San Francisco guide
Things to do in San Francisco
Things to do in San Francisco: start with Alcatraz Island, Asian Art Museum, and California Academy of Sciences. Use the 246 places below to build a plan around this theme; each place has source-backed details behind its description.
246 places
Places to start with
Source-backed place · History
Fairmont San Francisco
An iconic Beaux Arts landmark atop Nob Hill, the Fairmont San Francisco is a century-old luxury hotel known for its grandeur and…
Source-backed place · History
Fisherman's Wharf Historic Piers
Explore a world-famous waterfront district where commercial fishing history meets modern tourism, featuring historic ships, iconi…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Fisherman’s Wharf
A world-famous waterfront destination on San Francisco's northern shore, blending a historic fishing industry hub with vibrant sh…
Source-backed place · History
Fort Mason
A former U.S. Army post and strategic port, now a vibrant waterfront arts hub featuring galleries, theaters, and California's lar…
Source-backed place · Museums
Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture
A vibrant waterfront cultural hub in a former military post, featuring galleries, theaters, and sweeping views of the Golden Gate…
Source-backed place · History
Fort Point National Historic Site
A Civil War-era masonry fortification sitting directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, offering a glimpse into 1860s coastal defe…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Ghirardelli Square
A historic landmark and premier chocolate destination, Ghirardelli Square is a pioneer of adaptive reuse architecture featuring t…
Source-backed place · History
Grant Avenue
The bustling main drag of San Francisco's Chinatown, Grant Avenue is a historic corridor lined with ornate architecture, traditio…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Haight Street
The vibrant heart of San Francisco's 1960s counterculture, Haight Street is a colorful corridor of painted Victorians, vintage re…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Hyde Street Cable Car Line
An iconic San Francisco landmark, the Hyde Street Cable Car Line carries passengers over Nob Hill and Russian Hill, offering scen…
Source-backed place · History
InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco
A historic luxury landmark perched at the crest of Nob Hill, this Old World European-style hotel is famous for its grand architec…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Japanese Tea Garden
Discover the oldest operating public Japanese garden in North America, a serene sanctuary in Golden Gate Park featuring tradition…
Source-backed place · Public art
Letterman Digital Arts Center (Yoda Fountain)
A must-visit for Star Wars fans, this bronze statue of the Jedi Master Yoda sits atop a fountain outside the Lucasfilm headquarte…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Mission Dolores Park
A vibrant urban oasis in the Mission District, offering iconic skyline views, expansive grassy lawns, and a diverse community gat…
Source-backed place · History
Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores)
The oldest intact building in San Francisco, this 18th-century Spanish mission serves as a profound monument to the city's coloni…
Source-backed place · Parks and outdoors
Music Concourse
An elegant open-air plaza in Golden Gate Park, featuring the historic Spreckels Temple of Music and a rich legacy of free public…
Source-backed place · Museums
Musé·µ Mé·µcanique
An interactive wonderland at Pier 45 featuring one of the world's largest private collections of 20th-century coin-operated mecha…
Source-backed place · History
Old Mint
Known as the Granite Lady, this Greek Revival landmark served as a vital U.S. currency production center and gold repository, mir…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Painted Ladies
A row of vibrant Victorian homes known as Postcard Row, offering a stunning contrast of 19th-century Queen Anne architecture agai…
Source-backed place · History
Palace Hotel
A landmark of timeless luxury, the Palace Hotel blends historic architecture with modern design at the southwest corner of Market…
Source-backed place · History
Port of San Francisco Embarcadero Historic District
A historic three-mile waterfront stretch featuring surviving pier complexes, a massive engineered seawall, and a rich maritime he…
Source-backed place · Landmarks
Powell-Hyde Cable Car Turnaround
The iconic terminus of the Powell-Hyde line, where historic cable cars are manually rotated on a turntable turntable, situated at…
Source-backed place · History
Presidio of San Francisco
A 1,500-acre urban oasis and former military post, the Presidio blends deep history with stunning nature and iconic views of the…
Source-backed place · Museums
SS Jeremiah O'Brien (Liberty Ship)
Step aboard the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, the last unaltered Liberty Ship in existence and a National Historic Landmark that participa…