While San Francisco, California, is a City that offers many world-class attractions, luxurious accommodations, and tantalizing dining options, it’s geographically fairly small. In terms of area, it only covers about 49-square miles. But what it lacks in terms of size, it more than makes up for that in what it delivers. There is so much to see and experience in this beautiful, bayside city. So, if you’re planning a trip to San Fran anytime soon, make sure you give yourself enough time to take in all that it has to offer.
San Francisco is bursting with character, dripping in culture, and oozing with history. There are many different lively and colorful neighborhoods to explore, and you and your family will absolutely fall in love with it’s scenery. San Francisco is known for it’s rolling hills and it’s close proximity to the majestic Redwood forests, where some of the tallest and oldest trees on the planet call their home. The bay that it’s built alongside is also equally gorgeous. And then you have the iconic and ever-so-impressive Golden Gate Bridge, which no trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting.
San Francisco is also home to a whole slew of top-tier museums where you can learn all about the city’s history, it’s relationship to the famous Gold Rush of times past, and many other fascinating topics that will invigorate your mind and broaden your horizons. And after a day of exploration and entertainment, you’ll be able to wet your whistle and grab a bite to eat at some of the best bars and restaurants in the world!
Join Viewcation as we take a look at some of the best things to do and see in the San Francisco bay area. We promise you that after watching this video, you’ll be tempted to book your flight and make hotel reservations because despite what you think you might know about San Francisco, it’s a city that always has room to surprise you!
Golden Gate Bridge
We’ll go ahead and get this one out of the way, seeing as how it’s one of the most famous features of the city. Straddling the Golden Gate Strait, which connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, this iconic landmark connects San Francisco to the towns of Sausalito and Marin.
The Golden Gate Bridge is easily walkable on foot, but it’s also worth experiencing by car or even bicycle. Really though, it’s hard to simply describe this phenomenal structure as it is really the kind of thing that you have to see to believe. It’s about 2 miles in length as well, which is pretty impressive considering how much traffic it sees on a daily basis.
To learn a little bit about it’s history, visitors can check out the Welcome Center, where there is a statue of the bridge’s designer, Joseph Strauss. There, you should be on the lookout for the plaques that describe it’s construction and purpose. And of course, you should probably snap a selfie to show all your friends back home what you’re up to.
At the Welcome Center, you can also sign up for a free walking tour of the bridge, which will shed a little bit more light on it’s backstory.
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Golden Gate Park
Stretching across over 1,000 acres of California countryside, this park offers so much to see, explore, and do. It would literally take you days to experience all that it has to offer. From trails to pristine picnic spaces to gardens and even museums, Golden Gate Park is jam-packed full of fun activities for the whole family.
The Japanese Tea Garden is one of the standout attractions at the park. As the oldest Japanese Garden in America, it’s really a sight to behold. It’s made up of five acres of well-manicured gardens that are adorned with bamboo-accented walkways, koi ponds, cherry trees, and a five-story traditional Japanese pagoda. There you will also find a Zen garden which is the perfect place to stop and meditate. After you’ve pondered the meaning of life for a bit, unwind at the tea house where you can try a pot of Pu-erh.
Alcatraz
Sitting on top of a tiny, rocky island in the middle of the bay, Alcatraz is known for being the former site of a federal penitentiary that once housed some of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century. Most notably, it’s the prison Al Capone once called his home. Before it was used for that purpose, Alcatraz was a military prison that incarcerated prisoners of the Civil War as well as the Spanish-American War. It’s also notable for being the site of the West Coast’s first lighthouse.
The prison shut down during both of these eras because of it’s high operational costs, and it was put into the hands of the National Park Service back in 1972. Today, Alcatraz welcomes about one million tourists per year.
Chinatown
While New York’s Chinatown tends to get most of the attention, San Francisco’s Chinatown is equally as impressive. It’s host to one of the largest communities of Asian people outside of Asia. It’s also one of the oldest Chinatowns in the US.
Immigrants from China first arrived in California during the Gold Rush. After they were ousted from the gold mines due to racism and discriminatory legislation, the Chinese immigrants moved to San Francisco to build businesses and a place of their own to call their home.
Since Chinatown only covers about 24 city blocks, it’s easily accessible by foot. Grant Avenue is the borough’s main street, but the Chinatown Gate is where you’ll find a wide variety of gift shops. Waverly Place is home to the oldest Chinese temple in the country, and Ross Alley is where you’ll find the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where you can take a tour and see how these iconic Americanized treats are made. Throughout Chinatown, you’ll also find many excellent herb and spice shops as well as fantastic restaurants and cafes.
Ride A Cable Car
If you’ve ever seen a film that’s set in San Francisco, then you’ve surely seen a cable car before. These have been transporting people to-and-fro around San Francisco since the late 1800s. The cars run on tracks, and they are pulled around by a massive system of underground cables. Their distinctive bells can be heard jingling from blocks away, and they are fairly inexpensive to ride on. Each trip goes just one way, but in the process, you’ll be treated to some of the most incredible views of the city that San Fran has to offer. Plus, ascending and descending the city’s famed hills Is always pretty thrilling in itself.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Best known for being the home of the tourist gem Pier 39, excellent waterside restaurants, sourdough bakeries, and a handful of museums, including Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, Fisherman’s Wharf provides the classic San Francisco experience.
It’s packed full of fun things to do for the whole family, and there are many quality hotels in the area to stay in as well. Street performers can be seen lining the streets and walkways, and a picture-worthy locale can be found just around every corner.
Visit Ghiradelli Square to satisfy your sweet tooth or grab a steam pot of Dungeness crab and prawns if you’re a fan of seafood. And don’t forget to greet the sea lions that help make this neighborhood one of the premier San Franciscan hotspots.
Lombard Street
Famous for it’s nickname of the ‘crookedest street in the world’, Lombard Street is one of the most popular landmarks in the city. Annually, millions of visitors drive or walk down it’s eight super-tight hairpin turns. It’s surrounded on all sides by Russian Hill mansions and beautifully landscaped greenery and flowers.
A visit here won’t take up much time, but it’s in close proximity to other notable San Franciscan attractions such as Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the next destination we’ll be discussing, North Beach.
North Beach
This neighborhood, which is sometimes called San Francisco’s Little Italy, is predominantly and historically populated by the city’s Italian American residents. Here you can feast on authentic pizzas and pastas, sip artisan cappuccinos, or enjoy a scoop of decadent gelato.
The Italian culture that can be experienced here is super colorful and endearing, and there are a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and other establishments to visit. Visitors that are into music, art, literature, architecture, and shopping could easily spend all day here.
Columbus Ave is North Beach’s main drag, so that’s a great place to start if you’re looking to stretch your legs and explore a bit. We highly recommend also taking a walk up the extremely steep Filbert Street to see the architectural wonder that is Colt Tower – which happens to be one of the most iconic features of North Beach’s skyline.
Muir Woods National Monument
You can’t visit San Francisco without taking in the sky-high Redwood trees! At Muir Woods, which is just about 16 miles north of San Francisco, you’ll get a chance to get up close and personal with some of the state’s most cherished flora. Plus, it’s a great spot to visit to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a bit.
The biggest redwood tree that can be found here is about 258 feet tall. To put that into perspective, imagine 50 cars stacked on top of each other horizontally. Plus, some of these trees are 600 to 800 years old!
Muir Woods, which is free to visit, has six miles of trails, however, none of them are very challenging. If you’re looking for a hike that is a bit more demanding, we recommend venturing on over to the nearby Mount Tamalpais State Park.
While we would love to spend all day telling you about all the amazing sights and attractions that await you in and around San Francisco, unfortunately, we’re going to have to wrap this video up.
What are you most excited to see on your next trip to San Francisco? And if you’ve already been, what are some of your favorite attractions there? Let us know in the comments section down below.
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As always, thanks for watching! And, Safe Travels!