jeremiah O’Brien. Or go back in time with the games at the Musée Mécanique or take the ship for a cruise around the bay.
A visit to Fisherman’s Wharf is not only a must, it is a must as it is one of the liveliest and most interesting areas of San Francisco. You should visit the area at your leisure, strolling around and enjoying every corner of it.
Pier 39
Pier 39 is the most famous place in Fisherman’s Wharf. As it is home to one of the biggest attractions for visitors, dozens of sea lions frolicking and sunbathing while emitting their special growls that can be heard from a great distance.
Also, Pier 39 is home to a large number of shops and restaurants spread over two floors. The best place to do this is at one of the street stalls that serve crab cocktails and fresh fish to suit all tastes.
Alamo Square and Painted Ladies
Between 1849 and 1915, nearly 50,000 Victorian and Edwardian-style houses were built in San Francisco. Many of them were painted red, yellow and orange. The Painted Ladies is a group of these houses, from 710 to 720 Steiner Street, opposite Alamo Square Park.
This row of buildings is one of the main tourist attractions in the neighbourhood. The Painted Ladies’ Quarter, Alamo Square is arguably one of the most charming neighbourhoods in the world. Its hilltop park offers a beautiful panoramic view of much of the city. In addition, the Painted Ladies are part of the cast of the TV series Forced Parents, and these houses are precisely where the main characters lived and the image that appears during the introduction.
Twin Peaks
This is one of the highest points in the city and, therefore, one of the best viewpoints in San Francisco. Undoubtedly, one of the best things to do in San Francisco is to climb Twin Peaks hill, and admire the views of the city. These twin hills, 280 metres high, offer unbeatable panoramic views of San Francisco, where you can see points such as the Golden Gate or Alcatraz.
You can climb to the top of the hill by car, public transport, on foot or by bike. It is advisable to go up an hour before sunset to see the sunset and watch San Francisco light up.
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the most photogenic places in San Francisco. The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the must-see sights in San Francisco for its structure and architectural beauty. It has a large rotunda, a 340m wide pergola and a small man-made lake. It has also been used as a prominent backdrop for the film “The Rock”.
Haight-Ashbury, one of the things to do in San Francisco
If San Francisco is known as an open, modern and tolerant city, it is largely because of the legendary Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood, the birthplace of the hippie movement. After World War II, Haight-Ashbury went into decline and low rents encouraged a diverse group of people to settle there, from bohemians to anarchists to beatniks. The values of free love, peace, respect for nature, music and drugs attracted the attention of young people from all corners of the United States, giving rise to numerous hippie communes in the neighbourhood.
The movement boomed in 1967 with the so-called “Summer of Love”. Although the hippie spirit is no longer so present in Haight-Ashbury, today it is still one of the most alternative neighbourhoods in San Francisco. There are still colourful facades, flower power murals, vintage clothing and vinyl shops, eco-friendly restaurants and craft shops, making this one of the most interesting neighbourhoods to visit in San Francisco. You can also visit Jimi Hendrix’s house-museum, a great place for music lovers.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What to see around San Francisco
Sausalito
Sausalito is a small town located just across the bay from the San Francisco Peninsula. It is characterised by its fishing harbour and typical houseboats, of which there are more than 400 along the coast. It is a popular place of residence for celebrities and upper class people who prefer to stay away from the big city crowds.
Muir Woods
Muir Woods is one of the best known National Parks in Northern California. Because of its importance, it was declared a National Monument in 1908. Located just 12 kilometres from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods is a 295-hectare forest filled with giant sequoias that offers a natural wonderland.
Muir Woods offers visitors the opportunity to walk along forest trails and paths while observing the giant sequoias, which are on average 800 to 900 years old. In the forest there are more than 6 kilometres of trails with different routes, the most popular being the main trail, the Dispea Trail and the Ocean View Trail.
What to see in San Francisco in 2 days?
San Francisco is a beautiful but large city, where the sights are not concentrated in one area. That’s why you’ll need at least two days to get to know the real soul of this fantastic city. Here we suggest a two-day itinerary of San Francisco:
Day 1:
- First, Golden Gate Bridge
- Then, Alcatraz
- Also, City Hall
- Later, Twin Peaks
Day 2:
- First, Fisherman’s Wharf
- Also, Pier 39
- Moreover, Alamo Square and Painted Ladies
- Finally, Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood
What to see in San Francisco in 3 days?
Spending three days in San Francisco is the perfect way to make the most of everything this city has to offer. You will be able to discover the less touristy side, and the most charming. Let yourself be captivated by the Muir Woods National Park and the charm of Sausalito, which will complete your trip to San Francisco in a very original way. Take a look at this three-day itinerary of San Francisco, and get ideas for your trip:
Day 3:
- Sausalito
- Muir Woods
How to organise what to see in San Francisco?
You can use this post as a reference and combine it with the options that the Passporter app suggests. You’ll find a wide variety of ideas and inspiration on what to see and what to do in San Francisco. If you don’t have the Passporter app yet, download it and count on it to help you organise your next trips.
If you have any doubts about how to plan your trip before leaving home, you can check our post: How to create a travel itinerary in Passporter, where we explain step by step how to create your ideal trip so you don’t miss anything and get the most out of your visit to San Francisco.
Frequently Asked Questions
The city of San Francisco can be visited all year round, but the best time to visit is from May to September when the weather is warmer. April, May, September and October are particularly recommended.
In 1776 the Portuguese explorer Juan Bautista de Anza built the prison of San Francisco and founded a mission in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, now known as Mission Dolores; thus the city of San Francisco de Asis was born.
Sausalito can be reached by car, ferry or bicycle.
If you feel up to it, you can rent a bike at Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a 13-kilometre ride to Sausalito. To get back to San Francisco, the most common option is to use the ferry. Many companies include the return ferry ticket with the bike rental.
By boat from Pier 33.
Adults $7.
Over 65s: $3 (before 7am and after 9pm), rest of the day $7.
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