Lauren Sheber

San Francisco’s got a lot to offer families. Besides the usual fun things you’d expect in a city of a certain size (a wonderful municipal zoo, great science museums), San Francisco has some things you can only do here: ride the bright red cable cars, visit a pirate supply store, walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and watch 1800s animated dioramas spring to life. There are plenty of vantage points to show your kids the incredible beauty of the bay, including the Presidio Tunnel Tops with 14 acres of playspace with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge for every cartwheel and Frisbee toss. And while at the end of the day mom or dad might want to slide into a chair for a Michelin-starred restaurant experience, here is our list of best cheap eats to make this family vacation more affordable. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in San Francisco  

A romantic restaurant isn’t a tall order. We just need some flattering lighting, a space quiet enough to hear each other and food that feels special in some way, either because it’s beautifully plated or because it tastes so good it’s a great precursor. A restaurant doesn’t have to be expensive to be romantic—it just has to have a certain warm, intimate vibe that mirror how the diners are feeling. Here are our 16 picks for the most romantic restaurants in San Francisco. RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🏛️ The best museums in San Francisco🍽️ The best restaurants in San Francisco🏨 The best hotels in San Francisco  

So you've booked that ticket to San Francisco, lined up all the best restaurants to dine at, and have plans to visit every museum in town. All you need is the perfect place to stay. You could reserve a room at one of San Francisco's best hotels, but for something a little homier, consider staying at one of these amazing Airbnb San Francisco homes. And don't worry, we've made sure that the recent changes in regulations for short-term rentals in San Francisco won't affect your stay with our cherry-picked list of the very best properties registered via the City of San Francisco. From a garden oasis to a geodesic dome to a luxurious artist's retreat, these Airbnb options are the perfect way to experience SF in style.  RECOMMENDED:🍻Check out the best things to do in SF🏨Stay at one of San Fran's best hotels 🏨See the best hotels in Sonoma Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

San Francisco is one of the top travel destinations in the world, but unfortunately, it’s also among the most expensive, with luxury hotels regularly hitting the high hundreds per night. But don’t panic (and don’t settle for some soulless Lombard Street motel). There’s still affordable lodging to be found throughout the city, from SoMa to the Mission. Whether you’re seeking a quiet retreat steps from the beach or an amenity-packed suite in the heart of Union Square, these inviting, low-cost hotels and B&Bs mean you can spend your travel budget exploring the city. RECOMMENDED: 📍Check out The best attractions in San Francisco for tourists (and locals!).🥟Here are the best things to do in China Town🏨Stay at one of the best hotels in San Fran Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

For us, free is the best price. And while there are many wonderful things to spend your money on in San Francisco—from great shopping to Michelin starred restaurants—you’ll also find a ton of experiences that don’t cost a cent. Some places like museums offer monthly free days, while others are free every day. And don’t forget the gorgeous hikes that cover the city, yours for the taking. Here’s our list of the eight best things to do in San Francisco that, like J Lo’s love, don’t cost a thing. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in San Francisco

A trip to Napa Valley is not to be rushed; Wine Country is meant to be savored. That being said, you should definitely swallow it and not spit it into the proverbial bucket. Thankfully, there's no shortage of standout Napa hotels for relaxing, swimming, and wining and dining (and wining and wining), in style. You'll find historic vineyard estates, stylish boutique newcomers, scene-y rooftop decks, and truly luxurious digs. (Soaking tub with a view, anyone? Well, they'll have that, obviously). To help you focus on the good stuff: Cali vino, and not the: oh my god there are so many places I can't be bothered I'm going to stay at home and get some expensive wine from the bodega... We've rounded up the best places to stay in Napa Valley. You're so welcome. RECOMMENDED: The best Airbnbs in Napa Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

A real-life meetup is always the goal, even if online dating sites make the initial sorting phase easier. A bar’s often the ideal place to do it: noisy, upbeat, a lot of people around—and best of all, if it’s not going well, you can have one quick drink and leave (or just… move down the bar a few seats). Luckily, San Francisco has a plethora of bars for every kind of situation, whether you’re looking for a hookup, a good flirtation or maybe even a forever match. You can peruse the options at a dim dive bar or have a sunnier encounter at a brewpub’s outdoor patio; you might dance your booty off or delicately imbibe the most artisanal of cocktails. Whatever your preferences, it’s here for you to celebrate that most honored of searches: the one for love. Here are our 12 best suggestions of singles bars in San Francisco. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best bars in San Francisco  

The Mission District—usually just called the Mission, for short—is a vibrant, active neighborhood with a character all its own. Long the Latino hub of the city, it boasts many Spanish-speaking businesses, colorful murals on buildings, Latin music drifting out from stores and a plethora of absolutely incredible Mexican food. For any out-of-town visitors, they’ll leave craving the offerings of their new favorite taqueria and prioritize it for a visit when they return to San Francisco. The city officially designated the Mission a Latino Cultural District (the city has 10 such districts of differing heritages), and there’s no end of eateries, breweries, music venues and bespoke shops. In fact, there are more than 400 businesses along Mission Street to make for a happy afternoon into the evening. As with many large cities, the crisis of homelessness means that you may encounter situations that may not feel comfortable, but the treasures of the Mission can still be experienced by staying alert. How do I get to the Mission? You can take BART to the 16th Street or 24th Street Mission stop or ride Muni bus routes 9, 12, 14, 22, 27, 33, 48, 49 or 67 into the Mission. MUNI bus lines on Mission Street are the 14, 14R and 49. The neighborhood is generally located from 22nd Street south to Cesar Chavez along Mission Street, continuing eastward down Calle 24. What are the most fun things to do in the Mission? You’ll want to gorge on succulent, authentic Mexican food and then turn your atten

Although it’s tempting to only indulge in Mexican food while in the Mission (and you should: the offerings are superb and even feature two taquerias that claim to have invented the Mission-style burrito), you should also try some Michelin-starred New American cuisine, tasty dim sum, Peruvian tapas, Italian housemade pasta and French fare. And if dinner and a movie are in your plans, there’s a place where you can get both in one shot. The Mission is robustly varied, and you and your palate can find nearly anything you’re after. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to The Mission, San Francisco

A thrift store is a beautiful thing—but an open-air flea market takes that experience and uplifts it. While the sun shines, you get to pick through antiques, racks of vintage clothing, toys that bring nostalgia and well-made furniture with a backstory to outfit your space. Even if they’re held regularly, flea markets have a certain temporary air, which makes you think you better buy something if you like it because it won’t be there in an hour. Now more than ever, our push to be sustainable and keep fast fashion out of the landfill means that we’re looking to recycle items that still have life in them. All across the Bay Area, you can circulate to all these amazing spots to land that perfect thing: You’ll know it when you see it. RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The best shopping in San Francisco📍 The best things to do in San Francisco🍴 The best restaurants in San Francisco

One of San Francisco’s strongest suits is its vistas, from the glowing lights downtown to the waterfront views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. The city is undeniably beautiful, with its rolling hills and distinctive neighborhoods, some with Victorian architecture perched on steep streets. What better place to catch a light night breeze and look at the lights below than at a rooftop bar? Among our favorite things to do, you can take an elevator to the top and appreciate gazing down—warmed by both a heat lamp and the buzz of a cocktail. You’ll find some well-known favorite rooftop aeries here and hopefully a few hidden gems that you can add to your list of hot spots to hit. And if you’re visiting from out of town, you can usually book a room for the night since many of these rooftop bars sit atop hotels.

That crazily aromatic beverage hasn’t been seen as just a breakfast drink for a long time. Here in San Francisco, we honor the all-day coffee, perfect as a way to meet up with friends, conduct business meetings, write tortured poetry or just sit there with earbuds in, grateful for the full mug. You’ll find neighborhood cafés all over town, from FiDi stalwarts to keep office workers awake, to Mission District coffeehouses to fuel creatives and Outer Sunset spots to chase away the fog. Many of these café owners travel to source their own beans and roast them right here in the city, a nice alternative to the Seattle mermaid’s offerings. According to one study, San Francisco has the highest ratio of coffeeshops to people, with 528 dedicated coffee outlets serving a population of 866,606—which means that there’s one coffeehouse for every 1,641 of us. Hopefully you’ll find one of your favorites on this list—or add one to your own personal roster of best places to sit down with a fragrant, uplifting cup of coffee. Here are the lucky 13 best places to find the best coffee in San Francisco.

The ambiance is colorful and informal at this Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, from the decor to the bold curries. Kin Khao—which translates to “eat rice”—is the passion project of chef Pim Techamuanvivit, who was born and raised in Bangkok. (Her stated mission: “To liberate her beloved Thai cuisine from the tyranny of peanut sauce.”) All Techamuanvivit’s produce, mushrooms, meat, and seafood is sourced from local Northern California purveyors, from Half Moon Bay to Napa. The menu is separated into bites, meats, seafood, greens, and curries. The dishes are shareable and generously spiced, from the “Pretty Hot Wings” glazed with fish sauce, garlic marinade, tamarind, and Sriracha to the dry-fried Duroc pork ribs in a turmeric curry paste. Don’t miss Kin Khao’s modern spin on curries, like the rabbit green curry or the mackerel gaeng som sour curry.

The Asian Art Museum contains one of the most extensive collections of Asian art in the world, with more than 18,000 works in its permanent collection. Though the museum originally shared a space with the de Young, it quickly outgrew its cramped digs. In 2003, after extensive renovations by architect Gae Aulenti, the museum took over the former San Francisco city library building in Civic Center; you can still read the quotes about books and literature etched into marble walls on the second floor. The building is split into galleries devoted to South Asia, the Persian world, West Asia, the Himalayas and Tibetan Buddhist world, Korea, Japan, and China. In particular, the Chinese collection, considered to be the best outside of China itself, is a point of pride. That section reveals jade carvings, Buddhist sculptures, decorative ceramics, ritual bronzes, and more. The museum is slated to expand further still in late 2019 with the addition of a new pavilion on the first floor.

Originally founded in 1984, this petite but well-appointed museum displays a slew of comic art, including comic strips, comic books, anime, political cartoons, graphic novels, zines, and underground comix. The museum relocated to this waterfront location in fall 2017, which affords nearly 8,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well a screening area, a library, and a collections facility. Visitors can browse everything from early Disney and Warner Bros. stills to obscure graphic art from around the world. The museum houses nearly 7,000 works in its permanent collection, including the work of illustrators like Roz Chast, Robert Crumb, Wally Wood, Edward Gorey, and Chuck Jones. Tables stationed around the space are stocked with drawing utensils for adults and kids to create their own comic art.

Located across from Yerba Buena Park, the Jewish Museum fills the former space of the landmark PG&E Power Substation, originally built in 1881. Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, the retrofitted building is an architectural marvel, swathed in more than 3,000 color-changing blue steel panels and shaped to reflect the Hebrew letters chet and yud, which together spell the Hebrew word for life. On the second floor, the 2,200-square-foot Yud Gallery soars to 65 feet high and is dotted with 36 diamond-shaped windows; that inspiring space is devoted to audio installations, performances, and special events. The three-story, 63,000-square-foot museum showcases a vibrant range of group shows and rotating exhibitions, including the works of Israeli musician and composer Kutiman, famous illustrator and New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, legendary director Stanley Kubrick, and contemporary artist Cary Leibowitz. Plan your visit on the first Tuesday of the month, when admission is free.

The modern art museum’s new building, which opened in 2016, merges seamlessly with its original structure, completed in 1995. Global architecture firm Snohetta designed the ambitious addition, making it one of the largest modern art museums in the country. The distinctive, textural facade was inspired by San Francisco’s fog and rippling bay. Inside, you’ll find 33,000 works of art, including painting, photography, architecture and design, and media arts. The light-flooded space features six sculpture-decked terraces, as well as the largest living wall in the country. (It’s bursting with more than 19,000 plants, including nearly two dozen species native to California.) Even if you don’t shell out for a ticket—which, trust us, you should—there are still over 45,000 square feet of free public art spaces to explore for free. Even the vibrant, monochromatic restrooms are endorphin-spiking feats of design.

Local legend Edward Galland Zelinsky founded this museum as a showcase for his unparalleled collection of antique oddities, namely coin-operated mechanical musical instruments and antique arcade machines. It’s a must-see for vintage lovers and history buffs. The assortment spans more than 300 items, including coin-operated pianos, antique slot machines, hand-cranked music boxes, salvaged bits of local history, a steam-powered motorcycle, and various vintage arcade games. The arcades are all in working condition and can be played—most cost $.25 or $.50 apiece.

Cal Academy is an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum wrapped into one. Though it’s considered California’s oldest museum—originally established in 1853—it has morphed over time to remain a vital, vibrant space. In all, the 400,000-square-foot building contains over 26 million specimens. The Kimball Natural History Museum is perhaps best known for the Africa Hall, where taxidermied animals are displayed behind glass, while the Project Lab showcases real scientists doing research in public view. The Morrison Planetarium features the world’s largest completely digital planetarium dome, measuring 90 feet in diameter. You can meander among the butterflies, marine life, and birds of the rainforest within a humid, 90-foot glass dome. And the impressive Steinhart Aquarium includes exhibits of coral reef, tidepool, and swamp habitats, as well as a colony of African penguins. The museum also has one of the most striking rooftops in the city, covered in seven rolling hills and home to an estimated 1.7 million plants.

Located in the middle of Golden Gate Park, this 125-year-old museum specializes in art from America, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. In recent years, it’s become particularly known for its sprawling costume exhibits, from contemporary Muslim fashion to the contemporary designer Oscar de la Renta. The permanent collection spans the gamut from gowns, paintings, and textiles to ancient artifacts. In addition, you’ll find an impressive collection of 19th-century American and European photography with a focus on historical California photographs. The museum deftly mixes historic gems with modern technology, as evidenced by the new “de Youngsters Studio,” a multimedia space for kids to interact with art through cameras, AR, and digital works. Don’t miss the Hamon observation tower on the 9th floor: the stunning, glass-encased space overlooks all of Golden Gate Park, downtown San Francisco, the Bay, and the Marin headlands.

This grand Beaux-Arts building is a feat of architecture in itself, clad in white limestone, marble, and gleaming chevron wood. Devoted to ancient and European art, the museum contains more than 800 European paintings in its permanent collection—of which around 250 are on view—including works by masters like Claude Monet and Fra Angelico. The emphasis on sculpture is evident from the moment you arrive—you’ll encounter Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker in the outer courtyard. The permanent collection spans from medieval times to the early 20th century, showcasing decorative arts, paintings, sculpture, and ancient artifacts. Ancient art from Egypt, Greece, and Rome fills the Hall of Antiquities (don’t miss the mummy room). The Legion is also home to the Skinner Organ, a beautiful  mahogany, ivory, and ebony instrument built by the Ernest M. Skinner Organ Company in 1924; check deyoung.famsf.org for a schedule of free concerts.

This eye-popping art and science museum mesmerizes kids and adults alike. Reopened after massive renovations at Pier 15 in 2013, the museum touts over 500 exhibits, including hands-on activities, science experiments, and interactive galleries incorporating sight, touch, memory, and perception. The clever, mind-bending exhibits blend light, tricks of physics, and sound. Whether you’re ogling rare plants or awe-inspiring art (a sculpture made from 100,000 toothpicks?!), it’s easy to spend a full day here.

This Presidio museum is devoted to the life and work of Walt Disney, the man behind the iconic mouse. Opened in 2009, it was founded by the Walt Disney Family Foundation and overseen by Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller. The space is split between historic photographs and media from Disney’s life (spread across 10 permanent galleries) and rotating exhibits highlighting the significant animators and stylists behind the company’s beloved movies. That includes original artwork and concept art from all of Disney Studios’ animated features, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to present. Throughout, interactive galleries contain multimedia video, listening stations, early renderings, and a 12-foot diameter model of Disneyland.

This family-run raw bar has been slinging fresh seafood for over 100 years. Despite its advanced age, Swan's popularity hasn’t diminished—hour-long lines regularly form to snag one of the counter’s 18 seats. The cash-only spot is unfussy, but dedicated to its seafood craft. (Anthony Bourdain was a lifelong regular). Peer into the window to survey your future meal: The cold case is piled with lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and squid. Swan sources oysters from the east and west coasts; smokes its own salmon, and makes its own addictive Louie dressing. Most of the seafood is served as cocktails, salads, or simply composed dishes, like raw scallops sliced and topped with olive oil, lemon, and salt. Dungeness is their specialty, served cold with a generous dish of Louie sauce.