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Sunny skies. High 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: October 30, 2022 @ 12:51 am
The cityscape view from Ina Coolbrith Park is a great vantage point for a look at the Transamerica Pyramid and the Oakland Bay Bridge.
The author and a travel companion enjoy a picnic on the grass surrounding the Palace of Fine Arts.
A travel companion of the author is photographed during the 1.7 mile walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.
The author at the ruins of the Sutro Baths at sunset.
The author looks out on the city of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from above the clouds at Slackers Hill.
The crab and corn chowder bread bowl, left, and the original clam chowder bread bowl from Boudin Bakery in Fisherman’s Wharf are a perfect cold weather meal.
Riding the cable car makes way for stunning views of the hilly city.
The view from the base of Coit Tower is seen near sunset. The lookout also has coin-operated binoculars that allow visitors to take a closer look at the city.
The Chocolate Brownie Sundae from the Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop is filled with hot fudge and topped with a warm and gooey brownie.
The author is seen under the large and ornate dome of the Palace of Fine Arts.
Bright colors and interesting shadows fill Umbrella Alley, an alleyway filled with work from local artists located near Ghiradelli Square.
The compact and colorful streets of Chinatown are located right in the heart of San Francisco.
Baker Beach, seen here on a foggy day, provides a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The cable car is a fun and unique way to navigate San Francisco.
The author’s two travel companions watch the sun set on the Pacific from the ruins of the Sutro Baths.
The cityscape view from Ina Coolbrith Park is a great vantage point for a look at the Transamerica Pyramid and the Oakland Bay Bridge.
The author and a travel companion enjoy a picnic on the grass surrounding the Palace of Fine Arts.
A travel companion of the author is photographed during the 1.7 mile walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.
The author at the ruins of the Sutro Baths at sunset.
The author looks out on the city of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from above the clouds at Slackers Hill.
The crab and corn chowder bread bowl, left, and the original clam chowder bread bowl from Boudin Bakery in Fisherman’s Wharf are a perfect cold weather meal.
Riding the cable car makes way for stunning views of the hilly city.
The view from the base of Coit Tower is seen near sunset. The lookout also has coin-operated binoculars that allow visitors to take a closer look at the city.
The Chocolate Brownie Sundae from the Ghiradelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop is filled with hot fudge and topped with a warm and gooey brownie.
The author is seen under the large and ornate dome of the Palace of Fine Arts.
Bright colors and interesting shadows fill Umbrella Alley, an alleyway filled with work from local artists located near Ghiradelli Square.
The compact and colorful streets of Chinatown are located right in the heart of San Francisco.
Baker Beach, seen here on a foggy day, provides a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The cable car is a fun and unique way to navigate San Francisco.
The author’s two travel companions watch the sun set on the Pacific from the ruins of the Sutro Baths.
Although the 17th largest U.S. city by population, San Francisco is ranked at No. 2 in population density. While that keeps the rent for those in the bayside city at astounding levels, it makes for unparalleled sightseeing, even with limited time or money on your hands. At only 7 miles square, San Francisco is a jampacked and highly walkable place to explore.
Growing up, I have many memories of days in San Francisco spent visiting family and repeating visits to our favorite restaurants, maybe sprinkling in a few sights, but never in a rush for time. So it wasn’t until joining a friend visiting from Australia in a blitz visit to show all of the must-see spots that I realized just how much you can fit, even without a car, into a day in the bay. Based on that trip, I have created a curated and chronological guide throughout the highlights of the city that can be customized or spread out to fit your needs. Calling a car, renting bikes or electric scooters or utilizing more public transportation are also great ways to save on time or for those who can’t log as many miles per day.
Although Sausalito is not San Francisco proper, I found it to be an extremely charming place to walk around, enjoy some coffee and grab some breakfast. Not only that, you can knock out some stunning views just on the trip over. The ferry leaves from the San Francisco Ferry Building, which in itself is a sight to see. The 19th-century historical landmark also serves as a market with artisan coffee, freshly baked bread and from what I’m told, some amazing oysters.
Once you board the ferry, the route takes you right past Alcatraz, in addition to providing stunning views of the entire city as well as the Golden Gate Bridge, fog permitting. The ferry ride pricewise tops out at $14, but we decided to spring for the clipper card, which can be used for any of the regional transit such as the trollies and trains, and also gets you the ferry ride for almost half the price. Kids 4 and under ride free, and discounts are available for kids 5 to 18, seniors, military and those with disabilities.
This brisk uphill walk was surprisingly vigorous despite being less than a mile from the trailhead. But ever worth it, the top boasted a dreamy view of the entire city and Golden Gate Bridge from above the clouds. From there, we walked down to the road where another lookout, Golden Gate Viewpoint, is located. I can’t in good conscience recommend this path, both for ecological reasons and for safety reasons, as it ended in a scramble down a 9-foot death drop of jagged rock and loose dirt, an experience from which my white shoes have never quite recovered. Slacker’s Hill, although a better and much more secluded view, is a bit farther from Sausalito and a bit harder to access. A closer option is the nearby Golden Gate View Point, which is 3 miles from Sausalito.
From Golden Gate Viewpoint, you can walk along the road to reach the bridge itself, where a walking path and biking path are heavily utilized by tourists and residents alike. The bridge is 1.7 miles long, but just under 2.5 miles if you leave from the viewpoint. In the moments when you are not dodging bikers or runners, the walk is filled with stunning views of the incredible feat of engineering and the water below. At the end of the bridge, once you’ve reached the Presidio, there is a welcome center, as well as an outdoor educational exhibit that delves into the history and significance of the bridge, with pictures of the construction and sketches of proposed design options.
Less than 2 miles away from the Golden Gate Bridge Visitor Center is the Palace of Fine Arts. We packed our own picnic blanket, as well as some snacks, including our leftover purchases from the market inside the ferry building. The overall atmosphere of the park is quite relaxing, with families and individuals set up in the grassy areas, reading or playing and soaking in the view. The highlight of the show, however, is the palace itself, with intricate detail in unexpected scale. A walking path takes you around the entire small park, under the palace, through the well-kept landscaping. There is also an adjoining gallery and theater that host seasonal events.
After walking all this way, it’s a no-brainer to fill up on chocolaty goodness, right? Even if it’s too cold out for a sundae, Ghirardelli’s amazingly rich hot chocolate is a solid Plan B. There is also a mother lode of chocolate flavors to mix and match in the gift shop. The block has more than chocolaty goodness, too. There is a cheese shop, the maritime museum, Hyde Street Pier Historic Ships and a public beach. Right next to Ghirardelli Square is a fun, photo-worthy alleyway filled with umbrellas and colorful murals made by local artists.
Even though Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the most kitschy and touristy areas of the city, it still makes the list for me as an avid consumer of sourdough bread and seafood. Boudin Bakery, founded in San Francisco in 1849, stakes its claim as the city’s longest continuously operated business.
According to Boudin, the sourdough purchased at the seaside bakery today comes from the same mother-dough brought to the area by a miner during the Gold Rush. You can’t go wrong with a bread bowl filled with their classic clam chowder, especially on a rainy day, but we also sprang for a seasonal offering of crab and corn chowder in a bread bowl. The menu is quite extensive, even if seafood isn’t your thing.
The surrounding area, filled with street vendors and fish sellers, also has all of the touristy classics like Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and plenty of places to pick up souvenirs.
From Boudin Bakery, the end of the cable car track is just a few blocks down Taylor Street. Although the cable car route is only about a mile to walk, the cable car provides a quintessential San Francisco experience, with the open-air car providing a beautiful view of the unique architecture intermingled with modern skyscrapers. We used our same clipper cards from the ferry for this, although it took us a few tries to find the correct cable car to board.
We got off near the cable car museum, which I had visited on previous trips and would recommend to those with more time on their hands. From there, we walked through the decorated streets of Chinatown. Don’t leave Chinatown without first stopping for dim sum or at a Chinese bakery. My top recommendations are steamed or baked char sui boa (BBQ pork buns), shumai (a type of shrimp and pork dumpling), har gow (a steamed shrimp dumpling), daan tat (egg tarts) or jiandui (sesame balls filled with red bean paste).
We opted for an Uber to take us the 6.5 miles to the Sutro Baths, but the clipper cards can also be used for a bus ride across town. Although out of the way, the western-facing view from the ruins of the Sutro Baths provided the dreamiest sunset. The area, located in Land’s End, was once a privately owned swimming complex, built in 1894. At the time of its completion, it was the largest indoor swimming pool establishment. It received water straight from the ocean during high tide and used a power turbine pump to continue to draw from the ocean during low tide.
In 1966, just two years after the building was sold to developers who planned to convert the building into high-rise apartment complexes, the complex was completely destroyed by arsonists. Only the rubble remains in the area that is now owned by the National Park Service. With foundations still filled with water, the sunset’s reflection on the pools and on the endless stretch of Pacific ahead is a relaxing way to end any day spent in the city.
•••
There are still so many more things to be done in the city! Here are a few more sights I recommend:
You could spend an entire day exploring this 1,017-acre area. The oasis of meadows, lakes and gardens makes you forget you’re in the middle of a bustling city. Larger than Central Park in New York City, some of my favorite areas to explore inside are the Japanese Tea Gardens, The Conservatory of Flowers, Academy of Sciences Museum and paddle boats at Stow Lake.
If views are what you’re after, look no further. Perched at the top of Telegraph Hill is this hundred-year-old monument to the city’s firefighters. Virtually the entire city, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge and various islands, are visible from the base of Coit Tower.
This comically winding street is fun to walk or drive down, so long as you make sure your brakes are in working order first. The famous section of Lombard Street that zigzags drastically is located between Hyde and Leavenworth streets.
This unassuming little park is a hidden gem in the city, boasting some of the best views. The steep park is a good place to sit and relax in between activities, or just to pass through on your way to the next sight.
Although I have yet to experience this hidden attraction, I have heard of the wonders of San Francisco’s urban slides. Although there are many of these inconspicuous cement slides sprinkled around the city, an easy pair to access is located near the corner of Seward and Douglass streets.
One of the city’s newest attractions is the 5.4-acre floating oasis, located above the Salesforce Plaza, with fountains, walking paths, playgrounds and greenery. This is a public park that stretches over the road for four city blocks.
In the Presidio, not too far from Land’s End, is a stretch of various beaches that face west. The most iconic of these, which is unsurprising due to its stunning views, is Baker Beach. The nearby Marshall Beach, although harder to access, also has amazing views. These are both great places for a sunset view that shows both the Golden Gate Bridge and the expansive Pacific to the west. To access these beaches, we took the batteries to bluffs trail, which passes through many excellent view points and multiple remains of historic military batteries. These beaches are both contained within the Presidio, which also has a multitude of hikes and sights that are well worth their own day of exploration.
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