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SAN FRANCISCO ACTIVITIES –

Union Square

This is the heart of old-time San Francisco. Here you can go to the fanciest stores in San Francisco; find many restaurants, bars, and galleries; seek out shopping adventures; or just watch the world (and the cable-cars!) go by. The square itself was recently renovated. (More boutique shopping can be found in Hayes Valley, the Mission, or along Divisadero. If vintage shopping is your thing, you may want to check out Haight Street.)
http://www.visitunionsquaresf.com/

 

Hayes Valley

Hayes Valley is one of the most trendy and popular neighborhoods in San Francisco right now. The now bustling area has a plethora of good restaurants and boutique shops. From boutique art shops to Alexis Bittar.

 

Chinatown

Now home to mostly cheap shops with random gifts and trinkets, San Francisco Chinatown is one of the oldest in the country. Check out Golden Gate Bakery for some amazing egg tarts. Interesting walking tours of the neighborhood can be found here: http://www.allaboutchinatown.com/index.htm

 

Cable Cars

A ride on one of the famous San Francisco Cable Cars is a must for any tourist to the area. The Powell line runs from downtown to Fisherman’s Warf where you can check out the famous and beautiful Ghiradelli Square where Cassie goes to work every day. Amazing views of Alcatraz, and a beautiful walk along the bay. If you’re more interested in the cable car ride, be warned that the stops at Market Street and Union Square can get very crowded. Try the California line and ride that one end-to-end, the lines are much shorter.
http://www.sfcablecar.com/

 

The Ferry Building/Embarcadero

The Ferry building, at the foot of Market street overlooking the Bay and the Bay Bridge towards the east, is a must stop for all foodies. Filled to the brim with fancy San Francisco eateries, you can spend an entire afternoon in the building. Sit down to a lunch of oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Farm Bar, grab a coffee at Blue Bottle, or go for a date at the Slanted Door. If you are in town on aTuesday, Thursday or Saturday, you should visit the famous farmer’s market that takes place until 2pm. From the Ferry building, you can take a stroll along the Embarcadero (the boulevard that runs along the Bay), which has been transformed since the freeway was torn down after the 1989 earthquake. Kayak adventures in the Bay also can be booked near the Ferry Building.
http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/visitors.php

 

Pier 39

This place is a bit of a tourist trap, but surely many of you will head here, as it is the launching point for trips to Alcatraz and Bay tours. If you are going to hang around Pier 39, make sure to see the famous sea lions who showed up one day in the early 1990s and never left. They lounge on top of the docks surrounding the pier hooting and hollering at tourists.
http://www.pier39.com/

 

Alcatraz

Any visit to San Francisco should include a stop at Alcatraz Island, famous for the federal penitentiary that housed the likes of Al Capone and Whitey Bulger. The Island has a much more extensive history than the prison, which you will learn about during your visit. Reserve Tickets to Alcatraz In Advance, as it sells out!
http://www.nps.gov/alca/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm

 

Bay Tours/Ferries

For those of you not going to Alcatraz, or who booked your tickets too late, a Bay Tour is a great second-best option. The tours leave from Pier 39, take you under the Golden Gate Bridge, circle around Alcatraz, and return to Pier 39. Along the way you get some stunning views of San Francisco from the water and get an idea what it was like to sail into the Bay port a century ago. Several operators run out of pier 39. The tours take about 90 minutes. You can also take the Blue and Gold Fleet ferries to Marin County (Larkspur, Tiburon, Sausalito, etc). There is also a ferry to Angel Island, which provides a great half day of hiking trails. The island used to serve as the immigration entry point to the West Coast, much like Ellis Island in New York.
http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/sightseeing-tours/water-sightseeing-tours/#_324

 

Exploratorium

An interactive science museum, the Exploratorium is a great place to visit with kids. It is also close to both the Ferry Building and Pier 39.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/

 

The Mission District

This is the heart of hipster San Francisco and the focal point of the rapid transformation taking place in the City, both good and bad. Traditionally home to the City’s Mexican population — and the best taquerias in the USA (Cancun and El Farolito are famous, but there are better tacos up and down 24th street in many of the hole-in-the-wall establishments) — gentrification has brought a host of boutique shops, famous coffee (Four Barrel), donuts (Dynamo Donuts), amazing pastries (Craftsmen and Wolves – their breakfast muffin has a soft egg baked inside), phenomenal ice cream (try Buy-Rite or Humphrey Slocomb), Bread (Tartine), and restaurants (waaaaay too many to name, but try Blue Plate, Delfina or Bar Tartine, Mission Beach Cafe). Guerrero and Valencia Streets are quite swanky these days; Mission Street still retains some of the old charm. For those of you who are so inclined, there is a walking tour of the murals in the mission district
http://www.precitaeyes.org/mission-trail-mural-walk.html

 

Golden Gate Bridge

Perhaps the only landmark more famous than Alcatraz, there are a few ways to see the bridge. The most obvious is to drive over it! On the other side, Marin County offers many awesome day trips, including Muir Woods, the Marin Headlands, Tiburon and other adventures (more below). If you do drive across, make sure to go to the overlook at Battery Spencer in Golden Gate National Wilderness. You can also walk or bike along the bridge. Baker Beach in the Presidio is also a great place to view the bridge.
http://www.nps.gov/prsf/index.htm

 

Twin Peaks

For some of the best views in the city, you can travel up to twin peaks. Make sure to bring a jacket, and make sure it’s not foggy!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-peaks-san-francisco

 

Golden Gate Park

One can get lost for an entire day in Golden Gate Park exploring its 1,017 acres of bike paths, walking paths, manicured gardens and urban forests. The Park also hosts the city’s Botanical Gardens, the de Young Museum, the California Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Japanese Botanical Gardens, The Conservatory of Flowers, and many other attractions. A visit to the Park is a great half-day or even day-long activity. As with all outdoor activities in San Francisco, bring lots of layers!
http://sfrecpark.org/parks-open-spaces/golden-gate-park-guide/

 

de Young Museum

Located within Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum is one of the City’s most interesting museums — both for its collection, and its architecture. There is a J.M.W. Turner: Painting set free exhibition beginning on June 20th if you’d like to soak up some nineteenth century British art. Make sure to climb the tower that jets above the museum for great
views of the park.
http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/de-young-museum/

 

Coit Tower

After Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, this is the third most famous landmark in the City, a slender white tower sitting atop Telegraph hill. If you’d like to go to the top, there’s an elevator! This is another great place for views of the City and the Bay. There are also cool murals inside the tower which were commissioned during the depression as part of the WPA; the most radical content of the original murals was subsequently painted over.
http://sfrecpark.org/destination/telegraph-hill-pioneer-park/coit-tower/

 

The Castro

Ground-zero of gay San Francisco where Harvey Milk rose to power. Once a hotbed of radical politics, it’s mostly just a nice neighborhood these days!
http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/castro/

 

Beach Blanket Babylon

America’s longest-running musical satire, famous for the bizarre and oversized decorative hats that the performers wear. Fun for adults and kids. Check out the website, as it’s hard to describe.
http://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/

 

Anchor Steam Brewery Tour

Gabe recently got an opportunity to do an special tour and had a blast. It’s known for being a legendary and fun tour of the first and best craft brewery on the West Coast. Reservations in advance are a must, but don’t drink too much before the wedding!
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/

 

Cobbs Comedy Club

Not a bad spot to catch a comedy show. Can stop in at Kennedy’s Irish Pub across the street for a beer before hand.
http://localeditionsf.com/