Top tips for your next trip to San Francisco
Expertly navigate your San Francisco vacation using this helpful guide to the Golden City. | By Paul Oswell | September 3, 2021 (Updated April 12, 2024)
The resplendent Golden Gate Bridge is the quintessential image of San Francisco. But a barrage of complementary styles make up this city, from the gleaming futuristic steel and glass to the Victorian mansions to the red and gold pagodas. Cable cars, streetcars and ferries transport locals and visitors, and you’ll hear a dozen languages throughout the character-rich neighborhoods, from North Beach to Mission to Chinatown.
World-class cultural institutions such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and legendary locations like Alcatraz and Coit Tower are there to be explored, as is the city’s incredibly diverse culinary scene. The surrounding wine country and tech of Silicon Valley also influence the city’s attractions.
Here are our top suggestions for making the most out of your trip to The Golden City.
Take it all in ... outside
San Francisco contains multitudes, from its stretch of Pacific coastline, recognizable landmarks and tech offices, and is rightly one of the country’s most popular vacation spots. Despite a seasonally unpredictable climate, San Francisco celebrates the outdoor life. Golden Gate Park is one of the largest civic green spaces in the country, and one of the most botanically diverse. The Presidio has woods, walking trails and views out over the Bay. Ocean Beach, China Beach and East Beach deliver equally dramatic views and accessible sands. Land’s End and Mount Tamalpais are peppered with hiking trails, for when the city’s urban hills have been conquered.
Explore diverse neighborhoods
San Francisco is one of the most inclusive cities in the country. The Tenderloin and Castro districts are hubs for LGBTQ+ travelers, and the SF LGBT Center is a great place to take workshops, listen to poetry slams and more. Visit the Museum of the African Diaspora and African American Art & Cultural Center to see Black art and performances, from open mic nights and concerts to permanent and rotating art exhibits. Another cultural enclave: San Francisco’s Chinatown. It’s the largest in the country, and you could spend entire days wandering and eating authentic dishes, like salt-and-pepper squid, stir-fried noodles and steamed dumplings. Mission Dolores is the oldest building in the city (dating back to the 18th century) and its adobe walls and red roof tiles set the standard for the statewide Mission style. The Jackson Square neighborhood largely dates back to the mid-late 1800s, while Nob Hill is a legacy of railway barons’ affluence and Haight-Ashbury defined the 1960s.
Getting around town
The San Francisco Bay Area is served by three international airports, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) connects all three airports to downtown stations. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is 13 miles (31 kilometers) south of the city, and is one of the busiest airports, but very efficient. Once you’re in the city, there are many ways to get around, including cable cars and streetcars, which is what most people picture when they imagine themselves getting around San Francisco. However, cable cars can get crowded, so you might want to consider other modes of transport, too. There are passenger ferries at Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building and BART operates six routes to 46 stations and issues reloadable, reusable cards. San Francisco is also a bike-friendly city — for routes and information, check out the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.
From the Golden Gate Bridge views to the beaches to the gilded decorations of Chinatown, San Francisco really is a golden city. You’ll find it welcoming no matter what your aesthetic, social or scenic tastes, and with wine country and incredibly fresh produce just beyond the city limits, the culinary pleasures are beyond compare. Come with an open mind and a plan to make the most of the great outdoors and you’ll leave with the most magical memories you could wish for.
Paul Oswell is a British award-winning journalist and published travel author based in New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States. His books include Bucket List North America and The Great American Road Trip, as well as New Orleans' Historic Hotels. He has also been an editor of and contributor to several guide books/editions published by Dorling Kindersley (owned by Penguin), including New Orleans, Florida, Orlando, Los Angeles, California and The United States. His work has appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure (both of which he has written multiple online travel guides for) and The Guardian, as well as dozens of international newspaper and magazine titles, and inflight magazines for major airlines.
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