San Francisco, CA
The top U.S. travel destination for 2025 is in the Bay Area: report
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – Tourists ride a cable car through Chinatown in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – A new analysis ranked San Francisco as the number one, most popular U.S. vacation destination for 2025.
The global car rental and travel site SIXT conducted its research by analyzing Google travel search trends.
What we know:
San Francisco had the most searches, with more than 2.7 million hits.
“San Francisco topping the list of 2025 travel destinations comes as no surprise—it’s a city that perfectly blends culture, innovation, and iconic landmarks, making it a must-visit for travelers worldwide,” said SIXT Director of Communications Joseph Gerbino.
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (and extending into Montana and Idaho) and the Grand Canyon in Arizona came in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Yosemite National Park also made the list.
“Yosemite National Park, ranked as the seventh most popular travel spot, highlights the natural beauty that’s just a few hours drive away from the city,” Gerbino said.
California was the most represented state on the list, with two other cities named among this year’s top U.S. destinations.
San Diego came in 9th, and Anaheim, home to Disneyland, was ranked 12th.
San Francisco also ranked by Tripadvisor
San Francisco was also ranked in another, more comprehensive analysis– one by Tripadvisor, which analyzed thousands of reviews shared by its global community of travelers.
The site’s annual “Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations” listed the City by the Bay as the 7th must-visit city in the U.S. this year.
New York City (1), Hawaii’s O’ahu (2), and Las Vegas (3) topped that list.
San Francisco also made Tripadvisor’s best food destinations rankings, coming in 10th place after San Diego.
The site noted that travelers across the globe were “most excited” about the culinary offerings as part of their vacationing experience.
New Orleans, Charleston, S.C., and New York City were named the top three best for food destinations.
Dig deeper:
The Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations also identified the top “trending” vacation spots in the world, which was Osaka, Japan.
In the U.S., it was West Palm Beach, Florida.
And to mark its 25th anniversary this year, Tripadvisor named the top travel destination of the last quarter-century.
London took the crown, with the capital U.K. city also being named as 2025’s top must-visit destination in the world.
Travel Tuesday deals: Expert tips to save on your next vacation
Step aside Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday has arrived. From discounted flights to unbeatable hotel deals, travel expert Gabe Saglie joined us on ‘The Nine’ to share tips on booking your dream vacation, without breaking the bank.
In the heart of San Francisco, there’s an old-school barbershop serving up a whole new vibe, and turning more than a few heads in the process.
Saba Parsa has spent years searching for a good short haircut. But in a world where salons cater to long hair and barbershops mostly serve men, people like Parsa often end up stuck between a clipper and a hard place.
“Not everybody knows how to cut short hair, so this was a dream spot,” she said.
The Barb is a little shop in Bernal Heights, cutting gender norms down to size, catering to women, nonbinary people, and anyone who wants to go short.
Sheena Lister, owner of The Barb, said the concept grew from a simple gap she kept seeing in the industry.
“People are used to either getting a haircut at a salon or a barbershop,” Lister said, “and we’re kind of the in-between.”
Short hair seems to be having a moment well beyond San Francisco. Vogue recently noted 2025 is the year of the bobs, chops and pixies, declaring that hair is “going even shorter.”
Ro Gooch, a nonbinary barber specializing in gender-affirming cuts, said The Barb is often the first place where clients are even asked how they want their short hair to lean more feminine, more masculine, or somewhere in between.
She said if you have long hair, you’re going to get booted out of here, though “nicely.”
Their signature style — The Barb — starts at $95, tip included. Part 70s barbershop and part soda fountain, complete with a front window for soft-serve and coffee, the space is designed as much for gathering as grooming.
“Just like the old-school soda fountain and barbershop,” Lister said, “those were both places that people gathered for community.”
As for Parsa, the results needed no explanation.
“I love it. It’s just a dream,” she said.
Nevada Wolf Pack (4-3) vs. San Francisco Dons (5-2)
Palm Desert, California; Friday, 2 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Dons -5.5; over/under is 148.5
BOTTOM LINE: San Francisco plays Nevada in Palm Desert, California.
The Dons are 5-2 in non-conference play. San Francisco is eighth in the WCC scoring 79.0 points while shooting 47.7% from the field.
The Wolf Pack are 4-3 in non-conference play. Nevada ranks second in the MWC with 10.6 offensive rebounds per game led by Elijah Price averaging 3.3.
San Francisco scores 79.0 points per game, 3.6 more points than the 75.4 Nevada allows. Nevada scores 9.6 more points per game (76.9) than San Francisco gives up to opponents (67.3).
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Beasley is scoring 15.5 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Dons. Mookie Cook is averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 60.4%.
Tayshawn Comer is scoring 15.9 points per game and averaging 3.0 rebounds for the Wolf Pack. Corey Camper Jr. is averaging 15.1 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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
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.
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For more San Francisco inspiration, head to sftravel.com.
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