15 Things to Do in San Francisco, Ranked

Top 15 · Local ConsensusUpdated August 2026

San Francisco packs almost everything worth seeing into about seven square miles of hills, so distances look longer on a map than they feel on foot. The waterfront runs flat from the Ferry Building north to Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park sits out west near the ocean, and the Presidio holds the city end of the Golden Gate Bridge. Muni buses, the Metro and three surviving cable car lines connect all of it, and a rental car is more liability than help here. Fog is normal from late spring through summer, so carry a wind layer whatever the forecast says.

The top 15, ranked

Ranked by how consistently each pick appears across official San Francisco sources, the local destination marketing organization, and recent independent roundups.

1. Top pick
   #1
   Best for The view you came for · #1 of 15

   Golden Gate Bridge

   LandmarkThe Presidio and the Golden GateSidewalk open daily during posted daylight hoursFree

   The span is about 1.7 miles across, and walking even part of it puts you close enough to hear traffic hum through the steel and feel the deck flex under your feet. The east sidewalk is the pedestrian side, looking back at the city, Alcatraz and the bay, while cyclists usually get the west side. The Welcome Center at the south end has a section of original suspension cable, a gift shop and restrooms, and the Fort Point overlook just below gives you the classic view from underneath. Weather changes the whole experience, since fog can swallow the towers one hour and lift the next.

   Local tipTake the free PresidiGo shuttle or park at the south lot early, then walk out to the first tower and turn back. That is where the view opens up, and it is roughly a half hour round trip.

   Kid friendly · Outdoors · 1 to 2 hours Listed by 4 sourcesOfficial site →
2. Top pick
   2
   Best for Book this first · #2 of 15

   Alcatraz Island

   Historic siteFisherman's Wharf and the PiersFerries run daily, weather permittingOver $40

   Ferries leave Pier 33 for the island that held Al Capone and Robert Stroud, and the crossing alone shows you why so few people made it back. The cellhouse audio tour is narrated by former inmates and guards and walks you past D Block isolation cells, the dining hall and the site of the 1946 battle of Alcatraz. Outside the prison the island is a seabird colony and a garden, and paint from the 1969 Native American occupation still marks the water tower. Count on half a day once you add the boat both ways.

   Local tipAlcatraz City Cruises at Pier 33 is the only authorized ticket seller, and summer sailings sell out weeks ahead. Book direct, ignore street vendors, and take an early boat so you beat the afternoon wind.

   Kid friendly · Both · 3 to 4 hours Listed by 4 sourcesOfficial site →
3. Top pick
   3
   Best for A whole day outdoors · #3 of 15

   Golden Gate Park

   ParkGolden Gate Park and the RichmondOpen daily, early morning to late eveningFree

   The park covers 1,017 acres and runs just over three miles from the Haight west to Ocean Beach, which makes it larger than Central Park. JFK Drive through the eastern half is permanently closed to cars and is now the JFK Promenade, so you can walk or cycle the spine of the park with no traffic. Inside are the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Botanical Garden, a bison paddock, two Dutch windmills near the ocean and paddle boats on Stow Lake. The de Young and the California Academy of Sciences face each other across the Music Concourse in the middle.

   Local tipRent a bike at the Stanyan Street end and ride the promenade west. Walking the full length and back will eat most of your day and leave nothing for the museums.

   Kid friendly · Outdoors · Half a day Listed by 4 sourcesOfficial site →
4. #4
   Best for Riding the hills · #4 of 15

   Cable Cars

   Historic transitDowntown and the EmbarcaderoRun daily, early morning to late eveningUnder $20

   Three lines survive from a network that once covered the city, and they are still pulled by a moving steel cable under the street rather than a motor on board. The Powell and Hyde line is the scenic one, cresting Russian Hill above the Lombard Street switchbacks and dropping toward Aquatic Park with the bay dead ahead. The California Street line is far less crowded and runs east to west through Chinatown and Nob Hill, which makes it the better ride if you mainly want the experience. Standing on the running board and holding the pole is allowed, and it is the whole point.

   Local tipSkip the long queue at the Powell Street turntable and board at a stop partway up the line, or ride California Street instead. Buy your fare in advance on MuniMobile or load a Clipper card.

   Kid friendly · Outdoors · 30 to 60 minutes Listed by 4 sourcesOfficial site →
5. #5
   Best for Lunch and the farmers market · #5 of 15

   Ferry Building Marketplace

   MarketDowntown and the EmbarcaderoOpen daily; farmers market on Saturdays, Tuesdays and ThursdaysFree

   The 1898 building with the 245 foot clock tower survived two major earthquakes and now holds close to fifty food shops and small restaurants under one long skylit nave. Regulars come for oysters at Hog Island, mushrooms at Far West Fungi, cheese at Cowgirl Creamery and coffee at Blue Bottle, all sold from real stalls rather than a food court. Foodwise runs the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market outside on Saturdays year round, with smaller versions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ferries to Sausalito, Oakland and Alameda leave from the back, so the building doubles as a way out onto the water.

   Local tipSaturday morning is the market at full strength and also the most crowded. A weekday visit gets you the same shops with room to move, plus a shorter line for oysters.

   Kid friendly · Both · 1 to 2 hours Listed by 4 sourcesOfficial site →
6. #6
   Best for Rainy day with kids · #6 of 15

   California Academy of Sciences

   MuseumGolden Gate Park and the RichmondOpen daily; NightLife on Thursday evenings for ages 21 and upOver $40

   One building holds an aquarium, a planetarium, a four story rainforest dome and a natural history museum, all under a 2.5 acre living roof planted with native wildflowers. The Steinhart Aquarium's Philippine coral reef tank and the albino alligator in the swamp are the reliable crowd stoppers, and the Osher Rainforest is a spiral climb through free flying butterflies and birds. Morrison Planetarium shows are included with admission but seats go quickly, so claim a show time the moment you arrive. On Thursday evenings the same building becomes NightLife, adults only, with a bar and no strollers.

   Local tipGrab your planetarium and rainforest timed entries as soon as you walk in, then do the aquarium while you wait. Admission is steep, so budget three hours to make it worth the price.

   Kid friendly · Indoors · 3 to 4 hours Listed by 4 sourcesOfficial site →
7. #7
   Best for Coastal walking · #7 of 15

   Lands End and the Sutro Baths Ruins

   TrailGolden Gate Park and the RichmondTrails open daily, dawn to duskFree

   The Coastal Trail runs along cypress covered cliffs at the northwest corner of the city, with the Golden Gate Bridge framed through the trees and shipwreck remains showing at very low tide. At the south end sit the concrete foundations of the Sutro Baths, a vast Victorian swimming complex that burned in 1966 and now fills with seawater, gulls and tide pools. A stone labyrinth sits out on Eagle's Point above the water, and the Lands End Lookout visitor center has exhibits, maps and restrooms at the trailhead. This is the closest San Francisco comes to feeling like the edge of the continent.

   Local tipStart at the Lands End Lookout and walk east toward Eagle's Point for the bridge views. The ruins are slick, so stay off wet concrete and keep well back from the cliff edges.

   Kid friendly · Outdoors · 2 to 3 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
8. #8
   Best for Walking and eating · #8 of 15

   Chinatown

   NeighborhoodChinatown and North BeachStreets always open; most shops open daily, morning to eveningFree

   This is the oldest Chinatown in North America and still a working neighborhood of roughly 24 blocks rather than a themed strip. Grant Avenue, with the Dragon Gate and lantern strung lamp posts, is the tourist spine, but one block over Stockton Street is where residents actually buy fish, greens and roast duck, and it is far more interesting. Waverly Place has painted temple balconies stacked above the street, and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley folds cookies by hand in a room the size of a garage. The Chinese Historical Society of America, housed in a former Chinatown YWCA designed by Julia Morgan, fills in the history behind the storefronts.

   Local tipEnter through the Dragon Gate at Grant and Bush, then cut over to Stockton within a couple of blocks. Dim sum gets cheaper and better the further you get from Grant Avenue.

   Kid friendly · Both · 2 to 3 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
9. #9
   Best for Families and the bridge view · #9 of 15

   Presidio Tunnel Tops

   ParkThe Presidio and the Golden GateGrounds open daily; playground and visitor center keep shorter hoursFree

   Fourteen acres of new parkland were built on the roof of the Highway 101 tunnels, reconnecting the Presidio's main post down to Crissy Field for the first time since the freeway cut them apart. The whole thing faces the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the bay, from meadows, overlooks and a long boardwalk. The Outpost is a two acre nature playground of log climbing structures, slides and a sand pit that will hold a child for an hour, and the Field Station next door runs free hands on activities. Food trucks gather at the Presidio Pop Up most days, so you can eat without leaving the park.

   Local tipIt is free and needs no reservation. The free PresidiGo Downtown shuttle from the Embarcadero drops you at the Presidio Transit Center, a two minute walk from the meadow.

   Kid friendly · Outdoors · 1 to 2 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
10. #10
    Best for Art plus a free view · #10 of 15

    de Young Museum

    MuseumGolden Gate Park and the RichmondClosed Mondays$20 to $40

    The copper clad building by Herzog and de Meuron has been oxidizing toward the green of the surrounding park since it opened in 2005, and the perforated skin is worth a slow lap before you go in. Inside are American paintings, strong Oceanic and African collections, textiles and a rotating slate of large touring exhibitions. The best part costs nothing: the Hamon Observation Tower elevator rises nine floors to a glass walled room with a full circle view over the park, downtown and the ocean, and no ticket is required to ride it. The store, cafe and Wilsey Court are also outside the ticketed zone.

    Local tipIf you only want the view, walk straight past the ticket desk to the tower elevator. Visitors 17 and under get in free, and the permanent collection opens up free late in the afternoon.

    Indoors · 2 to 3 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
11. #11
    Best for Hands on science · #11 of 15

    Exploratorium

    MuseumDowntown and the EmbarcaderoClosed Mondays$20 to $40

    Several hundred exhibits fill a converted pier shed on the Embarcadero, and nearly all of them are built to be touched, cranked, spun or argued with rather than read. Staff design and repair the exhibits in a workshop you can watch through glass, so the floor keeps changing between visits. A free outdoor gallery runs along the pier apron outside the paid zone, with a clear view across to the Bay Bridge. Thursday After Dark evenings are adults only, same museum with a bar.

    Local tipThe Tactile Dome needs a separate timed reservation and has been closed at times, so confirm before you build a visit around it. Weekday mornings during the school year are the quietest.

    Kid friendly · Indoors · 3 to 4 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
12. #12
    Best for Murals and a full circle view · #12 of 15

    Coit Tower and the Filbert Steps

    ViewpointChinatown and North BeachOpen daily, mid morning to early eveningUnder $20

    The 210 foot art deco column on top of Telegraph Hill was paid for by Lillie Hitchcock Coit and finished in 1933. The ground floor lobby is wrapped in 1934 fresco murals painted by 26 artists under a New Deal program, showing California farm, dock and city labor, and those are free to walk in and see. Pay for the elevator and you get an open air gallery at the top with a full circle view of both bridges, Alcatraz and the street grid falling away down the hill. Best of all is the approach: the Filbert Steps climb from Sansome Street through the Grace Marchant Garden past wooden cottages and a flock of wild parrots.

    Local tipThe elevator can be unavailable because of mechanical issues, and reaching the viewing level may require climbing 13 flights of stairs, so check access before visiting. Do not try to park at the summit.

    Kid friendly · Both · 1 to 2 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
13. #13
    Best for A short photo stop · #13 of 15

    The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square

    LandmarkAlamo Square and the MissionPark open daily, sunrise to sunsetFree

    Six Queen Anne Victorians stand in a row on Steiner Street, built in the 1890s and painted in the multi color scheme that gave them the name, with downtown towers rising directly behind them. Alamo Square Park across the street sits on a rise, which is what makes the shot work: you look slightly down over the roofs and catch the skyline in the same frame. The park itself is worth sitting in, with lawns, a playground and a dog run, and the blocks around it hold hundreds more Victorians that nobody photographs. Realistically this is a short stop rather than an afternoon, unless you bring a picnic.

    Local tipCome late morning or early afternoon when the sun is on the fronts of the houses. These are private homes, so stay on the sidewalk and off the steps.

    Kid friendly · Outdoors · 30 to 60 minutes Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
14. #14
    Best for Kids on the waterfront · #14 of 15

    Pier 39 and the Sea Lions

    LandmarkFisherman's Wharf and the PiersOpen daily; shops and restaurants keep longer hours in summerFree

    The sea lions that took over K Dock after the 1989 earthquake are the real reason to come, and watching them costs nothing. They bark, shove each other off the floats and pile up in numbers that swing from a handful to several hundred depending on the season. The pier itself is a two level shopping deck with a double decker carousel, an arcade, a lot of souvenir shops and the Aquarium of the Bay at the entrance. Blue and Gold Fleet bay cruises leave from here, which is the cheapest way to get out under the Golden Gate Bridge by boat.

    Local tipSea lion numbers peak in winter and thin out in summer when many head south to breed. The live web cam on the Pier 39 site tells you what is on the docks before you walk over.

    Kid friendly · Both · 1 to 2 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →
15. #15
    Best for Street art and burritos · #15 of 15

    Mission District Murals

    NeighborhoodAlamo Square and the MissionAlleys open daily; Precita Eyes visitor center closed SundaysFree

    The Mission holds several hundred murals, concentrated in two alleys. Balmy Alley has been painted since 1984 and grew out of Central American political art, while Clarion Alley is run by an artist collective and turns over constantly, so the walls look different every year. Precita Eyes, the muralist nonprofit on 24th Street that has organized much of this work since 1977, runs weekend walking tours led by working muralists. Walk 24th Street between Mission and Potrero for the full corridor of panaderias, produce stands and the taquerias that gave the Mission burrito its name.

    Local tipTake BART to 24th Street Mission and walk east. Go in daylight, since both alleys are working service alleys and get quiet after dark.

    Kid friendly · Outdoors · 1 to 2 hours Listed by 3 sourcesOfficial site →

Where things cluster

A quick orientation so you can group stops instead of crossing San Francisco twice.

1. The Presidio and the Golden GateThe city's northwest corner is a former army post turned national park, holding the bridge approach, coastal bluffs, forest trails and the Crissy Field shoreline. Free PresidiGo shuttles loop it from downtown and the Marina, which beats hunting for parking.
2. Downtown and the EmbarcaderoThe Embarcadero runs flat along the bay from the Ferry Building past the Exploratorium toward the wharf, shadowed the whole way by the historic F line streetcar. Market Street cuts inland to Union Square and the Powell Street cable car turntable.
3. Chinatown and North BeachTwo dense neighborhoods stacked on the slope of Telegraph Hill, one Cantonese and one Italian American, split by Broadway. Coit Tower sits on top, and public stairways drop from it all the way down to the water.
4. Fisherman's Wharf and the PiersThe northern waterfront, where Alcatraz ferries leave Pier 33 and sea lions haul out at Pier 39. It is the most touristed strip in the city and also the only place to board boats onto the bay.
5. Golden Gate Park and the RichmondThe west side, where a mile wide park stretches to within a few blocks of Ocean Beach. Two major museums sit inside the park, and the Lands End cliffs are a short bus ride north through the Richmond.
6. Alamo Square and the MissionThe sunnier inland neighborhoods, known for Victorian rows, murals and some of the best cheap food in the city. BART reaches the Mission directly, and Muni buses climb west from there to Alamo Square.

Make it a day

Map

Best time to visit

September and October are the warmest and clearest months in San Francisco, which surprises most first time visitors. Summer brings the marine layer off the Pacific, so June through August often means grey mornings and hard cold wind at the bridge and Ocean Beach while the Mission sits in sun a few miles inland. Spring is mild and green, with wildflowers in the Presidio and noticeably smaller crowds than summer. Winter is the rainy season and the coolest stretch, though it rarely freezes, hotel rates drop, museums are quiet and sea lion numbers at Pier 39 are at their highest. Whatever the month, carry a wind layer, because the swing between a sunny inland block and a foggy coastal one can be twenty degrees in twenty minutes.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons. Credits: Daniel L. Lu (user:dllu), Dietmar Rabich, Dllu, Daniel Lu (User:dllu), Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikipedia, Gregory Varnum, mliu92 from San Mateo, Frank Schulenburg, FASTILY, Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., dconvertini, Fabrice Florin.
#2 Alcatraz Island: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Square crop.
#3 Golden Gate Park: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Square crop.