Lonely Planet San Francisco 1

By Ashley Harrell

Lonely Planet’s San Francisco is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Catch a ferry to Alcatraz, wander in the Castro, and admire the Mission murals; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of San Francisco and begin your journey now!

 

Inside Lonely Planet’s San Francisco Travel Guide: 

Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after

2020’s COVID-19 outbreak
NEW top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of San Francisco’s best experiences and where to have them
What's NEW feature taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas
NEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel

Planning tools for family travelers - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kids

Color maps and images throughout

Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics

Over 40 maps 

Covers The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Piers, Downtown, Civic Center, SoMa, North Beach, Chinatown, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Japantown, Fillmore, Pacific Heights, The Mission, Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, the Castro, The Haight, Hayes Valley, Golden Gate Park, the Avenues

 

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s San Francisco, our most comprehensive guide to San Francisco, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less traveled. 

Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket San Francisco, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip.

 

Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet’s USA for a comprehensive look at all the country has to offer.

 

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 

 

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times

 

 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781837581016

Book preview

Front CoverLonely Planet Logo

San Francisco

MapHow To Use This eBookFull Page Samplerbutton

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to San Francisco

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

What’s New

Need to Know

Perfect Days

Month By Month

With Kids

Under the Radar

Dining Out

Bar Open

Showtime

LGBTIQ+

Treasure Hunt

Active San Francisco

Explore San Francisco

The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

North Beach & Chinatown

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Nob Hill & Russian Hill

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Shopping

Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

The Castro

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

The Haight & Hayes Valley

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Golden Gate Park & the Avenues

Sights

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Sports & Activities

Day Trips from San Francisco

Sleeping

Understand San Francisco

History

Literary San Francisco

Visual Arts

San Francisco Music

San Francisco Architecture

Survival Guide

Transportation

Arriving in San Francisco

San Francisco International Airport

Oakland International Airport

Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport

Bus

Car & Motorcycle

Train

Getting Around

BART

Bicycle

Boat

Bus, Streetcar & Cable Car

Muni Passport

Clipper Card

Muni Monthly Pass

Key Routes

Key Routes

Key Routes

Car & Motorcycle

Garages

Parking Restrictions

Towing Violations

Taxi

Train

Directory A–Z

Accessible Travel

COVID 19

Customs Regulations

Discount Cards

Electricity

Emergency

Internet Access

Legal Matters

LGBTIQ+ Travelers

Medical Services

Money

Opening Hours

Post

Public Holidays

Responsible Travel

Safe Travel

Smoking

Taxes & Refunds

Telephone

Time

Toilets

Tourist Information

Visas

Volunteering

Women & Nonbinary Travelers

San Francisco Maps

Fisherman’s Wharf

The Piers

The Presidio

The Marina

Union Square

Civic Center & The Tenderloin

SoMa

Financial District

The Mission

Potrero Hill & Dogpatch

Russian & Nob Hills

North Beach & Chinatown

Japantown & Pacific Heights

The Castro

The Haight

Hayes Valley

Golden Gate Park & the Avenues

Table of Contents

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

COVID-19

We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.

Welcome to San Francisco

Wherever I go in San Francisco, I stumble on something curious and beautiful. One day it’s an oversized pair of mannequin legs protruding from a Victorian window on Haight St. The next, it’s a fairy door safeguarding treasure in a Golden Gate Park tree or an outdoor roller disco where eccentric skaters perform. Whatever changes come to this place, whatever obstacles its residents face, I believe that San Francisco’s quirky soul will endure. And that will always keep me coming back for more. San francisco Hyde Street Cable Car Tram of the Powell-Hyde in California USA

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A Hyde Street tram | LUNAMARINA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

By Ashley Harrell, Writer

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png @ashleyharrell3 png where_smashley_went

For more about Our Writers

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

1A CITY OF CONTRASTS

With world-class museums, a super famous suspension bridge and a creepy old prison, San Francisco is quite the eye-popper. Be sure you’ve got time for top attractions, but also consider wandering the lesser-explored corners. Part of what makes San Francisco stand apart is that you never know what curiosities might be revealed.

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LUCIANO MORTULA - LGM/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Golden Gate Bridge

Other suspension bridges are impressive feats of engineering, but the Golden Gate Bridge tops them all for razzle-dazzle showmanship. On sunny days, it transfixes crowds with its radiant glow – thanks to 28 daredevil painters who reapply around 1,000 gallons of International Orange paint each week.

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LUCIANO MORTULA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Alcatraz

From its 19th-century founding to detain Civil War deserters and Native American dissidents until its closure by Bobby Kennedy in 1963, Alcatraz was America’s most notorious jail. No prisoner is known to have escaped alive – but once you enter D-Block solitary and hear city life humming across the bay, you can understand why the 1.25-mile swim through riptides would seem worth a shot.

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JEWHYTE/GETTY IMAGES ©

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park lets locals do what comes naturally: roller-discoing, starfish-petting, orchid-sniffing and stampeding toward the Pacific with a herd of bison. It’s hard to believe these lush 1017 acres were once scrubby sand dunes, and that San Franciscans have preserved this stretch of green since 1866.

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AKROPOT/GETTY IMAGES ©

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

2ART APPRECIATION

Art explodes from frames and jumps off perches in San Francisco, where murals, street performances and impromptu sidewalk altars flow from alleyways right into galleries. Velvet ropes would only get in the way of SF’s enveloping installations and interactive new-media art – often provocative, sometimes overwhelming, but never standoffish.

Homegrown traditions of ’50s Beat collage, ’60s psychedelia, ’70s punk, ’80s graffiti, ’90s skater graphics and 2000s new-media art keep the scene vibrant.

Mission Murals

San Francisco’s Mission district is an urban-art showstopper, featuring more than 400 murals. Balmy Alley has some of the oldest, while 24th St and the Women’s Building are covered with glorious portrayals of community pride and political dissent.

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ENRIQUE MORAN/500PX ©

SFMOMA

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (pictured) has always been ahead of its time. The institution sprang onto the SF art scene in 1935, investing in innovative art forms: photography, murals, film and installation. Since then SFMOMA has grown three-fold, dedicating wings to new media, paintings and futuristic design.

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TANER MUHLIS KARAGUZEL/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

The Dogpatch

Upstart creatives have taken over the waterfront warehouses in the Dogpatch, an emerging and artsy enclave. San Francisco Art Institute’s MFA graduate-student studios are now here, as is the Museum of Craft & Design, the renowned galleries of the Minnesota Street Project and Workshop Residence, a collaborative artist workspace.

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KURLIN_CAFE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

3PARTY TIME

SF’s first brewery (1849) was actually built before the city, and local bartenders continue gold-rush saloon traditions with potent drinks in deceptively delicate vintage glasses. Craft is a given: bartenders brew their own bitters and local DJs invent their own software. No matter what you’re having, SF bars and clubs are here to oblige, serving up California wines, Bay spirits and everything else in between.

SoMa

The nightlife hub of SF is SoMa (top), where clubs are spread across a large area and nobody should ever walk in heels. On weekends the scene really pops around 11th and Folsom. P76

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ALISA_CH/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

The Castro

Welcome to the most out-and-proud neighborhood on the planet, where you’ll walk in the footsteps of trans trailblazers, throw down in gay bars and enjoy a month-long Pride celebration in June.

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OVERSNAP/GETTY IMAGES ©

Barbary Coast

Now that double-crossing barkeep Shanghai Kelly is no longer a danger, revelers can relax at North Beach’s once-notorious Barbary Coast saloons, where these days you can pick your own poison.

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PAULAAH293/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

4WIDE OPEN SPACES

Parks are a priority in San Francisco, so much so that a few years ago it became the first city in the US to offer access to a park within a 10-minute walk of every residence. While Golden Gate Park is the gold standard, there is no shortage of other green gems, be they hilltop spaces, secret gardens or POPOs (privately owned public spaces).

Dolores Park

At Dolores Park (pictured), grassy slopes are dedicated to the fine art of lolling, while lowlands host Frisbee games, political protests and other local sports. Fair warning: secondhand highs copped near the refurbished bathroom may have you chasing the helados (ice-cream) cart.

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PATRICK CIVELLO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Lands End

Tucked between Golden Gate Park and the Presidio, Lands End feels like the end of the Earth. The park’s hiking trails cross the landscape with views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge and overlook the Sutro Baths ruins.

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FRANKIE WO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Crissy Field

A military airstrip turned waterfront nature preserve, Crissy Field features amazing views and a reclaimed tidal marsh. Instead of secret Army missions, joggers pound beachfront trails and sip fair-trade coffee at the Warming Hut.

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

5THE THRILL OF THE HUNT

Eclectic originality is San Francisco’s signature style, and that’s not one-stop shopping. All those tricked-out dens, well-stocked spice racks and fabulous ensembles don’t just pull themselves together! Travelers should likewise embrace the thrill of the hunt: hit the farmers markets! Peruse the stacks of long-standing bookstores! Scour the shelves of local boutiques. Finding that perfect keepsake is an art all of its own.

City Lights

Idle browsing is highly encouraged here – City Lights founder and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s hand-lettered sign describes City Lights (pictured) as ‘A Kind of Library Where Books Are Sold.’

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NITO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Ferry Building

Global food trends start here. To sample tomorrow’s menu today, head to the Ferry Building, the city’s monument to trailblazing local, sustainable food. Don’t miss the Saturday farmers market.

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TOM AUZINS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Valencia Street

Valencia St (pictured) from 14th to 26th St offers some of the best food, boutique shopping and people-watching in the city, and travelers flock to it for these reasons.

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PHOTOGRAPHY LLC/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

San Francisco’s Top Experiences

6GETTING HIGH

This wild city has been known to induce feelings of euphoria for those who are into that kind of thing, be it with views from soaring heights, fast rides on clickety-clackety cable cars or the occasional overly potent weed gummy. Mix and match the thrills if you dare, but beware the swooping parrots and keep all of your limbs inside the trolley.

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Coit Tower and downtown San Francisco | MATT MOLDENHAUER/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Coit Tower

Wild parrots might mock your progress up Telegraph Hill, but they can’t expect to keep scenery like this to themselves. Filbert St Steps pass cliffside cottage gardens to reach SF’s monument to independent thinking: Coit Tower.

Cable Cars

Carnival rides can’t compare to the time-traveling thrills of cable slide into strangers’ laps but regulars just grip the leather hand straps, lean back and ride the downhill plunges like pro surfers.

Marijuana Dispensaries

Now that marijuana is legal in California for medical and recreational use by adults aged 18 and up, you’ll find it at any number of dispensaries, including the Mission Cannabis Club.

What’s New

A never-ending pandemic, rising crime and extreme weather have been bummers, sure. But as the (metaphorical) fog clears, the city’s streets are pedestrian-friendlier, its parklets have multiplied and homegrown politician Kamala Harris has become Vice President. As anyone who’s clung to the side of a cable car will tell you, this town offers one hell of a ride.

Restaurant Shakeup

More than 100 restaurants closed in San Francisco in 2021 but, on the bright side, more than 4,000 stayed open and pushed through tough times. They offered to-go food, built adorable outdoor spaces and checked vaccine cards at the door. To-go freezer pizza even had a moment, and renowned restaurants like Pizzeria Delfina and Tony’s are still offering the frozen pies.

The Greater Highway

The 3.8-mile stretch of concrete forming San Francisco’s western border along Ocean Beach closed to traffic during the pandemic, transforming itself into the city’s newest promenade. Bicyclists, roller skaters and families rejoiced and recreated, and transit activists advocated for even more car-free streets. Someday, they hope, this thoroughfare might permanently become the Great Walkway.

Espresso Martini Mayhem

Strong coffee cocktails are brewed into San Francisco’s DNA. But recently the turbo-beverage has been even more buzzy than usual. The Espressotini at Balboa Cafe had to be put on tap to keep up with demand. Meanwhile at 15 Romolo, bartenders harnessed the flavors of Caffe Trieste’s Italian dark roast espresso cold-brewed and infused with vanilla, mint, cinnamon, orange zest, star anise and cacao.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SAN FRANCISCO

Ashley Harrell, Lonely Planet writer

Let’s start with the good news. San Francisco’s lick-smacking indoor dining scene is back, and so are sporting events, music festivals, drag shows, BDSM conventions, etc (or at least they were as I typed this). Lovely parklets have sprung up all over the city, pedestrian-friendly streets are all the rage and working from home certainly beats sitting in traffic, which sadly has returned. Despite this progress, however, the pandemic and its never-ending variants have widened the divide between SF’s rich and its homeless, which sometimes seem like the only two groups left. Smash and grabs have been on the rise, as have hate crimes against Asian-Americans, and the Tenderloin neighborhood at the heart of the city feels less welcoming than ever. District Attorney Chesa Boudin tried to reform the criminal justice system, but now faces a recall election. Former SF DA Kamala Harris definitely picked a good decade to become Vice President instead.

Crosstown Trail

This new 17-mile path of pure greenery connects San Francisco from the southeast to the northwest via public parks, tiled stairways, community gardens and other patches of parkland. It can be walked, run or biked in either direction, and was built by a small and dedicated group of volunteers. Some of the parks linked up by this trail include John McLaren Park, the Presidio and Lands End.

More Ferries

Three new ferry routes have launched between San Francisco and Alameda, San Francisco and Oakland and the Ferry Building and Treasure Island. Some other routes that were temporarily shut down by the pandemic have returned cheaper than before, with more departures.

The Skyline Thickens

High-rise tech offices and luxury condos have lately been crowding the city skyline, and none more so than the city’s tallest building, the $1 billion Salesforce Tower. As if the thing wasn’t attention-grabbing enough, there’s a circular screen attached to the top nine stories involving 11,000 LED lights that broadcast images captured by cameras around the city. They call this monstrosity Day for Night

New LGBTIQ+ Cultural Districts

The nation’s first Transgender Cultural District is in the Tenderloin neighborhood, where transgender patrons of Compton’s Cafeteria protested police harassment back in 1966 – kicking off a nationwide movement for transgender civil rights. Meanwhile, on the other side of Market St, SoMa’s LGBTIQ+ Leather District has served as a refuge and community hub since the 1960s.

Pot Central

Now that marijuana is legal in California for medical and recreational use by adults aged 18 and up, you’ll probably get a whiff of California-grown ‘kind bud’ while you’re in San Francisco – even though it’s supposedly restricted to private, indoor use. Be mindful of neighbors and, for your own safety, buy marijuana only from licensed dispensaries – such as Apothecarium, Sparc or Mission Cannabis Club – or legit delivery services like HelloMD (www.hellomd.com) and Eaze (www.eaze.com).

Listen, Watch & Follow

For inspiration and up-to-date news, visit www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/san-francisco#latest-stories

SFGATE (www.sfgate.com) SF news and culture.

SFist (www.sfist.com) Digital news site.

FuncheapSF (www.sf.funcheap.com) City guide

The Bold Italic (www.thebolditalic.com) Online culture mag.

FAST FACTS

Food trend: Frozen to-go pizza

Number of 2021 Michelin-starred restaurants 34

Average home price $1,542,347

Pop 873,965

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Need to Know

For more information, see Survival Guide

Currency

US dollar ($)

Language

English

Visas

USA Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows nationals from 38 countries to enter the US without a visa. See the US Customs & Border Protection (https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors) website and register with the US Department of Homeland Security (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta).

Money

ATMs widely available; credit cards accepted at most hotels, stores and restaurants. Many farmers-market stalls and food trucks and some bars are cash only. Keep small bills for cafes, bars and hotel service, where cash tips are appreciated.

Cell Phones

Most US cell (mobile) phones besides the iPhone operate on CDMA – check with your provider.

Time

Pacific Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus eight hours)

Tourist Information

SF Visitor Information Center (www.sanfrancisco.travel/visitor-information-center) Muni Passports, activities deals, culture and event calendars.

Daily Costs

Budget: Less than $150

A Dorm bed: $33–60

A Burrito: $6–9

A Food-truck fare: $5–15

A Mission murals: free

A Live North Beach music, comedy or musical comedy: free–$15

A Castro Theatre show: $12

Midrange: $150–350

A Downtown hotel/home-share: $130–195

A Ferry Building meal: $20–45

A Mission share-plates meal: $25–50

A Symphony rush tickets: $25

A Muni Passport: $29

Top End: More than $350

A Boutique hotel: $195–390

A Chef’s tasting menu: $90–260

A City Pass (Muni, cable cars plus four attractions): $94

A Alcatraz night tour: $45.50

A Opera orchestra seats: $90–150

Advance Planning

Two months before Make reservations at Benu, Chez Panisse or French Laundry; start walking to build stamina for Coit Tower climbs and Mission bar crawls.

Three weeks before Book Alcatraz tour, Chinatown History Tour or Precita Eyes Mission Mural Tour.

One week before Search for tickets to American Conservatory Theater, SF Symphony, SF Opera and Oasis drag shows – and find out what else is on the following weekend.

Useful Websites

SFGate (www.sfgate.com) San Francisco Chronicle news and event listings.

48 Hills (https://48hills.org) Independent SF news and culture coverage.

7x7 (www.7x7.com) Trend-spotting SF restaurants, bars and style.

Craigslist (http://sfbay.craigslist.org) SF-based source for jobs, dates and free junk.

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/san-francisco) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveler forum and more.

WHEN TO GO

June and July bring fog and chilly 55°F (13°C) weather to SF; August, September and October are best for warm weather, street fairs and harvest cuisine.

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Arriving in San Francisco

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Fast rides to downtown SF on BART cost $9.65; ride-share $35 to $60, plus tip; door-to-door shuttle vans $19 to $25, plus tip; SamTrans express bus 398 to Temporary Transbay Terminal $2.50; or taxi $50 to $65, plus tip.

Oakland International Airport (OAK) Catch BART from the airport to downtown SF ($10.95); take a shared shuttle van to downtown SF for $25 to $47; or pay $40 to $80, plus tip, for a ride-share or taxi to SF destinations.

Temporary Transbay Terminal Greyhound buses arrive/depart downtown SF’s transit center.

Emeryville Amtrak station (EMY) Located outside Oakland, this depot serves West Coast and nationwide train routes; Amtrak runs free shuttles to/from San Francisco’s Ferry Building, Caltrain, Civic Center and Fisherman’s Wharf.

For much more on Arrival

Getting Around

San Franciscans mostly walk, bike, ride Muni or ride-share instead of taking a car or cab. Traffic is notoriously bad and parking is next to impossible. Avoid driving until it’s time to leave town. For Bay Area transit options, departures and arrivals, call 511 or check www.511.org. A Muni Street & Transit Map is available online.

Cable cars Frequent, slow and scenic, from 6am to 12:30am daily. Single rides cost $7; for frequent use, get a Muni Passport ($23 per day).

Muni streetcar and bus Reasonably fast, but schedules vary by line; infrequent after 9pm. Fares are $2.75 cash, or $2.50 with a reloadable Clipper card.

BART High-speed transit to East Bay, Mission St, SF airport and Millbrae, where it connects with Caltrain.

Taxi Fares are about $3 per mile; meters start at $3.50.

For much more on Getting Around

Sleeping

San Francisco hotel rates are among the world’s highest. Plan ahead to find a bargain

Accommodations Websites

BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com) Listings include local B&Bs and neighborhood inns.

HotelTonight (www.hoteltonight.com) SF-based hotel-search app offering last-minute discounted bookings.

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/san-francisco/hotels) Recommendations and bookings.

For much more on Sleeping

Perfect Days

Day One

North Beach & Chinatown

icon-icon-morning M Grab a leather strap on the Powell-Mason cable car and hold on: you’re in for hills and thrills. Hop off at Washington Square Park, where parrots squawk encouragement for your hike up to Coit Tower for 1930s murals celebrating SF workers and 360-degree panoramas. Take scenic Filbert Street Steps to the Embarcadero to wander across Fog Bridge and explore the freaky Tactile Dome at the Exploratorium.

itinerary-eating

5

Lunch Savor local oysters and Dungeness crab at the Ferry Building.

The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

icon-icon-afternoon R Catch your prebooked ferry to Alcatraz, where D-Block solitary raises goose bumps. Make your island-prison break, taking in Golden Gate Bridge views on the ferry ride back. Hop the Powell-Mason cable car to North Beach, to take in free-speech landmark City Lights Books and mingle with SF’s freest spirits at the Beat Museum.

itinerary-eating

5

Dinner Pasta at Cotogna or modern Chinese at Mister Jiu’s.

North Beach & Chinatown

icon-icon-evening N Since you just escaped prison, you’re tough enough to handle too-close-for-comfort comics at Cobb’s Comedy Club. Toast the wildest night in the west with potent Pisco sours at Comstock Saloon or Chinese mai tais at Li Po.

Top Itineraries

Day Two

Golden Gate Park & the Avenues

icon-icon-morning M Hop the N Judah to Golden Gate Park to see carnivorous plants enjoying insect breakfasts at the Conservatory of Flowers and spiky dahlias wet with dew in the Dahlia Garden. Follow Andy Goldsworthy’s artful sidewalk fault lines to find flawless Oceanic masks and tower-top views inside the de Young Museum, then take a walk on the wild side inside the rainforest dome of the California Academy of Sciences. Enjoy a moment of Zen with green tea at the Japanese Tea Garden and bliss out in the secret redwood grove at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

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5

Lunch Join surfers at Outerlands for grilled cheese and soup.

Golden Gate Park & the Avenues

icon-icon-afternoon R Beachcomb Ocean Beach up to the Beach Chalet to glimpse 1930s frescoes celebrating Golden Gate Park. Follow the Coastal Trail past Sutro Baths and Lands End for Golden Gate Bridge vistas and priceless paper artworks at the Legion of Honor.

itinerary-eating

5

Dinner Marvel at the elegance of each dish at Japanese Wako.

Nob Hill & Russian Hill

icon-icon-evening N Psychedelic posters and top acts make for rock-legendary nights at the Fillmore.

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Legion of Honor | BONDROCKETIMAGES / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Itineraries

Day Three

North Beach & Chinatown

icon-icon-morning M Take the California cable car to pagoda-topped Grant St for an eye-opening Red Blossom tea tasting and then a jaw-dropping history of Chinatown at the Chinese Historical Society of America. Wander temple-lined Waverly Place and artistically inclined Ross Alley to find your fortune at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company.

itinerary-eating

5

Lunch Hail dim-sum carts for dumplings at City View.

The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

icon-icon-afternoon R To cover the waterfront, take the Powell-Hyde cable car past zigzagging Lombard Street to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, where you can see what it was like to stow away on a schooner. Save the world from Space Invaders at Musée Mécanique or enter underwater stealth mode inside a real WWII submarine: the USS Pampanito. Watch sea lions cavort as the sun fades over Pier 39, then hop onto the vintage F-line streetcar.

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5

Dinner Inspired NorCal fare at Rich Table satisfies and surprises.

The Haight & Hayes Valley

icon-icon-evening N Browse Hayes Valley boutiques before your concert at the SF Symphony or SFJAZZ Center, and toast your good fortune at Smuggler’s Cove.

Top Itineraries

Day Four

The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

icon-icon-morning M Wander 24th St past mural-covered bodegas to Balmy Alley, where the Mission muralista movement began in the 1970s. Stop for a ‘secret breakfast’ (bourbon and cornflakes) ice-cream sundae at Humphry Slocombe, then head up Valencia to Ritual Coffee Roasters. Pause for pirate supplies and Fish Theater at 826 Valencia and duck into Clarion Alley, the Mission’s outdoor graffiti-art gallery. See San Francisco’s first building, Spanish adobe Mission Dolores, and visit the memorial to the Native Ohlone who built it.

itinerary-eating

5

Lunch Dine on just-baked wonders at Tartine Manufactory.

The Haight & Hayes Valley

icon-icon-afternoon R Spot Victorian ‘Painted Ladies’ around Alamo Square and browse NoPa boutiques. Stroll tree-lined Panhandle park to Stanyan, then window-shop your way down hippie-historic Haight Street past record stores, vintage emporiums, drag designers and Bound Together Anarchist Book Collective.

itinerary-eating

5

Dinner Early walk-ins may score sensational small plates at Frances.

The Castro

icon-icon-evening N Sing along to tunes pounded out on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ before shows at the deco-fabulous Castro Theatre. Club kids cruise over to 440 Castro, while straight-friendly crowds clink tiki drinks amid airplane wreckage at Last Rites.

Month By Month

TOP EVENTS

Pride Parade, June

Lunar New Year Parade, February

San Francisco International Film Festival, April

Bay to Breakers, May

Outside Lands, August

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, October

February

Lion dancing, freakishly warm days and alt-rock shows provide brilliant breaks in the February drizzle.

z Noise Pop

Winter blues, be gone: discover your new favorite indie band and catch rockumentary premieres and rockin’ pop-up events during the Noise Pop festival. Held the last week of February.

z Lunar New Year Parade

Chase the 200ft dragon, legions of lion dancers and frozen-smile runners-up for the Miss Chinatown title during Lunar New Year celebrations.

April

Reasonable room rates and weekends crammed with cultural events will put some spring in your step in San Francisco.

z Cherry Blossom Festival

Japantown blooms and booms in April when the Cherry Blossom Festival arrives with taiko drums and homegrown hip-hop, yakitori stalls and eye-popping anime cosplay.

3 San Francisco International Film Festival

The nation’s oldest film festival is still looking stellar, with hundreds of films and directors and plenty of star-studded premieres. Plan ahead for two weeks of screenings at Castro Theatre, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Roxie Cinema.

7 Art Market SF

Gallerists converge on Fort Mason to showcase contemporary art at this fair, and satellite art fairs pop up in motels and parking lots in the Marina.

May

As inland California warms up, fog settles over the Bay Area – but goose bumps haven’t stopped the naked joggers and conga lines yet.

2 Bay to Breakers

Run costumed or naked from Embarcadero to Ocean Beach for Bay to Breakers, while joggers dressed as salmon run upstream. SF’s outlandish race is held on the third Sunday in May.

z Carnaval

Brazilian, or just faking it with a wax and a tan? Shake your tail feathers in the Mission and conga through the inevitable fog during Carnaval; last weekend of May.

June

Since 1970 SF Pride has grown into a month-long extravaganza, with movie premieres and street parties culminating in the million-strong Pride Parade.

z Haight Ashbury Street Fair

Free music, tie-dye galore, and wafting pot smoke – the Summer of Love stages a comeback in the Haight every mid-June since 1977, when Harvey Milk helped make the first Haight Ashbury Street Fair happen.

3 Frameline Film Festival

Here, queer and ready for a premiere since 1976, San Francisco’s Frameline LGBTIQ+ Film Festival is the oldest, biggest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer film fest anywhere. Binge-watch up to 150 films from 40 countries over two weeks in late June.

z Pride Parade

Come out wherever you are: SF goes wild for LGBTIQ+ pride on the last Sunday of June, with 1.2-plus million people, seven stages, tons of glitter and oodles of thongs at the Pride Parade. Join crowds cheering for civil-rights pioneers, gays in uniform, proud families and rainbow-flag drag.

z SF Jazz Festival

Minds are blown by jazz greats and upstarts play career-defining sets during the SF Jazz Festival (www.sfjazz.org), featuring Grammy winners and crossover global talents; held at the SFJAZZ Center and other venues.

July

Wintry summer days make bundling up advisable, but don’t miss July barbecues and outdoor events, including charity hikes, free concerts and fireworks.

2 AIDS Walk

Until AIDS takes a hike, you can: the 10km fundraising AIDS Walk through Golden Gate Park benefits various AIDS organizations and has raised $90 million over the three decades it’s been running. Held the third Sunday in July.

z Stern Grove Festival

Music for free among the redwood and eucalyptus trees, every summer since 1938. Free concerts during the Stern Grove Festival include hip-hop, world music and jazz, but the biggest events are performances by SF Ballet, SF Symphony and SF Opera. Held 2pm Sundays July and August.

August

Finally the San Francisco fog rolls back and permits sunset views from Ocean Beach, just in time for one last glorious summer fling in Golden Gate Park and a harvest feast at Fort Mason.

3 Outside Lands

Golden Gate Park hosts major marquee acts and gleeful debauchery at Wine Lands, Beer Lands and star-chef food trucks during Outside Lands. It’s one of America’s top music and comedy festivals; tickets sell out months in advance.

5 Eat Drink SF

Loosen your belt to make room for three days of culinary events celebrating California’s bounty, starting with a taco-off and culminating in a Grand Tasting at Fort Mason.

September

Warm weather arrives at last and SF celebrates with more outrageous antics than usual, including public spankings and Shakespearean declarations of love.

z Folsom Street Fair

Bondage enthusiasts emerge from dungeons worldwide for San Francisco’s wildest street party on Folsom St, between 7th and 11th Sts. Enjoy leather, beer and public spankings for local charities the last Sunday of the month.

z SF Shakespeare Festival

The play’s the thing in the Presidio, outdoors and free of charge on sunny September weekends during the Shakespeare Festival. Kids’ summer workshops are also held for budding Bards, culminating in performances throughout the Bay Area.

October

Expect golden sunshine – this is San Francisco’s true summer – and free events for fans of music and literature.

z Litquake

Stranger-than-fiction literary events take place the second week of October during SF’s literary festival, with authors leading lunchtime story sessions and spilling trade secrets over drinks at the legendary Lit Crawl.

3 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

The West goes wild for free bluegrass and roots music at Golden Gate Park, with three days of concerts and seven stages of headliners. Held early October.

November

Party to wake the dead and save the planet as San Francisco celebrates its Mexican history and perennial craftiness.

z Día de los Muertos

Zombie brides and Aztec dancers in feather regalia party like there’s no tomorrow on Día de los Muertos, paying their respects to altars to the dead along the Mission processional route on November 2.

7 West Coast Craft

Get hip, handmade style without lifting a finger at West Coast Craft, featuring 100-plus indie makers just in time for the holidays.

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Street parade celebrating Carnaval | THETAHOEGUY / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

December

December days may be overcast, but nights sparkle with holiday lights and events citywide.

3 Kung Pao Kosher

A San Francisco holiday tradition to rival the San Francisco Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Kung Pao Kosher is a Jewish comedy marathon held in a Chinese restaurant at Christmas.

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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass | EDDIEHERNANDEZPHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

With Kids

San Francisco has the fewest kids per capita of any US city and, according to SPCA data, 5000 to 35,000 more dogs than children live here. Yet many locals make a living entertaining kids – from Pixar animators to video-game designers – and this town is full of attractions for young people.

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Carousel at the Children’s Creativity Museum | SABRINA DALBESIO / LONELY PLANET ©

Alcatraz & the Piers

Prison tours of Alcatraz fascinate children, while older kids enjoy the spooky evening tours. Hit the award-winning, hands-on exhibits at the Exploratorium to investigate the science of skateboarding and glow-in-the-dark animals, then free the world from Space Invaders at Musée Mécanique. Don’t be shy: bark back at the sea lions at Pier 39, and ride a unicorn on the pier’s vintage San Francisco carousel.

Freebies

See SF history in motion at the free Cable Car Museum, and take free mechanical pony rides and peek inside vintage stagecoaches at the Wells Fargo History Museum. Cool kids head to 24th St to see Balmy Alley murals and hang with skaters at Potrero del Sol/La Raza Skatepark. The free Randall Junior Museum introduces kids to urban wildlife, earth science and the fascinating Golden Gate model railroad. Daredevils can conquer the concrete Seward Street slides in the Castro, hillside concrete slides at the Golden Gate Park kids playground, and the Winfield Street slides in Bernal Heights. Lunchtime concerts are free at Old St Mary’s and, in summer, at Yerba Buena Gardens and Justin Herman Plaza ( map, C2; www.sfrecpark.org; cnr Market St & the Embarcadero; icon-busgif g2, 6, 7, 9, 14, 21, 31, 32, icon-bartgif ZEmbarcadero, icon-metrogif mEmbarcadero). Kids can graze on free samples at the Ferry Building, and score free toys in exchange for a bartered song, drawing or poem at 826 Valencia.

Nature Lovers

Penguins, buffalo and an albino alligator call Golden Gate Park home. Chase butterflies through the rainforest dome, pet starfish in the petting zoo and squeal in the Eel Forest at the California Academy of Sciences. Get a whiff of insect breath from carnivorous flowers at the Conservatory of Flowers – pee-eeww! – and brave the shark tunnel at Aquarium of the Bay. San Francisco Zoo is out of the way but worth the trip for monkeys, lemurs and giraffes.

NEED TO KNOW

Change facilities Best public facilities are at Westfield San Francisco Centre ( map Google map, C5; www.westfield.com/sanfrancisco; 865 Market St; icon-hoursgif h10am-8:30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm Sun; icon-familygif c; icon-tramgif jPowell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, icon-metrogif mPowell, icon-bartgif ZPowell) and San Francisco Main Library. Availability and cleanliness vary elsewhere.

Emergency care San Francisco General Hospital.

Strollers and car seats Bring your own or hire from a rental agency like Cloud of Goods ( icon-phonegif %415 634 9141; www.cloudofgoods.com; 100 Produce Ave).

Kiddie menus Mostly in cafes and downtown diners; call ahead about dietary restrictions. Most San Francisco kids eat from the same menu as their parents.

Cable Cars & Boats

When junior gearheads demand to know how cable cars work, the Cable Car Museum lets them glimpse the inner workings for themselves. Take a joyride on the Powell-Hyde cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf, where you can enter submarine stealth mode aboard the USS Pampanito and climb aboard schooners and steamships at the Maritime National Historical Park. Future sea captains will enjoy model-boat weekend regattas at Spreckels Lake in Golden Gate Park.

Warm Days

On sunny Sundays when Golden Gate Park is mostly closed to traffic, rent paddleboats at Stow Lake or strap on some rentals at Golden Gate Park Bike & Skate. Crissy Field and the southern end of Baker Beach are better bets for kid-friendly beaches than Ocean Beach, where fog and strong currents swiftly end sandcastle-building sessions; drownings happen at Ocean, and swimming and even wading is considered a risk; heed the signs and watch your children carefully. Hit Chinatown for teen-led Chinatown Alleyway Tours, and cookies at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company.

Museums & Interactive Activities

The Children’s Creativity Museum allows future tech moguls to design their own video games and animations, while the Exploratorium has interactive displays that let kids send fog signals and figure out optical illusions for themselves. At the Walt Disney Family Museum, kids can get to know their favorite characters better – and find out about the animators who brought them to life. Kids are strongly encouraged to explore art in San Francisco, with free admission for those aged 12 and under at the Asian Art Museum, SFMOMA, Legion of Honor, de Young Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora and Contemporary Jewish Museum. To make your own hands-on fun, hit Paxton Gate kids’ store for shadow puppets and organic play dough.

Playgrounds

Golden Gate Park Swings, monkey bars, play castles with slides, hillside slides and a vintage carousel.

Dolores Park Jungle gym, Mayan pyramid and picnic tables.

Yerba Buena Gardens Grassy downtown playground surrounded by museums, cinemas and kid-friendly dining.

Huntington Park Top-end playground in ritzy hilltop park.

Portsmouth Square Chinatown’s outdoor playroom.

Old St Mary’s Square Skateboarders and play equipment.

Under the Radar

San Francisco has always been a huge draw for tourists. They tend to congregate around attractions like Lombard St, Fisherman’s Wharf and Alamo Square Park. Don’t be one of those people! There’s so much more to see and by exploring other areas you’ll help build sustainable tourism.

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Downtown San Francisco from Twin Peaks | ESB PROFESSIONAL/SHUTTERSTOCK©

Farther-flung Neighborhoods

Staying in lesser-explored neighborhoods gives you a chance to participate in local life, support the city’s remaining small businesses and broaden your perspective on San Francisco.

Instead of booking a costly downtown chain hotel, check out the apartment shares out on the Avenues near Golden Gate Park. The further out you go, the more like old San Francisco it feels, and on weekends you can follow the surfers and cyclists out to Ocean Beach and the Great Highway, which becomes pedestrian-only.

Another sleeper hood is Japantown, which has distinctive boutique hotels, great shopping and myriad restaurant choices. If you’d rather stay somewhere with less fog and more sunshine, consider the up-and-coming Dogpatch neighborhood, where you can pop in and out of avant-garde galleries and wine bars.

Fun Alternatives

San Francisco is famous for its hills, but lesser-known for the secret stairways that climb them. The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps ( map Google map; www.16thavenuetiledsteps.com; 1700 16th Ave, cnr Moraga St; icon-hoursgif hsunrise-sunset; icon-busgif g66) on the western side of Twin Peaks include 163 mosaic-tiled steps created by artists and 300 community members. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with jaw-dropping city views.

Independent movie theaters are barely hanging in, but San Francisco is still home to a few notable ones. Consider catching an old-timey flick at the Roxie Cinema ( icon-phonegif %415-863-1087; www.roxie.com; 3117 16th St; regular screening $12-13, matinee $10; icon-busgif g14, 22, 33, 49, icon-bartgif Z16th St Mission), or planning your visit to coincide with a film festival at the Balboa Theatre ( icon-phonegif %415-221-8184; www.balboamovies.com; 3630 Balboa St; adult/child $12.50/10, matinees $10; icon-busgif g5, 18, 31, 38).

5 Dining Out

Other US cities boast bigger monuments, but San Francisco packs more flavor. Chef Alice Waters set the Bay Area standard for organic, sustainable, seasonal food back in 1971 at Chez Panisse, and today you’ll find California’s pasture-raised meats and organic produce proudly featured on the Bay Area’s trend-setting, cross-cultural menus. Congratulations: you couldn’t have chosen a better time or place for dinner.

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HOANG LIEN PHAM / GETTY IMAGES ©

Farmers Markets

NorCal idealists who headed back to the land in the 1970s started the nation’s organic-farming movement. Today the local bounty can be sampled across SF, the US city with the most farmers markets per capita.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Star chefs, heirloom ingredients, and food trucks at weekends.

Mission Community Market Nonprofit, neighborhood-run market with 30 local vendors offering farm-fresh ingredients and artisan-food meals.

Heart of the City Farmers Market Low-cost, farmer-run market bringing healthy, fresh food to the inner city, including California-grown produce and mom-and-pop food trucks.

Alemany Farmers Market (http://sfgsa.org; 100 Alemany Blvd; icon-hoursgif hdawn-dusk Sat) Operating since 1943, California’s first farmers market offers bargain California-grown produce and ready-to-eat artisan food.

Castro Farmers Market Local produce and artisan foods at moderate prices, plus charmingly offbeat folk-music groups.

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Berkeley’s Chez Panisse | GADO IMEGES / GETTY IMAGES ©

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