San Francisco Travel Tips: 11 Things to Know Before You Go
Discover the iconic sights and hidden gems of San Francisco, United States, with this comprehensive travel guide. From the majestic Golden Gate Bridge and historic Alcatraz to the culinary delights of the Ferry Building and vibrant neighborhoods like Chinatown and North Beach, explore the best this dynamic city has to offer.
Golden Gate Bridge
A famous landmark in San Francisco, known for its iconic design and stunning views.
Alcatraz Island
A famous former prison in the United States, known as "The Rock" and accessible by ferry.
Fisherman's Wharf
A touristy neighborhood in San Francisco with street performers, good food, souvenir shops, and attractions like Boudin Bakery, In-N-Out Burger, and the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory.
Little Italy
Also known as the North Beach neighborhood, the mecca for Italian food in San Francisco, known for pizza and pasta.
Chinatown
The oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest outside of Asia, offering delicious Chinese food, dim sum, tea houses, and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie company.
Ferry Building Marketplace
A location with lots of local food.
Ghirardelli Square
A chocolate factory offering delicious chocolates and hot fudge sundaes; a free sample is available upon entering the store.
Union Square
A central neighborhood in San Francisco that is well-connected to public transportation like BART, cable cars, and streetcars.
Embarcadero
A preferred location to stay in San Francisco.
San Francisco International Airport
Also known as SFO, a major airport located 15 miles south of downtown San Francisco, prone to fog delays but accessible via BART.
Oakland International Airport
Also known as OAK, an airport located 25 miles across San Francisco Bay from downtown San Francisco, a good option for avoiding fog delays and for visiting Napa.
San Jose Mineta International Airport
Also known as SJC, an airport located 60 miles south of San Francisco, a good option for visiting Santa Cruz, Monterey, or Carmel.
Napa
A day trip destination from San Francisco, famous for its wine country.
Santa Cruz
A day trip destination from San Francisco, a classic Californian beach town.
Monterey
A day trip destination from San Francisco, featuring a world-famous aquarium.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
A day trip destination from San Francisco.
The Castro
San Francisco's famously gay neighborhood.
Tenderloin
A neighborhood next to Union Square that might be worth avoiding.
Boudin Bakery
A bakery at Fisherman's Wharf known for baking sourdough bread since the 1800s and serving clam chowder in a bread bowl.
In-N-Out Burger
A burger chain known for burgers, cheeseburgers, double doubles, hamburgers, fries, drinks, and shakes; the Fisherman's Wharf location sells a special t-shirt.
North Beach
Also known as Little Italy, it's roughly along Columbus Avenue, kind of where that bumps into Chinatown.
Columbus Ave
The location of Little Italy or North Beach.
Ross Alley
An alley in Chinatown where the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie company is located.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
A company in Ross Alley, Chinatown, where the American fortune cookie was invented.
Musee Mecanique
An arcade on historic pier 45, operated by the Museum of San Francisco, featuring old coin-operated games.
Pier 45
The location of the Musee Mecanique.
The Buena Vista Cafe
A cafe near the Fisherman's Wharf cable car stop, famous for inventing the Irish coffee in 1952.
Pier 39
A two-story shopping center on a pier at Fisherman's Wharf, featuring shops, restaurants, an arcade, an aquarium, and sea lions.
Portsmouth Square
A location that bustles with activity such as T'ai Chi and old men playing Chinese chess.