San Francisco Travel Guide
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San Francisco is a small city — with just a few square miles more than Disney World — but is home to a plethora of culture, food, and entertainment. This gorgeous town is perfectly situated on California’s Pacific Coast and provides travelers with colorful neighborhoods, world-class cuisines, a number of art galleries, museums, sculptures and street art, plus one of the greatest ways to explore a town: cable cars!
Here, you can discover spectacular views of San Francisco Bay, the famous Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, familiar locations from some of your favorite Blockbuster films & shows, a cultural dip into Chinatown and some spectacular day trips nearby.
Let’s take a look at why San Francisco should be next up on your adventure list!
Where To Stay
~ Union Square ~
The Union Square area is perfect for all travelers — whether it’s your first time in town or you’re returning for your next adventure. It’s located right in the center of San Francisco and close proximity to the Moscone Center and Financial District, only 5 blocks from Chinatown and the Theater District, and just 2 miles from Alcatraz — an absolute must-see for my fellow spooky, history buffs!
I’m a Marriott lover myself and like knowing what service and amenities I can expect to enjoy no matter where I’m staying so my first recommendation is staying at a Marriott property. The location can’t be beat for Marriott Union Square!
My other favorite properties in this area are the Omni San Francisco and Hotel Zephyr San Francisco. If you’re looking for some top notch luxury the Omni never disappoints no matter what location you stay in, while the Zephyr offers a unique and coastal themed haven.
Where To Eat
San Francisco has been ranked as one of the best foodie cities in USA and for good reason. The city’s dining scene offers thousands of restaurants and coffee shops, providing amazing cuisine for all travelers whether you’re looking for something casual or upscale. There are also international neighborhoods similar to NYC’s, offering dining options from around the world such as Chinatown (Chinese), The Mission (Mexican) and North Beach (Italian). Not to mention the amazing farmers markets that allow you to taste all the local favorites San Franciscans take a deep pride in.
Mersea Restaurant & Bar - American
Dine & play at this deliciously fun & cost-friendly restaurant located right across from the Bay. Mersea has its own little put-put golf, bocce ball and cornhole game station, making it the perfect place to grab a burger, filet, or one of their many vegan dishes before spending time with your friends and family watching the sunset.
Kokkari Estiatorio - Mediterranean, Greek
If you’re looking for an upscale dinner with the most satisfying Mediterranean dishes look no further than Kokkari Estiatorio. It’s on the pricier side for sure but worth every penny! You’ll never regret indulging in their stuffed calamari, classic chicken souvlaki, Arnica Paidakia (grilled lamb chops with a lemon-oregano vinaigrette), goat stew over orzo pasta, followed with the perfect semolina custard or Baklava for dessert. Of course, don’t forget the pistachio ice cream and a Greek coffee.
You could spend days trying to decide on San Francisco’s best dining options, but from what I can tell, no choice is wrong. Every place is unique and strives for the absolute best! There’s something for everyone’s flavor here. Feeling like a clam chowder bread bowl? Boudin’s is the place for you! In the mood for a little sweet treat? Swing by Bi-Rite Creamery for some of the city’s best desserts.
My ultimate favorite way to taste the city I’m visiting though is through local farmer’s markets. San Francisco is full of farmers’ markets — some all year round while others are more popular during the spring and summer months. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is an extremely popular option and completely takes over the Ferry Building (a San Francisco landmark in and of itself). Thursday’s are the best days to enjoy some of the best street food, while Saturday’s are the most popular day. Be sure to get there early for the best pick of the day!
Where To Explore
Cable Cars
Before I hop into some of my favorite places, let me tell you about my favorite way to find them: Cable Cars! Cable Cars! Cable Cars! Yes, I’m easily excited, but when we’re traveling to a new place and exploring new things, shouldn’t we all be?
I grew up in St. Pete, FL and we had a small area across the bay in downtown Tampa that had cable cars but they only took you like 3 blocks so it wasn’t the most amazing thing in the world to us. The Cable Cars in San Francisco are a whole other ball game! You can hop on and off these iconic transportation methods and see a lot of the tourist spots like Fisherman’s Wharf, Downtown, Chinatown, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, South of Market (SoMa), Financial District, and North Beach. Honestly, if it weren’t for the cable cars I would’ve been so lost trying to find my way around the city. Get an introduction to the city with a fun ride that you don’t easily find in other cities.
Golden Gate Bridge
Of course, the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see. You can experience this landmark by enjoying a Golden Gate Bay Cruise, Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour, Bike Tour or walking along the sides (be aware, it is even longer than it looks). It’s often cold & foggy so be sure you have a warm wind-breaker jacket with you.
Golden Gate Park
Even if you’re not a typical park-goer the Golden Gate Park is not to be missed. There is so much to see inside here including zen gardens, winding trails, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, the perfect place for a mid-day picnic, playgrounds for the little ones. There’s something for everyone inside Golden Gate Park! I love getting outdoors and spending time in nature so this was high on my bucket list and I honestly want to go back to San Francisco just so I can roam through these gardens and let my stress disappear with every step.
Lombard Street
Take a stroll down this famous zig zag street and enjoy the beautiful architecture and gardens. It’s known as the “crookedest street in the world” and I am still way too freaked out to drive down it myself so taking a taxi or walking along the sidewalk is my recommendation for this one. Please don’t go walking down the actual road like I see so many people do. I know I shouldn’t have to tell you not to walk in the road but, from what I’ve seen, apparently I have to say please don’t walk in the middle of the road.
16th Avenue Tiled Steps
This is probably the most beautiful (and one of the most difficult) stair runs you’ll ever have if you want to get a little workout in while you’re away. I personally love doing things like this but my idea of fun in Colorado was also hiking Manitou Springs Incline so understand I’m not always the most relaxed traveler. Even so, these steps are an amazing addition to your trip. If you can’t find the time to make it during the day, don’t worry, they get even cooler at nighttime!
Alcatraz Island
For those of you who love checking out attractions steeped in history as much as I do, you’ll love Alcatraz Island. It’s best known as the prison that housed mob boss Al Capone and a number of society’s biggest criminals. Before keeping these top notch bad guys at bay — pun intended ;) — it was a military prison during the Spanish-American War and Civil War.
Be sure to give yourself at least 2 hours, if not more, to take your time getting across the bay on the ferry and exploring the prison cells and grounds at your own pace.
Ferry Building Marketplace
The Ferry Building is a city landmark and complete food emporium — also home to the Farmer’s Market mentioned above. You can find some of the best pastries, candies, pastas and wines in this artisanal homefront for local chefs and shop owners. You can grab some delicious items to take back and cook if you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen/kitchenette or enjoy a bite while you’re here and sit outdoors with some killer views of the Bay.
Pier 39 & Fisherman’s Wharf
Pier 39 is a popular place for watching sea lions, maybe even see a Great White jump after a few in the Bay, and take in the amazing ocean views with a good chowder bread bowl from Boudin Bakery. You can wander through shops, enjoy local entertainment & music, explore the Aquarium of the Bay and there’s also the cutest carousel right on the boardwalk.
Chinatown
I don’t know what it is about Chinatown but I always thought it was literally the coolest place when I was 10 years-old and felt like I was transported to another country without leaving the city. I was nervous it would lose its charm when I revisited it as an adult, but I’m still so intrigued by the area!
You can easily spend a day wandering through Chinatown’s streets, alleyways, and shops while enjoying some delicious Chinese food — not like the stuff you get from your local mall, I’m talking truly amazing, authentic Chinese food and business owners that have a serious pride in their craft.
The official entrance on Bush Street is where you will find the popular Dragon Gate. Grant Avenue is the main tourist strip and full of shops and Chinese lanterns strung above. It’s certainly worth the stroll and you can find plenty of gifts to bring home and snap some great pictures.
If you want to experience Chinatown like a local, make your way to Stockton Street — it runs parallel to Grant Avenue just one block over. You’ll instantly notice the price difference and more authentic feel to the neighborhood, plus have access to some fantastic produce markets.
Movie & Film Locations
San Francisco is no stranger to the big screen and I’m sure some of the movies shot here have made you want to visit and find as many as you can. Luckily, the city is small enough for you to visit quite a few in a day. Here are a few places that you may remember all too well.
“Ant-Man” & “Ant-Man and the Wasp”
Seeing as these movies were set in San Francisco, finding their filming locations isn’t too hard. Fisherman’s Wharf should look familiar to anyone who remembers a 50ft Scott taking a bad guy off a ferry. Hank Pym’s Victorian house can also be found at 601 Buena Vista Ave (please remember to be respectful of the people who live here).
“Full House” & “Fuller House”
Wanna visit the Tanner-Fuller house? “You got it, dude!” This beloved sitcom and its Netflix sequel are still favorites for many today and hit a very nostalgic nerve for a lot of us. Luckily it is real and you can find it at 1709 Broderick St. Again, please be respectful of the people who live there — maybe enjoy a picnic for lunch at Alamo Square Park which is the famous park across the street. Then you can have a real throwback and enjoy a nice day just like the Tanner family would.
“Matrix Resurrections”
We were all pretty excited to get a new Matrix movie, but to have one that exists in our world was the cherry on top! You can find many of the skyscrapers and alleyways in the Financial District and Chinatown, and stroll past the Matrix Resurrections house (1039 Vallejo St) in Russian Hill. Plus you can grab a refreshing juice from Neo’s favorite coffee shop Simulatte, which is actually Joe and the Juice (235 Montgomery St).
“Mrs. Doubtfire”
I’m sure all my other 90’s babies out there grew up loving this movie and will be just as excited as I was to visit the Hillard family home (2640 Steiner Street) and his apartment in Telegraph Hill District (520-522 Green Street). If you want to spend a day splashing around the same country club Pierce Brosnan invited the family to you can stay at the Claremont Resort and Spa located at 41 Tunnel Road.
“The Princess Diaries”
Who could forget the unbelievably gorgeous Grove High School entrance (which is actually a private residence), the colorful cul-de-sac home of Lily and Michael Moscowitz, or the insanely cool fire station that Mia Thermopolis lived in? I was so sad to find out that the Genovian Consulate was actually located in LA, but you can still check out a bunch of other filming locations in San Francisco.
As I mentioned before, Grove High School is actually someone’s home located just a few steps from the Lyon Street Steps (2601 Lyon Street). You can find the Moscowitz’s cul-de-sac home at 15 Phoenix Terrace just north of Nob Hill between Taylor and Jones Street.
You can also play the same arcade games as Mia and Queen Clarisse at the Musée Mécanique at Fisherman’s Wharf’s Pier 45. Enjoy some good old-fashioned arcade games, corndog and all, before heading over to Russian Hill to tackle the same hill that got Mia in trouble for driving without a license, located at the corner of Taylor Street and Broadway. Finally, you can check out Mia’s home in the Excelsior District at 724 Brazil Avenue. It’s in the more southern part of the city — about 20 minutes south of Fisherman’s Wharf — so maybe check this one out on a day where you want to explore that part of town.
“Venom”
Tom Hardy wandered the unmistakable hills of San Francisco as Eddie Brock while shooting the recent Venom movies. You can find the big motorcycle jump scene location at the top of Taylor Street, Life Foundation’s headquarters in Hawk Hill at Marin Headlands, and recognize the Transamerica Pyramid (600 Montgomery St.) as the very same one Venom crawls up in the movie.
I hope you’ve found some places to add to your bucket list and next trip to San Francisco and enjoy exploring this wonderful city! It really has so much to offer every kind of traveler. Don’t forget to be present and dare to get lost in the moment!
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