San Francisco packs enormous variety into seven hilly square miles — the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Victorian houses, a world-famous food scene and fog-wreathed bay views. It's compact, walkable and the gateway to Wine Country, Yosemite and the Pacific Coast Highway.
- The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the bay
- Cable cars and steep, view-packed hills
- A superb, diverse food scene and nearby Wine Country
- Springboard to Yosemite, the redwoods and Highway 1
Region: The Pacific Best time: Sep–Nov (warmest, clearest); summers are famously cool and foggy; spring is pleasant Getting there: SFO is the main gateway; Oakland (OAK) is an alternative. BART rail links SFO to downtown in ~30 min. Getting around: Walk, ride cable cars and Muni, and use BART; a car is only needed for trips out of the city.
Neighbourhoods
Fisherman's Wharf & Embarcadero
Piers, sea lions, the Ferry Building market and Alcatraz departures.
North Beach
The Italian quarter — cafés, City Lights bookstore and Coit Tower above.
Mission District
Murals, taquerías, Dolores Park and the city's best sunny microclimate.
Haight-Ashbury & Golden Gate Park
Sixties history beside the vast park, museums and gardens.
Chinatown
The oldest and one of the largest Chinatowns outside Asia.
Things to do
- Golden Gate Bridge — walk or bike across to Sausalito, then ferry back
- Alcatraz — book the ferry and audio tour of the island prison well ahead
- Cable car ride — the Powell-Hyde line for the classic hill-cresting bay views
- Ferry Building & Mission food — farmers market, then taquerías and ice cream in the Mission
- Golden Gate Park — the de Young, Academy of Sciences and Japanese Tea Garden
- Wine Country day — Napa or Sonoma tasting rooms, about an hour north
A few perfect days
- Day 1The bay
Ferry Building breakfast, cable car to Fisherman's Wharf, and an Alcatraz visit.
- Day 2Bridge & park
Bike the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito; afternoon in Golden Gate Park.
- Day 3Neighbourhoods or wine
Mission murals and food, or drive north to Napa/Sonoma for tastings.
Eat & drink
- Sourdough, Dungeness crab and Ferry Building market fare
- Mission-style burritos and taquería tacos
- Dim sum in Chinatown and Napa/Sonoma wines nearby
National parks & day trips
Where to stay
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