1-day in San Francisco - what to do

[Amex4711]

I'm in vegas in may with my 22 year old son.
We want to fly for one day to SF, I know it's to short, but we only have one day for this trip.

Any recommendations for one day ? Thanks !

P.S.
It's not the first visit for us to SF.

[Danny83]

Check out the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Lombard st.

[Burlington]

Alcatraz is a great recommendation - still remember my visit there from years ago !

[Carry The Interest]

One day is tough, but if you limit yourself to the city for the most part you can probably get a lot done.

As context, I lived in Russian Hill for about ~2 years in the city and worked in the Embarcadero.

I've listed a few things off the top of my head. Mix of attractions to definitely see and things to do/eat while in a particular area of the city.

1. Drive across the Golden Gate bridge and stop by the Marin headlands right after the bridge. Great views of the city from there and great place for some family photos.

2. While near the bridge, stop by Crissy field if you want some more awesome views and photo opportunities.

3. Palace of the Fine Arts in the Marina. If you're heading back into the city from here, stop by the Mrs. Doubtfire house (corner of Steiner and Broadway) if interested.

1-3. Above can be done in less than two hours easily.

4. Drive down the iconic Lombard Street in Russian Hill.

5. Drive or walk down Columbus Ave in North Beach (close by #4)

6. Stop by Tony's Pizza for a slice in North Beach (on the corner of Washington Square in North Beach)

7. While in North Beach, stop by Coit Tower. Easy to get to, very iconic historical building, and great views of the city. Note - different part of town, but drive up to Twin Peaks for another great view of the city.

8. In the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building is an absolute must to walk through. If you like oysters, definitely check out Hog Island there. In the event you're in the mood for some ice cream, Humphry Slocome is a great spot there as well.

9. Take a cable car ride. If you're down near the Embarcadero, there is a stop right there next to the Hyatt on California. This a pretty good place to take it up as you get some great views looking forward/backward. You can also get off near Union Square or the well-known Grace Cathedral (California and Taylor).

10. If anyone likes (window) shopping/walking around nice stores, head over to Union Square as a starting point (plenty of places to take a picture there). I'd avoid the mall, but there are some cool shops on the surrounding streets, primarily right off of Grant near Union Square.

11. Drive through Golden Gate park. It's an absolutely amazing place and probably the #1 thing I miss about San Francisco. Check out a website on the park, a lot of different things to see and do there (could easily spend a whole weekend there if you had the time). Aside from the fantastic de Young museum, the park is home to the oldest Japanese Tea Garden in the U.S. You can walk through that pretty quickly compared to getting stuck in a museum for hours.

12. If you're near the park, take a drive down Haight St in Haight-Ashbury (Grateful Dead House on the corner of Ashbury and Waller Street).

13. China Town - basically located between North Beach, Union Square, and the Financial District. It's something you could walk through quickly if you're interested. If you're craving Chinese food, R&G Lounge there is hands down my favorite. If you're in the mood for dim sum, I'd go to Yank Sing (not the hands down best dim sum but a very famous spot in SF).

14. Mission District - full disclosure I never spent a lot of time down in this part of town. Lot of great bookstores, restaurants, and shops there. Dolores Park is one of the most well-known attractions, but it can get pretty chaotic (and not PG-friendly there) this time of year on the weekends once weather warms up.

Note a few common things I left off the list. Alactraz - it's fun if you really want to see it but it can quickly consume a big chunk of your day. Ghiradelli Square / Fisherman's Wharf - totally you're call if you want to spend time here. It's a given these areas are a bit touristy. If I had one day to hit some spots in San Francisco, I would save my time for other places.

Hope this helps and let me know of any questions! Happy to help with restaurant recommendations as well!

[swils8610]

Stay out of the Tenderloin!


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[Dr. Robert]

Originally Posted by Danny83

Check out the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Lombard st.

Chinatown, Fisherman’s wharf, Ferry building, union square, golden gate park.
Alcatraz takes too much time & it’s depressing, skip it.

PS don’t forget North Beach

[pkincy]

I stay in the Westin St Francis a lot and a full day is walking down to Grant St and cutting through China Town all the way down to Columbus. Walk down Columbus through Little Italy and to Fisherman's Wharf. Grab a Ferry there to Sausalito. You will get a better view of Alcatraz on the Ferry than on a tour boat. Land in Sausalito and eat Lunch at Scoma's and then head back to Fisherman't wharf on the ferry 90 minutes after you arrive. Once you get back to Fisherman's Wharf walk along the waterfront by Coit Tower, past Levy Strauss and to the Ferry Bldg. At this point if you are able walk up Market back to Union Square. If not grab a Cable Car and ride it up to Nob Hill and then walk back down to Union Square. Tiring but you get to see a whole lot of the City up close.

[Dr. Robert]

Originally Posted by pkincy

I stay in the Westin St Francis a lot and a full day is walking down to Grant St and cutting through China Town all the way down to Columbus. Walk down Columbus through Little Italy and to Fisherman's Wharf. Grab a Ferry there to Sausalito. You will get a better view of Alcatraz on the Ferry than on a tour boat. Land in Sausalito and eat Lunch at Scoma's and then head back to Fisherman't wharf on the ferry 90 minutes after you arrive. Once you get back to Fisherman's Wharf walk along the waterfront by Coit Tower, past Levy Strauss and to the Ferry Bldg. At this point if you are able walk up Market back to Union Square. If not grab a Cable Car and ride it up to Nob Hill and then walk back down to Union Square. Tiring but you get to see a whole lot of the City up close.

Perfecto

[Masteryacht]

I enjoyed Alcatraz and Muir Woods.

[OysterBracelet]

As a European who typically hates tourist attractions I rated Alcatraz as one of the best in the world. I've been 3 times now (with different groups of friends) and still enjoy it.

[Amex4711]

Thank you so much Joey

Originally Posted by Carry The Interest

One day is tough, but if you limit yourself to the city for the most part you can probably get a lot done.

As context, I lived in Russian Hill for about ~2 years in the city and worked in the Embarcadero.

I've listed a few things off the top of my head. Mix of attractions to definitely see and things to do/eat while in a particular area of the city.

1. Drive across the Golden Gate bridge and stop by the Marin headlands right after the bridge. Great views of the city from there and great place for some family photos.

2. While near the bridge, stop by Crissy field if you want some more awesome views and photo opportunities.

3. Palace of the Fine Arts in the Marina. If you're heading back into the city from here, stop by the Mrs. Doubtfire house (corner of Steiner and Broadway) if interested.

1-3. Above can be done in less than two hours easily.

4. Drive down the iconic Lombard Street in Russian Hill.

5. Drive or walk down Columbus Ave in North Beach (close by #4)

6. Stop by Tony's Pizza for a slice in North Beach (on the corner of Washington Square in North Beach)

7. While in North Beach, stop by Coit Tower. Easy to get to, very iconic historical building, and great views of the city. Note - different part of town, but drive up to Twin Peaks for another great view of the city.

8. In the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building is an absolute must to walk through. If you like oysters, definitely check out Hog Island there. In the event you're in the mood for some ice cream, Humphry Slocome is a great spot there as well.

9. Take a cable car ride. If you're down near the Embarcadero, there is a stop right there next to the Hyatt on California. This a pretty good place to take it up as you get some great views looking forward/backward. You can also get off near Union Square or the well-known Grace Cathedral (California and Taylor).

10. If anyone likes (window) shopping/walking around nice stores, head over to Union Square as a starting point (plenty of places to take a picture there). I'd avoid the mall, but there are some cool shops on the surrounding streets, primarily right off of Grant near Union Square.

11. Drive through Golden Gate park. It's an absolutely amazing place and probably the #1 thing I miss about San Francisco. Check out a website on the park, a lot of different things to see and do there (could easily spend a whole weekend there if you had the time). Aside from the fantastic de Young museum, the park is home to the oldest Japanese Tea Garden in the U.S. You can walk through that pretty quickly compared to getting stuck in a museum for hours.

12. If you're near the park, take a drive down Haight St in Haight-Ashbury (Grateful Dead House on the corner of Ashbury and Waller Street).

13. China Town - basically located between North Beach, Union Square, and the Financial District. It's something you could walk through quickly if you're interested. If you're craving Chinese food, R&G Lounge there is hands down my favorite. If you're in the mood for dim sum, I'd go to Yank Sing (not the hands down best dim sum but a very famous spot in SF).

14. Mission District - full disclosure I never spent a lot of time down in this part of town. Lot of great bookstores, restaurants, and shops there. Dolores Park is one of the most well-known attractions, but it can get pretty chaotic (and not PG-friendly there) this time of year on the weekends once weather warms up.

Note a few common things I left off the list. Alactraz - it's fun if you really want to see it but it can quickly consume a big chunk of your day. Ghiradelli Square / Fisherman's Wharf - totally you're call if you want to spend time here. It's a given these areas are a bit touristy. If I had one day to hit some spots in San Francisco, I would save my time for other places.

Hope this helps and let me know of any questions! Happy to help with restaurant recommendations as well!

[Amex4711]

Thank you all for your recommendations

[AzPaul]

If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

[The Libertine]

ALCATRAZ! But be sure to get your tickets in advance!

[Dr.Brian]

I went to Alcatraz twice while I was there. Once with my family, once with guests. I thought it was worth the time. But it’s a 1/2 day trip.

[wisguy]

Originally Posted by Danny83

Check out the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Lombard st.

That and stop by HQ Milton!

[maylebox]

Originally Posted by wisguy

That and stop by HQ Milton!

Yes, I would have thought that might be the first suggestion on TRF.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Amex4711

1-day in San Francisco - what to do

Watch your step.

[Amex4711]

Originally Posted by wisguy

That and stop by HQ Milton!

for sure

[roznalos]

If you choose to go to Chinatown, then try grab dinner at R&G lounge. Also check Golden Gate Bakery out for their egg tarts. Well worth the 30 minute wait!

[Wcdhtwn]

Alcatraz is great, I’ve been there three times. You get a lot of bang for your buck, in addition to learning about and touring the prison you get a great boat ride with terrific views of the golden gate, Sausalito, and San Fran on the way back. Walking over the golden gate is cool too. You could also rent bikes and ride over it, you have the option of ending up in Sausalito for a nice lunch then returning on a ferry. The ride is hilly, a couple of steep climbs to get to the bridge. Lombard street is neat, but once you’ve looked at it for 5 minutes, maybe climbed the stairs to the top, you’ve seen it all. Muir Woods is supposed to be beautiful but you’d need a car and you need a reservation to go because of limited parking. At least that’s how it was when I was in San Fran last month.

[Amex4711]

Thanks guys

[trelane]

I walked from Embarcadero to Alta Plaza and then to the Presidio, and finally up Golden Gate to the View Point. My legs were killing me, but I took Caltrain back down to my Palo Alto, so I made it. If you are lucky to have a car or friends, Pacifica -> Half Moon Bay -> Santa Cruz/Aptos could be done in a day

[Tools]

Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, followed by a hot fudge sundae at Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory.

Don't know about you, but I will be doing that in a couple of weeks.

[Dyim]

Don’t forget the crab.

[dba]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Watch your step.

This

[tie219]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

Watch your step.

[austinp]

Always refer to it as "Frisco". Locals love that.


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[Tools]

Originally Posted by austinp

Always refer to it as "Frisco". Locals love that.

Yep, that will endear you to the natives...

[shaunylw]

Go to HQmilton