Top Things to See & Do in San Francisco! (full travel guide)

The Alton Hotel is recommended for its location and amenities, including free bikes and an evening social with complimentary wine and beer. It's also conveniently located across the street from Suan.

Baker Beach is a popular beach known for its stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, especially at sunset.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic San Francisco landmark that offers incredible views, especially when biking across it.

Fort Point offers a cool viewpoint of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Battery Spencer is known for its iconic lookout and postcard-worthy views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Presidio is a massive, beautiful park with trails and viewpoints.

The Palace of Fine Arts, built in 1915, features stunning architecture and is a calm area to explore with Greco-Roman inspired columns.

Marshall's Beach's parking lot is a spot to get a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, though often blocked by fog.

Land's End is a great spot for rugged coastline views.

Sutro Baths is an interesting landmark to check out.

The Painted Ladies houses at Alamo Square are famous landmarks and known as the Full House houses. They are beautiful and intricate up close, and tours are available.

The Painted Ladies houses are located in Alamo Square.

Coit Tower, located on Telegraph Hill, offers amazing views of the city.

Coit Tower is located on Telegraph Hill and offers amazing views of the city.

Montgomery Street features a stairway that connects different streets and provides a cool shot of the TransAmerica Pyramid building.

The TransAmerica Pyramid building is visible from the stairway on Montgomery Street.

Tank Hill is a short but steep staircase that leads to an amazing little viewpoint with 360-degree views of the entire city and the bay.

Twin Peaks is a park that offers views of the city.

The Hate Ashbury Neighborhood is the birthplace of 1960s counterculture with vintage stores, record shops, cafes, breweries, and tie-dye shops.

A tour of Alcatraz is an absolute must-do. It is the famous Maximum Security Prison that once housed some of the most notorious criminals. The night tour is recommended.

The Dragon's Gate marks the entrance to Chinatown.

Grant Avenue is where most of the hustle and bustle of Chinatown takes place.

Eastern Bakery is the oldest bakery in Chinatown, known for its steamed pork buns and custard tarts.

The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, located down Ross Alley, is allegedly the first place to have ever made fortune cookies in North America.

The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is located down Ross Alley.

Leo's is an 85-year-old Dive Bar full of History, they're also known for their Chinese my ties.

North Beach is San Francisco's version of Little Italy, known for pizza, pasta, gelato, and espresso.

Cafe Trieste is a historic and legendary Italian establishment for espresso in North Beach since the 1950s.

Washington Square is a beautiful park for sunshine and hangouts in North Beach.

Fisherman's Warf is an area for tourists with spots for seafood, sourdough, and Irish coffee.

Pier 39 is the most touristy part of Fisherman's Warf, full of chain restaurants, rides, and street performers; known for sea lions.

The Musee Mecanique is a place full of vintage and antique coin-operated arcade-style games, most from the early 20th century.

Boudin Bakery is famous for its sourdough, made from the same strain of yeast nurtured since 1849, and offers clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.

The Buena Vista is a must-visit 100-year-old time machine in the heart of San Francisco's Fisherman's Warf, known as the inventors of Irish coffee in the United States.

The Cable Car Museum is interesting for a quick visit to learn all about how the cable cars operate and how the cables run under the streets; admission is free.

Ghirardelli Square is where the famous chocolate company started; it's a massive brick plaza with shops, restaurants, cafes, and a brewery, with great views of Alcatraz.

Scoma's is recommended for its fresh seafood and upscale casual waterfront setting.

The Ferry Building is a food market Paradise, extra fun to visit on a Saturday morning for the farmers market.

Red Bay Coffee inside the Ferry Building, where a charcoal latte was tried.

Stroll along the Embarcadero Waterfront prominade for great views.

Lombard Street is one of the crookedest streets in the world.