Did You Waste Your Trip to San Francisco?

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities I’ve traveled to in the US! It’s beautiful, has great weather year-round, and has so many things to do! Here are some of the top recommendations to help you plan your trip to San Francisco:

Top Things to do on a Trip to San Francisco

Top things to do on trip to San Francisco

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Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco Must See!

The Golden Gate Bridge is obviously a must when visiting SF! It’s probably the most famous landmark and beautiful to see up close! Check out the best places to view the Golden Gate Bridge from.

Golden Gate Bridge on trip to San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf

Located on the Northern waterfront, Fisherman’s Wharf is definitely a touristy area with tons of shops and restaurants. It’s still a fun place to check out on a trip to San Francisco! Pier 39 is known for it’s Sea Lions, so be sure to check them out!

Pier 39

Napa Valley Wine Tour from San Francisco

Located about an hour and a half outside of SF, Napa Valley is a must visit for wine lovers! I suggest booking a tour to take you so you don’t have to worry about driving. Downtown Napa is also a destination in itself, read more about it here.

Alcatraz

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Golden Gate Park is a large park in SF with over 1,000 acres! There are tons of things to do in the park, including the Conservatory of Flowers (pictured below). 

San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers

Japanese Tea Garden in SF

Actually located in the Golden State Park, the Japanese Tea Garden is one of the oldest in the US! It is beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden​

Muir Woods

Muir Woods is beautiful redwood forest that is actually protected as a National Monument! There’s tons of hiking trails worth exploring, or you can book a guided tour out to visit! 

Presidio

The Presidio is a 1,500 acre national park site near the Golden Gate Bridge. It has a lot of history and is where San Francisco began! 

San Francisco Chinatown

San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia! Explore the history and be sure to try the delicious food. Consider booking an awesome guided culinary walking tour.

Chinatown San Francisco

Twin Peaks

If you want an incredible view of the city, then you must visit Twin Peaks on your trip to San Francisco! 

Trip to San Francisco: Twin Peaks

Lombard Street, San Francisco

This famous street in downtown SF is known for its eight eight hairpin turns. 

Lombard Street in San Francisco

Sunset Cruise on the Bay

San Francisco Bay at Sunset

See a Giants Game

Trip to San Francisco see giants game

Bike Tour of San Francisco

A bike tour across the Golden Gate Bridge is a great way to see the city! 

San Francisco bike tour

The Painted Ladies (Full House Houses)

Made famous on the show Full House, the Painted Ladies is one of the most photographed locations in SF! 

Painted Ladies Full House

Ferry Building Marketplace

The Ferry Building is a Historical landmark in SF that has been turned into a food artisan Marketplace! 

Ferry Building SF​

Sausalito, CA

Across the golden gate bridege, Sausalito is a small city on Richardson Bay. It has great shopping and restaurants, many with outdoor patios right on the beach! 

Trip to San Francisco Sausalito​

San Francisco's Most Popular Tours:

Ride in a cable car

San Francisco is known for its historic cable cars, it’s actually where they were first invented! It’s an easy way to get around the city. Check out their website for routes and pricing. 

Cable car in San Francisco

Mission Dolores Park

One of the most popular parks in San Francisco, Mission Dolores Park is nearly 16 acres! It has tons of outdoor recreation activities available and often hold festivals.

Mission Dolores Park

San Francisco Zoo

Who doesn’t lovea trip to the zoo!? Located near the bay, the San Francisco Zoo is a great place for families to visit!

Sunset Picnic on the Beach

Watching the sunset over the Pacific ocean on the beach is a must! Photo below from when I spent three weeks living in SF for a work training  🙂 

sunset picnic on the beach

The Castro District

The Castro District is synonymous with gay culture, it was the center of the gay pride movement back in the 60s and 70s. There are tons of things to do in this vibrant neighborhood, and it’s blast to go out in at night! 

Castro District - SF

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12 thoughts on “Did You Waste Your Trip to San Francisco?

  1. I personally would not recommend the San Francisco Zoo. It is not the same as a few years ago. I’ve been there MANY times over the past 65 years and it is now so run down and very few animals. The ones the have seem neglected. It took us just over an hour to tour the whole zoo! Left feeling disappointed.

      1. Chelsea,

        Muir Woods parking and shuttle service is completely by reservation now so if folks are planning a visit be sure to book online first.

        Peter Mott

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