The Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay View Walk
Stand at the railing on the Marin Headlands side and watch the bridge's International Orange towers rise from the fog—this is where San Francisco announces itself. The Golden Gate Bridge, spanning the Golden Gate strait, has been called one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, and whether you cross it by car, on foot, or by bike, the experience is immediate and unforgettable. From the bridge's pedestrian path, the city skyline unfolds behind you; the bay opens before you. If you approach from the north, this is the first thing you see of San Francisco, one of the major road routes in.
Walk the shoreline through the Presidio, a former military post with beautiful architecture and a very scenic park setting, then follow the waterfront west through Crissy Field toward the Palace of the Fine Arts. Built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and reminiscent of Roman and Greek architecture, the Palace's white columns rise unexpectedly from the bay-facing grassland, a vision that stops you mid-stride.
Hilltop Walks Through Victorian Houses and Hidden Staircases
San Francisco's greatest pleasures come from climbing its steep streets, where each block offers a new vantage point. Telegraph Hill in North Beach draws visitors up its 275-foot rise to Coit Tower, a gleaming white tower dedicated to the San Francisco firefighters. The real reward lies in the staircase routes: the Greenwich and Filbert Steps on the east side of Telegraph Hill wind up past cottages, tranquil gardens, and wonderful views of the bay and skyline. You might encounter Telegraph Hill's resident flock of wild parrots on the way.
For easier scrambling through San Francisco's neighborhoods, take these walks:
- Russian Hill: Cozy and welcoming, with tucked-away stairways and hidden treasures. Stroll down the steps of Vallejo or Francisco Street, wander through shady alleys past charming gardens and Victorian houses. The famous stretch of Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth is the nearly crookedest street in America.
- Nob Hill: California Street between Mason and Leavenworth sits atop lavish Nob Hill, where cable cars ply the center of the street past the grand hotels and luxury apartment buildings surrounding the Gothic-style Grace Cathedral.
- Pacific Heights: Fillmore Street between Pine and Broadway is lined with shopping, views, and some of the city's largest and most expensive homes. Continue west along Broadway to Lyon Street to reach the Lyon Street Steps, a long staircase with superb views over the bay and the Palace of the Fine Arts.
- Alamo Square Park in the Western Addition district: Home to the famous Painted Ladies, a row of Victorian houses, with many other pretty Victorians encircling the lovely park—one of the most famous views of the San Francisco skyline.
Neighborhoods Where Food, History, and Culture Converge
Fisherman's Wharf remains the city's most visited neighborhood. Working fishing boats still come into the small harbor here, and the district is home to several excellent seafood restaurants. Watch sea lions, visit museums, or take a cruise to the infamous Alcatraz Prison or the pleasant Angel Island. Street entertainers work the waterfront constantly, and the fresh breeze from the bay sets the scene.
Chinatown, centered around Grant Street from Bush and Broadway, is part tourist trap and part an exhibit of local life. Grant Street itself takes you through the bustling heart of the famous district; returning by the parallel Stockton or Powell streets gives you a better feeling of day-to-day life. Stockton Street is where most locals do their shopping for groceries—be sure to sample dim sum and other specialties offered in the many bustling shops. Good eating places abound throughout; the side streets especially have stores one wouldn't find in a mall.
North Beach runs along busy Columbus Avenue, which cuts diagonally from Fisherman's Wharf to the landmark Transamerica Pyramid skyscraper in the Financial District. The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest and most recognizable building in the San Francisco skyline. North Beach's grand churches and famous cafés once populated with Beat poets give the neighborhood a literary history you can still feel walking through it.
In the Mission District, Mission Street between 15th and Cesar Chavez streets provides a look at a neighborhood famous for its Latino food and culture. Parallel to Mission, Valencia Street is lined with many higher-end boutiques and offbeat cafés, while 16th Street between Mission and Guerrero offers a diversity of cuisine and several hip bars.
Haight Street from Divisadero to Stanyan covers the shopping district made famous in the 1960s for its hippie culture; at Stanyan the street becomes a path through Golden Gate Park. Castro and Noe Valley: Market Street from Church to Castro, followed by a left down Castro to 19th, takes you through the center of the city's famous gay district, then continues to 24th, the main drag of bohemian Noe Valley.
Museums and the Performing Arts
San Francisco is home to the Legion of Honor, which holds an excellent European art collection and sits at the end of a spectacular walk along the Lands End coastline with views over steep cliffs, crashing waves, shipwrecks, and the ocean. The de Young Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the California Academy of Sciences, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music anchor the city's cultural institutions. The San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, and SFJAZZ Center offer world-class performances throughout the year.
Cable Cars and Bay Cruises
The famous cable cars run up and down the hills of San Francisco between Market Street and Fisherman's Wharf, offering rides that are as much about the journey as the destination—watching the city tilt and shift beneath your feet as you climb. A San Francisco CityPASS can get you admission to museums, the Zoo, and a Blue and Gold Fleet bay cruise, allowing you to see the city from the water and understand the scale of the Golden Gate and the Presidio from a new angle.
Start planning a trip that moves through the city vertically and horizontally—climbing its hills, walking its neighborhoods, and sitting still long enough to watch the fog roll in over the bay.