San Francisco – 3 days in the City by the Bay

When I first visited San Francisco, my initial impression was just how different Northern California is to Southern California. As the old saying goes, it truly is redwoods and palm trees. San Francisco is a city that’s on many a traveller’s bucket list, for good reason. The unique and eclectic City by the Bay may be compact, but there’s so much to do over its hills – far more than can be seen in a few days. In this itinerary, I’ll give a few suggestions of how you can spend three days in San Francisco. Be warned – you’ll definitely want to come back after one visit. There’s a reason people leave their heart in San Fran (just don’t call it that…or Frisco for that matter).

Day One:

San Francisco is known for its hilly streets and cable car tracks. You’ll start your visit to the city by taking a ride over them. Make sure you’ve got a MUNI-pass beforehand and head towards Union Square. From here, its an short walk to a stop along the Powell-Hyde Cable Car Line. Marked by red signs, its the most scenic of the tracks. The cable cars run from 6am each morning, and while they’re not exactly the most efficient way of getting around the city, you have to ride one at least once when you’re in San Francisco.

Disembark at the top of Lombard Street (there’s a stop right above it). Chances are you’ve seen photos of this single block that contains eight switchback curves. There’s a constant queue of traffic heading down the street, but take your time admiring the views and pretty gardens. The world’s crookedest street may very well be just a street, but its a famous spot in San Francisco that is well worth stopping by for fifteen minutes in the early morning. It truly characterises the quirkiness of San Francisco, however the design of Lombard Street was actually quite practical. The steepness of the hill the street is on was too great for the cars on the road in the 1920s, hence the switchbacks.

Take a (calf burning) walk from here to Telegraph Hill, where you can visit the iconic Coit Tower. Overlooking the city, the Tower was named after Lillie Hancock Coit, who bequeathed a large portion of her estate to beautify San Francisco. Check out the controversial Works Project Administration murals in the Tower’s lobby before taking the elevator to the top for a stunning panoramic view of the City by the Bay. You can even get your first glimpse of the distant Golden Gate Bridge from up here.

When you’re ready to explore more of the city, leave Telegraph Hill by descending the Filbert Street Steps. You won’t notice the steep descent as you make your way down the east side of the hill. You’ll be busy taking in the views of the Bay, quaint households along the trek and the colourful wild parrots squawking above.

After all that walking, you’ll be getting hungry. Now is a good time to stop by Pier 39. While its a tourist hotspot, the carnival-like wharf is jam packed with things to do. There’s midway games, entertainment and shopping galore. And of course the famous sea lions that laze around on the western edge of the pier. While you’re in the area, grab lunch at the Boudin Bakery where you can pick up a clam chowder bowl, a San Francisco staple. If you want to see more aquatic life after seeing the sea lions, let your lunch settle with a stop by the Aquarium of the Bay. You’ll see a better aquarium later on in this itinerary, but I have to admit, the sea otters here are adorable!

Time to get your science on! Take a stroll south along the bayside Embarcadero until you reach the Exploratorium. Located at Pier 15, this hands-on interactive museum is great. You’ll easily spend a few hours in this massive science centre housing hundreds of exhibits which cover topics ranging from human psychology to the ecosystems we live in. Don’t miss the Tactile Dome, an immersive experience as you navigate through a pitch black labyrinth using your sense of touch while sliding and climbing through the maze. Its a not to be missed experience and I’d recommend booking an entry time in advance.

As the afternoon creeps into evening, head back towards Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. You’ll find California’s famous In and Out Burger a little further along the waterfront. Enjoy a burger (seek out the secret menu) before watching the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. Pier 39 is again a great spot to take in this view. If you’ve still got some energy afterwards, there’s lots more fun to be had in this area. Visit Madame Tussauds or the excellent San Francisco Dungeon for some evening amusement before taking the MUNI back to your hotel.

Day Two

Today you’ll be exploring the Bay and some of the city’s surroundings. Make an early start (grabbing breakfast in the process) because you’re starting the day with a tour to Alcatraz. Make sure you book your tickets around a month in advance on the Alcatraz cruises website – Alcatraz is one of San Francisco’s most popular attractions and you don’t want to wait around in the lines to purchase tickets at the pier (if they haven’t already sold out!)! Doing this ensures you’ll be able to select the first boat of the day (normally around 8.45am). With your ticket in hand, head on over to the cruise terminal at Pier 33 and follow the directions of the cruise personnel into the appropriate line to board your boat out to the island prison.

Upon disembarking at Alcatraz, you’ll want to spend a few hours exploring the island. The highlight is without question the main cellhouse tour. The audio tour is included with your admission and guides you through the cell blocks and surrounding grounds while also telling stories about some of the more infamous inmates that spent time in the prison such as the notorious Frank Norris. Its an excellent way to explore Alcatraz and overall one of the best things to do in San Francisco. While you’re on Alcatraz, check out the beautifully tended gardens and explore the greater history of the island beyond the prison. Overall, I’d aim to spend 2 – 3 hours on the island.

Getting back to the city, you’ll probably be hungry. Take a walk south along the waterfront to the beautiful Ferry Building. You’ll find plenty of food stalls inside, providing a diverse overview of the San Franciscan culinary scene. Take a moment to look around and grab something that strikes your fancy before heading outside for some scenic shots of the nearby Bay Bridge.

One of the reasons you’ve headed to the Ferry Building for lunch (aside from the amazing food of course!) is that its likely the meeting point for your afternoon tour outside of the city. Having booked a half-day trip in advance, meet your guide outside the building for a tour of the Muir Woods and Sausalito. While some may question leaving the city itself on a three day trip, Muir Woods is a national park of such immense beauty thats located so close to San Francisco that in my view its well worth a few hours out of your plans to see.

As you board the bus, your guide will tell you all about the history of San Francisco before stopping off at one of the city’s most iconic landmarks – the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour company you choose will determine which side of the bridge you stop at, but if you’re in luck you’ll stop on the south side. Here you can get some amazing photos of the international orange (not red) structure that crosses the entrance to the Bay. If you’ve got time (you’ll probably spend around 15-20 minutes here), check out the cross section of the suspension cable from the bridge located near the visitor’s centre to really comprehend the size of the structure.

Back on the bus, you’ll cross the bridge and head further north to the Muir Woods National Monument. In this immense park, you’ll find coastal redwoods, the iconic tree of Northern California, which date back longer than the city of San Francisco itself. The afternoon is a great time to visit as the sun will glisten through the canopy of the trees high above the trails. On your tour, you’ll probably only have time to explore the main Redwood Creek loop trail, but its a nice and relaxing hike that takes you along a trickling river and to the Cathedral Grove, a beautiful spot of quiet reflection in nature. You’ll forget that you’re just a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge as you venture through the woods.

After spending around 90 minutes in the woods, it will be time to board your bus for a quick stop at the bayside town of Sausalito. Filled with shops, restaurants and bay vista views, you can either enjoy a bit of time exploring here, or head back to San Francisco across the ferry. The ferry will take you right back to the Ferry Building after a thirty minute or so cruise.

Either way, grab some dinner before deciding on your evening plans. If there’s a Giant’s game on, head to Oracle Park to watch from the beautiful bay side arena. Even if you’re not big on baseball (or understand much about the game like me) its a great experience and the arena is pretty cool to see. Alternatively, head into the Castro neighbourhood and catch a film at the historic Castro Theatre followed by a few drinks in the vibrant neighbourhood.

Day Three

You’ve seen a lot of San Francisco’s bay front and explored a little bit of the Bay Area, so today you’ll be venturing into a different part of the city. Start your day by catching a MUNI ride to Golden Gate Park. Located in the western part of the city, this 4.5 mile stretch of preserved greenery is even larger than the more famous Central Park in New York and contains plenty of attractions, more than you’ll be able to cram into one morning.

Start exploring the park at the California Academy of Sciences. Remember when I said earlier that there’d be a better aquarium in San Francisco than the one on the Pier? Well this is where you’ll find it. Along with a stunning planetarium, cute penguin exhibit and impressive walk through rainforest (plus more). Try to get to the Academy early in the day so that you can score (free) planetarium tickets to the show of your choice and see as much of the museum as possible. Its easy to do a quick walk through of the main exhibits in an hour or so, but you’ll want to spend more time than that. I’d allocate at least 2 hours. Don’t forget to check out the living roof while you’re here!

Here’s just a few of the other major destinations in Golden Gate Park that you can explore afterwards:

• The Conservatory of Flowers: this restored Victorian Greenhouse contains a myriad of orchids and other exotic species of plant life in four different climates. Its worth walking past to see the impressive building design from the outside, but flower enthusiasts will definitely want to step inside.
• The Japanese Tea Garden: a place of relaxation and reflection, the Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest of its kind in the United States. Enjoy some traditional tea and allow yourself to become drawn in by the natural beauty and Japanese styled pagodas and bridges.
• The De Young Museum: admire the futuristic design of the towering building before taking in the impressive collection of art housed here. If you’re not a huge art-lover, its still worth dropping by to head up to the Observatory Deck on the top floor for sweeping views over the park and city (entrance to the observatory is free even without museum admission).

There’s plenty of spots at Golden Gate Park where you can grab some lunch (whether its at one of the above attractions or otherwise) If you want to spend more time exploring the park, you might want to wander around Stow Lake (beware of the supposed haunting White Lady that comes out at night). Or if you want a bit more peace and quiet away from the crowds, check out the National AIDS Memorial Grove in the park’s east. If you had more time in San Francisco, I’d say spend the whole day in the park and head to the western end of the park and enjoy a sunset over the Pacific ocean, but there’s more to be seen in the city on your last day of this itinerary.

When you’re ready to leave Golden Gate Park, make your way to Alamo Square. Here you’ll see the Victorian era Painted Ladies lining the streets. Seen on numerous postcards, these elegant houses date back to 1857 and are worth seeing since you’ll be finishing up your day in a nearby neighbourhood.

Take the short walk to the Haight-Ashbury. This part of the city has to be experienced, as its like stepping into a time warp back to the Summer of Love of the 1960s. The block is lined with street art murals, colourful houses and trendy bars and restaurants. Music lovers will want to check out Amoeba Records (supposedly the world’s largest independent record store). Don’t miss the Haight-Ashbury sign at the intersection underneath the famous legs extending from Piermont Boutique, a testament to the neighbourhoods colourful hippy scene. Eat dinner at one of the many restaurants here and party on like its the 60s, or head back to North Beach for the bars of the Barbary Coast. Either is a fine way to spend a night in San Francisco.

Have I missed anything that you’d recommend when spending a few days in San Francisco? I’d love to hear all about your travels and recommendations. Don’t forget to comment below.