TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN SAN FRANCISCO (IN 24 HOURS)
We trekked to San Francisco from Los Angeles for a three-day whirlwind trip Thanksgiving weekend. With an 8 hour drive from LA, that left us with only one full day in San Francisco, making it a tight squeeze, but we made the best of it!
There are so many incredible things to do in SF, but with such a short amount of time, and because Matt had never been, we decided to do the quintessential touristy San Francisco experiences.
This top 5 list is for people who are visiting for the first time, or if you're looking to get the postcard experience, or even fun shots for the 'gram. (This list is not necessarily the hippest/coolest hipster hot spots).
Here are the top 5 things we did with 24 hours in San Francisco!
Fishermans Wharf
Peak San Francisco
It doesn’t get more SF Tourist than Fishermans Wharf, but it’s well worth experiencing for the sites and amazing food options.
Walking Fisherman’s Wharf is the ultimate tourist experience of San Francisco. I feel like it's both loved and hated by tourists and locals alike, mainly for crowds and commercialized eateries and shops, but it doesn't change the fact that you need to to stroll this area if you've never been! The walk along the water (day or night!) gives wonderful bay views and takes you to some great eats (and not so great eats), so choose wisely and check Yelp! Walking on Pier 39 is a must and where you'll find the center of most of the Fisherman's Wharf activity. We visited during December and walking around with Christmas decorations made it feel extra special. Expect crowds, lots of shops, pier rides, and a ton of food options.
Treat yourself to dessert, or just a stroll through the Musée Mécanique for a trip back in time. This for-profit interactive museum of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts is free to walk through. It’s either really cool, or nightmare fuel. Check out my video (above) for a look. You be the judge.
Personally, I really enjoyed Trish's Mini Donuts. We snacked on them as we strolled back to the hotel.
The views of the city from the end of Pier 39 are pretty great, too. Oh, and don't forget to check out the sea lions!
2. Eat Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
So Delicious
Honestly, I could have spent my entire trip trying clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from different popular spots. You can find this dish just about everywhere.
San Francisco is pretty much the sourdough capital of the US, and known for excellent clam chowder. We loved the chowder at Pier Market located right on Pier 39, and the drinks were pretty good too (which means they were nice and strong). We also loved our meal overall here. The seating area on the water was nice and I really loved their fish and chips. Considering Pier 39 is packed with tourist traps, this eatery was a great find and I recommend the spot!
Or, do yourself a favor and eat at the quintessential Bistro Boudin to watch how the famous sourdough bread is made and get a little bit of bay area history while you're there. There can be a wait to sit upstairs to dine in (or a long line just to eat on the low-key patio), but they have a lot to keep you entertained while you're waiting upstairs. You can watch the bakers churn our hundreds of loaves, check out the cool San Francisco historical timeline my boyfriend couldn’t get enough of, or hey, just enjoy the the second story view of the bay area crowds of Fishermans Wharf.
Also, I highly recommend trying their signature cocktails. I had the lemon drop and it was delicious.
Eat Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl:
Pier Market, on Pier 39
Bistro Boudin, in Fisherman's Wharf
3. Visit Alcatraz Island
Infamous
I love rich history mixed with a bit of true crime and sprinkled with creepyness.
I cannot recommend this experience enough. This was my third trip to Alcatraz and it never disappoints. I think you get so much bang for your buck with the admission ticket. Not only does your ticket give you access to the island, but the boat ride to and from the island is one of the best parts. It’s only a 15 minute ride to the island and you get epic views of the San Francisco Skyline and also the Golden Gate Bridge.
The history of the island and the fact you can walk through the old prison and jail cells is such cool experience. Alacatraz was a federal prison from 1934 to 1963 and held infamous criminals like Al Capone, Mickey Cohen, The Birdman, and Machine Gun Kelly.
Your admission ticket includes a free audio tour that walks you through the prison which is pretty awesome. It really does a good job of giving you a well-rounded history of the prison as it directs you around.
I recommend you reserve your tickets early, because they sell out weeks in advance, especially the nighttime tour which I highly recommend for some spooky vibes. I’ve been on that tour before, but it was sold out when we went. I did manage to book the first tour of the day to avoid the crowds which was nice (but still a full tour). I’m thinking of doing a whole video on an Alcatraz guide. Let me know in the comments if you’d like to see that.
Tourists Beware...
Make sure you purchase tickets from the official Alcatraz website! I almost fell into a scam website trap. I saw that on the official website the night tour was sold out, but it was available on another--it seemed legit initially, but I couldn't find any specific departure information. So, I decided to look for tour operator reviews via Google search to verify it. It took some digging, but saw on Trip Advisor that people were scammed out of their money! I abandoned my want for a night tour, and accepted that it's better to go with a verified option even though it's not the ideal time.
So, pro tip: be sure to verify you're buying tickets from a verified tour operator on any trip.
GET TICKETS TO ALCATRAZ
Get Info: Alcatraz National Park
Make Reservations: Alcatraz City Cruises by Hornblower
From website:
The official website and only source for tour tickets to Alcatraz Island
4. Watch the Sunset at Golden Gate Bridge
Time Well Spent
Best thing we decided to do was watching sunset at the Golden Gate Bridge.
It doesn't get more San Francisco than the Golden Gate Bridge. We didn’t intend staying for sunset, but it was the best decision we made. We uber-ed from our hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf, which was about $15, to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center and walked from there. There are beautiful views of the bridge along this spot, but before the sunset we took this trail with this sketchy sign and tunnel at the Golden Gate Picnic Spot. It led us to a bench that gave us our own private view of the sunset. People walked by, but it felt like our own private little spot. We eventually took this trail down to the viewpoint at the water. I’ve always wanted to view the Golden Gate Bridge from the beach. It was a magical evening. Definitely stop by for these views anytime, but if you have the time, stay and watch the sunset.
Golden Gate Bridge Viewpoints:
The journey I took (with GPS links):
Stop 2: The private bench with a view (See video minute 5:44 for the bench view)
Stop 3: Sf World Monument (right on the water/beach)
Other Golden Gate Viewpoints:
Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
The Bench Spot
Sf World Monument
5. Ride the Historical Cable Car
Fun History Lesson
Riding the trolley feels like you’re stepping back in time, while also getting the opportunity to skip walking hills and seeing the city when on your way to the next site.
Taking the a cable car is a fun way to get around and see the city if you don’t want to worry about parking. A quick walk from Fisherman’s Wharf is the Powell/Mason Cable Car Turnaround, where we boarded for just a few stops so we could walk to Coit Tower. Getting tickets was easy. I downloaded the MuniMobile app and paid $8 per person, one way, which they scanned on board. It was rickety, but fun to see the city this way and felt like taking a step back in time.
How to Get Cable Car Tickets
Ticket Cost: $8/per person, one way
When you purchase your tickets, you'll receive a QR code that is scanned on board.
ProTip: Take the Scenic route home
Scenic Route
Shorter and quicker isn’t always better. Take the scenic route, even if adds a little extra time and mileage to your trip. It gave the end out trip a bit of a climactic end.
Just a fun pro tip is to take the scenic route home. Although adding an extra hour to the drive home seems like a drag, why not make the drive home an adventure while you're at it?
Google Maps will initially recommend the quickest, inland route. But if you're heading to SoCal from San Fran, try taking Highway 101 through Big Sur!
Driving along the coast closed out our trip so magically and inspired a trip to the area in the future. We drove through Big Sur during Sunset and it was all sorts of amazing since I had never been.
So, this is your sign to take the scenic route home if you can! For such a quick 3-day trip, each experience felt extra special.
Here's the route we took home if you're looking for more of a visual. Feel free to comment here or reach out to me on Instagram or the contact form if you have any specific questions about the route.
That's a lot to pack into just a weekend getaway to San Francisco, but a totally fun journey, I promise. Perfect for new travelers to the area.
I could go on an on about other places I wish I had time to explore like the Palace of Fine Arts, the Painted Ladies, the Financial District, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown... and so many more! Maybe that'll be all for my next trip.
If you have any questions about San Francisco, this trip, where we stayed, or want to give your own recommendations, feel free to comment on this post, DM me on Instagram or fill out my contact form.
Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate you.
