What to see in San Francisco

San Francisco highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

1. Golden Gate Bridge

   You can cross it on foot or by bike; the best views are from Battery Spencer on the Marin side, fog permitting.

2. Alcatraz

   The former island prison, with an audio guide narrated by former inmates and guards; tickets sell out weeks in advance.

3. Painted Ladies

   Colourful Victorian houses facing Alamo Square, with the skyline behind them: the classic San Francisco postcard.

4. Ferry Building

   A food market in the old ferry terminal; on Saturdays there’s a farmers’ market on the plaza outside.

5. Muir Woods (day trip)

   A forest of giant redwoods 30 minutes from the city; you need to book parking or the shuttle bus.

Day trips from San Francisco

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

• Alcatraz ★ 4.4 (128 reviews)
• Yosemite ★ 4.5 (2,014 reviews)
• Napa Valley ★ 4.6 (68 reviews)

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Curious facts about San Francisco

• Its cable cars are a National Historic Landmark and are pulled along by a cable running beneath the street.

Typical food of San Francisco

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to San Francisco from your kitchen).

Cioppino

The fish and seafood stew of the Italian fishermen of North Beach, in San Francisco: tomato, wine and whatever the boat brought in that day, with sourdough bread for dipping.

• Serves 4
• 1 h

Ingredients

• 400 g white fish in chunks
• 500 g mussels and clams
• 300 g prawns
• 1 crab or crab legs (optional)
• 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb and 4 garlic cloves
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 250 ml white wine
• 500 ml fish stock
• Chilli, oregano, bay leaf, parsley and oil
• Sourdough bread

How to make it at home

1. Gently fry the chopped onion, fennel and garlic in oil with the chilli.
2. Add the tomato, wine, stock, bay leaf and oregano and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add the fish and crab and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the mussels, clams and prawns, cover and cook until they open.
5. Serve with parsley and toasted bread for dipping.

The trick: San Francisco sourdough is its inseparable companion.

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco