San Francisco – 3 Day Itinerary

Part 1 - The City

Here’s how I’d recommend spending 3 days in San Francisco to navigate the city’s costal location, diverse food scenes, and colorful history.

How Long?  3 Days in SF is a good amount of time to see the highlights of the city – and with more time, you should plan to visit Wine Country in Napa or Sonoma, or drive 3 hours to Yosemite (more info coming in Part 2).

Day 1:  Bay Bridge, Wharf, City

Start the morning near the water and enjoy breakfast near the Ferry Building – and then ride the streetcar along the water past the scenic Filbert Street, which takes you up to Telegraph Hill and the base of the Coit Tower.  For $10, you can take an elevator to the top of Coit Tower for some great views of the city!

In the Afternoon, continue down the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39.  There is much to do here – certainly say “hello” to the vocal sea lions and walk into Musee Mechanique to see antique arcade games.  There are numerous places to eat here – I’d recommend fresh seafood from the Wharf such as at Nick’s Lighthouse or T’s Fish & Chips at Pier 39, or In & Out Burger nearby.  You must continue down to Ghirardelli Square for a giant brownie sundae. Also, snap some touristy photos in Umbrella Alley that contains 6+ hand-painted murals. 

For the Afternoon, I’d recommend continuing to Crissy Field East Beach, which provides great views of the Golden Gate Bridge – provided it’s not too foggy.  Afterwards, walk around the Palace of Fine Arts, which is one of the only remaining structures from the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915.  For Dinner, go back to North Beach to the Little Italy area – I’d recommend Tony's Pizza Napoletana for lasagna or any pasta from Italian Homemade Company that would rival 5 star restaurants in Italy.

Day 2:  North Beach, Chinatown, Mission District

I’d start the morning again in the North Beach (Little Italy) neighborhood enjoying fresh croissants and pastries from the Italian cafes, and explore the historic shops in the neighborhood.  Also, drive down the famous crooked Lombard Street.  You may also consider driving to the Painted Ladies to see the photogenic Victorian Houses.

For the Afternoon, walk a short distance to Chinatown, the largest Chinese neighborhood outside of Asia.  There are plenty of delicious dumplings and beautiful buildings.  I’d highly recommend Good Mang Kole Bakery for $1.50 pork buns, and $2 shrimp dumplings, or House of Dim Sum for Pot Stickers and Egg Roles.  You must also visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory for a sample of the warm, hand-made custom cookies.

For the Evening, I’d continue exploring Chinatown working my way towards Dragon Gate and then to Union Square. I’d recommend spending a few minutes at the free Cable Car Museum (closes at 4PM) to see how the operations of these historic transportation using underground cables.  You may consider going to the Mission District for diverse dinner selections of Mexican, Turkish, Peruvian, or Pakistani dinner.

Day 3:  Alcatraz, Lands End, Castro

In the morning, take a boat trip to Alcatraz to visit the ex-federal prison that incarnated some of the West Coast’s worst offenders from 1934 – 1963.  The cost is $45 for the boat ride from Pier 39, audio tour, and park admission for the 3-4 hour history lesson.

In the afternoon, visit the Sutro Baths ruins at Lands End and then continue on a hiking trail to see views of the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge.  I’d also recommend Golden Gate Park, the largest green space in SF.  The Dutch Windmill, Japanese Garden, and National AIDS Grove were especially worth walking through.

In the evening, adventure to Castro, San Francisco’s historically LGBTQ neighborhood. There are numerous delicious restaurants to choose from – and don’t leave without walking 16th Street and seeing the Castro Theater.

These conclude my recommendations on 3 quick days in San Francisco. Check out Part 2 for day trips around SF, or this post all about Chinatown!

What did I forget that’s a must do while in SF?

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