Best Things to Do in San Francisco

This new visitor's center is worth the drive or bus fare to the end of Geary Boulevard. Besides framing unforgettable views of the Pacific Ocean, the center offers great gifts and mementos, as well as a small but impressive cafe stocked by local produce. If the wind, fog and rain happen to be working against you on your trip, head to Lands End Visitor's Center for all the beautiful glory of the Pacific and no take-home sniffles or flu. If you work up an appetite after your walk, Louis' Restaurant just down the street offers a comfort-food menu with seating that will have your perched right over the Pacific.

Installed as part of Golden Gate Park's 150th anniversary celebration in 2020, SkyStar Wheel spins and towers 150 feet tall over Golden Gate Park's Music Concourse, offering breathtaking views from downtown San Francisco all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The rides last between 9-12 minutes, and tickets range from General Admission ($18); Seniors & children ($12); and children age 2 and under ride free. Due to its central location in Golden Gate Park, the SkyStar Wheel offers a unique vantage of all of San Francisco. And with all of Golden Gate Park spread underneath your feet, it's easy to plan a complete San Francisco day starting with a whirl around the SkyStar Wheel.

We're starting off this list with the Ferry Building because, whether by boat, car, bus, trolley or foot, all points lead from the San Francisco Ferry Building. Whether you want to hike the hills of North Beach, push through the bustle of Chinatown, peruse gift shops on Nob Hill, or walk the Embarcadero all the way to Fisherman's Wharf, it's hard to find a better place to start than the Ferry Building. And it's not just a starting point - the Ferry Building has been redesigned to include some wonderful artisan shops, perfect spots for grabbing that something special to bring back home.

Like the cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf is quintessential San Francisco. It's often the first destination for tourists, and its particular brand of energy mixes newcomer excitement, retail kitsch, strong maritime heritage and a vibrant West Coast welcome. Fisherman's Wharf invites passers-by to sample Dungeness crab and clam chowder, to cruise the Bay, to pick up requisite souvenir t-shirts, and - best of all - to soak in the temperate sunshine or marvel at the fog as it rolls in across the water. If you happen to be in town on July Fourth, it's a popular place to view the annual fireworks show.

It's hard to imagine a trip to San Francisco without a Chinatown visit. Whether you make the grand entrance into Chinatown beneath the dramatic portal at Grant Avenue and Bush Street, or perhaps just happen upon the district while making your way about San Francisco, you can't help but be impressed by this city-within-a-city. Along its streets, exotic ingredients are hawked, silks and jade are proffered, and colorful mementos are sold to tourists. If you happen to be planning a visit in February, do your best to catch the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown, one of the largest of its kind in the world outside of China itself.

Considered the largest cultivated urban park in the country, this incredible haven boasts more than 1000 acres of gardens, meadows and woodlands. The park stretches three miles inland from the Bay, and within its bounds are the de Young Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden, Strybing Arboretum, the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers and 27 miles of footpaths. Despite the beauty of its seemingly natural surroundings, the park is entirely man-made. Visitors can spend several days just exploring this rich and diverse park, as well as the Ninth and Irving neighborhood shops and eateries that are very close by.

If you need a break from concrete during your walk downtown, head to the lush gardens of the Salesforce Park, a true urban oasis. Seventy feet above the Grand Hall, the Park runs the entire length of the Transit Center's nearly four-block stretch. Home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants arranged in 13 different botanical feature areas, the newest public park in the San Francisco Bay Area is for the benefit and enjoyment of all. Whether it's for a leisurely lap around the grounds to enjoy outstanding views of the City, or to grab a bench and enjoy lunch, Salesforce Park is a top San Francisco attraction.

Once just an old prison, Alcatraz is enjoying a makeover as a native plant conservatory and historical "must-see." During Alcatraz's 34 years as a prison, most of its inmates were simply high-risk escapees and troublemakers. Still, the prison plays strongly in national memory thanks to infamous residents like Al "Scarface" Capone and Robert "Birdman" Stroud. Tours of the island focus largely on the desolate prison itself, including cell blocks, the cafeteria and the prison yard. If you plan well in advance, you might get a spot on the super popular night tour of Alcatraz. Even if you're not planning on the night tour, get your tickets to this popular tourist destination well ahead of time.

One of the world's most famous bridges, the Golden Gate spans 6450 feet and links San Francisco to Marin County. Completed in 1937 at a cost of $35 million, the "Bridge That Could Not Be Built" is now a landmark visible from many points around the Bay. Besides the new visitor's center on the south side of the bridge, the bike lanes on the west side of the bridge have been widened. The best way to see the bridge is on foot, so put some time aside to walk across the 1.7-mile span. Even if you only make it half-way, the views will be well worth it.

With Golden Gate Park cutting almost halfway through the entire City, and numerous other green spaces dotted throughout, San Francisco is known for its parks. The newest park, San Francisco Tunnels Tops, is the culmination of a $118 million dollar vision to connect the scenic greenery of the Presidio hills to the stunning vistas of San Francisco Bay. The result is a space filled with hidden surprises like campfire circles to jaw-dropping vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. One of the most kid-friendly areas in San Francisco, Tunnel Tops features huge play structures made from fallen tree trunks and boulders, as well as an indoor Field Station for families if the outside weather gets rough. Be sure to add this latest San Francisco gem to your travel plans!