Things To Do

San Francisco is famous for diversity, culture, music, and breathtaking views to be seen through the entire city.  It is one of the most eclectic cities to see, and you can be sure that you will find lots of unique things to do here!

 

MuseumS

  • Exploratorium:  Museum of science, art, and human perception
  • Asian Art Museum
  • California Academy of Sciences:  A really cool natural science phenomenon
  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • San Francisco Art Institute
  • Balmy Alley
  • GLBT History Museum: America's first gay-history museum
  • Legion of Honor
  • Musée Mécanique
  • Maritime Museum
  • MH de Young Museum
  • Beat Museum
  • Walt Disney Family Museum
  • Cable Car Museum:  Great for kids
  • Galeria de la Raza

Landmarks

  • Golden Gate Bridge
  • Alcatraz:  Historic jail that was home to some of the worst criminals. Free to go in, just pay for the boat there
  • Mission Dolores
  • The Mission:  Great district to hang out in.  Amazing ethnic food, places to drink, hang, etc.
  • Transamerica Pyramid & Redwood Park
  • Union Square
  • Fisherman's Wharf
  • Pier 39
  • Ferry Building:  You can find great farmer's markets here through the week
  • Old St. Mary's Cathedral & Square
  • Columbus Tower
  • Bohemian Club
  • Chinatown and Chinatown Gate
  • Japantown
  • Coit Tower:  Amazing views of the city from here and costs about $8 to go up
  • Lombard Street:  The famous winding road that gives a great view of the city from the top
  • Ghirardelli Square
  • Bay Bridge
  • Palace of Fine Arts:  Absolutely beautiful outdoor areas to photograph or picnic
  • Harvey Milk Plaza
  • The Painted Ladies:  Aka the "Full House" houses
  • Hayes Valley
  • Hyde Street Pier
  • The Castro:  SF's LGBT area and one of the best neighborhoods to go out and eat/play

Parks and Nature

  • Golden Gate Park:  Home to many sights, museums, and gardens. Bigger than Central Park!
  • Crissy Field:  Many spots to eat, job, lay out, etc. 
  • Baker Beach:  Gorgeous views of the bridge from here
  • Sutro Baths
  • Alamo Square Park:  Home of the Painted Ladies
  • Dolores Park
  • Yerba Buena Gardens
  • San Francisco Zoo
  • San Francisco Botanical Garden
  • Buena Vista Park
  • Japanese Tea Garden
  • Conservatory of Flowers
  • Ina Coolbrith Park
  • Lincoln Park
  • Ocean Beach
  • Presidio:  Wonderful place to hang out and have a picnic, especially around the fall time

Sports

  • Levi's Stadium:  Home to the San Francisco 49ers
  • AT&T Park:  Home to the San Francisco Giants
  • Oracle Arena:  Home to the Golden State Warriors
  • O.co Coliseum:  Home to the Oakland Raiders and Oakland Athletics
  • SAP Center at San Jose:  Home to the San Jose Sharks
  • Avaya Stadium:  Home to the San Jose Earthquakes

Entertainment

  • Concerts:  So much ranging from San Francisco Symphony (mostly Sept-May), Stern Grove Festival (continual free summer music festival), SFJAZZ Center, Noise Pop Festival, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco Jazz Festival (starts in October), How Weird Street Faire, and many more eclectic types of offerings
  • Dance:  San Francisco has an outstanding dance scene ranging from ballet to alternative-dance--San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House (an incredibly elegant venue), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, along with many other unique dance companies (Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Oberlin Dance Collective, Smuin Ballet/SF, Robert Moses' Kin Dance Company, RAWdance Concept Series, Joe Goode Performance Group, etc.)
  • Festivals:  Besides the summer concert festivals, there are a few other festivals that take place through the year including San Francisco Shakespeare Festival (takes place in September in the Presidio), San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest, and the Ethnic Dance Festival
  • Theatre:  Teatro ZinZanni, American Conservatory Theatre, ODC Theater, Curran Theater, Exit Theatre (ideal for those who enjoy experimental theater), Golden Gate Theater, and more...
  • San Francisco Opera
  • Film:  Castro Theatre (iconic SF theatre with beautiful art-deco style), Roxie Cinema, Balboa Theatre, Embarcadero Center Cinemas, Film Night in the Park (FREE), and SF International Film Festival (along with many other film festivals through the year) are all great places to catch films through the city
  • Tour Alcatraz
  • Take a Ferry/Harbor Tour:  Or just take a ferry to one of the surrounding cities like Sausalito
  • Ride a Cable Car
  • Check out street art in The Mission
  • Walk through Hayes Valley or The Castro
  • Nightlife:  The Mission and The Castro (LGBT scene is big here) are two of the best neighborhoods for nightlife, but there are plenty of other great places through the city as well. North Beach has great family-friendly dining spots, as well as some historic bars and comedy clubs.  SoMa is another great area to find amazing food and drink when you want to head out for the night.  Hayes Valley also has a lot of great bars/lounges where you can sip on some signature cocktails.

Shopping

  • Union Square is where you will find your typical department/big name stores
  • The Lower Haight and The Mission have great thrift shops and other inexpensive boutiques (also a fabulous place to browse for unique, eclectic things)
  • Hayes Valley (which has been on the rise in recent years) has a great area of local boutiques and other great shops
  • San Francisco is famous for some of their bookstores and City Lights is a great one to stop in at
  • Pick up unique Asian treasures in Chinatown or Japantown
  • The Ferry Building is known for the farmer's markets
  • Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39, and Fisherman's Wharf are places to find some touristy things
  • Jackson Square is where you can go to find top names in fine art and furniture
  • Fillmore Street has some of the best boutique shops in the city and is a great area to roam around
  • Haight Street is another great shopping area for the unique and trendy