San Francisco attractions

There is much to say about this city. Talking from my own experience, San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States at the moment. An old town with neighborhoods full of buildings and little colorful houses with a special architecture, dating from the start of the century or even older.

A large part of the city was burnt in the beginning of the 20th century and has since been reconstructed. All the flat land is artificial, San Francisco’s natural land is curved.

The port, also known as Fisherman’s Wharf is the most popular area of the city. There are many cruise ships, sailing boats taking tourists on a tour of the bay under the Golden Gate bridge, ferries taking tourists to the famous Alcatraz. Fisherman’s Wharf also houses many seafood restaurants, funky shops such as one dedicated to lefties, souvenir stores, quaint cafes. Another place to visit in the area is Pier 39, where you can find the Aquarium of the Bay and other fun activities, such as looking at the sea lions that are always up to make friends with the tourists or be lazy under the sun.

The boat trips to Alcatraz or the trip around the bay area, taking you under the Golden Gate bridge can

last up to 3 hours. San Francisco’s weather is ever-changing and the ocean currents can be strong so make sure to bring layers on the boat and to keep your hat in a safe place during the ride! I was very happy I didn’t bring mine! Regarding the Alcatraz visits, you should book the tickets in advance if you’re visiting during the summer. It is very likely you won’t be able to find tickets in time for your trip while you’re there so if Alcatraz is a must on your to-do list, make sure to secure a place in advance.

Near Fisherman’s Wharf, there is the Aquatic Park, a little outdoor museum, on the water, where you can find historical ships anchored at the pier, sailing ships dating from the 1800s and many other types including the USS Jeremiah O’Brien, a naval ship from the Second World War. Another one is USS Pampanito, a submarine that also participated at the conflagration.

Another attraction close to Fisherman’s Wharf is the Exploratorium. A wonderful and interactive science museum, which is absolutely fascinating not only for kids but for the whole family, for young students, for the older visitors too. You can spend hours in there without getting bored, learning about physics, chemistry, biology, sociology, through many interactive activities spread throughout the museum. I definitely recommend a visit here.

Golden Gate, the famous San Francisco bridge, can be visited by walking, by car, or seen from many critical points of the city, such as Baker Beach or from the Presidio neighborhood where the Walt Disney museum can be found. If you decide to take a walk on the bridge, make sure to bring layers and be prepared for a long walk. If you want to take a picture with the bridge, choose a sunny day because the fog can easily ruin your plans! Talking about the Walt Disney museum, it’s a very interesting place to visit, containing many details of Disney’s life, some of his personal items, his work in progress for Disneyland and all his cinematographic projects. You might think it is more interesting for kids but actually adults can find many intriguing things in there too.

A short drive away there is Ghirardelli Square, a shopping center, and close to that you can find the Cartoon Museum. If you are interested in comic books, animation and everything in between, it’s an amazing place to visit! Kid-friendly and always hosting some new exciting exhibitions. Check out their website for more details! From Ghiradelli Square you can take a cable car, the famous tram that appears in all movies with San Francisco. You will be taken on a short trip to Hyde Street, one of the streets that has an impressive degree of inclination, going up to Russian Hill.

You can get off the cable car and start walking on Lombard Street, the famous curved street of the city. If you walk down from there you will reach Columbus Avenue, where you can dine at one of the many restaurants with traditional American but also international cuisine. Continuing on that road you will reach ChinaTown, hosting the largest Chinese community outside of China. Claimed by some to be the best ChinaTown in the country, it actually is its own little town full of Chinese restaurants, stores, cafes, celebrations and more. The Chinese community in SF is also the oldest Chinese community in the USA. You can book a food tour for China Town or Little Italy with locals taking you around to try delicacies and you even have the opportunity to meet with the chefs of the restaurants.

One of the highlights of my trip in San Francisco was the sailing trip with the company Adventure Cat. The people on the ship were amazing, very welcoming and created a lovely atmosphere. They do not provide an audio tour on the ship of the places they sail around, but they encourage visitors to ask the crew about any curiosities they might have, and they are indeed very responsive about that. There is music playing the whole time, contributing to the atmosphere, the bar has great prices and the snacks are 2$ each, so very accessible prices. There are nets on the front of the boat that you can lay down on and relax, or you can go to the front of the boat taking the wind in and admiring the view. There is also covered seating on the boat and a working toilet. The most amazing experience, especially for the little ones, is the time when the crew lets the people on board to sail the boat by themselves for a little while. That is truly exciting and an experience worth having.

Lastly, the best way to get a taste of the city and see the main attractions in a short amount of time or simply get an idea of what San Francisco is and learn about its history, is take a tour with an electric car company. I was in a Tuk Tuk for 2 hours and a half. The Tuk Tuk is a colorful little electric car, that can hold up to 4 passengers. It provides a private tour of the city. In 2 hours and a half, we passed through the main attractions of the city (listed above) and many more. The driver, who is also the tour guide gave us much knowledge about the places we passed and was super friendly and funny.

The experience of visiting San Francisco was amazing. Thank you San Francisco Travel Association for sponsoring this trip, giving us access to many of the hottest attractions of the city. You can buy a travel package with their company and as you might have learned from the article, it is a bargain for how much they offer! I will for sure return to San Francisco, it’s an amazing city.