Billy & Britny San Francisco is one of our favorite cities and a popular place for all travelers. We were lucky enough to grow up a few hours away so we would often take weekend trips over the years. There is always something to see and do and of course a multicultural city full of amazing food. Here is a breakdown of the must see spots in Frisco.
1. Fisherman’s Wharf – It is the first place that most people go when they are visiting the city for the first time. Its not only for first timers though, there is enough to keep you busy over multiple visits. You can experience amazing food and dining here among other things. There are stalls selling fresh Dungeness crab, gourmet restaurants serving fresh fish from the days catch and of course clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls. You can’t go wrong getting clam chowder from any of the restaurants but our favorites are Boudin Bakery or Scomas. From there you can go on different tours like Segway, waking, boating, or a trolley ride. You can also catch the seals bathing in the sun, grab some salt-water taffy from the candy baron, or grab some chocolate from Ghirardelli’s. Like any other big city you’ll have some street performers and tourist shops to entertain you.
2. Ride a Cable Car – From the Fisherman’s Warf area you can catch a ride on the famous San Francisco Cable Car, which has been around since 1873. It leaves from Bay Street at Fisherman’s wharf and you can buy tickets onboard with the conductor for $7 one-way. The wait time to hop on one of these iconic cars can sometimes be upwards of an hour, so we suggest go early before the crowds start queuing up. There are also stops all over the city and near Union Square, so if you don’t get on from this stop just catch a cable car later.
3. Visit Alcatraz – From Fisherman’s Warf you can also spot Alcatraz, the tiny island that was once a working prison. It’s a short boat ride away as the island is just about 1.5 miles from the shore. This was the site of the first lighthouse and US fort on the West Coast. Later it kept prisoners like Al Capone, George “machine gun” Kelly, Alvin Karpis “public enemy #1, and other infamous criminals. Once you hear all of the stories being told on the tour you will find the prison is fascinating. Surprisingly the grounds surrounding the prison are worth a visit on their own. It’s very beautiful there and from the island you have an impressive view of the city. We suggest buying your tickets online ahead of time if you are there during the busy season.
4. Catch a Giants Game – The best thing about Oracle Park is that even people who don’t love baseball love this park. It’s a gorgeous and a newer park with killer views. It serves up much more than your regular park food. There are things like Dungeness crab sandwiches on sourdough, fresh ahi tuna poke bowls, Ghirardelli hot fudge sundaes, burgers, tacos, pizza, bbq, and last but not least Garlic fries. You can see the 3 World Series trophies that are on display all while taking in gorgeous views of the bay. There is an almost secret entrance in the Public House where you can avoid massive lines at the front entrance. You can grab some great food from here or grab a beer to take into the game with you. We like to grab a beer here to take in because there is more of a selection than inside the gates.
5. Union Square – This is basically the heart of the city. This is one of the most popular and touristy areas of San Francisco, but it’s completely worth experiencing. It has a great atmosphere and energy. I recommend grabbing a coffee and pastry and just sitting around doing some people watching. You never know what you’ll see in the city. This is the place to go shopping as well. You’ll find everything from Nike, H&M, Macys to designer stores so whatever you are looking for you will find it here. We usually stay at the Westin St. Francis on Union Square. The hotel is timeless, modern, and vibrant. The rooms are gorgeous and you can redeem Marriott points to cover your stay. There is also a few cable car stops here if you are interested in taking a ride.
6. Golden Gate Bridge – You can’t go to San Francisco without taking in one of the most famous bridges. Stop by the Golden Gate Overlook or at the welcome center for some impressive views. Then drive across the bridge to Sausalito. Some people recommend walking across the bridge in order to truly appreciate how large it is, but remember there is fog most of the time around the bridge is a one mile long busy freeway so expect a lot of noise.
7. Visit a park – A local pastime in the city is grabbing a picnic and a bottle of wine and enjoying the view from one of the cities parks. Our top 3 parks are Alamo Square, Golden Gate Park, and Mission Dolores Park.
You may remember Alamo Park from the opening credits of Full House when the family was having a picnic. You’ll see the row of houses known as the painted ladies, but note this is not the actual full house “house”. That is located about a mile away.
Golden Gate Park covers over 1,000 acres making it 20% larger than New York’s Central Park. It is massive and unique just like the rest of the city. It has a Japanese tea garden, a pioneer log cabin, Dutch windmills, hippie hill, American bison, an albino alligator at the California academy of sciences, and the young museum. There are always local events here so check out what’s going on. My first experience here happened to be a family visit during a Grateful Dead event; you can only imagine the people watching that day. You’ll find people lounging here no matter what the weather decides to do, but especially if it’s a sunny day in San Francisco, the atmosphere becomes intoxicatingly happy.
Dolores Park is also a solid park to spend some time soaking it all in. There’s a grassy hill there that is just the perfect spot to reflect over the city. There are plenty of little shops near the park to grab your food and drinks for a picnic. Spending the afternoon at one of these parks is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon in the city.
8. Drive down Lombard Street – I think everyone has to go down Lombard Street once. It’s known as the crookedest street. While it’s not technically the most crooked street ever it is the most beautiful crooked street you will ever see. It is between fisherman’s wharf and union square and a streetcar goes right by it. It is touristy, there will be a line, but somehow it’s worth it to see it just once.
9. Warm up with an Irish Coffee – The Buena Vista is known for being the first place to serve Irish coffee in the US. It perfected the recipe back in 1952 which is a mixture of coffee, whiskey, sugar, and cream. Watching the bartender make a big batch is a bit entertaining, and big batches are common since some days over 2,000 irish coffees are sold. For those that are forgoing the whiskey there’s much more on the menu including some great food.
10. Haight-Ashbury – Birthplace of the 1960s counterculture movement, Haight-Ashbury draws a lively, diverse crowd looking to soak up the historic hippie vibe. Upper Haight Street is a hodgepodge of vintage clothing boutiques, record shops, bookstores, dive bars and casual, eclectic restaurants. Bordering Golden Gate Park, the neighborhood features many colorful, well-preserved Victorian homes, including the storied Grateful Dead House.
Honorable Mentions
Chinatown – Visit for the shops, food, culture, and take a tour of the the fortune cookie factory.
Bay Bridge – Leo Villarreal’s light sculpture is the world’s largest LED light sculpture located on the Bay Bridge. It features 25,000 LED over a span of 1.8 miles.
Baker Beach – For an unforgettable view of the Golden Gate Bridge
Have drinks at the Tonga Room
Catch a show at the orpheum theatre
Look for murals in the Mission District
SF Museum of Modern Art
Spend a night out in North Beach & Telegraph Hill
Coit Tower
Palace of Fine Arts
