The best things to do in San Francisco right now

What is it? The world’s most photographed bridge (and for good reason). 

Why go? The iconic 746-foot-tall orange towers of the Golden Gate Bridge have stood sentinel over the San Francisco Bay since 1937. Even when shrouded in fog, the bridge never fails to impress. The view is spectacular when passing over this span, with cityscapes on one side, nature on the other, and a beautiful shock of blue below. Come prepared wearing extra layers; Karl the Fog doesn’t mess around when it comes to the Golden Gate. 

What is it: An expansive new park opened in 2022 on top of the Presidio Parkway highway tunnels, connecting the Presidio to the Crissy Field waterfront—designed by the same people behind New York's High Line. 

Why go: The 14-acre federal parkland offers tons of green space by the water and is now one of the best spots to take in views of the Golden Gate Bridge. If you have kids in tow, they'll love the Outpost, a natural-themed playground, and the Field Station, where they can draw butterflies, discover maps and get hands-on with science.

What is it? A former maximum-security prison in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. 

Why go? Converted from a lighthouse station to a military prison in the 1870s, Alcatraz is a formidable fortress in the middle of San Francisco Bay that was home to the early 20th century’s most notorious criminals. Today, you’ll only make it to “The Rock” via ferry from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing. Once there, the self-guided audio cell house tour narrated by former inmates and guards will fill you in on harrowing escape attempts, prison riots and the 19-month-long occupation of the site by Native Americans demanding reparation for broken treaties in 1969. 

Don’t miss: To get a more creepy bang for your buck, try a night tour. Plan to spend about three hours round trip and bring a jacket to protect you from heavy year-round fog and the agonized spirits of the island’s former residents. 

What is it? Take in sweeping views of San Francisco and the bay with a craft cocktail in hand.

Why go? Rooftop bars used to be hard to come by in the city—until recently. The past few years have brought a series of sky-high venues that are now some of the hottest places to drink in town. Personal favorites include the recently reopened Starlite, a nearly 100-year-old cocktail bar on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand Hotel. Other hot spots include Cavaña, a Latin American-inspired bar in Mission Bay, and Rise Over Run, a lush drinking destination on the top floor of the LINE Hotel.

What is it? San Francisco’s largest farmers’ market and beloved permanent home for local artisan producers. 

Why go? Waiting inside the historic Ferry Building are merchants like Dandelion Chocolate and Fort Point Beer Co., but for three days a week, the real action is found outdoors. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am until 2pm, and Saturdays from 8am until 2pm, regional farmers and ranchers converge to hock fresh veggies, flowers, meats, and other small-batch beauties. On market days, the food stalls give indoor brick-and-mortar restaurants a serious run for their money.

What is it? Where you can see a plethora of playful, barking California sea lions. 

Why go? It wasn’t until after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that sea lions began “hauling out” on K dock at Pier 39. Why they chose this location is a mystery, but the protected bay, teeming with the fish and squid pinnipeds prefer, has kept them coming back for 30 years. Watch the group, mostly made up of younger males, frolic all year long from the wooden walkway behind Pier 39.   

What is it? Dubbed San Francisco's "Little Italy," North Beach is one of San Francisco's oldest and most loved neighborhoods.

Why go? With European-style cafe seating, iconic bookstore City Lights, and buzzy coffee shops, a day in North Beach is a day well spent. Dine at Italian-American classics like Original Joe's (open for more than 100 years), Tony's Pizza Napoletana or Café Zoetrope.

Don't miss: Stop by for a glass of wine or two at Waystone, a delightfully unpretentious wine bar that's quickly become a local favorite. 

What is it? Unwind at one of the city's best day spas.

Why go? San Francisco has a spa for everyone. Looking to splurge? Book a treatment at the Bamford Wellness Spa, followed by an outdoor bath soak on the rooftop terrace. Looking for more amenities? Head to the more approachable  Burke Williams Day Spa, which features a large selection of treatments in addition to a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. Up for experiencing something new—with a side of nudity? Archimedes Banya is a massive co-ed bathhouse that blends wellness rituals from around the world. 

Don't miss: A quick pop-in for a foot rub at one of the many Chinatown massage shops.

What is it? If you’re looking to get a taste of San Francisco’s past—with a great view to boot—head to the Starlite located on the 21st floor of the historic Beacon Grand Hotel (formerly the Sir Francis Drake.)

Why go? When the first iteration of the hotel bar opened in the 1940s, it was a place to see and be seen, and it continued to entertain guests eager to take in the city skyline, drink in hand, for years to come. After closing in 2021, the bar just reopened in 2024 with a modern look and revamped cocktail and food menus from bar connoisseur Scott Baird and Michelin-awarded Chef Johnny Spero. Visit on a Sunday when DJs spin tunes through sundown.

Don’t miss: Arrive before sunset to watch the skyline—and the mood at the bar—shift from day to night. 

What is it? After the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars, San Francisco may be most famous for its incredible restaurant scene. 

Why go? Book a reservation at one of San Francisco's many Michelin-starred restaurants for a dining experience that's sure to blow you away—including the city's newest star earners, Aphotic and Nari. If you're looking for a memorable prix fixe experience without shelling out a small fortune, try newcomer 7 Adams, which offers a five-course tasting menu for under $100 Michelin-starred chef David Fisher and partner Chef Serena Chow Fisher.

What is it?  The oldest and most storied enclave of Chinese immigrants outside of Asia.

Why go?  After passing through the Dragon Gate at the corner of Bush Street and Grant Avenue, get revved to explore Chinatown's historic buildings, pocket parks and shops. Considered the birthplace of American Chinese food like chop suey and fortune cookies, as well as credited with introducing dim sum to the Western palate, you'd be remiss not to stop for a bite at an eatery like Good Mong Kok Bakery.

Don’t miss: The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory (56 Ross Alley), where some 20,000 fortune cookies are made every day—folded by hand as they come off an ancient-looking cookie conveyor belt.

What is it? SF’s quintessential dish. 

Why go? It is common knowledge that burritos, as we know them today, are an American invention. And no burrito is more famous than SF’s Mission-style burrito formed in the '60s. There is still some debate as to who created the first Mission-style burrito. Taqueria La Cumbre is generally credited with the creation—they introduced the tortilla-wrapped combination of beans, rice, meat, and cheese in 1969. Their neighborhood competitor, El Faro (2399 Folsom St), also claims to have originated the delicacy, serving it up to local firefighters as early as 1961. If you want the best, though, head to La Taqueria (2989 Mission St), which consistently appears on top restaurant lists year after year thanks to its behemoth, rice-free foil-wrapped bombs.

What is it? Twenty percent larger than New York’s Central Park and just as iconic, Golden Gate Park is 1,000-plus acres of rolling hills, groves of trees, gardens, and hidden treasures. 

Why go? Golden Gate Park houses some of San Francisco’s most beloved institutions—the Victorian-era glass-ensconced Conservatory of Flowers, the de Young Fine Arts Museum and the Academy of Sciences, among them—as well as less famous attractions such as the bison paddock, Shakespeare’s Garden and the north and south windmills. On Sundays, the main drive is closed to cars. Bicyclists, rollerskaters, and eager Lindy Hop aficionados take over the streets. 

Don’t miss: Snacks can be found throughout the park, but for a meal, the Beach Chalet and Park Chalet on the park’s western edge offer lovely views and house-brewed beer.

What is it? Colorful Victorian and Edwardian houses, many of which feature three or more colors. 

Why go? The most famous ones—there are hundreds of houses—can be found in NoPa, the Lower Haight, Haight-Ashbury, and Cole Valley neighborhoods. But there’s one row, in particular, so iconic that it’s simply referred to as “the Painted Ladies” (or sometimes “Postcard Row”): the houses of 710-720 Steiner Street at the corner of Hayes Street. These gals have appeared in an estimated 70 movies, ads, and TV shows, including, yes, Full House. You can’t enter the Painted Ladies (real people live there), but you can get a great view and a photo of your own from the east-facing hillside of Alamo Square across the street. 

What is it? Once a Jewish cemetery, today Dolores Park is one of San Francisco’s favorite warm-weather destinations.

Why go? It may be miles from the ocean, but sunny Mission Dolores Park might just be the most popular “beach” in San Francisco. Any weekend above 60 degrees and every green inch of the park is guaranteed to be packed with barbecues, locals lounging on inflatable couches, hula-hoopers, and tightrope walkers. Recently expanded restrooms and an updated playground for little ones make the convergence a little more comfortable. The southwest slope offers the best views of the downtown skyline and a variety of manscaping on what is known as the “Fruit Shelf.”

What is it? Local architect Bernard Maybeck's pièce de résistance, this Greco-Roman rotunda is one of the only surviving structures from the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.

Why go? You will feel like you have stepped onto a movie set watching the swans skim across the reflections of the Greco-Roman columns and rotunda of the Palace of Fine Arts. Originally constructed of wood and burlap for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition, the structures were so beloved they were preserved and rebuilt in the 1960s. Bonus: The Palace is an easy, descending walk from the also-picturesque Lyon Street Steps.

What is it? The city's first urban creamery, where you can see butter, cream cheese and cheese made fresh daily. 

Why go? A perfect first stop in your day's activities, Daily Driver offers wood-fired bagels paired with its hand-batted organic butter and cream cheese, plus small batch coffee. Gobble down your bagel, and then watch the butter and cheese making in action. You can even take more to go. 

What is it? For more than 70 years, City Lights bookstore has been a beacon of free speech and radical ideas. 

Why go? Co-founded in 1953 by poet-artist Lawrence Ferlinghetti, City Lights is where Allen Ginsberg’s Howl & Other Poems was first published, putting the Beat Generation on the map. The creaky wooden shop and publishing house is still a center of progressive politics and indie-literary voices, which it stocks alongside a huge inventory of new and used fiction and nonfiction.

Don’t miss: You’ll find the shop on the corner of Jack Kerouac Alley (so named after being renovated and reopened to the public in 2007) and across from Vesuvio Cafe, the bar where Kerouac, Neal Cassady and other Beat heavyweights once held court. 

What is it? Seasonal blooms bring new life and color to this beautiful garden. 

Why go? The eight-decade-old San Francisco Botanical Garden sprawls across 55 acres in Golden Gate Park. While the native plants are plentiful, it's known for its assortment of flora from around the world, including the forests of Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia. The garden claims the fourth most significant collection of magnolias on the planet. Wander amid mosaic-paved trails and stone-laden paths, and you'll find the ancient plant garden, a quiet redwood grove, the rhododendron garden, and the dwarf conifer pond.

Don't miss: One of the most popular areas is the Garden of Fragrance, where plaques encourage visitors to sniff sweet-smelling plants like cascading rosemary, rockrose, lemon verbena, chamomile, and lavender.