How to Spend One Day In San Francisco (for First Timers)

Do You Need a Car in San Francisco?

No. Definitely not.

In fact, when we lived in the city, both of us opted to either get rid of our car, or leave it elsewhere because parking in the city is a nightmare.

Seriously, you might be tempted to drive from place to place during your day in the city, and we’re here to tell you NOT to do that. 

If you do have a car and choose to drive it around the city, you’ll need to plan on either paying for parking, or spending 15-20 minutes at each stop trying to find free parking (and potentially paying for parking tickets). 

If you’re renting a car and using San Francisco as a jumping off point for a northern California road trip, we have a few tips. 

If it is at all possible, we’d strongly recommend renting a car AFTER you stay in San Francisco.

For example, if you fly into San Francisco and are planning on spending a day in the city before heading out, we’d rent the car starting on the day you’re leaving.

Of course, if SF is the end point for your road trip, just reverse it and drop it off at the airport before staying in the city.

An alternative would be to park your rental car in a covered, secure lot. If you’re staying overnight and your hotel has parking, we’d choose to pay for it and plan to use Lyft / public transportation to get around. 

We lived in San Francisco for almost a decade, and are intimately aware that car break ins are a common occurrence, especially for cars that don’t have California license plates (which are more likely to be tourists and have stuff in the car). 

Do not leave ANYTHING in your car, even if it’s in the trunk and it’s not visible. 

Get Caffeinated 

Where you go for coffee is largely going to be dictated by where you’re staying or starting from, so we’re going to give you two options here; one in the downtown core (where you’d likely be staying) and one in the Inner Richmond near your first stop (spoiler: it’s the Golden Gate Bridge). 

If you’re downtown, our favorite option is going to be Paper Son Coffee’s location just south of Market, which is great for filter coffee, milk drinks, and specialty seasonal drinks (like their passionfruit espresso tonic). 

They use a rotation of great roasters, including Hydrangea and Moonwake (two of Matt’s favorite Bay Area roasters). 

If you’re looking for great coffee out near the Bridge, you’re in luck! Two of our absolute favorite coffee shops in San Francisco are in the Inner Richmond, just five or ten minutes from the bridge. 

First, and my top choice in the entire city, is HI NRG, which is a pop up started and staffed by two local baristas who had worked at some of the city’s top cafes (including the next one in this section) before setting out to do their own thing.

It’s a pop up inside a wine shop on Clement St, and the menu is fairly straightforward with some drip coffee options (including pour over), your usual espresso drinks, and a couple of house specialties. 

They use a rotation of roasters, including PushxPull from Portland and the aforementioned Hydrangea. 

Second is going to be the OG multiroaster shop in the city, the Coffee Movement, who were one of the first spots in SF that I can remember bringing in exciting coffees from all over the world. 

They have a location in the Inner Richmond that would be an excellent stop on the way to the bridge, and the menu is fairly similar to the two previously mentioned options (though the roasters and specialty drinks are going to be a bit different). 

If you’re coming from Nob Hill, their original location is over on Washington St, a few blocks from where we lived before we left SF. 

The Golden Gate Bridge

We had a hard time choosing between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park, both of which are integral parts of a visit to San Francisco.

However, what’s the first thing you imagine when you think about visiting San Francisco? 

Most people would immediately say the Golden Gate Bridge, which is why we think it HAS to be in this guide, even though it’s a little inconvenient. 

We don’t really think you have time to do both in just a day, so it really is one or the other, at least in our minds. And we’d opt for the Golden Gate Bridge, though it’s a close one. 

We say it’s inconvenient because the location of the bridge is a little hard to get to since it’s pretty far out of the way of the center of the city.

If you don’t have a car, the best way to get out to the Golden Gate Bridge is to take a rideshare out there from your hotel. 

If you happen to be near Van Ness Ave, you can take one of the buses that go to the toll plaza from there, like the 101 or 150. 

Keep in mind that there is no tap-to-ride system in SF (bonkers for such a tech-forward city), so you’ll need either cash, a digital clipper card (which may not make sense for a day long stay), or to have the MUNI app downloaded. 

If you have a car, there’s a relatively small parking lot right at the south side of the bridge (here on Google Maps). You could also park here, just down the hill. 

What they don’t tell you in all the travel guides is that the weather at the Golden Gate Bridge is actually a little bit miserable on most days.

The location of the bridge means that it’s often foggy, windy, and cold. There’s a good chance that it’s one (or all) of those things when you visit, so make sure to bring plenty of layers! 

We actually don’t think it’s really worth walking fully across the bridge just to do it (though we do like walking across the bridge and to Sausalito on the other side). 

When you’re at the bridge, there are a few places we’d make sure to hit for great photos. 

• The Main Viewpoint: Go here for the classic view of the bridge.
  
  
• The Cypress Trees View: Go here for the bridge framed by a couple of photogenic trees.
  
  
• Marshall’s Beach: A little further – about two miles round trip from the parking lot – this is the best view of the bridge in the city, hands down. It’s better at sunset, when the golden light of the setting sun lights up the bridge in a brilliant red color, but the morning light will do just fine. 

Definitely do some exploring of the batteries (that’s the old bunker-ish things) too, which are a unique aspect of this part of California. 

Another cool spot to see the bridge is from below, which you can do at Fort Point. This is the picture above, below the heading.

It’s a 0.7 mile downhill walk from the toll plaza, and if you don’t have a car, you can plan on catching a rideshare to your next stop from here to avoid having to walk back up the hill. 

Post-Bridge Brunch

Next up is brunch. People in San Francisco absolutely adore standing in line for brunch (standing in line is Matt’s least favorite pastime). 

Pick any Saturday or Sunday, drive around the city, and you’re sure to see people milling around outside the trendiest restaurants in the city waiting for their turn to sit down and enjoy a leisurely breakfast / lunch. 

Here are a few of our favorite breakfast / brunch options in San Francisco, all of which are on the western end of the city, and are at least somewhat convenient to get to from the bridge. 

Zazie: We’ve legit waited for two hours for brunch here, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat. It’s also a good spot for dinner, for what it’s worth.

There are no reservations, and you put your name on the list and they’ll text you when the table is ready for you. It’s worth it for the benedicts.

Make sure to see if you can sit in their lovely backyard patio.

One other note – no tips here, they pay their employees a fair wage and it’s priced into the cost of your meal. 

Brenda’s Meat & Three: The sister restaurant to Brenda’s Soul Food, which is a famous brunch spot in the Tenderloin, this place has essentially the same menu with a better location and much smaller lines.

They serve “French Soul Food” inspired by the owner’s experience growing up in Louisiana.

Get the beignets and the biscuits and gravy (definitely not gluten free, for my Celiac friends – this is not the place for us, sadly, but my family and friends all love it!). 

If you’re more in the mood for pastries, there are two great options in this part of town, which is where Matt lived for five years before we moved in together. 

Again, neither has gluten free options, which is why Matt makes other people do the hard work of eating delicious croissants and various other pastries to help him evaluate. 

Arsicault Bakery: This place was right on our route to the local farmers market every weekend, and I never once saw a line here until one Sunday morning shortly after Bon Appétit wrote them up as one of the best new bakeries in the country in 2016, specifically calling out their croissants.

Now, there’s a line that wraps around the block every weekend morning, and they consistently sell out of their buttery croissants by noon (if not earlier).

There are plenty of other options too, like Pain au Chocolat and some savory options, but you should definitely try the croissant at least once. 

B Patisserie: Another bakery that has been written up over and over again, this place is on the same street as Brenda’s, so if you’re really hungry, you can combine the two into one, super rich brunch extravaganza.

Their take on French pastries is a little more modern, combining classic French techniques with more innovative flavor combinations.

They have a huge selection of pastries that changes constantly, but know that they do sell out of the most popular items so go early, if you can. 

The Ferry Building

Next, head over to one of our favorite spots in the entire city – the Ferry Building.

To get there, you’re going to have to cover some ground, and you can do that either on the bus (route 38R tends to be the fastest bus option to get downtown), or in a taxi or Lyft (which will be more expensive, but likely faster). 

The Ferry Building is essentially one big collection of various local businesses, each with their own stall or storefront.

Most places here have bigger locations elsewhere in the city, but have a stall here to cater to the thousands of tourists a day who make their way to the Ferry Building. 

If you’re lucky enough to be in town on a Saturday, there is an awesome farmers market that takes place at the Ferry Building with a combination of farm-fresh produce from all over Northern California and cool local food brands with a variety of ready-made foods. More information here. 

Here are some of our favorite spots at the Ferry Building. 

Humphry Slocombe: When it comes to ice cream in San Francisco, there are exactly two places that come to mind immediately, and Humphry Slocombe is one of them (spoiler: you’re going to the other one later in the afternoon / evening).

Humphry Slocombe is known for their innovative flavor combinations – my older brother still talks about the original (I think?) “Secret Breakfast” he had a decade ago, which was bourbon ice cream with corn flakes. They have a storefront in the Mission District too. 

Mariposa Baking Company: A 100% gluten free bakery! With croissants and baguettes and all sorts of other goodies. Their sandwiches are good too – the California and the Gobbler are Matt’s two favorites. 

Dandelion Chocolate: Single-origin craft chocolate made from exactly two ingredients – cocoa butter and sugar. Who knew chocolate could be so fruity?!

They also make delicious hot chocolate, and Alysha’s favorite, a chocolate chai.

Head over to their cafe on Valencia Street in the Mission District for an even deeper experience, or to their factory in the Mission for a chocolate tour!

Heath Ceramics: We love Heath! So much so that our morning coffee mugs are Heath. If you’re a sucker for beautiful ceramics, make sure to stop by their stall at the Ferry Building.

Even better, head out to their showroom in SOMA, or their factory over in Sausalito, which has been operating since 1959!

Epicurean Trader: This place has a full storefront in the Marina, which is a great place to buy all kinds of specialty food items (we go for their cider and chocolate selections).

It’s expensive, but we like that you can’t find most of the stuff they have in 99% of other stores. 

Gott’s Roadside: You’re probably full from brunch, but if you’re hungry and in the mood for a burger, this is the place to go. They have veggie burgers and gluten free buns (though they’re not safe for Celiacs). 

North Beach, Chinatown, & Coit Tower

From the Ferry Building, you’re within walking distance of a few of San Francisco’s iconic neighborhoods.

They are North Beach and Chinatown, and we’d recommend doing a little afternoon stroll that incorporates the highlights of all three of them. 

If you’re up for some walking, this walk is about as beautiful as it gets. However, it does have some hills – you’re in San Francisco, after all!

Start by walking north up the Embarcadero, which is the wide street that runs along the water just outside the Ferry Building.

It’s worth stopping at Pier 7 (here on Google Maps), which has one of my favorite views of the city. 

Exploring Chinatown

Walkable from the Ferry Building and North Beach is San Francisco’s Chinatown, one of the biggest in the country, and it is well worth exploring if you have the time.  

Before you go, make sure to read about what Chinatown is and what it represents, which isn’t exactly a light read.

Widespread racism against Chinese immigrants in the 1800’s and laws that excluded them from other neighborhoods (sound familiar? It’s a common playbook) led to the creation of these communities that still exist today. It’s more than just a place to go to check out the Fortune Cookie Factory.

With that context in mind, it’s a fun neighborhood to explore.

Unfortunately, I’m not the right person to help you explore the food, since I have Celiac Disease and can’t eat gluten (which is omnipresent in most Chinese dishes I’ve come across).

Here’s a good guide to eating in Chinatown. 

China Live, a big light-filled food hall (it’s kind of similar to Eataly for Italian food) that is part restaurant, part home goods store, all with a laser focus on Chinese food and culture. If you’re short on time and not really hungry, that’s a good stop to make. 

We’d head to the Dragon’s Gate and the area around Grant Avenue, where you’ll find all sorts of shops and restaurants.

Whether or not you do that tour, we’d start at the Dragon Gate (here on Google Maps), which marks the boundary of Chinatown, walk north on Grant (there are some cool murals on the cross streets), and  finish on Columbus Ave, which puts you in the heart of North Beach. 

If you really want to dive into the culture, history, and food in this slice of the city, we’d recommend this guided tour, which takes you around to multiple spots, including dim sum, Peking duck, and tea (among other things).  

North Beach & Coit Tower

North Beach is at San Francisco’s northeast corner, and is a historically Italian neighborhood. The Italian community in San Francisco settled here, and you’ll notice their impact on the area as you walk by one Italian trattoria after another.

North Beach today is also a nightlife hub, and the area along Broadway is full of light-up signs that come on after dark, advertising everything from theaters to gentlemen’s clubs. 

The area we’d focus your time on is the stretch along Columbus Avenue, which runs diagonally through the center of the neighborhood. 

On the south end of Columbus Avenue in North Beach is City Lights Bookstore, one of the best independent bookstores in California. SUPPORT INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES.

They’re particularly famous for their role in activism in San Francisco. 

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is one of our favorite pizza spots in the entire world. They’ve won awards in Italy for their pizza, which tells you everything you need to know, really. 

They don’t take reservations, and there’s a line out the door from open to close. Don’t be surprised to find yourself waiting for two hours on a weekend afternoon or evening. 

Obviously, you might not be hungry just yet, and we’ve got plenty of food lined up for you later in the afternoon. But if you’re wanting to sample the pizza, they have a pizza-by-the-slice spot next door.

We’d walk from City Lights up to Washington Square, which is a nice park where you’ll find all sorts of characters hanging out in the San Francisco sun. 

Once you’ve taken in the sights and sounds of the park, head up the hill to Coit Tower, which involves some climbing no matter which way you slice it. 

Coit Tower was built in the 1930’s at the top of Telegraph Hill as a monument to a San Francisco firefighter who died in 1929 and left a nice chunk of money to the city.

There are some really cool murals inside the tower that focus on the city during the Great Depression, and the view over the San Francisco Bay from the base is nice, and includes the Golden Gate Bridge. 

It’s free to visit the ground floor murals, which is where most of them are found, but you’ll have to take one of their guided tours to see the murals on the second floor. 

You can also go all the way to the top of the tower by taking the elevator, where you’ll have even better views of the city. It is fairly expensive at $11 per adult, and we’d probably skip it if we were you, given that the views from the base of the tower are nice. 

Both guided tours and elevator tickets can be booked here. 

If you’re into photography AND up for a bit of a climb, you can walk up famous Lombard Street to one of my favorite views of Coit Tower, which is from the top of Lombard Street.

Well, really, it’s from the top of one of the streets in Russian Hill adjacent to Lombard – Filbert Street (here on Google Maps). 

Dinner & Drinks in the Mission

As we sat down to outline this guide, we ran into a conundrum – where does the Mission District fit?

The reason behind the conundrum is not that it barely made the cut. In fact, it’s basically the opposite. 

There’s so much good stuff to eat, drink, and do in the Mission that we couldn’t quite figure out whether to recommend it during the day, when you can get all of the coffee, matcha, and sunshine that your heart desires, or at night, when it becomes the place to be for dinner and drinks. 

We love the Mission, and think it’s the best place to get food and drinks in the city. Which is why that’s exactly what we’re recommending you do here. 

Unfortunately, by recommending dinner and drinks here, you’re missing a couple of key Mission experiences. 

Things like Dolores Park on a sunny afternoon, Tartine Bakery and their drool worthy pastries, and too much coffee, tea, and matcha to list are well worth doing, but probably not in the evening. 

Valencia Street is the place to focus on here. It has excellent food and drinks, shopping, and more. 

Let’s cover where to go for dinner and drinks in the Mission. 

From affordable taquerias to more upscale restaurants, the Mission has a great range of food and drinks to enjoy. 

Taquerias: The Mission is probably most famous for its taquerias. Go to La Taqueria for Mission style burritos, and Taqueria El Farolito for tacos. Of course, there’s a nearly endless number of different options in the area – here’s a guide for you to find the perfect taqueria for yourself. 

Burma Love: Sister restaurant of Burma Superstar, which is one of our favorite places to eat in San Francisco (and was right near my first apartment in the city). If you’ve never had Burmese food, this is the place to do it. Get the tea leaf salad (duh) and the chicken curry. 

Pizza in the Mission: Alysha loves Little Star Pizza, a San Francisco institution, but when we asked our friends who lived in the Mission what their go-to pizza spot was, they responded with Cellarmaker Pizza, which is a bit further south and is a place to get both pizza and beer (Cellarmaker Brewing is the brewery that owns it). Other great options are Flour + Water Pizzeria and Pizzeria Delfina.

Bi-Rite Creamery: We covered one of the two ice cream institutions in San Francisco earlier at the Ferry Building, this is the other. If you forced Alysha to choose between them, she chooses Bi-Rite every day of the week. 

The Mission, while lively during the day, comes alive after dark. ABV is our absolute favorite cocktail bar in the city. Hands down. That’s where we’d go. 

What to Add with More Time in San Francisco

If you’re lucky to have more than one day to spend in the city, we have plenty of thoughts on what to do with that time. We mentioned throughout this guide (several times) things that you just don’t have time for with only a day. 

A good place to start would be our 4 day San Francisco itinerary, which is going to give you a good idea of how to organize a trip with more time. 

Stroll through Golden Gate Park

At different points in our San Francisco journeys, both of us lived within a block or two of Golden Gate Park, a sprawling urban green space on the western half of the city that spans all the way out to the Pacific Ocean (really, a couple of blocks short, but close enough?). 

Many of our early dates involved some sort of walk in the park, and that was the beginning of Alysha’s transformation of Matt from suburban kid who hates walking to someone that walks 12,000 steps a day and reads about urban planning in his free time (SF is great from that perspective compared to most American cities!). 

The best part about Golden Gate Park is that it’s not just a green space. Similar to Central Park in New York City, it’s also a cultural center with several museums, a botanical garden, and a Japanese Garden to explore. 

If you’re into Fine Art, the De Young is probably the premier museum in SF, and they have some really cool temporary exhibits that come through (on my last trip, I caught the Manga exhibit and, despite not knowing anything about Manga, I loved it!). 

There’s also a free viewing platform at the De Young with nice views out over the city, including the tip of the Golden Gate Bridge. You take the elevator from the lobby, and again, no ticket required!

If you’re traveling with kids, there’s the Academy of Sciences (we used to go to their adults-only Nightlife when Matt lived nearby). 

We also really like the Botanical Garden, and it’s free for SF residents. 

The Japanese Tea Garden is a place that I have memories of visiting as a kid on school field trips. It’s a beautiful little oasis in the middle of Golden Gate Park, and they even have a tea house where you can enjoy a nice cup of tea in a beautiful, serene setting.

Here’s a walking route we’d recommend if you want to go from one end of the park to the other. 

Alcatraz

Going out to Alcatraz, the decommissioned prison in the middle of the San Francisco Bay (and the setting for the excellent Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage movie The Rock) is one of those things that every tourist visiting San Francisco wants to do, but most locals haven’t thought about all that much. 

That’s certainly true for Alysha, who spent her whole life in the Bay Area and only made it to Alcatraz for the first time a few years ago. 

Alcatraz is basically the only tourist attraction that you need to think about in advance of arriving in San Francisco, mostly because it’s an island and the ferry to get there has a limited capacity. 

You’ll want to book your visit to Alcatraz several months in advance. It does sell out, and if it’s a must-do for your trip, book 2-3 months in advance (though I will say that it seems like it has gotten easier to get tickets in recent years). 

We’d highly recommend doing the night tour if you can – it’s spooky, and you get views of the city lit up at night, which is breathtaking.

We have only been to Alcatraz once, and it was for the night tour. It’s a super cool experience because you get UNBELIEVABLE views of the city from the island.

The Lands End Trail

Is this the best urban hike in the entire country? I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one.

This hike starts from the Pacific Ocean and follows the bluffs east towards the Golden Gate Bridge, which is where you’ll end your coastal California stroll. 

Start at Sutro Baths, the ruins of a former bathhouse on the coast that was destroyed to build high end apartments (that were never started – read about the history here) and start on the Lands End Trail.

Take a second to walk down to the baths and admire the view. Then head up the hill on the north side and start on your hike. 

You’ll wind around the coast and be rewarded with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge from all different angles.

We’d definitely do it from west to east, starting at Ocean Beach and ending at the Golden Gate Bridge, which will mean the bridge is in front of you the entire way. 

Follow the trail to Baker Beach (here on Google Maps), where you can pause to enjoy the views of the Golden Gate (and watch out for the naked people at the north east end!).

Then make your way to Marshall’s Beach (here on Google Maps) for an up close and personal encounter with the Golden Gate Bridge (seriously, watch out for the naked people).

Finally, continue to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, where you can choose to walk across the bridge and back if you please.

Here’s a map of the route. It’s going to take you several hours. Take your time and enjoy the endless coastal beauty that the walk has to offer.

Explore SF’s Coolest Neighborhood, Nob Hill

There are a couple of neighborhoods that we love, but couldn’t quite fit into this itinerary without making it so that you’re just sprinting around the city for a full 24 hours. Spoiler: none of them is Fisherman’s Wharf. 

The one that we really tried to fit in is Nob Hill, which is where we last lived in the city before leaving. It’s leafy, charming, and super central, which is why we love it.

It’s worth taking a slight detour up to the Alice Marble Tennis Courts (here on Google Maps), which have a fantastic view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the top.

I used to play basketball here on weekend mornings, and it doesn’t get much better in terms of views from a pickup basketball game. 

From there, make your way over to Polk Street and head south, which takes you right through the heart of our old stomping grounds in San Francisco.

Polk is the strip of bars, shops, and restaurants that runs through the middle of Nob Hill, and there are some GEMS along the way. 

• For Food: Hot Sauce and Panko is a somewhat hidden gem on Hyde Street with excellent hot wings. Bob’s Donuts for old-school donuts, including GIANT apple fritters (I used to go here for donuts to bring to work whenever I felt like the team needed a boost – NOT gluten free though).
  
  
• For Drinks: Head to Hi-Lo Club for cocktails (the bartenders here are super friendly, and helped us discover the lovely world of Oaxacan Rum!) or Robberbaron, a cozy little neighborhood wine bar.
  
  
• For Shopping: Check out Cheese Plus for cheese, wine, cider, and more. Picnic for all sorts of stylish gifts and trinkets. Biondivino for an excellent selection of Italian wines. Russian Hill Bookstore for the best bookstore in the area with great greeting cards. ReLove for vintage clothing. 

Once you hit California Street – -which is where the cable car runs east/west – take a left and head up the hill to Grace Cathedral.

It’s a gigantic church on the hill, and the stained glass windows are amazing. They host yoga sessions every Tuesday, which is super fun. 

From here, there are a couple of notable drink options, though they’re more upscale and fancy than most in the city.

You’ve got the Top of the Mark, a rooftop bar in the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins with fantastic views of the city (and very expensive drinks) and the Tonga Room, a tiki bar in the basement of the Fairmont. 

Between the two, we’d personally opt for the Tonga Room, but that’s because we’re not really fancy rooftop bar kind of people. 

Seek Out the Best Views in SF

As you might imagine, a city like SF that is known for its hills is going to have some pretty spectacular views from the top of said hills. 

Pier 7: Find it here on Google Maps. It’s a nice view looking back at the city, with the benches in the foreground and the Transamerica Pyramid rising above you. 

Tank Hill: A discovery on Matt’s most recent trip when he took a big detour from the Mission up the hill (on the bus) to get up to Tank Hill, which is just below Twin Peaks and has a similarly incredible view with a tiny fraction of the people. Find it here on Google Maps.  

Corona Heights Park: A bit of a detour from this itinerary, but if you happen to want to walk off brunch and see one of our favorite views in the city, walk south on Divisadero to Corona Heights, where you’ll have sweeping views out towards the Financial District and beyond. Find it here on Google Maps.   

The Top of Nob & Russian Hill: This one could actually refer to many different spots, but we’re going to give you three that stand out to us.

The view of Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge from the top of Filbert Street (here on Google Maps), the view from the Alice Marble Tennis courts, both of Alcatraz and of the Golden Gate (here on Google Maps), and the view straight down California Street with the Cable Car in the foreground (here on Google Maps). 

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