This Northern California city is one of the most famous in the whole country. Its landmarks have been featured in movies and tales, making it a sought-out destination for travel during any time of the year. With famed sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Prison, and Fisherman’s Wharf, how could you skip a trip to San Fran?
The very first attraction you should head out to is the most unmissable: The Golden Gate Bridge. Seen in movies from all over the world, this bridge is one of America’s most distinguishable sights. It has operated as the gateway to the Pacific, connecting San Francisco to the North Bay, since its grand opening in May of 1937. There are many ways to view the bridge, with countless observation spots set up around it. One of them, The Golden Gate National Recreation Area, supports 19 distinct ecosystems, with over 2,000 plant and animal species, and some awesome hiking trails that provide great views. There’s also Baker’s Beach and Marshall’s Beach adjacent to either side of the bridge that offer spectacular photo opportunities as well!
Another must-see related to the Golden Gate Bridge is Golden Gate Park, located seven minutes away from the bridge. It can be compared to New York’s Central Park, with numerous activities to do and sights to see. There’s the de Young Museum, a go-to spot for fine art. There’s also the California Academy of Sciences, a large science museum with a focus on natural history exhibits. Inside you’ll find an exhibit on rainforests, the Morrison Planetarium, the largest completely digital planetarium dome in the world; Steinhart Aquarium, and cool finds like Claude the albino alligator, African penguins, and tropical fish. Another attraction is the Conservatory of Flowers, an elaborate Victorian greenhouse that houses a wonderful collection of rare and exotic plants. There’s so, so much more to do here including watching American bison roam and checking out a Chinese pavilion.
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Next up is arguably San Fran’s second most popular attraction: Fisherman’s Wharf. This area is central to the Historic Waterfront District and features entertaining spots like Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square. The pier is a playground for the whole family with amusement park-esque games and rides, souvenir shops, restaurants, and bars—with a fun carousel right in the middle! Ghirardelli Square is a sweet tooth’s dream, with the headquarters to Ghirardelli Chocolate Company here. The dessert shop is known for their scrumptious sundaes and thick chocolate fudge. Yum!
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From Fisherman’s Wharf you can easily reach other destinations from the nearby Barbary Coast Trail. This long trail will take you through our next attractions, so walk straight ahead and prepare for fun! Union Square is the perfect place to shop, with department stores, extravagant boutiques, art galleries, lavish hotels, and a theater district. You can even enjoy shows from various street performers around here!
After you’ve dropped a couple of bills, head over to Chinatown. This is the second largest Chinatown in the U.S. and one of the oldest. It was established in 1848 and has played an important part in the history, culture, and livelihood of Chinese immigrants. The area is gorgeous to walk around and features paper lanterns hanging above the streets, plenty of signage in Chinese, and vendors selling arts and crafts, luggage, clothing, food, and other goods. To top off your Chinatown experience, make sure to take a tour at the Fortune Cookie Factory, where you will learn more about the cookie’s history and receive a complimentary sampling.
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If you enjoyed perusing the art and science museums in Golden Gate Park, be sure to also head to these top-rated museums in the city. There’s the Asian Art Museum, the Exploratorium, the Fine Arts Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art (or MOMA). The MOMA has seven gallery floors and 45,000 square feet of free, art-filled public space. Their collections include paintings, sculptures, photography, architecture, design, and media arts.
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The aforementioned Baker’s Beach isn’t the only beach San Fran has to offer—in fact, far from it! The best beaches in the city are actually located on the Pacific side. Here you’ll find Ocean Beach, which is usually popular with surfers and families. On the northern end of the beach is a place called Lands End, a historic park with trails along rocky cliffs. You get some spectacular ocean views here and also get to see the remains of the Sutro Baths. Sutro Baths was a facility that once housed the world’s largest indoor swimming pool. It was built in 1896 but burned down in 1967 and is now in ruins. The remains of the place are still present, so you can view them and imagine what once was.
If you’re a crime buff, you need to check out one of America’s most infamous prisons, Alcatraz. Featured in movies like The Rock (1996), Murder in the First (1995), and Escape from Alcatraz (1979), this prison located on an island in the San Francisco Bay housed some of the country’s most despicable criminals. Names of former inmates you might recognize include Al “Scarface” Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert “Birdman” Stroud. The history of the prison is a long and complicated one, with it serving as a military prison, a forbidding maximum-security penitentiary, and disputed territory between Native American activists and the FBI over the years. It functioned from 1934 to 1963; eventually closing down because it was too expensive to maintain. It’s a spooky venture, with cells and other prison rooms still intact. If you live for the thrills and chills, opt to take the guided tour at night!
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After all of the adrenaline you experienced on Alcatraz, you’ll likely want to stroll through a neighborhood that’s relaxing and full of beauty. Trek over to Haight-Ashbury, a neighborhood beloved for its Victorian-style homes and history of U.S. counterculture. This area was central to the 1960s’ Summer of Love era; at 710 Ashbury you can even marvel at the house where the entire band of Grateful Dead once lived in. Deadheads, fans of Grateful Dead, love this area because of its history with the band and other famed musicians from the era. Haight was home to many free concerts during the neighborhood’s glory days, including shows by Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix. Another popular aspect of the community are the Painted Ladies—Victorian houses lined up with San Francisco skyline as a backdrop that were used in the title credits of the popular 1990s show, Full House.
If you’re game to take a day trip from San Fran to explore surrounding wonders, look no further than Muir Woods National Monument. About 40 minutes from the city, this park is well-known for its forest of astonishing, gigantic redwood trees. The large trees in Muir Woods are the coastal redwoods, the tallest of all living things. The tallest redwood at the park is about 258 feet, approximately the height of a six-foot person stacked head to toe 45 times! The average age of the redwoods here is between 600 to 800 years, with the oldest being at least 1,200 years old. You don’t have to be a tree hugger to appreciate the nature on display here—you’ll be wowed away as you hike the many trails and pass the incredible trees. It’s definitely worth the extra drive!
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California is a massive state home to many adored cities and hot spots but San Francisco still stands as one of the greatest it has to offer. How could you not book another trip to the Golden City? There’s still much, much more to see and explore!
By Selene Rivera