“I hope I go to Heaven, and when I do, I’m going to do what every San Franciscan does when he gets there. He looks around and says, ‘It ain’t bad, but it ain’t San Francisco.'”
Every time we get to look at trips to San Francisco, humorist and journalist Herb Caen’s words come back to us. We have created many itineraries, but it is in the City by the Bay that days simply do not feel enough. The culture is immense, perhaps because there has been so much influence from the influx of people.
What made us fall in love with San Francisco was not the organization; of course, for a city, it has been planned to serve the people. It was the culture that had us hooked from the start. Considering its counterculture history, you would think twice before recognizing it as a former colonial outpost. No wonder the things to do in San Francisco are a cocktail of sorts.
The city provides a space for everyone – misfit or not, people live their lives to the fullest. Perchance, that’s why people often find themselves on their way to San Francisco.
The forty-niners of 1849 uprooted most of the Native Californians with the start of the Gold Rush and fortified America’s status in capitalism. A century later, capitalism was met the counterculture of the Beat Generation. This cultural shift brought about most of the Bohemian and hippie culture that you still see in the region. It has been burned down, shaken apart, and rebuilt into the beautiful city that we see now.
If you’re in to visit the Golden City, we know just what to do in San Francisco for a day, or two, or three.
Day 1 in San Francisco
Highlight- Places to Visit –
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Musee Mecanique
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Museum
- Lombard Street
- Coit Tower
- Alcatraz Island
San Francisco is a city of stories, and the Day One tour is exactly about that. We start with breakfast at one of Pier 39’s popular cafes – Eagle Cafe. The cafe is older than Fisherman’s Wharf’s career as a tourist spot. The breakfast sandwiches and the chorizo burrito are especially amazing. The prices are very steep too, for just a few bucks you could help yourself to a fulfilling meal.
When you exit the cafe, a strong whiff will engulf you – the sea lions must be nearby. You can go and catch a sight at the bay nearby. But that isn’t all of the things you can do at Fisherman’s Wharf during a San Francisco in A Day itinerary. Head to Ghirardelli Square, which has this chocolate store that is known to give out free samples. From there, head to the Beach Street, which has this amazing vibrant set of staircases. It is one of the most viral Instagram locations in Fisherman’s Wharf – great for a photo-op.
Vistas aside, the area also has an amazing museum – Musée Mecanique. It is a bit underrated compared to every other site you’d visit in San Francisco. You will find coin-operated arcade machines, dioramas, musical instruments, fortune tellers, etc. You only need 25 cents for most of the games. That also means that you’ll need cash to maneuver around the museum.
The next stop would be the SF Maritime National Historical Park, which has a busy event calendar as any. Perhaps the most important excursion at the Park is the Mare Island Chantey Sing. People gather in groups and sing old famous Maritime songs and folk ballads together.
From here, you must take the route to your lunch place, which, we reckon is not the time for yet, but the path itself is a tourist attraction. Take the Lombard Street from the Park towards the Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill. You might recognize the street from the many chase movies that have been filmed en route. Lombard is easily the crookedest street in the world – a backdrop to the scenes of movies like Ant Man & The Wasp, What’s UP Doc?, and more. You don’t really need to pause and roam around; at pedestrian level, you’ll barely be able to notice any difference. But the turns are steep and it makes for a great car ride. Get off near the Filbert Street Stairs to get to the Coit Tower. The base has really pretty views but the Observator Deck is where the true magic is. You get a complete 360° view of the skyline, the Bay, the Bridge, and the Island. The interior area is full of murals. These were commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project to provide employment during the Depression Era.
Fun Fact- The murals are true frescoes. This means that the paint was applied on wet lime plaster, which meant that the paint dried with the plaster itself. This caused the pigment to become a permanent part of the wall – also why the colour still remains vibrant to this day.
From there move towards China Town. The SF Chinatown is crazy amazing- to say the very least. It’s of course the oldest one, and has a tumultuous history as well. Post the 1906 tremors, Chinatown was supposed to be relocated to a “less central area”. The people protested and hence came the Sino-American architecture that we see now. Eating places are abundant but our favorite is the Begoni Bistro for good, authentic dimsums. We also love the Garden Restaurant for a good Cantonese lunch.
Now we may not have listed Sam Wo as our go-to for lunch (the food is good, not the best, plus it is heavily crowded), but you should still visit for its history. The Cantonese restaurant was famous for its late night meals – which attracted a lot of writers of the Beat Generation. You’d often find the likes of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac picking a late meal. Even that popularity was surpassed by Edsel Ford Fong, the “rudest waiter in the world”. If you thought Gordon Ramsay is wild, wait for Fong – he would constantly berate his customers, change orders at his whim. Somehow that worked for the restaurant, and more and more people poured in to get insulted.
This already has been a hefty day, and for sunset, our plans are no less tiring. We’d definitely suggest taking a breather at your hotel, freshen up, and rest. The rest would sooner end before sunset for a trip to the famous Alcatraz Island that houses the titular prison- Alcatraz.
You must have heard of Alcatraz Island – even if not, bits and pieces of it appear throughout pop culture. Azkaban, which first appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, was based entirely in Alcatraz. At one point, this former Federal Prison also had Al Capone imprisoned.
All that lore aside, Alcatraz has stunning views of sunset. Many of the tours space themselves to arrange views of the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge from the island. You’ll need to travel to Pier 33, from where boats and ships will collect you. The best way to travel would be to simply book a Sunset Cruise to Alcatraz Island.
Since this is the last adventure of the day you’ll take, you’ll need to have your dinner plans figured out. The Island does not have any restaurants, per se, unless you’re on an inclusive cruise that offers dinner. At Pier 33, however, the dining options are better. You can visit Scoma’s; it has been around for 60 years now, and the food is delectable. The entire menu bases itself on pier-to-plate seafood. The Lazy Man’s Cioppino is their specialty. The crab, clams, and shrimp stew will fill your palette right up.
Day 2- The Culture Of SF
Highlights-
- Painted Ladies
- Japantown
- Opera Plaza
- Haight- Ashbury
- Mission District
- Golden Gate Park
God knows the first day was a packed itinerary, so for Day 2, we decided to go light on places. You can rest and move at a slow pace and revel more of what a San Franciscan observes in their daily life.
It did not take us long to find Painted Ladies- we were looking for places to eat in Japantown, when Maps showed us this highly popular local spot to hang. Most people go at sunset to just chill with their friends, and we know, the sight is a pure marvel. Over the years it became more mainstream and sunsets did not have a place for us empty enough.
Which is why, we have decided to put it at the start of our list. It’s rarely crowded – with a bunch of dogwalkers and joggers scattered around Alamo Square Park. It was 1978, when Pomada and Larsen coined this term to stand for the row of Victorian and Edwardian houses. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the houses are Queen Anne style. Be as it may, the row of houses is one of the most photographed units ever.
Hang out at the tables, maybe grab a sandwich from Lucinda’s for a little picnic at Alamo Square Park of your own. A perfect slow start to the day.
The next stop is perhaps one of our personal favorite things to do in San Francisco – the magical Opera Plaza. If you have heard of the area, you know how big it is for connoisseurs of Performing Arts. For the unversed, the area is a huge hub for arts, literature, and cinema. So much are we in love with this place that if we were in for a one day trip to San Francisco, a good chunk would go to this Plaza alone.
The Landmark Theatre at Opera Plaza is probably one of the best cinematic experiences you’ll ever have. Most moves that are screened are independent, foreign, and indie. You can go for the $5 USD Secret Movie screening. Movies here are screened before they are officially released to the world.
One of the most famous spots of the area was the A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books. It closed, but in its stead, Books Inc. has opened. It is easily one of the most loved places for independent book sellers.
Post your visit at the Opera Plaza, you can take a trip to Japantown or Haight Ashbury. Japantown is one of the richest neighbourhoods historically, so much so that it is one of the last three remaining Japantowns in the USA. The Peace Pagoda in the centre has 100 foot tall tiers of five that was gifted to SF by sister-city Osaka. It was intended to establish peace post the WWII implications.
Japantown is unlike any place you’ll visit. There’s the Bridge of Books where you can buy and resell huge collections of Japanese literature. Even the traditional bath houses make for a great trip. One thing that stuck us as peculiar was the bunch of Origami Fountains. The fountains might be made with concrete but the Ruth Asawa designs look more like origami.
Should you be traveling in April, you must make time for the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. The entire festival talks about everything Japanese. Ancient Japanese swords, Japanese Games Go, teriyaki burgers, imagawayaki, you name it, the festival will have it. Especially if you are a dog lover roaming around in San Francisco, you’ll love the Shiba and Akita dog adoption centre.
Haight Ashbury is a great hub for cultural immersion, too. Photo ops are endless but the hub of Hippie culture is what strikes the most. Even since the 1967 Summer of Love, Haight- Ashbury has been popular for its communal feeling and psychedelic influence. At the intersection itself, you’ll find vintage clothing stores, thrift stores, and record shops. Amoeba Music is especially popular in the area as one of the world’s largest independent record stores. If you are big on vinyl records, it’s the absolute heaven.
Surely if you were in the 1890s, you’d have loved The “Chutes” Amusement Park. The water slides were pioneering and completely adventurous. Even though it has closed, the area has no less of an attraction. No one plans a trip to H-A and does not go to the Love on Haight. The hand tie-dye emporium is iconic. It is, in fact, called the Sistine Chapel of tie-dye, and the sobriquet fits. The psychedelic fashion is rampant and the entire network functions on ethical manufacturing. Visitors still get free glitter on visits. One of the most upbeat shopping experiences you’ll ever have.
For lunch you can visit the Udon Mugizo in Japantown- you’d never have had better hand pulled noodles anywhere! Even Hikari’s sushi trains are delectable. If not Japantown, you can also visit Mission District for you lunch. This area is more of hub for Latino culture and it reflects on its food and streets, particularly the 24th Street Corridor. We’d definitely go for the classic Carne Asada Mission Burritos at La Taqueria. It’s one moment. Cancun’s tacos and tostada de ceviche are pretty delicious too; you won’t regret.
You’re already in the area; you must head towards the Golden Gate Park. Everybody knows how big it is and how many spots it houses in its vicinity. It is almost hard to imagine that the 1000 acres of green was once just desert dunes. William Hammond Hall and John McLaren created the lush with 150,000 trees that you see now
Most visitors head to the Music Concourse (sometimes with a hiatus at the de Young Museum and Academy of Sciences or the Haight Street entrance. Either way, it will always be fairly close to every location you’re at.
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