San Francisco, CA

How To Spend The Perfect Weekend In San Francisco

Published

4 weeks ago

November 27, 2025

How To Spend The Perfect Weekend In San Francisco

San Francisco is a city that seduces with fog-draped hills, vermilion bridges, and clattering cable cars ascending toward painted Victorians—perched like jewels above the glimmering bay. At Fisherman’s Wharf, barking sea lions sprawl beside barnacled WWII ships while golden-crusted sourdough crackles in century-old ovens. Glide across the Golden Gate into Sausalito, where sailboats bob beside art galleries and café terraces—or wander from the rusted cell blocks of Alcatraz to the kaleidoscopic pulse of Haight-Ashbury—where psychedelic murals and vintage storefronts still whisper stories of rebellion. Whether you’re sipping molten hot chocolate beneath ivy-cloaked brick at Ghirardelli Square or watching the skyline shimmer in a wintertime festival of light—this guide is your blueprint for the perfect San Francisco weekend.

Stroll the waterfront where sea lions bask and sourdough simmers.

Fishermans Wharf and F-Line Street Car

San Francisco Travel Association

Fisherman’s Wharf brims with maritime charm—San Francisco’s must-visit waterfront district. Wander past historic naval ships moored at Hyde Street Pier, watch playful sea lions lounge at Pier 39, or savor steaming clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls from Boudin Bakery & Café. The area buzzes with eccentric street performers and quirky attractions, such as Musée Mécanique—a nostalgic arcade museum located on Pier 45, housing over 300 coin-operated machines, ranging from antique music boxes to vintage pinball games and the famously eerie “Laffing Sal” (admission is free). Grab a crab cocktail, whirl around on the vintage carousel, or set sail on a scenic bay cruise beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, gliding past the city’s iconic skyline.

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Pedal across the Pacific’s most famous bridge.

Cycling the Golden Gate Bridge is a rite of passage—where panoramic bay views unfurl beneath soaring red arches. Glide past smoothie-sipping joggers while sailboats drift below, tracing a classic coastal route from the lively Marina District to the storybook charm of Sausalito.

Ride the rails of history and explore its beating heart.

San Francisco Cable Car

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Hop aboard a San Francisco cable car and hang tight as it climbs sky-high streets—passing painted Victorian homes and corner cafés spilling with jazz. With every clang of the bell and rumble of the tracks, you’re riding history in motion. At Nob Hill, jump off to explore the Cable Car Museum—home to the massive wheels and cables that power the system, vintage cars from the 1870s, and the original grip handles and brake shoes that made it all possible (tickets from $8 per person).

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Glide through the city in a car with no driver and no limits.

Waymo Taxi

San Francisco Travel Association

Exploring San Francisco in a Waymo driverless car adds a futuristic thrill to city sightseeing—gliding hands-free through vibrant neighborhoods as landmarks like Coit Tower, Lombard Street, and the Painted Ladies drift past your window. Cruise down Market Street—skimming past buzzing tech hubs—while your autonomous vehicle conquers steep hills and tight turns with uncanny precision.

Zigzag down the world’s crookedest street.

Lombard Street

San Francisco Travel Association

Twisting through lush gardens and steep inclines, Lombard Street is one of San Francisco’s most photographed landmarks. Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes, then watch cars zigzag cautiously through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of the surreal descent.

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Step into America’s most infamous prison.

Shrouded in fog, Alcatraz Island offers one of San Francisco’s most haunting tours. Cross the bay by ferry as the infamous prison emerges, perched on its rocky outcrop. Wander through rusted cell blocks and narrow corridors, while an audio tour—voiced by former inmates and guards—immerses you in tales of escape attempts, isolation, and resilience.

Rise above the city in an Art Deco beacon.

Perched atop Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower crowns the skyline with its unmistakable fluted silhouette. Step inside to discover vivid 1930s murals portraying city life during the Great Depression, then ride the vintage elevator skyward for sweeping views from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate.

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Indulge in chocolate history beneath ivy-draped brick.

Ghirardelli Square Sundae

Freddie Paull

Once the beating heart of a 19th-century chocolate empire, Ghirardelli Square remains one of San Francisco’s most indulgent delights. Meander through red-brick courtyards where boutique shops and intimate cafés nestle beneath ivy-draped façades—all perfumed by the unmistakable scent of melted chocolate. Then, step into the historic Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop—where chocolatiers craft glossy bars and hand-pour truffles with precision—culminating in the legendary hot fudge sundae, served beneath vintage chandeliers.

Admire the city’s most iconic row of resilience.

The Painted Ladies are a postcard-perfect row of Victorian homes poised gracefully against the city skyline—adorned with ornate trim and jewel-toned, candy-colored façades. Built between the late 1800s and early 1900s, these architectural gems survived the 1906 earthquake and flourished as symbols of artistry and endurance.

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Let banjos and bluegrass echo through Golden Gate Park.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

Jay Blakesberg

Set beneath towering eucalyptus trees, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival transforms Golden Gate Park into a haven of soulful harmonies. Having celebrated its 125th anniversary this year, the multi-day, entirely free event draws thousands of fans and dozens of artists every year—from folk icons to indie newcomers. Wander between stages, pick up Korean BBQ tacos, and settle into the festival’s laid-back vibe.

Step into the psychedelic pulse of the 1960s.

Tucked into San Francisco’s legendary Haight-Ashbury district, the newly opened Counterculture Museum invites you to relive the radical spirit of the 1960s—where psychedelic art, protest posters, and vintage vinyl trace a decade of rebellion, creativity, and cultural upheaval. Here, immersive exhibits—from a recreated crash pad to a blacklight poster workshop—unfold to the soundtrack of Jefferson Airplane.

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Wander through a rainforest beneath a living roof.

California Academy of Sciences

San Francisco Travel Association

Nestled within Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is a living museum where science comes alive. Stroll beneath a towering rainforest dome, marvel at vibrant coral reef aquariums, and journey through the cosmos in the planetarium’s sweeping dome. Meanwhile, butterflies drift overhead, penguins shuffle behind glass, and the museum’s living roof flourishes with native plants from as far as Borneo and Madagascar.

Feel the crack of the bat echo across the bay.

Catch a heart-thumping baseball game at Oracle Park, where waterfront seats put you front and center as the San Francisco Giants take the field. The crack of the bat echoes across the stadium, sailboats bob in the bay, and the occasional foghorn cuts through the breeze—as you dig into a mountain of garlic fries and sip an ice-cold beer.

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Watch the city glow in a festival of light.

Illuminate SF Festival of Light

San Francisco Travel Association

When winter descends, San Francisco transforms into a luminous dreamscape during the Illuminate SF Festival of Light. From Market Street to the Mission, glowing sculptures, Point Cloud’s LED matrix, and shimmering projections turn city streets into open-air galleries—blending avant-garde art with cutting-edge technology in a kaleidoscope of color.

Frame the Golden Gate in sea spray and morning mist.

Cradled by rugged cliffs and rolling surf, Baker Beach offers one of San Francisco’s most iconic vistas—where the Golden Gate Bridge rises from the mist, its vermilion towers glowing against the horizon. Wander the windswept shoreline as waves break at your feet and Brandt’s cormorants wheel through the salt-laced air.

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Shop where street performers and couture collide.

Union Square, San Francisco

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In the heart of downtown, Union Square pulses with energy—where luxury storefronts, street performers, and the clang of cable cars converge in a sensory feast. Weave through crowds and flagship boutiques—Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Gucci—as the hum of live jazz drifts through the air. Pause for a croissant at Café de la Presse or a pour-over at Blue Bottle Coffee, framed by art galleries, historic hotels, and open-air cafés.

Hike through eucalyptus groves and coastal bluffs.

The Presidio offers a sensory-rich escape into San Francisco’s coastal wilderness—as one of the most visited national park sites in the U.S. Hike through eucalyptus groves scented with mint, beneath towering cypress trees where red-tailed hawks circle overhead. Trails weave past historic military outposts, hidden beaches, and earth-rooted art installations. From the shaded intimacy of Lovers’ Lane to the windswept drama of Batteries to Bluffs, each turn reveals California poppies clinging to cliffside trails.

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Enter a kaleidoscope of modern masterpieces.

SFMOMA

San Francisco Travel Association

Modern art pulses through downtown at SFMOMA—one of the largest contemporary art museums in the U.S. Seven floors showcase icons like Warhol, Kahlo, and Kusama, alongside immersive installations such as Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms and Olafur Eliasson’s One-way colour tunnel. The building itself—redesigned by Snøhetta—is a sculptural marvel. Don’t miss the Living Wall, a vertical garden of over 19,000 plants, or the rooftop sculpture garden, where monumental works by Alexander Calder and Ellsworth Kelly are framed by skyline views.

Pay homage to a house that rocked a generation.

Grateful Dead House

San Francisco Travel Association

Tucked along a quiet stretch of Ashbury Street, the Grateful Dead House remains a pilgrimage site for fans of the psychedelic era. This Victorian residence was the band’s communal home during the 1960s—when Haight-Ashbury pulsed as the heart of counterculture. Though privately owned and closed to the public, passersby often pause to snap photos. Nearby, murals, music shops, and vintage boutiques echo the house’s legacy—a living tribute to San Francisco’s imprint on rock history and the enduring ethos of peace, love, and rebellion.

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Let jazz spill into the streets at The Fillmore.

Fillmore Jazz Heritage Center

San Francisco Travel Association

Few venues carry the weight of musical history like The Fillmore. Once graced by legends—Hendrix, Miles Davis, Janis Joplin—it remains a sacred stage. Each summer, the Fillmore Jazz Festival—the largest free jazz festival on the West Coast—spills into the surrounding streets. Over 140 booths line the thoroughfare, offering hand-thrown ceramics, screen-printed apparel, vintage vinyl records, and artisanal jewelry. Drift through the crowd as the scent of smoky jerk chicken and grilled cheese mingles with fresh lumpia, vegan soul bowls, and small-batch kombucha.

Step beneath a soaring rotunda where art still echoes.

Aerial View of Palace of Fine Arts monument during dusk, San Francisco, California, USA.

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A domed relic of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, the Palace of Fine Arts remains one of San Francisco’s most iconic survivors. Framed by a lagoon and Corinthian colonnades, its Beaux-Arts grandeur evokes that of ancient Rome. Originally built to celebrate artistic achievement, it now houses a 1,000-seat theatre hosting concerts, dance, and lectures—from Afro-Peruvian songstress Eva Ayllón to cultural luminaries like Malala Yousafzai. Across town, however, the Great American Music Hall will mark its 120th anniversary in 2027, a gilded symbol of rebirth after the 1906 earthquake.

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Discover the legacy of a dreamer inside the Presidio.

Walt Disney Family Museum Staircase

Walt Disney Family Museum

Inside the Presidio, the Walt Disney Family Museum invites you into the life and legacy of Walt Disney: think original sketches, rare home videos, the groundbreaking multi-plane camera, and a detailed miniature of Disneyland as Walt envisioned it. Meanwhile, rotating exhibitions spotlight iconic Disney artists such as Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle and showcase global animation styles, ranging from Japanese anime to European stop-motion.

Hike windswept cliffs where shipwrecks whisper.

Land’s End

San Francisco Travel Association

Waves crash below rugged cliffs as you hike Lands End—a coastal trail offering sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the path winds through wind-sculpted cypress groves and leads to the haunting ruins of Sutro Baths. Well-marked and moderately accessible, the trail detours to pocket beaches like Mile Rock Beach and overlooks such as Eagle’s Point, where panoramic vistas reward the climb.

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Sip matcha beneath cherry blossoms and moss.

Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

San Francisco Travel Association

Step into serenity at the Japanese Tea Garden—the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States. Nestled within Golden Gate Park, it invites you to wander past koi-filled ponds, curved footbridges, and ornate pagodas. Sip ceremonial matcha in the open-air tea house, stroll beneath clouds of cherry blossoms each spring, or pause before the towering bronze Buddha, a quiet sentinel amid the maples and moss.

Watch wild sea lions bask in the heart of the city.

Sea Lions at Pier 39

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Pier 39 isn’t just about clam chowder and souvenir shops. The sea lions sprawled across the floating docks have become one of San Francisco’s most endearing—and unexpected—attractions. They began arriving after the 1989 earthquake and never left, favoring the marina’s wooden platforms over their former rocky haunts. Just steps away, the Sea Lion Center offers interactive exhibits on pinniped anatomy, rescue operations, and coastal ecosystems—plus high-powered viewing scopes for an even closer look. Their barking, flopping, and sun-drenched lounging captivate guests year-round: a rare opportunity to witness wild marine mammals up close, right in the heart of the city’s bustling waterfront.

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Let murals speak truth in the Mission District.

Murals in the Mission

San Francisco Travel Association

Color explodes across the walls of Clarion Alley—a narrow passage in the Mission District known for its ever-changing murals. Created in 1992 by the Clarion Alley Mural Project (CAMP), this community-driven initiative showcases public art that confronts issues of social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. These murals are more than decoration—they’re storytelling tools, political statements, and cultural archives amplifying voices often marginalized.

Wander through one of America’s last Japantowns.

San Francisco’s Japantown—also known as Nihonmachi—is one of only three remaining historic Japantowns in the United States. At its heart lies the Japantown Peace Plaza, anchored by the striking five-tiered Peace Pagoda—a gift from Osaka, Japan, in 1968. Surrounding it is the Japan Center Mall, home to Kinokuniya Bookstore, which offers a wide selection of Japanese literature and manga. Enjoy handmade mochi from Benkyodo Company—a beloved institution since 1906—or savor steaming bowls of ramen at local favorites like Marufuku. Each April, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese traditions through taiko drumming, street food stalls, and artisan booths.

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Walk the rainbow where pride meets protest.

Rainbow crosswalks, legacy bars, and decades of activism have defined this iconic LGBTQ+ district—which has served as a global beacon of pride and resistance since the 1970s. Here, Harvey Milk’s camera shop—now a memorial at 575 Castro Street—became a hub for political organizing. Today, drag shows light up venues like Beaux, while rallies and Pride celebrations spill out into the streets.

Cross the city on foot from bay to bluffs.

Crosstown Trail

San Francisco Travel Association

From bay to headlands, the Crosstown Trail slices diagonally across San Francisco in a sweeping 17-mile arc. Beginning at Sunrise Point Fishing Pier, the route winds northwest through the city’s layered topography—ascending stairways, threading through hillside neighborhoods, and weaving across parks both iconic and obscure—before culminating at Lands End Lookout.

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Hear jazz legends echo through Hayes Valley.

SFJAZZ Center

San Francisco Travel Association

Jazz pulses through the walls of SFJAZZ Center, a state-of-the-art venue in Hayes Valley—and the first in the United States built solely for jazz performance and education. Since opening in 2013, it has hosted over 300 performances annually, including the flagship San Francisco Jazz Festival and the SFJAZZ Collective—an all-star ensemble that commissions new works and reimagines jazz masters. From stripped-down solo sets to genre-bending big band blowouts, the center champions improvisation, experimentation, and cultural dialogue—welcoming legends such as Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, and George Benson.

Taste tradition in North America’s oldest Chinatown.

Chinatown’s culinary story unfolds one bite at a time. On foot, you’ll trace the legacy of dim sum parlors, herbal apothecaries, family-run bakeries, and lantern-strung alleys. Sample hand-folded pork buns, fragrant mooncakes, and rare teas—while learning how this enclave shaped San Francisco’s Chinese American heritage. Meanwhile, architectural icons such as the Dragon Gate and the glowing Tin How Temple reflect centuries of resilience and artistry.

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Ascend a sculptural tower where continents converge.

de Young museum

San Francisco Travel Association

Nestled in Golden Gate Park, the de Young museum has welcomed visitors since 1895 with a collection that spans centuries and continents. Reimagined in 2005 by Herzog & de Meuron, its angular Hamon Tower rises above the treetops—offering panoramic views across the city’s skyline and the park’s canopy. Inside, galleries trace American art from the 17th century to the present, interwoven with African textiles, Oceanic carvings, and contemporary installations. Signature pieces? Georgia O’Keeffe’s desert blooms, Diego Rivera’s murals, and rotating exhibitions like Rose B. Simpson: LEXICON.

Experiment with perception on the waterfront.

Exploratorium

The Exploratorium

Founded in 1969 by physicist Frank Oppenheimer, the Exploratorium houses over 700 interactive exhibits exploring light, sound, environmental science, and the quirks of human behavior. Signature experiences include the Tactile Dome—a pitch-black maze navigated entirely by touch—and the ethereal Fog Bridge, which envelops visitors in drifting mist along the waterfront.

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Wander the ruins of a vanished aquatic empire.

Built in 1894 by Adolph Sutro, the Sutro Baths once stood as the world’s largest indoor swimming facility—featuring seven saltwater pools, slides, trapezes, and seating for 3,700 guests. Today, its concrete ruins remain a hauntingly beautiful site within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Explore tide pools, coastal trails, and dramatic ocean vistas, while signs recount the rise and fall of Sutro’s grand vision. Just steps away, the Lands End Lookout features interactive exhibits on coastal ecology and maritime history—plus a glass-walled café with views toward the Farallon Islands.

Step into a Victorian greenhouse where orchids bloom and pitcher plants bite.

Conservatory of Flowers

San Francisco Travel Association

Commanding attention at the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers is a luminous Victorian greenhouse completed in 1879—the oldest surviving structure in the park. Modeled after London’s Kew Gardens, its five climate-controlled galleries house over 1,700 plant species—including jewel-toned Paphiopedilum orchids, towering imperial philodendrons, and ancient cycads like Encephalartos ferox. The lowland tropics room evokes equatorial humidity with vibrant bromeliads and carnivorous pitcher plants. Outside, manicured lawns frame its gleaming white façade, which becomes a canvas for seasonal light projections, such as Photosynthesis.

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Sail past icons and under arches on a narrated bay cruise.

Golden Bay City Cruise

City Cruises San Francisco

Departing from Pier 43½ in Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bay Cruise has been a San Francisco staple since its debut at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. This one-hour narrated journey sails past the city’s historic waterfront, glides beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, and circles Alcatraz Island’s forbidding silhouette. A complimentary audio guide, available in 16 languages, illuminates the city’s maritime lore—from its Gold Rush boomtown days to modern icon status. Wildlife sightings? Expect harbor porpoises, sea lions, and more.

Trace the beat of rebellion in North Beach.

Beat Museum

San Francisco Travel Association

Tucked into North Beach’s literary heart, the Beat Museum honors the radical spirit of the postwar Beat Generation. Located at 540 Broadway, just steps from City Lights Bookstore, it brims with original manuscripts like Kerouac’s On the Road scroll facsimile, first editions of Howl and A Coney Island of the Mind, and personal letters between Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg. Artifacts include Kerouac’s jacket, Cassady’s wristwatch, and Ginsberg’s typewriter. Exhibits trace the Beats’ embrace of Eastern philosophy, jazz improvisation, and countercultural rebellion.

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Browse creaky floors where literary freedom still roars.

City Lights Bookstore

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Perched at 261 Columbus Avenue in North Beach, City Lights Bookstore has been a beacon of literary freedom since 1953. Co-founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, it was the first all-paperback bookstore in the U.S., and later became a publisher of radical voices—including Ginsberg’s Howl, which sparked a landmark obscenity trial. Designated a San Francisco Historic Landmark in 2001, its creaky floors and handwritten signs evoke decades of countercultural ferment. Today, City Lights remains fiercely independent—curating progressive literature, poetry, and global fiction across three intimate levels.

Engage with art that interrogates identity and civic belonging.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

San Francisco Travel Association

Located at 701 Mission Street in the heart of SoMa, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) has served as San Francisco’s leading incubator for socially engaged art since 1993. Designed by Fumihiko Maki and James Stewart Polshek—it presents year-round exhibitions, performances, and film screenings that spotlight local and international artists. Recent programming includes MAKIBAKA: A Living Legacy—honoring Filipino resistance movements—Bay Area Now, which explores urban transformation; and CROSSROADS at 14, a film series that interrogates memory, migration, and civic belonging.

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Spot shaggy giants grazing in the heart of the city.

Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park

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Since 1891, the Bison Paddock in Golden Gate Park has offered an unexpected glimpse of the American frontier in the heart of San Francisco. Originally introduced by Park Superintendent John McLaren to help preserve a species nearing extinction, the first resident was a bull named Ben Harrison, shipped from Kansas conservationist C.J. Jones’ ranch. Today, the paddock—maintained by the San Francisco Zoo and Recreation & Parks Department—houses a small herd of American bison, North America’s largest land mammals. Best bit? You can spot them grazing near John F. Kennedy Drive, especially in the morning.

Taste the terroir beneath a historic clock tower.

Held three times a week beneath the iconic clock tower of San Francisco’s Ferry Building, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market has connected city dwellers with sustainable growers since 1993. Saturdays brim with energy, drawing over 100 regional vendors and acclaimed Bay Area chefs in search of dry-farmed Early Girl tomatoes, grass-fed lamb from Sonoma, and triple-cream cow’s milk cheeses aged in Marin. On-site cooking demos by chefs from Zuni Café and State Bird Provisions showcase seasonal ingredients in action, while CUESA-led programs, such as Foodwise Kids and Foodwise Teens, invite the next generation to explore the roots of their food—hands in the soil.

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Explore Black culture through art, migration, and cosmic imagination.

Museum of the African Diaspora

Founded in 2005, the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is one of the few U.S. institutions exclusively dedicated to celebrating Black cultures through contemporary art, history, and storytelling. Exhibitions span Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, and African-American narratives—often exploring themes of migration, identity, and resilience. In 2025, MoAD marked its 20th anniversary with a major renovation and the launch of Unbound: Art, Blackness & the Universe—a cosmic exploration of Blackness through visual art.

Walk through a tunnel of sharks and swirling schools.

San Francisco’s Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco Travel Association

Located at Pier 39 along the Embarcadero, the Aquarium of the Bay houses over 20,000 marine animals native to the Bay and nearby watersheds. Its signature feature—a 300-foot acrylic tunnel—immerses visitors in the underwater world of leopard sharks, bat rays, and swirling schools of anchovies. The Touch the Bay exhibit invites hands-on encounters with sea stars and anemones, while the River Otter habitat showcases playful North American river otters.

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Wander windswept dunes where art meets ecology.

Sunset Dunes

San Francisco Recreation and Parks

Sunset Dunes is San Francisco’s newest coastal park—a two-mile, 50-acre transformation of the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard. Opened in April 2025, it’s now the largest pedestrianization project in California history. Its evolving identity is shaped by native dune restoration led by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, large-scale public art like the windswept steel sculptures of “Shifting Shorelines,” and community rituals including sunrise yoga facing the Pacific and monthly habitat stewardship days where volunteers plant beach grass and remove invasive ice plant to protect nesting snowy plovers.

Shop vintage where counterculture still breathes.

Haight-Ashbury

San Francisco Travel Association

Thrift shopping in Haight-Ashbury offers a tactile connection to the neighborhood’s 1960s counterculture—where vintage isn’t a trend, it’s provenance. Held Over, founded in 1974 within a former bank, still stocks military surplus and authentic Levi’s from the era. Meanwhile, Wasteland curates designer resale with a punk edge—and Indigo Vintage Collective channels Gen Z flair through rotating local vendors. Love on Haight, a psychedelic boutique and nonprofit, reinvests its proceeds into housing and harm reduction for unhoused artists.

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Watch the skyline shimmer from across the bay.

Just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito offers one of the most cinematic vantage points of San Francisco’s skyline—especially at sunset, when the city’s silhouette ignites in gold against the bay. From the waterfront promenade along Bridgeway, you’ll spot the Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower, and the clustered high-rises of downtown shimmering across the water. As your ferry glides toward Sausalito, Alcatraz hovers mid-bay—and once ashore, settle in with a glass of wine at Barrel House Tavern as you watch the light fade over the city.

Step into gilded grandeur where opera meets history.

War Memorial Opera House

San Francisco Travel Association

The War Memorial Opera House is a Beaux-Arts masterpiece by architect Arthur Brown Jr., located at 301 Van Ness Avenue. This 3,146-seat landmark is home to the San Francisco Opera and Ballet, staging over 60 performances annually. Designated a California Historical Landmark, it also holds global significance as the site where the United Nations Charter was signed in 1945. Inside, gilded ceilings meet sweeping marble staircases, and glittering crystal chandeliers aplenty.

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Feast under string lights and swing by mini-golf.

SPARK Social San Francisco

Chris Weisler Studio LLC

SPARK Social SF is Mission Bay’s open-air playground for food lovers—featuring a rotating lineup of over 150 vendors throughout the year, offering everything from Korean BBQ and wood-fired pizza to vegan tacos and boba tea. Open seven days a week, it also includes a beer and sangria garden, rentable fire pits, and picnic-style tables built for feasting. Hidden gem? Across the street, Parklab Gardens hosts San Francisco’s only outdoor mini-golf course.

Hike twin summits where hawks soar and wildflowers bloom.

Twin Peaks

San Francisco Travel Association

Twin Peaks rises 922 feet above sea level, making it San Francisco’s second-highest point after Mount Davidson. Originally named Los Pechos de la Choca (“Breasts of the Maiden”) by Spanish settlers, the twin summits—Eureka and Noe—offer panoramic views of the Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the downtown skyline. Hikers can join the Twin Peaks Trail—a 2-mile loop with a moderate 275-foot elevation gain, accessible from Clarendon Avenue or Twin Peaks Boulevard. Along the way, enjoy native wildflowers, coastal scrub, and occasional sightings of red-tailed hawks.

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Sip skyline spirits where fire pits glow and martinis tell tales.

Starlite Bar, San Francisco

Starlite

San Francisco’s rooftop bars offer a heady mix of skyline views and cocktail artistry—Starlite revives its legendary perch with Art Deco glam and DJ sets, while Cavaña pulses with Latin spirits and Bay Bridge vistas. Charmaine’s atop the Proper Hotel blends fire pits with fashion-forward crowds, and Bar Sprezzatura adds Venetian flair to a courtyard escape. For a deeper pour, the SF Martini Trail spans 23 bars citywide, honoring the city’s claim to the cocktail’s origin with inventive riffs like mezcal-gin hybrids and seaweed-infused vodka.

Learn More

For more San Francisco inspiration, head to sftravel.com.

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San Francisco, CA

Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power

Published

9 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Thousands in one San Francisco neighborhood heading into another day without power

While many people in San Francisco have their power back, there are still thousands without it.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Mayor Daniel Lurie said 4,000 PG&E customers in the Civic Center area are still in the dark. One of them is Parvathy Menon.

“We haven’t been able to take showers or use the bathroom,” said Menon. “Our electricity is out. I think all our food started rotting about a day in.”

She lives at 100 Van Ness. She said she’s grateful she’s going out of town tomorrow, but even that’s posing some problems.

“I actually have to pack for a trip tonight, and we’re doing it in full darkness,” Menon explained. “We are using our phone lights, we are using our laptops to charge our phones.”

Her apartment is pitch black, except for the small amount of streetlight coming through the windows. She said the apartment complex has been doing all they can to help, like providing some food and water.

They have a small generator to power some lights in the lobby and one elevator for the nearly 30-story apartment building.

Menon said she is most upset about the lack of communication from PG&E.

“Initially, when this started, we were supposed to get power back within the day, then it went to the next day and now they just stopped calling us completely,” said Menon.

San Francisco City Hall was closed for the day because of the outage, but Mayor Daniel Lurie held a press conference with Supervisors Matt Dorsey and Bilal Mahmood.

Lurie said what residents have gone through is unacceptable, and he’s lost trust in PG&E’s estimated times for repair.

“They gave us a timeline that they believe in, but it’s not one that I can have confidence in any longer,” Lurie said. “So, we don’t have full faith that 6 a.m. is the time tomorrow.”

“Shame on PG&E for having this happen,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This is a company that has had a lot of reliability issues and the jury is out on what happened, but if this is negligence, I think it’s going to be really important for people to understand they have rights as customers.”

Leaders encourage everyone who lost anything to file a claim with PG&E; they could be eligible for reimbursements. Mahmood is calling for a hearing after the new year to get some answers for PG&E.

“What went wrong, why weren’t they able to address it this weekend and what steps are they taking to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Mahmood about the question he has for the utility company.

PG&E said the outage happened after a fire at its Mission Street substation left significant damage, but the cause is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, Menon has been refreshing social media looking for good news, but she’s starting to lose faith.

“They’re really doing nothing to help us here, so I’m losing hope,” said Menon.

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco blackout: What we know

Published

21 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

A fire at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation in SoMa knocked out power to as many as 130,000 customers starting Saturday, leaving thousands in the dark heading into the holiday season and a week of intense storms. Here’s what we know about the outage and state of restoration.

What happened?

The fire began shortly before 1:10 p.m. Saturday at PG&E’s Mission substation at Eighth and Mission streets, initially affecting 40,000 customers. As firefighters worked to suppress the blaze, crews de-energized additional portions of the electric system for safety, causing outages to peak at approximately 130,000 customers.

The fire damaged critical equipment, including a circuit breaker — a safety switch designed to de-energize the system when problems are detected. Firefighters faced unusual complexities suppressing the fire in the multilevel building, including ventilating carbon monoxide before crews could safely enter.

When did power come back?

Firefighters made the building safe for PG&E crews to enter by 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Restoration efforts began immediately. Nearly 32,000 customers were reconnected by 8:45 p.m. Saturday, and about 100,000 — roughly 75% of those affected — were up by 9:30 p.m.

By noon Sunday, 90% of affected customers had power restored. PG&E initially projected full restoration by 2 p.m. Monday; however, a spokesperson said the utility was extending restoration times (opens in new tab) for the remaining 4,400 customers without power. No time frame has been announced.

A PG&E map Monday afternoon shows lingering outages in the Civic Center and SoMa neighborhoods, as well as scattered pockets in the Outer Sunset and Marina District. | Courtesy PG&E

What sparked the fire?

PG&E says it doesn’t know. COO Sumeet Singh said Monday that the extensive equipment damage makes it difficult to determine a root cause. The utility has hired Exponent, a Bay Area-based engineering firm, to conduct an independent investigation.

“We will determine what occurred to ensure it never happens again,” Singh said at a press conference outside the damaged substation.

Was the equipment properly maintained?

PG&E completed preventative maintenance at the Mission substation in October and conducted its most recent bimonthly inspection Dec. 5. Singh said neither inspection identified any problems.

A man wearing a PG&E hard hat and safety vest speaks at a microphone stand with various news outlet logos, while others in safety gear stand behind him. — PG&E COO Sumeet Singh offers an apology Monday outside the damaged substation at Eighth and Mission streets. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard

Why were the estimated restoration times wrong?

Many customers were irate as they were repeatedly given estimated restoration times that came and went. Singh acknowledged the failure and said PG&E’s estimation systems typically perform well, with more than 91% accuracy systemwide.

“It obviously did not work effectively in the circumstance over this weekend,” Singh said. “We are committed to understanding exactly what happened, why it happened, and owning the fixes.”

Were other substations damaged?

Residents have observed a large presence of workers at a substation at 24th Avenue and Balboa Street since Sunday, but the utility has not shared details on what is being done there.

Six hulking diesel generators, which one worker said cost $600,000 to operate daily, were parked outside the substation Monday afternoon. The generators are needed to feed power to the grid while both substations are not fully operational. Crews said they are expected to run for at least two to three days.

Two workers said the substation is undamaged and still online, but its output is diminished because it is fed power by the much larger substation at Eighth and Mission.

However, another said one of the substation’s transformers blew out after a power surge following the fire, and the generators are needed to compensate while workers “update the system” of the west-side substation.

How will customers be compensated?

PG&E plans to offer an expedited claims process for affected customers to seek compensation for losses, including spoiled food, lost business revenue, and hotel costs. Singh said details will be available soon on the utility’s website and through customer service.

He declined to specify compensation limits or provide immediate financial relief, saying customers would need to file claims that PG&E would process quickly. The utility opened a community resource center in the Richmond and partnered with 211 to provide hotel accommodations and food vouchers for vulnerable customers.

Could this happen again?

Singh said PG&E has identified no vulnerabilities at other substations and has made significant upgrades systemwide. Two strong storms forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday (opens in new tab) could bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to Northern California; he said more than 5,500 PG&E workers and contractors are positioned to respond.

The outage occurred 22 years to the day (opens in new tab) after a mass blackout at the same substation in 2003, raising questions about aging infrastructure that Singh did not directly address.

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San Francisco, CA

Fortune Tech: The sheer scale | Fortune

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Good morning. Extremely lean and mean (well, merry, really) for the rest of this week as we head into our annual winter break.

We’ll hang things up for the year on Dec. 24 and pick things back up on Jan. 5.

Happy holidays. (Yippee-Ki-Yay.) —AN

Want to send thoughts or suggestions to Fortune Tech? Drop a line here.

What happened when Waymo robotaxis met a San Francisco blackout

A Waymo robotaxi unable to detect traffic lights after a major power outage in San Francisco, California on December 20, 2025.

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

An extraordinary experiment happened over the weekend in San Francisco.

What would a fleet of autonomous vehicles do when a widespread power outage knocked out traffic lights across one-third of the city?

We quickly found out—and the results were plastered all over social media.

On Saturday afternoon, Waymo vehicles throughout SF opted to stop where they were or pull over and throw on their hazard lights—“blocking intersections” and “compounding gridlock,” observed the San Francisco Standard—leading the Alphabet-owned robotaxi operator to suspend service throughout the city. (It resumed Sunday evening.)

In a statement, Waymo said that its vehicles are “designed to treat non-functional signals as four-way stops” but “the sheer scale of the outage led to instances where vehicles remained stationary longer than usual.”

As locals worked through the outage, a moderate debate about the robotaxi fleet continued online. Was it so wrong to expect Waymo’s vehicles to play it safe when infrastructure stopped working? After all, aren’t human drivers predictably chaotic when things go sideways? What exactly should robotaxis optimize for: traffic flow or citizen safety?

And: Just how safe is stopping if you prompt traffic to go around you?

Waymo resumed service Sunday evening, no doubt grappling with these questions (and what city officials might have to say about them). “We are already learning and improving from this event,” it said. —AN

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—Chaos at CISA. A failed, unsanctioned polygraph by its acting director has the U.S. cybersecurity agency in disarray.

—PE firms acquire Clearwater Analytics for $8.4 billion. Permira and Warburg Pincus lead the investor group seeking to buy the fintech firm.

—Uber goes to London. A robotaxi trial in partnership with Baidu will begin in the first half of next year.

—Data center deals reach $61 billion worldwide in 2025, according to S&P Global.

—Chatbots’ uncanny valley. Making AI agents more human-like creates cognitive dissonance and trust issues, researchers say.

—Daylight between David Sacks and tech lobbyists. Tech reps say the AI czar’s push to use Trump’s executive order to suppress state AI regulation is the right idea, wrong execution.

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