What to See in San Francisco

Overview

Neighborhoods and Tourist Areas

Chinatown ★★★
This is the oldest Chinese neighborhood in North America (1848) and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. Over time, the district has become a tourist attraction, though some parts of it are decidedly not touristy.

Financial District ★
This is the city’s business district, featuring skyscrapers like the Transamerica Pyramid and the Salesforce Tower.

Fisherman's Wharf ★★★
This is one of the city's most tourist-friendly neighborhoods. Located along the bay, with its developed piers (including Pier 39), the former fishing district is known for its ferries to Alcatraz, its shops, bars and restaurants, its museums (Maritime Museum, Ripley's...), and its sea lions, which have been settled at Pier 39 for decades.

Haight-Ashbury ★★★
This neighbourhood was a major hub of the 1960s hippie movement, as evidenced by a few remaining spots and shops. Well-known but now rather upscale, it’s recognisable by its stunning Victorian houses repainted in bright colours and its many murals.

The Castro ★★
The Castro is the heart of San Francisco's LGBT community. It's one of the city's liveliest areas and also a major tourist destination.

Mission District ★★
This is the oldest neighborhood in San Francisco, dating back to the Spanish era. It still hosts a large Hispanic community and is famous for its many murals.

Landmarks and Architectural Sites

Coit Tower ★
This is an Art Deco tower, 65 metres tall, built in 1933 in the Telegraph Hill neighbourhood to honour the city’s firefighters. From the top, you get a lovely panoramic view of the city and its bay.

Golden Gate Bridge ★★★★
The symbol of San Francisco and even one of America’s icons. More than the bridge itself, it’s the views of it and of the Bay, whether from the city side, Marina County, or even from a boat, that are truly remarkable. Note that you can cross the bridge (and its 2,737 metres) on foot or by bike.

Lombard Street ★★
Highly photogenic and often seen in films, this steep (and flower-lined) street in Russian Hill is reputed to be the most winding street in the world.

Palace of Fine Arts ★
This "Palace of Fine Arts," built in 1915, draws inspiration from classical antiquity in its design. With its surrounding water feature, it’s a highly photogenic spot (and has appeared in several films).

Union Square ★★
The square and the surrounding pedestrian streets form the city's commercial, hotel, and theater hub. This makes the area quite touristy.

Religious Buildings

St. Mary's Cathedral ★
This is the city's main Catholic place of worship. It is recognisable by its modern architecture, including its interior.

Mission Dolores ★
Also known as Mission San Francisco de Asís, this is the oldest building in San Francisco, built in 1776. The chapel and its small annex museum can be visited.

Museums

California Academy of Sciences ★★
It’s one of the largest natural history museums in the world. Beyond the museum itself, you can also explore a vast aquarium with 6,000 species and a planetarium, all nestled in Golden Gate Park.

Alcatraz ★★★★
On its island, the famous prison that once housed Al Capone has been a dedicated museum since 1973. It attracts over a million visitors each year, making it a "must-see" for any trip to SF.

Cable Car Museum ★
This museum is dedicated to one of the city's symbols: the famous cable cars, inaugurated in 1873, which still operate on three lines within San Francisco.

De Young Museum ★
This fine-arts institution is one of the museums in Golden Gate Park. It houses collections of art from the Americas, Africa, and Oceania.

Hyde Street Pier ★★
In the Fisherman's Wharf district, this pier has been transformed into an open-air maritime museum featuring a (civilian) fleet of historic ships.

Legion of Honor ★★
Directly inspired by the Musée de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris, the museum opened in 1924 in memory of Californian soldiers who died during World War I. It houses fascinating collections of sculptures, objects, and paintings from all continents dating back to the Middle Ages.

USS Pampanito ★
This submarine, which served in the Pacific during World War II, has been turned into a memorial museum. It offers a glimpse into what life on board was like, especially during wartime.

Walt Disney Family Museum ★★
Opened in 2009 in Presidio Park, this museum is dedicated to Walt Disney, "his life and work.".

YBCA ★
Also known as the "Yerba Buena Center for the Arts." It is a contemporary art center showcasing both local and international artists.

Parks, Gardens, and Natural Spaces

San Francisco Bay ★★★★
Unique in its kind, the Bay Area is home to numerous tourist attractions. Beyond the various panoramas, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city of San Francisco itself, several small towns (Sausalito, Tiburon...), as well as places like Napa Valley or Point Reyes, are worth discovering.

Golden Gate Park ★★★
At 412 hectares, it is the largest urban park in the USA and one of the most visited. Beyond its natural beauty, visitors come for the De Young Museum (fine arts), the Strybing Arboretum (botanical garden), the California Academy of Sciences (aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum), as well as the famous Japanese Tea Garden with its pagodas and bonsai trees.

San Francisco Botanical Garden ★★
The largest botanical garden in the American West offers a beautiful collection of plant species from around the world. Its 28 hectares are located in Golden Gate Park.

Presidio of San Francisco ★★
This wooded park in the north of the city is where the Golden Gate Bridge starts and where you can enjoy a superb viewpoint over the bay. What was once a Spanish fort built in the late 18th century, then a US military zone, is also home to some historical remains and the Disney Museum.

Twin Peaks ★
These are two hills about 280 metres high that overlook the city, offering a lovely panoramic view of San Francisco and its surroundings.

Additional Resources