Burritos, craft beer, weed dispensaries and historic landmarks top our list of the best things to do in San Francisco
If you spent 2020 social distancing, you'll be delighted to learn upon emerging from quarantine that there are still plenty of fun things to do in the City by the Bay. Our list of the best things to do in San Francisco includes eating burritos, shopping dispensaries, sipping on craft beer and admiring every view of the Golden Gate Bridge. What more could you want? Get the skinny on iconic San Francisco attractions and the best restaurants in San Francisco—not to mention which outdoor activities have us rushing into the fog. Then get out there and enjoy the city.
What is it? The world’s most photographed bridge (for good reason).
Why go? The bridge's iconic 746-foot-tall orange towers 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.
Note: The Hawl Hill area is temporarily closed for a seven-month site improvement project.
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, this formidable fortress in the middle of San Francisco Bay 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 cellhouse 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? Where to 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, which is mostly made up of younger males, frolic all year long from the wooden walkway behind Pier 39.
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, so 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? The city’s largest farmer's market and a beloved permanent home for local artisan producers.
Why go? Inside the historic Ferry Building, you’ll find merchants like Donut Farm, Dandelion Chocolate and Fort Point Beer Co. but three days a week the real action is 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 prepared-food stalls give indoor brick-and-mortar restaurants a run for their money.
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 Hunan Home’s Restaurant or 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? Colorful Victorian and Edwardian houses that feature three or more colors.
Why go? The most famous ones—there are hundreds—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's known as the "Fruit Shelf."
What is it? SF’s quintessential dish.
Why go? It’s 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's 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? 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’ll feel like you’ve 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? For more than 60 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? This 75 year old gem sprawls across 55 acres in Golden Gate Park. While the native plants are plentiful, it's particularly known for its assortment of flora from around the world, including the forests of Central America, South America and Southeast Asia. The garden lays claim to the fourth most significant collection of magnolias in the world. 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.
What is it? The birthplace of the Irish Coffee.
Why go? Although the Buena Vista has been slinging drinks for seafaring folk since 1916, it wasn’t until 1952 that the cafe got its big break. That year Joe Sheridan, an Irish chef, invented the Irish Coffee. These days, the restaurant’s white-jacketed bartenders serve up to 2,000 of the frothy, whiskey concoctions daily from behind the long, mahogany bar.
Don’t miss: Alongside their specialty, the Buena Vista has a menu featuring a variety of seafood options like clam chowder and Dungeness crab cocktail befitting of its Fisherman’s Wharf location.
What is it? The oldest public Japanese gardens in the country at the heart of Golden Gate Park.
Why go? The Japanese gardens burst with color and beauty in the early spring as maples flame and cherry blossoms bud. Walk stone paths through manicured terraces, through pagodas and over the impossibly-arched drum bridge or meditate on the zen garden before heading to the picturesque Tea House for a cuppa.
Don’t miss: For over a century, the Tea House has served fortune cookies, believed to be the first to be introduced to the United States. They are still on the menu, tucked into cookie plates and bowls of arare.
What is it? That rarest of modern American metropolises, San Francisco is crisscrossed with dozens of hiking trails.
Why go? Some treks, like the Creek to Peaks trail at Glen Canyon Park traverse steep, rocky terrain while others, like the Presidio’s Bay Ridge Trail, are better suited for a leisurely wander. Whatever level of difficulty you choose, your path is sure to expose you to the city’s natural landscape which rivals in beauty the built one that made it famous. Still have energy? Other favorites include the trails at Mt. Davidson, Lands End, Bernal Heights Park and Buena Vista Park.
What is it? A short boat ride out of San Francisco Bay affords you a front-row seat to one of the most spectacular wildlife migrations, when some 20,000 gray whales traveling south in January and back north in the early spring months.
Why go? From April through November, humpbacks and blue whales—the largest animals to have ever lived—frequent these anchovy-rich waters. San Francisco Whale Tours and the Oceanic Society both offer tours led by expert naturalists.
Don’t miss: For the more seaworthy, full-day expeditions circle the Farallon Islands, home to massive breeding colonies of sleek Common Murres and clownish Tufted Puffins. Round that out with seals and sea lions, dolphins, killer whales, and the peculiar mola mola, and you’ll feel like David Attenborough for a day.
What is it? A former military base that boasts more than two square miles of swaying eucalyptus and gorgeous views.
Why go? From the oceanside Crissy Field with its immaculate views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz to the Disney Museum on the Main Post, and from the abandoned military forts on the shore to the Yoda monument, the Presidio is full of surprises. Hike or bike around this park, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and larger than Golden Gate Park, or take the free PresidiGo shuttle.
Don’t miss: Check out the Presidio’s two outdoor Andy Goldsworthy creations: the Wood Line, which parallels Lover’s Lane, and the Spire, which towers over the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
What is it? At the flagship Boudin Bakery on Fisherman’s Wharf, tangy loaves are still made from a mother dough first cultivated here in 1849.
Why go? Discovered by Gold Rush-era bakers, sourdough became so beloved so quickly that miners seeking their fortune in the nearby Sierra Nevadas snuggled up to their yeast starters (“mothers”) on cold nights to keep them alive. The bacteria responsible for the sour flavor, lactobacilli sanfranciscensis, has since even been named after the city—and this is the place to sample sourdough, period.
Don’t miss: Watching the bread-making process from the railing overlooking the showcase kitchen, sampling it at the café, and buying a few loaves to bring home with you.
What is it? The Mission District’s alleys and buildings are decorated with over 200 distinct murals, many reflecting the neighborhood’s Latino heritage and themes of social justice.
Why go? Thanks in large part to the efforts of artist Susan Cervantes and the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center, you’ll find the most concentrated outdoor galleries at Caledonia Alley (at 15th Street), Clarion Alley (at Valencia Street), Balmy Alley (at 24th Street), Horace Alley (at 25th Street), Cypress and Lilac Alleys (at 26th Street) and Osage Alley (at 25th Street). Keep an eye out for Mary Nash’s Las Milagrosas: Tribute to Women Artists on Balmy Alley.
What is it? A new "crop" of recreational cannabis dispensaries with lounges for on-site smoking.
Why go? Since recreational marijuana use became legal in 2018, San Francisco’s weed dispensaries have slowly ramped up to offer not just ever-wider varieties of edible and smokable strains but full on Amsterdam-inspired weed cafes. (Architectural Digest even named Apothecarium one of the best-designed dispensaries in the country). At the Barbary Coast Dispensary, the brick walled bud bar and damask wallpapered lounge channel Gold Rush-era San Francisco. Try the dabs “on tap” or purchase a pre-rolled joint to smoke in the lounge’s high-backed leather booths. Volcano vaporizers laid out on tables at SoMa’s Sparc are available for a quick sit-and-hit or a longer stays.
What is it? A Mission bakery where you can munch on tried-and-true pie varieties baked to perfection, from the creamy pumpkin to the oat-walnut crumble-topped apple.
Why go? Tartine’s master bakers, husband and wife team Chad Robertson and Liz Prueitt, have taken home numerous local and national awards for their rustic approach to pastry and bread. The line around the block of food lovers seeking heavenly croque monsieurs, fresh fruit bread puddings, frangipane tarts and their famous crusty country bread hasn’t budged since the bakery opened in 2002. And it’s still worth the wait.
Don’t miss: Don't have time to queue? At Tartine Manufactory, you’ll find Robertson and Prueitt’s beloved baked goods along with some of the city’s best artisan ice cream, coffee and more.
What is it? The Ellis Island of the West.
Why go? Angel Island is a hidden gem that serves up a perfect mix of history and nature for an easy day-trip from the city. Tour the U.S. Immigration Station (TEMPORARILY CLOSED), where over a million Chinese immigrants were processed from 1910 to 1940 and sometimes detained for years. (Chinese poetry can still be seen carved into the walls of the barracks.) Afterwards, hike to the summit of Mt. Livermore, bike the 5-mile Perimeter Trail, or take a break at several picnic sites.
What is it? What Valencia Street was to the Mission 10 years ago, Divisadero Street is to the Alamo Square/NoPa—a corridor filled with some of the city's best eateries and bars with more on the way.
Why go? There are so many fantastic restaurants and bars packed into these six blocks of Divisadero Street, you'll have trouble choosing your favorites. For brunch or a light snack, try Brenda's Meat and Three, which serves some of the city's best soul food or The Mill for freshly baked toast and Four Barrell coffee. At dinner, head to Italian favorite Che Fico or the original neighborhood dining powerhouse, NoPa. For drinks, try cocktail bar Horsefeather or Club Waziema, an Ethiopian restaurant with a beloved dive bar upfront.
What is it? The Bay Area has a bevy of intoxicating options for suds savants.
Why go? Sipping your way through SF's famed breweries might be the best (or at least buzziest) way to spend an afternoon. There's Almanac Beer Co. (known for its farm-to-barrel brewing techniques), Anchor Brewing Company (a pioneer dating back to 1896), Fort Point Beer (an expert in low-ABV brews) and many other great breweries that will keep any hops-head happy.
What is it? Once an industrial neighborhood, the Dogpatch is reinventing itself as a go-to for craft brewers, wine bars and cocktail experimentation.
Why go? Where should we start? Breweries? Sure, the Dogpatch has those. Cocktails are on order at the drinks-and-jerky bar Third Rail and the lounge School Night atop event space The Pearl. You can also sip wine at the playful, unassuming Yield Wine Bar, take a deep dive into the classic Victorian stylings of The Sea Star.
Don’t miss: Ungrafted, an industrial-cool, family-friendly wine bar with a menu of grown-up comfort food.
What is it? Nearly 400 different stairways, some of them built more than a century ago, that connect San Francisco’s 42 hills.
Why go? These steep passageways not only get you off the grid but offer some of the city’s best views, from the 290-step Lyon Street stairway (between Green Street and Broadway) to the delightful, garden-accented Pemberton Steps (starting at Corbett and Clay Streets). On Moraga Street in the Inner Sunset, 163 mosaic tiled steps connect 15th and 16th Avenues. Macondray Lane (off Leavenworth St between Union and Green Sts) inspired Armistead Maupin’s secretive, leafy green Barbary Lane in his Tales of the City series.
Don’t miss: The Filbert Street Steps, arguably the most spectacular of them all, climbs through tropical gardens from the bottom of Sansome Street to Coit Tower in North Beach.
What is it? Tony Gemingnani, the first American to win the World Champion Pizza Maker title in Naples, has made his namesake pizzeria one of North Beach’s top destination dining spots.
Why go? Don't come here looking for New York–style pizza. This is Gemingnani's paean to Napoli, complete with ten different kinds of pizza baked in seven different ovens, ranging in temperature from 550 to 1,000 degrees. Crowds line up sometimes hours to sample one of these perfectly blistered creations. And there are no reservations, so put in your name and be prepared to wait.
Don’t miss: Heavenly Tomato Pie, with hand-crushed tomato sauce and cooked in a coal-fired oven, and the Margherita, with San Felice-flour dough and San Marzano tomatoes.
What is it? SFMOMA is the stylish go-to for top-notch modern art.
Why go? Reopened to much fanfare in May 2016, this new-and-improved institution features a ten-story 170,000 square foot addition that nearly triples the space of its original Mario Botta-designed building. On display alongside favorites from the museum’s permanent collection are sixteen special exhibition galleries, works specially commissioned for the new museum and 45,000 square feet of ground-floor exhibits.
NOTE: This venue is temporarily closed
What is it? A chance to take in Nob Hill, Fisherman’s Wharf, Russian Hill and the bay while hanging off the running boards Doris-Day-style.
Why go? In the late 1800s, San Francisco’s cable cars ran 23 routes to move people around the city’s 49 square miles. Today, though most locals have switched to more efficient modes of public transportation to get around, a ride on one of the three remaining cable car lines is still a classic San Francisco treat. Hop aboard one of these and a National Historic Landmarks and shoot back to simpler times.
Don’t miss: Make a stop at the Cable Car Museum at Mason and Washington Streets to learn more about the cars’ history and get a glimpse of the giant wheels turning the underground cables that power 'em.
NOTE: This venue is temporarily closed but will reopen July 1st.
What is it? A massive museum for the child in everyone.
Why go? At its home on the Embarcadero waterfront, this San Francisco institution uses play and experimentation to introduce visitors to scientific principles. From the storage lockers that play tones when you touch them to the outdoor “fog bridge” by artist Fujiko Nakaya, everything in the museum is hands on. New exhibits appear regularly but even the museum’s most beloved mainstays—the Sweeper's Clock, a fascinating movie loop in which two street sweepers keep time by pushing around piles of trash; the toothpick diorama of San Francisco; and the Tactile Dome, a sensory-deprivation crawl-through maze—are worth returning for again and again.
Don’t miss: Upstairs on the second floor, the glass and steel Bay Observatory and the sustainable seafood restaurant Seaglass offer a more sweet views of the Bay.
What is it? Free weekly concerts in the middle of a eucalyptus forest.
Why go? A summer of free shows at this idyllic outdoor ampitheater in Golden Gate Park featuring names like Fantastic Negrito, Michael Franti, Los Lobos and Ben Gibbard as well as the San Francisco Symphony and Ballet.
What is it? Overlooking the bay, Oracle Park is home to the San Francisco Giants.
Why go? With over 700 Wi-Fi access points, the park is one of the largest public wireless hotspots in the world. It was the first Major League ballpark to receive LEED Silver Certification. It was ranked the Most Vegetarian-Friendly Ballpark by PETA in 2014, 2011, 2006 and 2005. And it is where Kanye West proposed to Kim Kardashian in 2014.
What is it? An amazing showcase for all things science.
Why go? The academy offers a bit of everything for science-lovin' folks. The Morrison Planetarium is state-of-the-art, which is great for aspiring astronomers. For the marine biology set, the Steinhart Aquarium takes up the museum’s entire lower floor with exhibits like the world’s deepest living coral reef display. Are you into ecology? Check out a four-story living rainforest that boasts butterflies, birds and a variety of tropical plants. Plus, the “living roof” that is home to 1.7 million native plant species.
What is it? Whether you’re a classical music connoisseur or can’t tell Bach from Beethoven, you’ll find something to love about the San Francisco Symphony’s film nights.
Why go? Watching a Hollywood movie on the big screen while a full orchestra performs the score is the ultimate surround sound and a glimpse of movie magic. It’s also a high-wire act for the musicians who have to stay in perfect sync scene to scene while channeling adrenaline and shmaltz.
NOTE: This venue is temporarily closed
What is it? Added to the San Francisco skyline in 1933, this monumental love letter to the city remains an iconic welcome for travelers westbound across the Bay Bridge.
Why go? Named for Lillie Hitchcock Coit, a wealthy eccentric whose $118,000 bequest to the city resulted in the tower’s construction, the tapered, fluted tower stands 180 feet tall at the crest of Telegraph Hill. At top is the tower’s observation deck with 360 degree views of San Francisco and the Bay.
Don’t miss: A rotunda at its base, which is covered in Depression-era WPA murals depicting socialist images that were painted by more than two dozen artists, some of whom studied under Diego Rivera.
What is it? The Marin Center in San Rafael becomes a destination with more than 400 vendors, 40 food trucks, bars and live music. This event previously was held at Treasure Island and is set to open at its new location in September 2021.
Why go? The recent rebrand to TreasureFest from Treasure Island Flea is a fitting upgrade for this kid- and dog-friendly outdoor extravaganza. Expect handcrafted jewelry and ceramics, vintage clothing, antique art and furnishings. Sip a sangria, show off your pooch, and hunt for that perfect pair of vintage Levi’s. Bring cash for extra haggling power.
Note: This venue is temporarily closed
What is it? The chance to dress up and belt out Hollywood hits en masse.
Why go? What started out as an excuse for Castro District denizens to don dirndl dresses and do their best Julie Andrews impressions has blossomed into regular sing-along sessions to some of the biggest live-action and Disney musicals of the last 100 years, including Grease, The Little Mermaid, West Side Story and Frozen. Free goodie bags filled with relevant props and karaoke-style subtitles keep the audience on point at both family-friendly matinees and alcohol-fueled evening shows. Come dressed to impress—a raucous costume contest kicks off each showing.
NOTE: This venue is temporarily closed
What is it? A kitschy, island-themed Tiki Bar born in the Bay Area.
Why go? The tiki kitsch is at its best at the historic Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar where the walls drip with tropical storms and a band plays on a floating island in the middle of what was once the pool of the Fairmont Hotel.
What is it? The chance to take in the city's rich LGBTQ culture (and a few drinks).
Why go? San Francisco—home of the country's first openly gay elected official (Harvey Milk), birthplace of the rainbow flag and the first city in the United States to legalize gay marriage—remains a major LGBTQ epicenter. While the Castro serves as the community’s beloved home with plenty of gay-friendly bars, for great live music try Bernal Heights’ Latin-themed former Brazilian leather-cum-lesbian bar, El Rio.
What is it? An old church where you can roller skate to funky beats.
Why go? Each weekend the Godfather of skate, D. Miles, Jr., holds the “rolliest” of services at the Church of 8 Wheels. Strap on some skates (available for rent for $5) and join the Holy Rollers, the groovy costume-wearing regulars, beneath the twinkling mirror ball. It's the most spiritual of skating experiences.
Don’t miss: Want to take the party outside? On Fridays, the Rollers host an alfresco 12-mile skate that kicks off at Ferry Plaza.
NOTE: This venue is temporarily closed
What is it? An homage to turn-of-the-century mechanization, with more than 200 coin-operated games.
Why go? A museum in name only, everything at the Musée Mécanique can, and should, be played with. Many of of these amusements were salvaged from San Francisco’s now-defunct seaside amusement park, Playland at the Beach. Gypsy fortune tellers, giant moving dioramas, can-can girl stereoscopes, carnival strength testers, player pianos, and a looming Laughing Sal (the cackling Playland greeter) are just as amusing for adults as they are for kids.
Don’t miss: When you’ve had your fill of fun, check out the earthquake memorabilia and early photos of San Francisco along the walls of the arcade.
What is it? A one-of-a-kind theater for blowing your sonic mind.
Why go? Throughout a two-hour performance, theater-goers are left in darkness to be bathed in “sound sculptures” from the 176 speakers surrounding the circular 49-seat theater. The sound calls attention to its speed and movement but any more than that is hard to explain; you’ll just have to experience it yourself.
