If I had to describe San Fran in one sentence, I would say it's a hipster, eclectic, multicultural, open-minded and beautiful city. If you're contemplating a visit, this is your sign to book it in.
Fisherman's Wharf We stayed at Pier 2620, located two blocks back from the lively Fisherman's Wharf area. Fisherman's Wharf is home to a bunch of seafood restaurants with both take away and dine in options. If you walk around Fisherman's Wharf during the day, you're likely to see plenty of live seafood being marketed to you. At this time of the year, restaurants have massive lobsters on offer. Some restaurants bring these giant lobsters to their store fronts to grab your attention. Oh and if you love clam chowder, there's plenty of great places at Fisherman's Wharf.
Musée Mécanique This is an amazing vintage arcade with games starting from 25 cents. It's a really fun place to spend a few hours. It's definitely the most fun I've had at a museum and don't worry it's free to just walk in. Don't miss Musée Mécanique while you're in San Fran.
Boudin Bakery San Fran loves their sourdough bread. Boudin Bakery is well known their delicious but also creative sourdough bread. Boudin Bakery bakes sourdough in many shapes and sizes, with a café downstairs and a more formal restaurant upstairs, it’s a great place to stop in for a meal.
Pier 39
This is a busy pier with everything from souvenir shops to sea lion viewing. You'll find cafes, restaurants, a mirror maze, a carousel, an arcade, candy store and pretty much anything you could ever want to see on a San Francisco Pier. The sea lions at Pier 39 are completely free to view and volunteers from the Sea Lion Centre give talks throughout the day. They don't feed or interfere with the sea lions in any way unless they are injured and need to be helped. The guide told us that the bay is full of food and there are no predator's in the area. The population at Pier 39 are all males and they migrate in the middle of the year to mate. We came during February and were lucky enough to see heaps of sea lions around.
Lombard Street
San Fran is known for their ridiculously steep streets. Lombard Street is unique as it is a steep street however it is very curvy. It turns from side to side like a snake and is a big tourist attraction. Catch the cable car there or prepare yourself for a steep walk.
Alcatraz Cruise
This is a don't miss experience in San Fran. Alcatraz Island also known as 'The Rock' or 'Alcatraz Prison' is an incredible island just off mainland San Fran in the bay. It's a National Historic Landmark and you can see Alcatraz from a lot of places in San Fran. As you could imagine, the view of San Fran from Alcatraz is absolutely breathtaking. Another bonus is that there is a heap of birdlife and gorgeous gardens too. The main reason Alcatraz is now a tourist attraction is because it was formerly a military prison then a maximum security prison. It housed some famous inmates including Robert Stroud (Birdman) and Al Capone. I'd recommend spending at least a couple of hours on the Island, there's plenty to see, an audio guide tour included in your ticket and ranger led talks explaining the history of Alcatraz as well as some of the attempted escapes.
Golden Gate Bridge
This one-span, deep red bridge is commonly used to represent the city of San Francisco. This bridge is picture perfect and absolutely beautiful to see in person. I'd recommend going to Fort Point for the best photos. From there you can also walk onto the bridge for a different perspective.
In-N-Out Burger
Ah, the infamous Californian burger chain, does it live up to the hype? Definitely. In-N-Out Burger has just three different burgers on their menu, fries, shakes and different drinks. Their fries are made fresh, meaning you can literally see them slicing whole potatoes and throwing them into the fryer while you wait for your food. It's a simple menu and they execute it perfectly. The best part is, their food is super cheap but tastes a lot more fresh than other fast food places. I would definitely recommend trying In-N-Out while you're in San Fran (it's about two blocks away from Fisherman's Wharf).
The Painted Ladies
Alamo Square Park is a gorgeous park with a perfect view over the Painted Ladies and downtown San Fran. The Painted Ladies are a row of iconic Victorian homes that have been featured in various films and tv shows. We actually met George, the owner of one of the beautiful homes and one of his golden retrievers named Elsa (after the lion). This is a beautiful park to visit in San Fran and I'd highly recommend sitting on the hill and chilling out or even having a picnic. The neighbourhood behind Alamo Square Park (opposite side to the painted ladies) also has some great design stores and cute cafes- it's a lovely area to explore.
Cable Car Ride
San Fran's Cable Car's are fascinating and terrifying at the same time. A cable runs under the ground and the driver of your car (looks like a tram) hooks onto the cable and you are pulled over the hills. On the other side you kind of just coast down the hill's until the driver pulls a big lever and applies the breaks. It's a truly San Fran experience and I would definitely recommend doing it. It costs $7 but it's well worth it. Try standing on the outside of the Cable Car for a bit more thrill and unobstructed views.
Downtown
San Fran's Downtown is just as you'd expect, plenty of shops across multiple blocks as well a multi-level shopping centre. For all of you're shopping needs, catch a bus into the heart of downtown and away you go. The Cable Car will also take you to the shopping area, if you want to knock out two birds with one stone.
Chrissy Field
This is a massive park with great views of the Golden Gate Bridge. I'd highly recommend taking a walk through this park, or even better, watching the sunset from Chrissy Field. It's also a great place for exercising if you're into that sort of thing.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is the highest point in San Francisco. Of course it has stunning panoramic views of the bay, city and Golden Gate bridge, you'd be crazy not to visit during your stay in San Fran. Again, if you like hiking/walking/ exercising, twin peaks would give you a great workout otherwise there's plenty of parking space or there's always Uber.
Chinatown
Chinatown is full of jewellery stores, souvenir stores and Chinese restaurants. It's exactly what you'd expect from a chinatown and it's definitely worth a visit. We visited the weekend before Chinese New Year so there were markets and plenty of people around. Chinatown has the cheapest souvenir's, you can definitely find a bargain if you shop around.
