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San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the United States, attracting visitors from all over the world who want to experience the best that the U.S. has to offer. Here we have put together an overview of San Francisco’s key landmarks, neighborhoods, and places to visit.
Whether you want to soak up some California history, savor delicious local cuisine or see some of the world’s most famous views for yourself, these San Francisco attractions are must-sees on any tour of California’s famous port city.
If you need more inspiration, be sure to read our long list of things to do in San Francisco.
1. Golden Gate Bridge
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Since its construction in 1933, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has become a shining symbol of world-class engineering and American identity. More than 10 million people visit the 1.7-mile suspension bridge each year, making it one of the most popular landmarks in the USA.
Many visitors like to rent bikes and ride across the bridge to Sausalito, then catch the ferry back to the city. Another option is to sail under the bridge on a boat cruise on San Francisco Bay. If you want to take iconic photos from afar, consider visiting the Golden Gate Overlook on the San Francisco side or Hawk Hill on the Marin side.
📍Location: The bridge stretches from the northernmost tip of the Presidio at Fort Point to the Marin Headlands.
2. Golden Gate Park
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One of San Francisco’s most exciting places to visit is Golden Gate Park, which is well worth a full day. At 1,017 acres, it is one of the largest public parks in the world and is home to some of the city’s most popular attractions and museums. In addition to the sites listed below, there’s plenty to do just by walking or biking through the vast green space. You never know what you’ll come across, from drum circles, colorful tulip gardens, free concerts, or even a herd of American bison.
Golden Gate Park’s most famous attraction
📍Location: The public park stretches from Ocean Beach in the west to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in the east.
3. Alcatraz
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Alcatraz Island served as a military base known as “Fort Alcatraz” during the Civil War, and eventually served as a military prison until 1933. The island served as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963 and is world-famous for housing notorious criminals such as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. It later served as a base for Native American civil rights protests until the ’70s, before opening as a museum in 1973. Audio guided tours take you through every corner of the well-preserved grounds, including the site of the famous 1962 escape attempt.
Even for locals, Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s most exciting attractions, so take a ferry from Fisherman’s Wharf and spend a half day exploring it all.
📍Location: All access to Alcatraz Island is through Alcatraz City Cruises LLC, which sails from Pier 33.
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Many visitors to San Francisco make time to explore the world-famous Fisherman’s Wharf district. This famous waterfront is home to a mix of historic buildings and boats, great restaurants, and dramatic San Francisco Bay views. Kitschy souvenir shops aside, there’s plenty of treasures to explore.
Sip Irish coffee at Buena Vista Cafe before visiting the famous California sea lions at Pier 39. Make sure to reserve a spot for a fresh seafood lunch at Scoma’s. Don’t forget to pack a quarter to play the vintage arcade games at the Mechanic’s Museum.
📍Location: Northeast Waterfront between Pier 33 and Aquatic Cove
5. Chinatown
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Did you know that San Francisco’s Chinatown is the largest outside of Asia and the oldest in North America? Chinese immigrants settled in the “Little Canton” neighborhood around Portsmouth Square in the late 1840s, and in 1853 it became known as “Chinatown.” Today, Chinatown is a bustling maze of streets filled with traditional dim sum restaurants, historic cocktail lounges, ornate temples and fantastic tea rooms.
Take a photo with the lions at Dragon’s Gate, then make your own fortune cookie at the famous Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, dine at Michelin-starred Mr. Jiu’s Restaurant, and sip a Chinese Mai Tai at the historic Lee Po Cocktail Lounge.
📍 Location: San Francisco’s Chinatown is in the northeast corner of the city, between North Beach, the Embarcadero, and Downtown. Most of the businesses are concentrated around Grant Street between Bush Street and Broadway Street.
6. Painted Ladies
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A neat row of quaint Queen Victorian homes lining the side of Alamo Square Park, Painted Ladies is famous for appearing in the opening credits of Full House (1987-1995). The homes are perfectly positioned against the backdrop of the San Francisco skyline, making it one of the most photographed scenes in San Francisco. These “picture-postcard” neighborhoods are still inhabited by locals, so be sure to take good care of their belongings.
If you’re heading out to see the Painted Ladies, you’re perfectly located to explore the walkable Alamo Square, NOPA, and Hayes Valley neighborhoods. Stop by The Mill for the most decadent toast you’ll ever have, made with San Francisco’s famous sourdough bread. Enjoy a meal at beautiful Italian restaurant Che Fico or dance at Madrone Art Bar.
📍 Location: Alamo Square Park
7. Palace of Fine Arts
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Architect Bernard R. Maybeck built the Palace of Fine Arts as a temporary exhibition space for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. The San Francisco landmark was so popular at the time that philanthropist Phoebe Hearst saved it from demolition, and today it is one of San Francisco’s most beautiful tourist attractions.
The palace is designed to resemble a decaying Roman ruin, with a 162-metre-tall rotunda and a large semicircular colonnade surrounding an artificial lagoon. It’s a must-see if you’re near the Presidio or Crissy Field, and is conveniently located near San Francisco’s popular Marina District.
📍Location: 3601 Lyon St, San Francisco
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The Mission District is one of San Francisco’s oldest neighborhoods, known for its strong Latino roots and diverse hipster vibe. Wander through the area and enjoy some of the city’s most acclaimed taquerias, leaving plenty of time to explore the colorful mural alleyways that date back decades of Bay Area history. We always get lost browsing the quirky witch crafts at Paxton Gate. It would be a shame not to reserve a table for dinner on Foreign Cinema’s romantic outdoor patio. End your day with delicious natural wines and live jazz at Arcana, a lush urban conservatory.
Mission Dolores Park is one of the city’s busiest picnic spots and a great place for people-watching. The 16 acres of green space hosts countless festivals, concerts and other events, so be sure to stop by and see what’s going on.
📍 Location: East side of the city between Potrero Hill and the Castro.
9. Lombard Street
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Lombard Street is a famous red-brick street in Russian Hill that attracts 2 million tourists a year. This famous thoroughfare is always jammed with cars and pedestrians eager to see the “world’s crookedest street,” with eight hairpin turns along the steepest of blocks. (The actual “world’s crookedest street” is San Francisco’s Vermont Street, which is less picturesque.)
When the street was built in 1922, the steep 27% gradient was deemed dangerous for vehicles, and landowner Carl Henry suggested a hairpin curve design. Today, it’s one of San Francisco’s most beautiful streets, surrounded by stately mansions and hydrangea bushes that bloom all year round. Consider taking the Powell/Hyde cable car to the top of Lombard Street, and don’t forget to check out the best views of the city from Hyde and Chestnut, just one block away.
📍 Location: Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets
10. Salesforce Park
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Salesforce Park only opened in 2018, but has quickly become one of San Francisco’s most talked-about public spaces. The lush rooftop park is a stunning oasis amid the skyscrapers of Downtown San Francisco, and a stunning nod to the future of San Francisco’s big tech industry and urban infrastructure. Far below the transit center lies a massive underground space dedicated to the future California High Speed Rail (which doesn’t exist yet).
Board a free gondola at 100 Fremont Street and ascend 70 feet to the rooftop canopy, where you’ll find long walkways through 11 themed gardens with 16,000 drought-tolerant trees and plants. The park is free and open to the public, and you can also take part in free monthly yoga classes and other activities.
📍 Location: 425 Mission St, San Francisco
