Things to Do
We could spend a week in San Francisco and barely scratch the surface. Our first stop is always the Golden Gate Bridge — walking the 1.7-mile span costs nothing and the views of the Marin Headlands are spectacular. From there, we catch the ferry to Alcatraz ($41 per adult), where the award-winning audio tour brings the prison’s gritty history to life. We always book the earliest departure to beat the crowds.
Back in the city, we hop on a cable car ($8 per ride, or free with a Muni Passport) and ride from Powell Street over the hills to Fisherman’s Wharf. The cable car museum on Mason Street is free and genuinely fascinating — you can see the massive wheels pulling the cables underground. We also love renting bikes near the wharf for about $30-35 per day and riding through Crissy Field along the waterfront.
The Mission District is our go-to for an afternoon of street art and incredible food. We start at Balmy Alley for the murals, then grab a burrito at La Taqueria ($12-14) or sit down for mole at Lolivia. Golden Gate Park deserves at least half a day — the California Academy of Sciences ($42 admission) has a living rainforest and planetarium under one roof, and the Japanese Tea Garden ($13) is pure calm in the middle of the city.
Where to Stay
We’ve stayed in a few different neighborhoods and each has a different vibe. The Fisherman’s Wharf area is touristy but ultra-convenient, especially if we’re doing Alcatraz, Ghirardelli Square, and the waterfront. Budget travelers should look at HI San Francisco hostel inside Fort Mason — dorm beds start around $45-55 per night and the setting is unbeatable. Mid-range hotels in the Union Square area run $180-280 per night and put us within walking distance of cable cars, shopping, and BART.
For something more upscale, the Embarcadero and South Beach neighborhoods offer waterfront hotels averaging $300-450 per night. We splurged once on the Fairmont atop Nob Hill (from $500) and the lobby alone felt like stepping into old San Francisco. Wherever we stay, we avoid driving and parking — garages charge $40-60 per night downtown.
Where to Eat
San Francisco is one of the great food cities. We start mornings at Tartine Bakery in the Mission, where the morning bun ($5.50) is legendary — arrive before 8am or face a serious line. For lunch, the Ferry Building Marketplace is our happy place: Hog Island Oyster Co. serves a dozen oysters for about $36, and Cowgirl Creamery has cheese tastings that pair perfectly with local sourdough.
Chinatown is our spot for affordable, incredible meals. Dim sum at Hang Ah Tea Room (the oldest in the US) runs about $15-20 per person, and R&G Lounge serves a salt-and-pepper Dungeness crab that haunts our dreams ($45-55 depending on season). For dinner, we love splurging at Zuni Cafe for their famous roast chicken for two ($72) — it takes an hour to prepare, so order it first thing. Budget travelers can eat extremely well at the many taquerias in the Mission, where a full meal costs $10-15.
Getting Around
We almost never rent a car here — parking is a headache and public transit covers everywhere we want to go. A Muni Passport ($24 for a 3-day pass) gives us unlimited rides on buses, metro lines, and the iconic cable cars. BART handles airport transfers and trips to the East Bay. We pick up a Clipper card at any station, load it up, and tap our way across the city.
For the neighborhoods outside transit corridors, rideshare runs $10-20 for most trips within the city. The F-line historic streetcar along the Embarcadero is both practical transit and a sightseeing experience — it uses vintage cars from cities worldwide. On nice days, we rent e-bikes from Bay Wheels (starting at $3 to unlock plus $0.30 per minute) and cruise the flat waterfront paths. The ferry system is underrated too — Golden Gate Ferry to Sausalito costs about $14 each way and the views are worth every cent.