How to Spend 3 Perfect Days in San Francisco
San Francisco rewards both the planner and the wanderer with its world-famous landmarks, eclectic and historic neighborhoods, and opportunities for walking, biking, and hiking through some scenery right inside the city limits.
Three days isn’t nearly enough to soak up the sassy, serious, silly soul of San Francisco, but I hope this itinerary gives you a taste of what has caused so many, including crooner Tony Bennett, to leave their hearts here in the City by the Bay. Feel free to check out my 17 must-do list, and customize
My best advice for visiting San Francisco? Be flexible. Book reservations ahead at popular tourist sites and restaurants to avoid disappointment, and remember to wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers. San Francisco’s favorite weather pattern has a name: Karl the Fog. He’s been known to roll in quickly and spoil a few alfresco lunches and picnics.
Find the sea lions on K dock, on the west side of Pier 39
Day 1: Classics
Morning
Begin your San Francisco journey at Fisherman’s Wharf, originally a hub for Italian immigrant fishermen in the mid-19th century. Some of the area attractions include Ghirardelli Square, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and Pier 39, where you can shop for souvenirs and snap pictures of the sea lions basking in the sun (you might smell them before you see them). Don’t miss the Musée Mécanique, home to one of the world's largest collections of working antique arcade games.
Take the late morning ferry to Alcatraz. It’s a touristy and totally worth it excursion, with self-guided audio tours narrated by former inmates and guards. It’s not only fascinating, the island itself, about a mile offshore, has epic views of the Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and San Francisco skyline. Book tickets well in advance. This is one of the most popular things to do in San Francisco.
Lunch
Ferry Building: When you get released from ‘prison’ and return to the mainland, I recommend walking south along the Embarcadero to this popular food hall where artisanal shops and restaurants serve anything from homemade bread, chocolate, oysters, and cakes to empanadas, burgers, coffee, and Cambodian food.
Afternoon
Stroll along the Embarcadero back toward Pier 39 and drop by the Exploratorium on Pier 15, especially if you’re traveling with children. They’ll burn off some steam pulling, twisting, and tugging on hundreds of hands-on science exhibits.
If that’s not your jam, walk to the Transamerica Pyramid (built in 1972 and still an iconic part of San Francisco’s skyline), at the intersection of Columbus and Montgomery, where you can sit outside under a grove of towering redwoods, grab a coffee at Café Sebastian, and play a game of shuffleboard. On Saturdays between 12 and 2 p.m., local musicians play on a small stage between the towering trees.
Across the street from the Pyramid is Jackson Square, a historic neighborhood established during the Gold Rush. Today, it’s home to some of the city’s oldest buildings and Hotaling Place, San Francisco’s oldest alley. You’ll also find upscale restaurants and bars like Quince, Cotagna, and Bix, perfect for date nights or special occasion meals.
If you have time, head up to Coit Tower (walk or catch a ride) on Telegraph Hill and check out the murals painted on the inside walls and the 360° views from the top.
Descend via the Filbert Street Steps, a quirky, garden-lined wooden staircase, an iconic San Francisco hillside walkway where you might even catch a glimpse of the neighborhood’s wild parrots. FYI: There are more than 400 steps, so go carefully and at your own pace, or call an Uber.
Evening
You’ve earned a hearty meal, so make your way to North Beach, San Francisco’s Little Italy. There’s plenty to nibble on, from pizza pies at Tony’s or Il Casaro to fresh pasta at Original Joe’s and old-school Fior d’Italia (the gnocchi is incredible).
Grab a nightcap at one of the neighborhood’s cozy jazz clubs or bars. The Savoy Tivoli was a go-to of mine many moons ago, and it’s still as lively as ever.
The Spreckels Temple of Music, was gifted to the city in 1900 by business tycoon Claus Sprekles
Day 2: Golden Gate Bridge & Golden Gate Park
Morning
Dress to sweat and book a bike tour for a pedal across the Golden Gate Bridge to scenic Sausalito. You can go it alone, with a map and a sense of adventure. The distance is about 8 miles and takes about 2 hours, with time built in for snapping photos and water breaks.
Prefer two feet to two wheels? Take the flat walk along Crissy Field to Hopper’s Hands and Fort Point, or head to the Presidio, where you can hike the Batteries to Bluffs Trail down to the beach, with its views of the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge from a different angle. Warning: there are more than 400 stairs down, and you know what they say about what goes down…!
And if you want someone else to do all the work (I’m not judging, it’s vacation after all), I highly recommend the 2-hour San Francisco Love Tour. You’ll zip around San Francisco in a hand-painted VW Hippie bus, complete with panoramic sunroof, shag carpet, and a beaded curtain. You’ll still get all your photos in a super fun way, especially if you’re traveling in a group.
Lunch
If you biked the Golden Gate Bridge, grab lunch in Sausalito. The charming waterfront town is loaded with restaurants and cafes, from Mexican and Italian to burgers and seafood. If you stayed in the city, take a driverless Waymo to the Presidio and the Presidio Tunnel Tops (near the Main Post) where food trucks offer quick bites in a historic setting. Vendors change every day, but there’s always a good mix.
Afternoon
Golden Gate Park is larger than New York’s Central Park, so it’s no surprise there is a ton to see and do here. If the weather’s nice, bring a picnic and spread out and picnic in one of the many meadows or meander walking paths that lead all the way to Ocean Beach. Other park highlights include:
de Young Museum for art, international exhibitions, and an observation tower with city views.
California Academy of Sciences, a favorite for the Steinhart Aquarium, home to 800+ unique animal species, the Morrison Planetarium, and much more.
Japanese Tea Garden, perfect for a moment of Zen.
The Conservatory of Flowers, the oldest public wood-and-glass conservatory in North America, and home to rare plants.
The Blue Heron Lake Boathouse, where you can paddle around a placid lake.
Two Windmills, at the western edge of the park, are especially lovely at tulip time (February and March).
Golden Gate Bandshell (officially the Spreckels Temple of Music) hosts more than 100 free performances and concerts per year
Early Evening
Near the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park is Haight-Ashbury, the neighborhood that gave birth to the 1960s counterculture and the Summer of Love. Haight Street’s vintage shops are fun to dig through for costumes, bygone era treasures, and tie-dye. Try this self-guided audio tour of the area if you want more of a structured meander.
Before you go, drop by The Alembic for a perfect craft cocktail or mocktail, and some seriously top-notch pub grub (vegan burgers, scotch eggs, flatbread, to name just a few of their delights).
San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury Neighborhood is a must for vintage shopping at shops like Decades of Fashion
Day 3: Cable Cars, Grace Cathedral & Neighborhood Eats
Morning
Ride the California Line cable car to the top of Nob Hill. The starting point for this one is Market and California Streets. There’s usually a long line, similar to the other starting points, so consider hopping on mid-route to avoid crowds. The route ends at Van Ness. Get off at California and Taylor. Grace Cathedral, a Nob Hill landmark, has a behind-the-scenes tour if you have time.
Wander into Grace Cathedral, check out the stained glass and the labyrinth, or book a behind-the-scenes tour that takes you into the upper galleries and one of the towers. You can also drop into the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel, across the park from the cathedral. It’s hosted celebrities, dignitaries, rock stars, and is where Tony Bennett first crooned “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. Or take a guided tour on Saturdays!
From Nob Hill, walk down into Chinatown, but on the way, stop at the free Cable Car Museum, on the corner of Washington and Mason, to see the actual cables pulling the cars up and down San Francisco’s hills. In Chinatown, you can visit grocery stores, herbal shops, sample dim sum and dumplings, visit a temple, do a tea tasting, and watch fortune cookies being folded and stuffed with messages. A food tour in Chinatown is always a fun experience.
Don’t miss Portsmouth Square, created around 1833, and the first and oldest public meeting place in the city, then called Yerba Buena, and the site of the first raising of the American flag in the area.
Lunch
Chinatown is loaded with dim sum and dumpling joints. For lunch, I often stop by China Live, a multi-venue ‘marketplace’ style dining space with a full menu of Chinese specialties, and head to the back counter where you can watch the crispy-bottom sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork buns) being made, and eat them on the spot. Yum!
Afternoon
Take a taxi/rideshare/Waymo/ to the Mission District and Mission Dolores, San Francisco's oldest building and a remnant of San Francisco’s Spanish colonial era and the city's founding. Be sure to check out the art and visit the garden and cemetery.
Stroll along Valencia Street, home to vintage shops, independent book stores, Dandelion Chocolate, and restaurants and bars.
If you’d rather skip shopping, check out the colorful and inspiring murals along Balmey Alley and Clarion Alley. Need a little guidance? Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitor Center offers tours that illuminate the cultural and historical significance of this public art.
Evening
For your farewell dinner, a Mission-style Burrito is a must. Grab one to go and find a park, or tuck into one of the countless cafes in the Mission. Where to find the best burrito in San Francisco’s Mission District depends on who you ask. Really, everyone has a favorite. El Farolito, Taqueria La Cumbre, La Palma Mexicatessen, and Taqueria Cancun often make the cut. You won’t be disappointed by any of them.
Mission Dolores is the oldest intact building in San Francisco
✨ San Francisco Travel Tips
SFO is the easiest airport for arrival into the city and doesn’t involve a bridge crossing. BART will take you into the city, but if you’re schlepping luggage, just splurge on a cab/Uber/Lyft—-life’s short and you want to get your vacation started
Set up the Clipper app on your phone. It works for buses, cable cars, BART, and ferries.
✨ San Francisco Packing Tips
Comfortable walking shoes are essential
Layer up. Fog and breezes can roll in quickly.
✨ Where to Stay in San Francisco
San Francisco hotels are as varied as the neighborhoods. Personally, I like the Argonaut Hotel, The Jay, Autograph Collection, Hotel Kabuki, and the Laurel Inn for their vibes and surrounding neighborhoods.
See my list of cool hotels here
Don’t forget to tag #agingplayfully
