San Francisco was my home for about 4 years. After living there for a while, the most I saw of the city was the grocery store. Even so, I was new to San Francisco once, and I have toured it extensively. At its heart, San Francisco is a free-spirited city that values love, health, and beauty. If you like cities filled with distinct neighborhoods, a mix of beautiful Victorian buildings and modern skyscrapers, some tragic history, and a dash of weirdness, then come see San Francisco! The city feels somewhat like it never left the summer of love, yet it is also kitted out with the newest technology.

If you are visiting San Francisco for the first time, many of these sites are sure to be on your list. If you are looking for more things to do, or want to explore the city in more depth and off the tourist track keep an eye out for my next article. For now, read on to see my recommendations of all the San Francisco classics.

The Golden Gate Bridge

For a stereotypical “thing to do” in San Francisco, walking the The Golden Gate Bridge is quite fun. I have crossed on foot, on a bike, and innumerable times in a car. If you have a clear day, you get great views of the Bay, the city, and the surrounding islands. The only downside is that the traffic noise of cars blowing past you is kind of incessant. So is the crush of you and a thousand of your best friends.

I remember as a child our family took a vacation to SF to visit my uncle. My mother rented us bikes to take a nice ride through the city, across the bridge, and down into Marin. As a sedentary child, I remember that the climb up to the bridge through the Presidio was interminable. As an adult, that still holds up; somehow every direction in Presidio Park is up. The ride across was enjoyable — the fresh breeze cooling my sweaty face very welcome. Then as we crossed into Marin the rollercoaster-esque downhill plunge got me sweating for a very different reason. Wide sweeping curves of the road, steadily dropping back towards the ocean made for a thrilling descent.

Architecturally the bridge is interesting (though a distinct rusty red-orange not gold). Considering it is primarily engineered to, you know, stand and not collapse, it still has a lot of flair.

Designed in the Art Deco style, a lot of decorative geometric volumes cover the bridge, highlighting the general form. For example, as the cable towers rise up, the circumference shrinks, creating a blocky yet elegant taper.

All in all, a solid quintessential icon of San Francisco.

Chinatown

Chinatown is a blast to walk around. They have beautifully decorated and themed gates, street lamps, and shops. When I went most recently, they had a Zodiac display up to ring in the Year of the Snake. It described each zodiac sign and their traits; you could look up your birth year and find your animal. Small bands populated the street corners, made up of entirely older Chinese people playing various instruments. Rather than busking, I think it was just a common space and convenient location for the community to meet up and make music. In the neighboring parks you can sometimes see people doing tai chi. It is clearly a close knit community, and observing these details of people just living their lives makes for the best people-watching.

Another particularly enjoyable thing to do in Chinatown is a tour of the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. The cookies are handmade, and you even get a custom fortune made.

Chinatown has also made some progress on some ethical issues as well. In one of the many jewelry stores, I saw a sign posted saying that they didn’t sell ivory. Ten years ago, I saw no such declarations. I cannot speak to the medicine shops, (as I cannot read any Chinese) and wouldn’t be able to distinguish ginseng from ginger. However, I found that sign, written in both English and Cantonese, really encouraging; considering the Chinese black market and medicine trade motivates the poaching of elephants, rhinos, pangolins, tigers, and sun bears. China banned the domestic trade of ivory in 2017, which is a huge step forward in protecting our animals. I was really happy to see physical evidence of this in the U.S.

This is a great place to walk around, grab a bite to eat, and now, shop!

Alcatraz

Alcatraz has to be my number one recommendation if you’re visiting San Francisco. While the prison was still in operation, it was claimed that Alcatraz was inescapable. In fact, many people managed to escape the compound, but the long, cold swim afterwards served as the last deadly barrier barring freedom. I would recommend the night tour, as it is very fitting thematically. Walking the prison cell block and hearing the audio they play – water dripping, coughs, inmates groaning – really sets the scene.

San Francisco is a rich city for crime buffs. A high number of murderous weirdos lived, passed through, or were incarcerated here. In addition to seeing Alcatraz, I would also highly recommend a ghost or crime tour, which I talk about more here. True crime buffs aside, the site truly has a rich history, and a unique story. 

Coit Tower

Coit Tower is a great stop if you have an interest in learning more about the city.

It also happens to be a beautiful tower that offers great views of the northeast part of San Francisco. When you’re there, you can climb to the top to take in views of the city (watch out, the elevator is often down and it’s a lot of steps up!).

Additionally, you can take a short tour which will tell you more about the Tower’s history, architecture, and interior artwork. I found the tour to be worth it, as it gave a lot of context and information you wouldn’t otherwise learn.

Visiting Coit Tower is a relatively short, inexpensive activity (just look at those prices!), and it makes a good intermediate stop between Chinatown and Lombard St. if you are walking from site to site.

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate park is LARGE. That being said, a jaunt in the park is appropriate for anyone looking for a pleasant lunchtime stroll or someone who wants to spend days immersed in urban greenery and exploring the various attractions within the park. If I had to recommend just a few things to do at the park, I would go with the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, or the Botanical Gardens . I enjoyed the Japanese Tea Gardens so much I cover it in more depth in this article

If you had to pick only one park in SF to wander through, I would definitely recommend Golden Gate Park. It is integral to the identity of the city. While San Francisco generally has good weather, with rain being infrequent outside of the winter months, I would recommend packing a jacket and wearing long sleeves as the cool shade and breezes can catch up to you.

Ghirardelli Square

Craving a sweet treat? If you are looking to pick up a chocolatey gift, or want to try Ghirardelli’s world famous hot fudge sundae, stop in at Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Experience. The square also features plenty of seating if you need to take a break in the shade and enjoy the sugar-scented air. Use it as a recuperation moment, or stop by for some sugar to power you through the rest of your day. Honestly, if you were to skip something on this list, this would be it. It is a great place to look around, and the chocolate and ice cream is tasty, but also expensive. Better food can be found elsewhere. No matter, more of the city awaits!

Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf

Who doesn’t love a good tourist trap? There is a certain energy to Fisherman’s Wharf that I find irresistible. Besides, the California sea lions do flock to Pier 39, where you can see them lazily sunbathing on the rocks, and hear their barking calls. The crowds bring energy, particularly if it’s a nice sunny day when a seaside stroll is ideal. The aquarium is well put together, and is a pleasant way to pass a few hours learning about sea life.

For those with kids, the wharf will be an absolute hit. There are food stands, candy shops, arcade games, a carousel, a Ferris wheel, and enough miscellaneous things to do to keep little ones entertained and tuckered out. Speaking as a fully grown adult, while the density of people and activities can be tiring, I am quite a fan of the fudge shops…

While I would NOT recommend eating a full meal at the wharf, (much better, cheaper options abound in any other part of the city,) the sole exception would be the rolling sausage cart vendors. These Mexican hot dogs, smothered with onions and peppers are cooked to order and are the perfect fuel to keep you moving.

The Painted Ladies

Keep in mind this is not an attraction you enter- these are houses and people are actively living there. But viewing them from the outside is the main treat anyway. Aside from their famous Hollywood history, the Painted Ladies are a prime example of one of San Francisco’s prevailing historical architectural styles. There are hundreds of other Victorian homes dotting the streets of San Francisco, but perhaps none so well known! 

The Palace of Fine Arts

The last thing to see on my list is the Palace of Fine Arts. When built, the Palace evoked the impression of looking at Roman ruins, but I found it too beautiful and lively to properly inspire the wistful and lonely feelings of observing a ruin.

When I visited the Palace, it was a huge surprise. I had driven past it and kind of dismissed it as another of the many parks in San Francisco, but it was exquisite! When I visited, there were two brides taking wedding photos under the main dome, decked out in their dresses and jewelry. People were walking their dogs and exercising. Swans, ducks, and turtles inhabited the pond. Despite the people, it was peaceful, quiet, and achingly beautiful. This is a perfect place to bring a picnic or snap a picture for Instagram. Considering it’s yet another free activity, and so close to the Presidio and Fisherman’s Wharf, you should not pass up visiting. 

Lombard Street

“The Crookedest Street in the World” is an apt moniker for Lombard St, though it is technically false. It is more of a made up title; after all, Vermont St holds the title of crookedest street in the city. The famous patch of road transitions to brick as it rises steeply and switchbacks up the block. The hydrangea bushes planted along the medians add to the curb appeal of the area. They are almost always in bloom, due to the area’s mild climate.

Personally, my favorite part of visiting Lombard Street is watching cars navigate the road. I imagine living there is difficult, because every time you leave your house you have a crowd judging your driving ability! The houses themselves are gorgeous and structurally interesting because of the steep grade. While it doesn’t take long to hike up the block or snap a few photos, making a detour to see the street should be on your list.

Hopefully you found this guide useful. If you are looking to learn more, check out my other articles on San Francisco!