8 things to do in San Francisco

Looking forward to going somewhere new? Or perhaps revisit a place you liked? I guess it is fair to say we are all very looking forward to going on travel again, aren’t we? I know I am! Like… really! But unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening any time soon. However, we can still dream about future travels and start preparing for them. So, with that in mind, I decided to share with you 8 things to do in San Francisco. Why San Francisco? Well, I believe it was one of my favorite travels so far and I think everyone should go there, at least once!

8 things to do in San Franciso

 

1. Bridge-2-bridge Cruise

 

Let’s say you just got to San Francisco and your body is still adjusting but you want to get started visiting this amazing city. A cruise is a perfect way, I would say.

There are many options, but I took the Bridge 2 bridge, which lasts for about 90 minutes, and takes you to the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge. The tour goes along San Francisco’s urban skyline and it is an amazing opportunity to see all major landmarks, accompanied by an audio tour in 10+ languages.

More of my personal experience in San Francisco Post 1.

 

Information:

Ticket Price: $44,- pp (adult)
Departs from Pier 43 1/2
Website: Red and White Cruises

 

2. Visit Alcatraz

 

No one goes to San Francisco without visiting Alcatraz, right?
Well, I did and I regret it, haha 😂; it is a long story, which I wrote about on San Francisco Post 2, but I recommend you take the time to go visit Alcatraz Island. I know if I ever go back to San Francisco, this is high on my list.
Do not make the same mistake I made, and reserve your ticket in advance; ideally, a month in advance for self-guided tours. If you would like to avoid crowds, book a ticket for the first or last boat.
More of my personal experience in San Francisco Post 2.

 

Information:

Ticket price: $39.90 (Adult)
Website: Alcatraz Island Basic Info

 

3. Ride in a Cable Car

 

Riding a Cable Car while in San Francisco is one of the many cliches you are supposed to do, but believe, it is totally worth it and quite fun! It is also ideal for all the scenic routes between San Francisco’s downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach, plus you handle all the iconic hills in a much more comfortable way than just walking!

Alternatively, there are also Streetcars with 7 different lines, which are best to travel to Castro and Ocean Beach, along Market St, Embarcadero or Fishermen’s Wharf as well.
I did not try the Streetcars while I was in San Francisco, but for sure will on a future visit.

 

Information:

Cable Car tickets: $8 per ride.
Streetcat tickets: $2.50

 

4. Golden Gate Bridge

 

If it wasn’t for our Alcatraz failure, we wouldn’t have had the best experience to get to the Golden Gate Bridge. Long story short, we basically decided to walk from Pier 41 to the Golden Gate Bridge… It’s quite a wild (or crazy, if you will) idea and I only recommend it if you are fit and don’t mind walking very long distances…
Other than that, you can better reach the Golden Gate Bridge by either public transportation or Uber.

For me, as Portuguese from Lisbon, to see the Golden Gate Bridge gave me a feeling that “I am home” since we have the same bridge in Lisbon.
Some of the main differences would be that you can walk/ride a bike on the Golden Gate Bridge, whereas in Lisbon that is not possible.

More about my Golden Gate Bridge adventure in San Francisco Post 2.

 

Information:

How to get there: bus 28, all Golden Gate Transit buses
Tickets (for crossing the bridge): northbound free, southbound $6.50-$7.50

 

5. Coit Tower

 

Originally, Coit Tower was built as a monument to pay respect to firefighters, by a very rich and eccentric Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Apparently, this tower wasn’t welcomed by many, however, when you go all the way to the top and get to enjoy the magnificent panoramic views… everything is forgotten! haha
I personally loved it and recommend it!

More about my Golden Gate Bridge adventure in San Francisco Post 3.

Information:

How to get there: bus 39
Ticket price: elevator $8 or free if you take the stairs. Website: Coit Tower

6. Golden Gate Park

 

One of the things that struck my eyes when I first looked at a map of San Francisco is that there was this huge park area, reminding me of the well known Central Park, to the point that I had to check which one was bigger. And guess what? Golden Gate Park is about 20% bigger!
So with no surprise, we decided to go check it, on foot, as much as possible. Cause, why not?! 😅

It is not just any park; there is a Botanical Garden, a Japanese Tea Garden (which we visited), Museums, an Academy of Science and much more.
Plus, it ends at Ocean Beach! 😍

More about my Golden Gate Bridge adventure in San Francisco Post 3.

 

Information:

How to get there: bus 5/7/18/21/28/29/33/44.
Ticket price: Japanese Tea Garden $10 (adult Oct-Feb) / $12 (adult Mar-Sept)  Website: Golden Gate Park

 

7. Bubba Gump on Pier 39

 

I am terrible when it comes to movies, their names, and sometimes even the storyline. However, I do remember all those things when it comes to Forrest Gump! It’s one of my favorite movies I’ve seen. When I learned that there was a Bubba Gump in San Francisco, we decided to go grab a snack (initially)… But we had such a great time at this themed restaurant with an amazing view of the Golden Gate, then we extended our stay while enjoying nice food and drinks.

 

Information:

Location: Pier 39.
Website: Bubba Gump SF

 

8. Visit the Painted Ladies

 

Victorian houses in a row painted in pastel colors, these are the Painted Ladies, located alongside the eastern side of Alamo Square Park. These mansions are like a postcard, but people actually live there! On the north side of the same park, you find Barbary Coast baroque mansions, equally beautiful.
We visited this area on the morning of our last day in San Francisco, it had such a relaxed atmosphere even though there was quite some tourist. But somehow, the locals enjoying their morning jogging or walking the dogs, made me feel like I was home.

More about my Golden Gate Bridge adventure in San Francisco Post 3.

 

Information:

How to get there: Bus 5/21/22/24
Free admission.
Website: Alamo Square Park

 

Important Information

Public Transportation:

There are two main options for transit passes, Muni Passport or Clipper Card.
We used the Clipper Card since it’s a reloadable card with a minimum of $3 and valid for Muni, BART Caltrain, and Golden Gate Transit. However, it is not valid for the cable cars. For Cable Car, a ticket costs $7 and is purchased on board.

 

Longer Distances:

Unless you are as crazy as we are, and like to walk until your limbs fall off, I’d suggest that you take an Uber (or similar service) for longer distances.
But if not, then make sure you got comfortable footwear.

 

 

When I write this kind of posts it makes me want to hop on the first plane and head back to San Francisco but we all know that is not possible at the moment.
However, I hope this type of post will be helpful in the future once Covid19 releases us from this quarantine!

I hope you liked this post!
Let me know if you’ve been to any of these locations or what would be your must-see in San Francisco.

See you next week!