San Francisco is one of the most-visited cities in the United States, attracting tourists from around the world who want to enjoy some of the country’s best sightseeing. Here we’ve put together an overview of some essential landmarks, neighborhoods, and places to visit in San Francisco.
Whether you’re looking to dive into California history, indulge in delicious local cuisine, or see some of the world’s most famous views for yourself, these San Francisco attractions are highly-favored stops on any tour of the prominent California port city.
If you need more inspiration, be sure to read our longer bucket list of things to do in SF.
1. Golden Gate Bridge
Since its construction in 1933, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has been an illustrious symbol of world-class engineering and American identity. The 1.7-mile suspension bridge receives over 10 million visits a year and has ranked as one of the country’s most popular landmarks.
Many visitors like to rent a bike and cycle across the bridge to Sausalito, and then take a ferry back to the city. Another option is to sail underneath the bridge on an SF Bay boat cruise. If you’re hoping to get some iconic photos from afar, consider visiting the Golden Gate Overlook on the SF side or Hawk Hill from the Marin side.
📍Location: The bridge spans from the northernmost part of the Presidio at Fort Point to the Marin Headlands
2. Golden Gate Park
You’ll want to spend a full day at Golden Gate Park, one of the most exciting places to visit in San Francisco. At 1,017 acres, this is one of the largest public parks in the world, holding some of the city’s most popular attractions and museums. In addition to the locations listed below, it’s worth simply walking or riding a bike through the expansive green spaces. You never know what you might stumble across, be it a drum circle, a colorful tulip garden, a free concert, or even a herd of American bison.
Most famous attractions in Golden Gate Park
- Japanese Tea Garden – The oldest public Japanese garden in the United States with a tea house dating back to 1894.
- SF Botanical Garden – A beautiful outdoor green space with 7,700 types of plants across 55 acres. Try and visit during magnolia season in February and March or attend Flower Piano in September.
- Conservatory of Flowers – A national landmark that’s curated a collection of rare and unusual plants since 1879 including giant water lilies.
- California Academy of Sciences – A massive science museum with a four-story indoor rainforest, state-of-the-art planetarium, enormous aquarium, and living roof.
- de Young Museum – A fine art museum founded in 1895 with rotating temporary exhibits. The outdoor sculpture garden and the 144-foot observation tower are free to visit.
📍Location: Public park spans from Ocean Beach to the west to SF’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to the east.
3. Alcatraz
During the Civil War, Alcatraz Island served as a military base known as “Fort Alcatraz,” eventually housing a military prison until 1933. The island is best known around the world for serving as a federal prison from 1934-1963, housing notorious criminals including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. It was then the site of a Native American civil rights movement into the ‘70s and subsequently opened as a museum in 1973. The audio guide tour will take you through every part of the well-preserved grounds including the site of the famous 1962 escape attempt.
Even for locals, Alcatraz is one of the most exciting places to visit in San Francisco. Catch the ferry from Fisherman’s Wharf and dedicate a half-day to properly explore everything.
📍Location: All access to Alcatraz Island is through Alcatraz City Cruises LLC, which takes off from Pier 33
4. Fisherman’s Wharf
Many tourists in San Francisco leave plenty of time to visit the world-famous Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood. The notable waterfront contains an exciting blend of historic buildings and boats, excellent restaurants, and dramatic SF Bay views. Kitschy souvenir shops aside, there are plenty of gems you’ll want to look for.
Sip on an Irish Coffee from Buena Vista Cafe before visiting the famous California sea lions at Pier 39. We recommend booking a table for a fresh seafood lunch at Scoma’s. Be sure to keep some quarters to play vintage arcade games at the Musée Mécanique.
📍Location: Northeast waterfront between Pier 33 and Aquatic Cove
5. Chinatown
Did you know that San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest in North America? Chinese immigrants settled in the “Little Canton” neighborhood around Portsmouth Square in the late 1840s, which became known as “Chinatown” in 1853. These days it’s a bustling maze of streets filled with traditional dim sum restaurants, historic cocktail lounges, ornate temples, and fantastic tea rooms.
Make sure you take a picture with the lion statues at Dragon’s Gate before heading to the famous Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory to make personalized fortune cookies. Enjoy a meal at the Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s restaurant and top it off with a Chinese Mai Tai at the historic Li Po Cocktail Lounge.
📍 Location: SF’s Chinatown is located in the northeast corner of the city between North Beach, the Embarcadero, and Downtown. Most businesses are concentrated around Grant Ave between Bush and Broadway.
6. Painted Ladies
The Painted Ladies, a quaint row of Queen Victorian homes arranged neatly alongside Alamo Square Park, are famous for their appearance in the opening credits of Full House (1987-1995). The homes are perfectly placed against a backdrop of the San Francisco skyline making for one of the most-photographed views in San Francisco. The “postcard row” homes are still occupied by locals so make sure to be respectful of their property.
If you make the trip to see the Painted Ladies, you’re well-located to explore the walkable Alamo Square, NoPa, and Hayes Valley neighborhoods. Stop by The Mill for the fanciest toast you’ve ever tried using SF’s famous sourdough bread, sit down for a meal inside the beautiful Italian restaurant Che Fico, or go dancing at Madrone Art Bar.
📍 Location: Alamo Square Park
7. Palace of Fine Arts
Architect Bernard R. Maybeck built the Palace of Fine Arts as a temporary exhibition space for SF’s 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The San Francisco attraction was so popular at the time that philanthropist Phoebe Hearst saved it from demolition, and it’s now one of the most beautiful places to visit in San Francisco.
The Palace is designed to depict a decaying Roman ruin, comprising a 162-tall rotunda and large colonnades situated in a semicircle around a manmade lagoon. It’s an essential stop if you’re near the Presidio or Crissy Field, and is well-located near SF’s popular Marina neighborhood.
📍Location: 3601 Lyon St, San Francisco
8. Mission District
The Mission District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, famous for its strong Latino roots and eclectic hipster vibe. Take a walk through the neighborhood to enjoy the city’s most tried-and-true taquerias, and leave plenty of time to explore the colorful mural alleys that reach back decades into Bay Area history. We always get lost browsing the bizarre witchy artifacts at Paxton Gate, and you’d be remiss not to book a table for dinner on Foreign Cinema’s romantic outdoor patio. Finish your day at the lush urban greenhouse Arcana for tasty natural wine and live jazz.
Mission Dolores Park is one of the city’s most hoppin’ picnic destinations and affords some unbeatable people-watching. The 16-acre green space hosts countless festivals, concerts, and other events, so make sure you stop by to see what’s going on.
📍 Location: East side of the city between Potrero Hill and The Castro.
9. Lombard Street
Lombard Street is a famous red-brick street in Russian Hill that attracts 2 million tourists per year. The recognizable street is always teeming with cars and foot traffic from people hoping to see the “crookedest street in the world,” featuring 8 hairpin turns in a steep 1-block stretch. (Incidentally, the actual “crookedest street” is SF’s Vermont Street, which is admittedly less picturesque).
When the street was built in 1922, its steep 27% grade was considered unsafe for vehicles, prompting property owner Carl Henry to suggest the hairpin turn design. These days, it’s one of the most beautiful streets in San Francisco, encircled with imposing mansions and perennially flowering hydrangea bushes. Consider taking the Powell/Hyde cable car to the top of Lombard Street, and don’t forget to check out one of the city’s best views a block away at Hyde and Chestnut.
📍 Location: Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth
10. Salesforce Park
Although Salesforce Park just recently opened in 2018, it’s quickly become one of the most talked-about public places to visit in San Francisco. The leafy rooftop park is a remarkable floating oasis amidst Downtown SF’s skyscrapers, and it’s an outstanding ode to SF’s big tech industry and the future of city infrastructure. Far beneath the Transit Center is a gigantic subterranean space, supposedly dedicated to the future California High-Speed Rail (which has yet to exist).
Step into the free gondola at 100 Fremont Street and ascend 70 feet into the air to reach the rooftop canopy. Here you’ll find a long walkway that snakes through 11 themed gardens featuring 16,000 drought-tolerant trees and plants. The park is free and open to everyone, and you can even join free yoga classes and other activities every single month.
📍 Location: 425 Mission St, San Francisco