Attractions and Destinations for the Traveler in San Francisco
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Routes: Detailed Travel Itineraries in the United States (Free)
The best way to visit San Francisco is by driving the 49 Mile Scenic Drive, which passes through all the interesting sites in the city. The route is well-marked throughout with blue, white, and orange signs featuring a seagull illustration. The starting point of the route is the Civic Center, but you can join it from any other tourist site.
The route passes through Union Square, Chinatown, the Italian district of North Beach, the famous Fisherman's Wharf, near the Palace of Fine Arts—a great spot for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge—through the Cliff House to the zoo and Lake Merced, and continues to Golden Gate Park. From there, you continue up to Twin Peaks, which offer the most beautiful views of the city, and reach Mission Dolores. The final stop on the route is the Embarcadero Center, from which you return to the Civic Center. At any site that interests you, it is recommended to stop, tour, and then continue the route. It is recommended to divide the route and its attractions over at least two days.
Recommended Guided Tours in San Francisco - To order from Viator:
♥ Combined Discount Card for San Francisco, purchase from Viator: San Francisco CityPASS® A card for attractions and museums.
The Best Viewpoints in the City:
San Francisco is a very photogenic city, especially when viewed from above. The combination of skyscrapers, particularly the Transamerica Pyramid, with the waters of the bay and the ocean, the impressive bridges, the piers crowded with boats, and the many hills creates a unique and breathtaking view.
The following sites provide the most recommended viewpoints in the city:
"Twin Peaks" - The two hills are not "identical twins": the southern one is 281 meters high and the northern one is 279 meters high, but in any case, they are the highest hills in San Francisco and offer the best view of the city. they are located not far from Golden Gate Park and are reached via a road called Twin Peaks Blvd. which circles the two peaks in a figure-eight pattern. Don't miss it!
Coit Tower - Located at the top of Telegraph Hill (at Lombard and Kearny streets). Its height is about 70 meters. Entrance is for a fee. It is recommended to check the opening hours!
Carnelian Room, Bank of America - On the 52nd floor of the Bank of America, at a height of 243 meters, is the Carnelian Room, which serves as a private dining room for the Bankers Club during the day but is open as a restaurant to the general public in the evening. This is a fairly expensive restaurant, but remember that the price includes an incomparable view! Building address: 555 California St.
SkyDeck at Embarcadero Center - An observation deck on the 42nd floor of the hotel and shopping center in the Embarcadero, offering a 360-degree view of the entire city and its surroundings. In addition to the lovely view, there is a multimedia presentation on the history and culture of San Francisco. Address: One Embarcadero Center, located at Battery and Sacramento streets.
♥Recommended Accommodations in San Francisco:
The most recommended and recommended place to stay in San Francisco is "Fisherman's Wharf." This is, of course, also one of the more expensive areas. Top recommended luxury hotels in this area:
The Fairmont Heritage Place Ghirardelli Square
Cheaper but recommended hotels in this area:
Courtyard by Marriott Fisherman's Wharf
It is more convenient and cheaper to stay near San Francisco International Airport.
Recommended suite hotels, 3-star level, suitable for families of up to 6 people: Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport – Waterfront Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport - South San Francisco recommended motels near the airport:
Holiday Inn Express San Francisco Airport South
Or:
Hampton Inn & Suites San Francisco-Burlingame-Airport South
Please note that in the city center, especially in the "Civic Center" area, but also in other areas, there are many homeless people and various suspicious characters, so it is recommended to choose your place of residence carefully if you want peace of mind and personal safety, especially if arriving at the hotel after dark.
Order Tours and Trips in San Francisco
To order from GetYourGuide.com
Civic Center
This is an excellent starting point for a tour in the heart of the city. From there begins the 49 Mile Drive which passes through all the tourist sites in the city. It is bordered by Market, Hayes, and Franklin streets and Golden Gate Avenue. The Civic Center features a group of nine buildings including government buildings and magnificent cultural institutions. The most impressive building is the City Hall, which has a massive dome made of granite. this dome is even higher than the one on the Capitol building in Washington! Opposite the City Hall stands the City Library building, and next to it is the Civic Auditorium. Additional buildings include the Federal Government Building, the Health Center, and the Performing Arts Center. The buildings are all constructed in the Neo-Renaissance or French style. In the middle is a large square with fountains, ornamental pools, and many pigeons. Many homeless people are permanently present in the vicinity of the Civic Center.
♦ Recommended Food Tour in San Francisco: San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
View of San Francisco
Chinatown
Guided Tours in Chinatown:
This is the largest and most impressive Chinatown in the entire US. Don't miss a visit to it! It is located between Broadway, Bush, Kearny, and Stockton streets and more Chinese people live here than anywhere else in the world outside of China and Hong Kong. This is truly a "city within a city," and when you tour it, you will forget you are in the USA. Grant Ave. is the main street of the district and features tea houses, numerous shops, temples, schools, and Chinese theaters. The Chinese Cultural Center is located on the third floor of the Holiday Inn at 750 Kearny St. and features displays of Chinese culture and art. Guided walking tours of the district depart from this center. advance booking is required for the tour. several companies conduct organized tours in the city while providing explanations about Chinese customs and culture, but for families, it is better to simply wander the streets of the district, observe the interesting buildings, the colorful signs, enter the many souvenir shops—where prices are usually cheap—and eat in an authentic Chinese restaurant. For those who have an issue with Chinese food, there is also a McDonald's on the main street of the district... Adjacent to Chinatown is Union Square, bordered by Powell, Geary, Post, and Stockton streets. This is one of the elegant and important shopping areas in the city. Bargains are hard to find there, but it is pleasant to wander the square among the flower stalls, feed the many pigeons, or watch a charming street performance.
Lombard Street
This is undoubtedly the most crooked street in the world. The street is located between Hyde and Leavenworth streets, paved on a steep slope of a hill and features many S-shaped curves and sharp gradients. The street is one-way and can only be driven down from Hyde Street. Parking is prohibited on the street. Anyone who cannot overcome the temptation to stop their car and be photographed with it will receive very heavy fines. Well-maintained flower beds are planted along the road, and next to them are stairs for pedestrians. This is one of the famous symbols of San Francisco.
A Short Video on Lombard Street:
Embarcadero Center
This center is located at the end of Market Street near the sea, on the edge of the commercial and financial district of the city. It includes a group of tall and impressive buildings, including: the Bank of America building and the Transamerica Pyramid. The area features displays of artwork and sculptures, and on weekends you can watch street performers and musicians.
Cable Car Museum
The museum is located at the intersection of Washington and Mason streets near Chinatown. The museum houses the giant engines that power the cable cars to this day, as well as a display of cable car models, including the first cable car built in 1873. Video films explaining the principle of cable car operation are screened at the site. Entrance is free. It is worth dedicating a short time to the place and then boarding one of the cable cars that pass nearby.
Golden Gate Park
This is one of the largest urban parks in the world and features several entertainment and cultural centers that should not be missed. The park was established on a giant area of dunes; it is 5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide. It stretches from the road along the Pacific coast, Great Highway in the west, to Stanyan Street in the east. Most of its attractions are concentrated on the eastern side away from the ocean. The park has three lakes where you can rent small boats and sail leisurely, bike paths, a windmill, sports and entertainment facilities, and it is rich in vegetation. The park has a nice rose garden and greenhouses with plants from many regions of the world.
The most beautiful garden in the park that should not be missed is the Japanese Tea Garden, designed in a Japanese style with a temple, a wooden bridge, a Buddha statue, cherry trees, small waterfalls, and a tea house. The cherry blossoms are at their peak in April.
Inside the park is the California Academy of Sciences, which includes a planetarium, a natural history museum, and an aquarium. Morrison Planetarium - has a large dome 20 meters in diameter on which star shows are screened on holidays and weekends every hour between 12:00-16:00. Laser shows are also held at the site on Thursday through Sunday evenings.
Steinhart Aquarium - the aquarium has 14,000 marine animals of various types, including: octopuses, crocodiles, turtles, snakes, sharks, seahorses, and more. The aquarium features a room surrounded by a giant circular tank with marine fish. Shark feeding takes place every day every two hours. You can also watch penguin feeding.
Natural History Museum - the museum includes, similar to most museums of its kind, a display of minerals and special stones, a display of animals from various regions of the world, a display of dinosaurs and evolution. Children will love the discovery room where they can experience charming educational activities and the space station and earthquakes where they can experience, without real danger, a simulation of an earthquake.
Another museum located inside Golden Gate Park is the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, which contains a rare collection of art from the Far East in addition to modern artworks. Most children will not be enthusiastic about visiting it.
For families, it is recommended to start the visit to the park at the museums and botanical gardens, and then let the children burn off excess energy in the playgrounds or by riding bicycles and finish with sailing on the lake.
Guided Tours:
Golden Gate Bridge:
The famous bridge, connecting San Francisco with the northern coast of California, is part of US 101 and the continuation of SR1. It does not belong to Golden Gate Park. It is almost three kilometers long and is one of the largest suspension bridges ever built. The height of the towers at both ends above the water is about 230 meters. The color of the bridge, named after the strait it is built over, is actually reddish. Construction of the bridge lasted four years and it was inaugurated in May 1937. The bridge has six driving lanes for cars and sidewalks on both sides. Crossing the bridge northwards, in the direction of leaving the city, is free, but crossing southwards costs 3 dollars per car. The best way to be impressed by the bridge is driving on it and stopping at one of the viewpoints. From the northern viewpoint, a magnificent view of the entire city, including the Oakland bridge, is seen. You can walk on the bridge and be impressed by its height and size.
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz is a small island, located in the center of San Francisco Bay, about 4 kilometers from the shore. In the past, the island served as a federal prison for dangerous criminals. It was considered at the time the most secure prison in the USA due to the stormy sea surrounding it and the many reefs surrounding it. The prison was closed in 1964 and after several years passed to the National Parks Service and became a popular tourist site. Boats sail to the island every half hour from Pier 41, Fisherman’s Wharf, from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM in the summer or 4:30 PM in other seasons. A visit to the island includes a self-guided tour of the prison building, the yard, ancient military buildings, and other facilities.
It is recommended to rent headphones and tour the prison while listening to explanations about life in prison from famous prisoners and guards. This is a fascinating and especially interesting tour (also for children) lasting 35 minutes, during which you will enter dark cells, long corridors, and feel as if you have gone back in time. Additionally, guided tours are held on the island several times a day by the Rangers, who are responsible for the national parks. Every hour a different tour departs, telling about famous escapes from the prison, the flora and fauna on the island, and more—highly recommended! During the short ferry ride to the island and back, San Francisco is reflected to the passengers in all its glory. Dedicate at least three hours to the island visit (including the ferry rides). Do not visit San Francisco without visiting Alcatraz!
Due to the high popularity of the island among tourists arriving in San Francisco, it is highly recommended (and in many cases absolutely necessary) to book tickets for the island visit (including the ferry ride) several weeks in advance. In the summer months, it is recommended to book at least a month in advance! Night tours, which are different in format and more expensive, are also held on the island.
Exploratorium
This is an innovative science museum housed in an impressive round building within the "Palace of Fine Arts" near the "Golden Gate Bridge" at Marina Avenue and Lyon Street. The museum has 650 interactive displays that can be experienced. Visitors are invited to touch, hear, and feel in diverse fields of science, mathematics, technology, animal and human behavior. Suitable and recommended for children and adults of all ages. Information phone: 415-397-5673. Current details on the displays can be found on the museum's website.
Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39
The most touristy and famous marina area in San Francisco are Piers 39-43, called "Fisherman's Wharf." The entire area is a combination of restaurants, shops, and entertainment sites along the coast with the beautiful view of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island in the background. Boats for bay tours, to Alcatraz Island, and ferries to the northern shore of the bay depart from these piers. The main attraction at Pier 39 is the sea lions lying peacefully on rafts near the pier or playing in the water. The area features playground facilities for children and several attractions suitable for the whole family. Underwater World: This is an underwater aquarium located at Pier 39 featuring marine animals such as sharks, jellyfish, and eels. Phone: 415-623-5300. Anyone continuing their trip south of San Francisco is better off skipping this attraction and visiting the excellent Monterey Aquarium. "The Great San Francisco Adventure": This is an IMAX film about San Francisco from the distant past to today. The theater is also located at Pier 39. Phone: 415-956-3456. USS Pampanito: This is a submarine from WWII, which can be visited daily between 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Opening hours are longer on weekends and holidays. The submarine is docked at Pier 45.
Sea lions near Pier 39
Fisherman's Wharf also features a small wax museum and "Believe It or Not" museum. For all these attractions, look for discount coupons in the tourist brochures distributed for free in visitor centers and booths along Fisherman's Wharf. The atmosphere at Fisherman's Wharf is touristy and colorful. It is important to remember that the shops and restaurants in the place are not cheap at all.
Ghirardelli Square:
The square is located a short walking distance from Fisherman's Wharf, between Beach, Polk, North Point, and Larkin streets. This is a complex of cafes, restaurants, and shops located in a tastefully renovated old chocolate factory. The view from some of the restaurants is stunning.
Cliff House
An observation building overlooking the Pacific Ocean from the top of the cliff. In the past, many sea lions could be seen sunbathing on the rocks in the water, but in recent years all the sea lions have moved to Pier 39, and it only remains to overlook the sea and the ruins of ancient baths called: Sutro Baths. Children and the young at heart will greatly enjoy a small museum of antique gaming machines, all of which are still operational. Some distribute candy, some have singing and dancing dolls and animals, and some feature shooting and sports competitions. Next to the "Cliff House" is a beautiful stretch of beach called Ocean Beach, 4.8 km long, which is not suitable for swimming (the water is cold and stormy) but is pleasant to wander on, especially at sunset.
San Francisco Zoo
Located on the western side of the city, at Sloat Blvd, and the entrance is from 45th Avenue. The zoo has about 1000 animals and birds. The most interesting areas in the garden are: the Discovery Center, Gorilla World, the Australia area featuring koalas, and the Children's Zoo. Anyone who has visited one of the large zoos in the US (in San Diego for example) can skip visiting it.