In this age of social media, so many people are flocking to far off exotic locations, however, we forget that there are so many unique and charming cities in our own backyard in the United States. I recently spent a few days in San Francisco and the surrounding area in California and I was blown away by its beautiful landscape, picture perfect clear blue skies against the sparkling bay dotted by sailboats and framed by the surrounding hills and the stunning famed San Francisco Bridge and Alcatraz Island. I was surprised at how much there was to see and experience in this amazing city and how San Francisco seemed to fall off in recent years as a tourist destination. In this post I’ll take you through our adventure through the San Francisco Bay area, all of the beautiful places we saw, unique experiences and of course our top food recommendations. I am sure to include links to take you to all the pertinent and up to date information on the places that I cite. I hope this post inspires you and helps you plan your next adventure! This page has affiliate links and if you purchase something from this page I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 5% of this blog’s revenue to the Environmental Defense Fund, so you help donate to a great cause if you click on any affiliate links or ads that may be on this page.
Where to stay in San Francisco, California
We stayed at the The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square and it was exquisite. It’s a gorgeous historic hotel in the heart of downtown and central to most of the attractions you will want to see in San Francisco. The Westin St. Francis is now a part of the Marriott family but has been a San Francisco landmark since 1904 s and has a timeless turn-of-the-20th-century European elegance. We couldn’t have enjoyed our stay here any more than we did.
Walking Around Downtown San Francisco
San Francisco is a perfectly sized city for walking! Most San Francisco sights are easily accessible within a few miles and walking is the best way to see and experience everything this city ahs to offer. Here are some stunning locations that are within a radius of a few miles, but further in this post, I’ll tell you some additional places we were able to see utilizing a rental car. Continue reading below to see some of my favorite places that make San Francisco the magical place it is. I’ll tell you a brief history, what makes it so specials, and when to visit to get the most out of these sights.
Visit the Ferry Building in San Francisco, California
One of the most under rated landmarks of San Francisco is the Ferry Building San Francisco. It sits at the end of Market Street and is central to the city’s financial, banking and transportation district. It served as the primary port of the city since it opened in 1898 and is an iconic image of San Francisco with its enormous clocktower amongst it’s dramatic architecture. While the building went through a lifetime of ups and downs, at one point converted to office space in 1955, it was renovated and reopened in 2023, giving new life back to the historic building.
Today, you can still access the ferry system and public transportation from the Ferry Building (check the ferry schedule and public transit schedule here) however, there is so much more to this historic structure and has become a modern epicenter for the city.
Shops and Restaurants at the Ferry Building San Francisco
The Ferry Building San Francisco is similar to a modern day food hall with restaurants and shops. Acme Bread Company was our favorite, they bake their bread fresh every morning and everything is amazing.
Events at the Ferry Building San Francisco
The Ferry Building San Francisco also has outdoor fitness classes, meetups and live music, so be sure to check their event schedule for the events that line up with your schedule.
Visit the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building San Francisco
Our favorite time to visit was the Ferry Building’s Farmer’s Market, which is year round on Tuesday and Thursday from10-2 and Saturday from 8-2. We went on Saturday and it was sprawling with so much fresh produce, baked goods and a ton of tasty bites. My favorite thing we got at the Saturday Farmer’s Market were tamales from local vendor, Primavera, they were hands down the best we’ve ever had. There was a very long line, and they are cash only, but, some hot tamale’s, on the water, with a view of the the bay is my definition of a perfect Saturday. I promise it’s worth it.
Take a Trolley Tour in San Francisco, California
You can’t visit San Francisco without taking an iconic trolley ride on the historic cable car. These cable cars are a unique and interesting part of San Francisco’s history and its amazing to understand and watch the cars power through the city. Technically, San Francisco has two forms of “trolley”: historic cable cars that are pulled by underground cables, and electric streetcars and trolleybuses operated by Muni. A single cable car ride costs $8.00 as of 2025, while Muni’s streetcar and trolleybus fares are $3.00. You can purchase tickets using the MuniMobile app, a Clipper Card, or cash for cable 386cars. Though both are useful for getting around the city, but I highly recommend the cable car for its history and pure ingenuity.
Visit the Coit Tower in San Francisco, California
Coit Tower is a slender white concrete column rising from the top of Telegraph Hill and has been an icon of San Francisco’s skyline since its completion in 1933. Anyone can visit the tower, but you will need tickets to access the observation desk, which can be purchased from the gift shop. Visiting the observation deck will reward you with 360-degree views of the city and bay, including the Golden Gate and Bay bridges. The tower was built as a monument to volunteer firefighters and Telegraph Hill takes its name from a semaphore telegraph erected on its summit in 1850 to alert residents to the arrival of ships.
Visit Chinatown in San Francisco, California
San Francisco Chinatown is the largest and oldest Chinatown in the United States and is one of my favorite places to visit in San Francisco. I listed some highlights below, but there are so many unique and beautiful shops, I recommend just strolling and enjoying this beautiful community if you have the time. There are sometimes traditional Chinese musicians on the streets and you truly feel immersed in Chinese culture here.
See the Dragon Gate at Historic Chinatown in San Francisco
Make sure you see the Dragon Gate at the intersection of Busch Street and Grant Avenue. The Dragon Gate was built in 1969 and was a gift from the Republic of China in the style of a traditional Chinese pailou and is a stunning entrance to this part of town.
Experience the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown in San Francisco
You can also visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where they have been making custom fortune cookies by hand since 1962. You can take a factory tour and even make custom fortunes.
Eat at the House of Nanking in Chinatown San Francisco
House of Nanking is famed for its exciting fusion of traditional Shanghainese recipes with local California ingredients, resulting in innovative dishes. It is known for its long lines and bustling atmosphere, and its iconic legacy in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The restaurant is a multi-generational family business known for blending traditional recipes with local ingredients and has been recognized for its food since opening its doors in 1988. Its absolutely a must try.
Visit Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California
Take a Cruise
We decided to hop on the Red and White Fleet and took the Golden Gate cruise. Once you’re on the boat, you are free to roam the different levels throughout the cruise. There was an information recording explaining the history of the bridge and Alcatraz. It was really interesting, but mostly we enjoyed the beautiful sights as we went just past the Golden Gate bridge and back. The cruise duration was about an hour, which was the perfect amount of time to enjoy these stunning views of San Francisco.
Visit Musée Mécanique at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco
At Pier 45 at the end of Taylor Street on Fisherman’s Wharf is the truly unique Musée Mécanique. Musée Mécanique is one of the world’s largest privately owned collections of coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade artifacts. Admission is free, you just need to buy tokens for the machines. Enjoy exploring the space of nearly 300 plus turn-of-the-century hand cranked music boxes and modern video arcade games. (Bonus: if you’re a fan of “The Princess Diaries,” this is where Anne Hathaway arm wrestles the arcade game with Julie Andrews)
Visit Boudin SF, the Famed Bakery Flagship in San Francisco, California
This historic San Francisco bakery has its flagship store on Fisherman’s Wharf and is absolutely worth stopping in to eat and enjoy sourdough-based dishes, like clam chowder in a bread bowl, watch the bakers at work, and just stopping to shop and explore the breathtaking building. Boudin is famous for its trademarked “Original San Francisco Sourdough” bread, which uses a wild yeast starter that has been kept alive since 1849. Boudin is known as San Francisco’s oldest continuously operating business.
Stroll through Fisherman’s Wharf Pier 39 San Francisco, California
Walk around Pier 39 for shopping and dining with a view of the San Francisco Bay. You also have a high change of seeing (or definitely hearing) the sea lions that like to lounge nearby. Enjoy the family friendly shopping (my favorites were Biscoff Coffee Corner and Lefty’s San Francisco – The Left Hand Store!) There’s also a small carousel and some rides to enjoy.
Visit Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, near Fisherman’s Wharf
Ghirardelli Square, originally a chocolate factory, is a specialty retail and dining complex, housing shops and restaurants and is now considered the first successful adaptive reuse projects in the country. Ghirardelli Square, has more than a century long history and is a stunning complex on the San Francisco bay that is worth visiting. Note, this actually is sort of walking distance from Fisherman’s Wharf but you can also take an Uber or Waymo if you have kids or are unable to walk a long distance. But, it’s a beautiful walk along the water, so it’s highly recommended if you can!
Explore North Beach in San Francisco, California
As two Italians, we loved walking to North Beach, San Francisco’s renowned Little Italy, and just absorbing the familiar Italian vibes of the neighborhood. There are a ton of restaurants and pizzerias to choose from, there were just so many good places to eat in San Francisco. Here were some of our favorite spots from our trip:
Eat at the Stinking Rose in North Beach San Francisco
The Stinking Rose is famous for celebrating the euphoria of garlic, offering scrumptious, contemporary, California-Italian cuisine prepared and adorned with garlic. Garlic is the center of everything in this restaurant, so if you’re not a fan of it, this is not the place for you! We enjoyed outside seating with a salad and some appetizers and its truly a lovely experience. It was a little bright, but the sun felt good, since it was kind of chilly most of the time we were in San Francisco.
Enjoy a Pastry and Cappuccino at Victoria Pastry Company
As an Italian girl, I grade my Italian pastries with very high standards, but these were some of the best pastries I’ve had outside of my own mother’s baking. We also enjoyed some delicious cappuccinos, Victoria Pastry Company was the perfect stop for a little after late night bite.
Nearby Road Trip Worthy Spots in and around San Francisco
Visit the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood in San Francisco, California
As music enthusiasts, we couldn’t go to San Francisco without visiting the historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Haight-Ashbury is a famous San Francisco neighborhood, named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets, that became the epicenter of the 1960s hippie counterculture movement and the site of the historic Summer of Love. Today, it remains a vibrant area known for its colorful Victorian architecture, vintage shops, record stores, and a lively, diverse atmosphere that continues to reflect its bohemian and free-spirited past. Technically this area is somewhat walkable, depending on where you’re staying but its not as central as some of the above spots, so please plan accordingly. We had to stop by the Grateful Dead House (710 Ashbury Street), where the band lived in the 1960s; and the Janis Joplin House at 122 Lyon Street or 635 Ashbury Street (she apparently had multiple residencies in San Francisco). Note, you’ll see lot’s of references to Jimi Hendrix’s house, however, it seems he actually spent very little time in San Francisco, so the references to his house appear to be untrue.
Visit the Painted Ladies in San Francisco, California
One of the most iconic and most photographed sights in San Francisco are the pastel-colored homes along Alamo Square Park, are called the Painted Ladies. Also known as “postcard row” for their scenic beauty, these Victorian homes are a beautiful reminder of historic San Francisco. Or, if you’re a millennial like me, you may recognize them from the opening credits of the iconic 90’s television show “Full House.”
Drive the San Francisco Bridge to Sausalito
We took the car on the San Francisco Bridge to spend a few hours in Sausalito, a charming little town for walking and enjoying a nice meal, browsing and stopping in shops and storefronts, and gorgeous waterfront views. It was one of the most beautiful little towns I’ve ever visited.
Eat at the Spinnaker in Sausalito, California
We had a remarkable waterfront dining experience at The Spinnaker, an iconic restaurant perched on piers over the San Francisco Bay on the Sausalito waterfront that opened in 1960 when Bill McDonnell and California State Senator Gene McAteer built the Spinnaker on a spit of land in Sausalito called Shell Beach. The beach was so called because oyster shells from all the local restaurants were deposited there. The food was absolutely amazing and offered views of the bay with dolphins occasional passing by as well. We highly recommend this spot and would love to visit it again.
Bonus: On your way to Sausalito, take a brief stop at the H. Dana Bowers Rest Area & Vista Point for stunning views of the San Francisco Bridge.
Drive South to Santa Cruz and drive back North via the Scenic California State Route 1, also known as The Pacific Coast Highway
We love love love a scenic drive, so we decided to go South to Santa Cruz, explore the boardwalk and beach and then take our time north on the Pacific Coast Highway. The boardwalk has an arcade and rides, which is excellent for family friendly fun, but we enjoyed the beach and checking out the shops and sea lions on the pier. It’s an iconic part of California and definitely something to see and enjoy. Driving north on State Route 1, or the Pacific Coast Highway was truly stunning. As an East Coast girl, The West Coast is truly stunning with its ragged coast line and tall cliffs. We took our time and stopped occasionally when we saw an interesting place to pause, which is one of our favorite things to do while traveling.
I hope this helps you plan your next trip to San Francisco! If you found this helpful please leave a comment below! And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @amanda_meets_world_ 🙂
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