SF
Guide
Curated by a local tour guide.
What I recommend on tour, collected in one place.
Neighborhoods
All neighborhoods →The Tenderloin is one of the densest neighborhoods in San Francisco.
Nob Hill is a residential and hotel district at the summit of the hill.
The Embarcadero is the waterfront promenade along the eastern edge of San Francisco, running from Fisherman's Wharf to…
The Marina spreads along the northern waterfront.
Where to Eat
All restaurants →R&G Lounge
Anthony Bourdain featured this Chinatown Cantonese restaurant on No Reservations.
Arsicault Bakery
Go early on a weekday and get the plain croissant first, then the almond.
b. patisserie
If you are staying downtown, use the Union Square kiosk on Powell for the kouign-amann rather than crossing town, but go to California Street if you want the full range.
Burma Superstar
Tea leaf salad mixed tableside is the dish the restaurant is best known for.
Things to Do
All activities →San Francisco Botanical Garden
A 55 acre garden in Golden Gate Park, home to more than 9,000 plant species, with collections from climates comparable to San Francisco: Mediterranean, cloud forest, and tropical highland. Founded through a 1927 bequest from Helene Strybing, laid out by a WPA crew in 1937, and opened in May 1940. Free for San Francisco residents with ID; open daily 7:30am to 9:00pm. Free for everyone the second Tuesday of each month.
Coit Tower
Lobby and murals are free; you only pay for the elevator. Come early for the lightest crowds.
Palace of Fine Arts
Free and open daily. Expect wedding photographers and picnickers on the lawn. Check the theater calendar for current shows.
Best of San Francisco
All lists →Tours I Recommend
All tours →Nob Hill on Film
A free self-guided film locations walk on Nob Hill: five stops including Madeleine's apartment in Vertigo, the Fairmont from TV's Hotel, the…
North Beach and Telegraph Hill on Film
A free self-guided film locations walk through North Beach and Telegraph Hill: nine stops from the Transamerica Pyramid to Coit Tower, including…
The Castro: Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Mile
A walk through the heart of LGBTQ San Francisco, from Harvey Milk Plaza and the Pink Triangle memorial to Milk's camera shop…
The Mission: Murals, Missions, and Taquerías
From the 1791 Mission Dolores through Dolores Park and the Women's Building to the mural alleys and the Calle 24 Latino corridor.…
Fisherman’s Wharf to the Marina: The Working Waterfront
A waterfront walk from the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier west past Ghirardelli, Fort Mason, and the Wave Organ to the…
Nob Hill: Bonanza Kings and the 1906 Fire Line
The hilltop of railroad and silver barons, from the working cable car powerhouse to Grace Cathedral. Six stops, under a mile, with…
Pacific Heights: Billionaires’ Row and Victorian Survivors
A walk along the city's wealthiest ridge, from a tourable 1886 Victorian and the Spreckels Mansion to the Mrs. Doubtfire house and…
The Fillmore: Harlem of the West and Japantown
The Black music history that the Haight's rock story overshadows, from Alamo Square up Fillmore Street to Japantown. Six stops, about a…
Golden Gate Park: A Cross-Park Walk
A three-and-a-half-mile east-to-west walk across Golden Gate Park, from the 1879 Conservatory of Flowers through the museums and gardens to the bison,…
SoMa and Yerba Buena: Industrial City to Museum Mile
How warehouses and rail yards became the city's cultural core, from SFMOMA and the Yerba Buena museums to the dot-com oval of…
The Embarcadero: Earthquake to Ferry Building
How a 1989 earthquake remade the waterfront. A flat walk from Cupid's Span and the Bay Bridge to the Ferry Building and…
North Beach Walking Tour
A free self-guided North Beach walking tour from a local SF guide. 10 stops through Beat Generation history and Italian North Beach:…
Walking the Haight: A Deep History Tour
A free self-guided Haight-Ashbury walking tour from a local SF guide. 17 stops from Buena Vista Park to Hippie Hill: the Grateful…
Chinatown Walking Tour
A free self-guided Chinatown walking tour from a local SF guide. 14 stops over 1.7 miles, from the Dragon Gate through the…
San Francisco by Luxury Van Tour
A 4-hour small-group ride through 15 SF neighborhoods in a luxury van. Buses can't reach these streets, but vans can. Local snacks,…
Wine Country Small-Group Day Trip
Napa and Sonoma in one day without driving, which matters more than people expect once tastings are involved. Small group, long day,…
Yosemite and Giant Sequoias Day Trip
Fourteen hours and a lot of it is driving, so go in knowing that. You still get Yosemite Valley and the sequoias…
Vantigo VW Bus City Tour
A restored VW bus, a small group, and a driver who talks like a local instead of reading a script. The most…
Upcoming Events
All events →Laurie Kilmartin
Todd Rundgren at The Castro Theatre
City of the Sun
Yana — The Feelings Are Forever Tour
Anthony Locascio at Cobb’s Comedy Club
Big Ass Truck / Chamber / Mugshot / Load Tha Nine / Dawg Fight
Kylie Cantrall – The Valley Girl Problems Tour
Kepi Ghoulie Electric with Bloodtypes and Pussy Valour
Deep House Yoga at Public Works SF
DIIV
Nerd Nite SF #165
Todd Rundgren
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