Experience the best San Francisco tours

San Francisco has so much to offer that we had to narrow this list down to just the most iconic landmarks that make up the city’s skyline. First time visiting? These attractions should definitely top your bucket list.

• From the opening credits of “Full House” to all the disaster films where it’s inevitably destroyed by an earthquake, the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. It’s one of the most photographed bridges in the world, and you can’t leave without snapping a pic yourself. 
• Once the site of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island now draws tourists eager to learn about the prison’s strange history — like its most notorious inmates. 
• The Ferry Building is considered a pillar of SF’s culinary scene. With so many restaurants and vendors from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market that happens twice a week, you could spend your entire trip eating your way through what feels like another city within the city.  
• The Painted Ladies are a row of restored Victorian houses that are an important and historic part of the city’s skyline. Situated in Alamo Square Park, this area gives you a glimpse into SF’s past. 
• Ghirardelli Square is home to the famous former factory run by the Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli. Be sure to visit the chocolate shop to get yourself a treat! 
• Coit Tower is a staple of any trip to San Francisco, offering stunning panoramic views of the bay. Standing on Telegraph Hill for nearly a century, this 210-foot art deco tower was funded by the eccentric philanthropist Lillie Hitchcock Coit — aka Firebelle Lil — to be a memorial to firefighters. 

San Francisco has tons of fun things for families to do, whether you’re traveling with tots or teens.

Museums 

San Francisco has some of the best museums in the world, focusing on everything from art to science and beyond. Here are the best ones for kids: 

• The San Francisco Cable Car Museum is free for everyone and tells the story of the city’s famous cable car system. Kids will love the large collection of mechanical parts and examples of old cable cars. 
• Considering that California is home to the happiest place on earth — Disneyland — the family will love learning about the life and legacy of Walt Disney at the Walt Disney Family Museum located in the Presidio.
• The interactive Children’s Creativity Museum is specifically meant for children aged 2-12. Kids can participate in workshops to learn how to create stop-motion animation, program robots, and get hands on with other creative processes. 
• At the impressive San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), kids will love the interactive exhibits while adults enjoy the collection of over 33,000 works. 

Parks  

San Francisco’s hundreds of parks offer no shortage of activities and natural wonders for kids and the young at heart. Here are our favorites: 

• About 20% larger than NYC’s Central Park, Golden Gate Park has almost too much to do. Families will enjoy the Japanese Tea Garden, the California Academy of Sciences, and riding pedal boats on Stow Lake. Kids will especially get a kick out of the small model boats that set sail every day on Spreckels Lake. 
• Dolores Park in SF’s Mission District is built on a sloping hill, giving you a great view of the downtown area below. Bring a blanket and relax on the grass, while the kids run around the new playground.    

Markets

San Francisco’s markets are great for shopping, eating, and people-watching. Here are the ones you must visit:

• The waterfront at Fisherman’s Wharf is where you can find vendors selling San Francisco staples like Dungeness crab, sourdough bread, and clam chowder bread bowls. 
• At the Ferry Building Marketplace, you’ll find a range of dining options from Italian to Vietnamese to burgers and fries, so everyone in your family can get the meal they want. 

Guided tours are a great option to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short time and hear stories along the way. Try one (or more) of our top-rated SF tours. 

• On our Fisherman’s Wharf tours, you’ll hear colorful stories about SF’s scenic waterfront before sailing to Alcatraz Island to explore the infamous prison. 
• Take our Golden Gate Park tour to see some of SF’s biggest landmarks and hidden gems in a beautiful green setting.
• Try a cultural and culinary SF food tour in the Mission District, famous for its Latin restaurants and colorful murals.

San Francisco’s weather is mild and pleasant all year round, but visitors are surprised to learn that summer isn’t the warmest time to visit — if you’re wearing shorts and a T-shirt, locals will know you’re a tourist. 

The best time to go for warm, sunny days is late August and early fall, when temperatures are perfect for walking around and enjoying all the festivals. San Francisco in spring is also beautiful when everything is in bloom, but if fewer tourists and better hotel deals are what you’re after, then plan your trip to San Francisco in December. 

If you’re a first-time visitor and want to stay near the city’s major attractions, look for accommodations in Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, and Chinatown, as they’re all within walking distance to popular landmarks or have easy access to public transportation. 

Fisherman’s Wharf is an attraction in itself, and hotels in the area tend to be less expensive than a neighborhood like Union Square. The Marina District also has budget-friendly motels, and it’s one of the safer areas you can stay. 

For iconic San Franciscan architecture, the beautiful neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury has the colorful Victorian homes and unique shops we all associate with the city. It also has a bit of a hippie vibe, so keep that in mind before booking. 

Tip: Locals recommend booking hotels instead of Airbnbs, which are believed to have contributed to San Francisco’s housing crisis.       

Like any major city, San Francisco always has something fun going on throughout the year. Here’s a breakdown of the highlights for each season: 

Winter 

• Is it really winter without ice skating? Check out the popular Union Square Ice Rink for a spin on the ice. 
• Travel back to Victorian England at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair filled with live music, theatrical performances, food stalls, and more. 
• The Lighted Boat Parade, where members of different yacht clubs decorate their boats for this procession at sea.  

Spring 

• April’s Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the rebirth of these beautiful trees with parades, martial arts, and traditional Japanese music. 
• Movie buffs will love the San Francisco International Film Festival for screenings, panels, and more. 

Summer 

• San Francisco Pride in June is one of the biggest celebrations in the U.S. The city explodes with rainbow parades and parties you have to experience at least once. 
• North Beach Festival is SF’s oldest street fair that includes arts and crafts competitions, gourmet food stalls, Italian street art, and even animal blessings. 

Fall 

• Chinatown’s Autumn Moon Festival marks the first weekend of fall with nonstop entertainment and traditional foods like moon cakes. 
• Litquake is — you guessed it — San Francisco’s literary festival, which showcases the work of the Bay Area’s best writers. 

San Francisco is a foodie hotspot with dining options from all corners of the globe. However, you can’t leave without trying some of its iconic dishes:

• A sourdough bread bowl filled with chowder
• The Mission-style burrito (meaning it’s a jumbo burrito) from a taqueria in the Mission District
• Dungeness crab and other seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf
• Dim sum in SF’s Chinatown, especially at Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House
• Chocolate squares and a hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Square

Who doesn’t want to happen upon a hidden staircase? In the hills of the Golden Gate Heights neighborhood, you’ll find the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps — 163 mosaic tiled steps that seem to come from nowhere and shimmer in the sunset. 

If you’re a true crime fan, then our True Crime Tales From the Haight-Ashbury Walking Tour is for you. You’ll learn about how this neighborhood was at the epicenter of the 70s Summer of Love and search for the ghosts of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and other musicians. 

Believe it or not, the well-known Golden Gate Park has some hidden gems of its own. One of these is a stone circle with connections to a monastery, a bear, and the state flag. You’ll learn about (and more) on our Golden Gate Park tour.

Get a taste of San Francisco with our top tips for first-timers: 

• Check out famous sights such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Park, and Coit Tower.
• Visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, an extensive collection of contemporary art that isn’t inexpensive but offers free admission to people under 18 and art-filled public spaces that don’t require a ticket. 
• Tour Golden Gate Park with a local to experience the iconic sights and the lesser-known secrets of this famous greenspace.
• Choose a neighborhood, put your phone in your pocket, and get lost. Your new favorite urban street or cute cafe might be just around the corner.

With a walking tour, you can see the highlights in five hours, but three days is the tourist-approved amount of time. 

If you stay for a week, you’ll have more time to fit in SF’s downtown neighborhoods and day trips to Muir Woods and other places off the beaten tourist path.

Shopaholics will find plenty of options for bargain and luxury shopping in SF. Here’s where you should go.

• Divisadero Street in Alamo Square is a goldmine for boutiques that carry home goods. When you get hungry, there are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops to satisfy your cravings. 
• In 2022, Hayes Street was named one of “the 30 coolest streets in the world,” and it won’t take long for you to see why. This walkable area is filled with unique clothing and gift shops where you’re sure to find the perfect souvenirs. 
• For the thrifters, head to Haight Street for all things vintage and second-hand. 
• Valencia Street in the Mission District is where you’ll find hip and fashionable items by local creators.