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1
Golden Gate Bridge
The 1.7-mile span connecting San Francisco to Marin, opened in 1937. Walking, cycling, and viewpoints on both sides.
Bring layers and walk the east-side path; the wind is steady and the fog can vanish or close in within minutes.
In the moviesThe Maltese Falcon, Dark Passage, The Caine Mutiny and 24 more
+22moreGolden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA 94129 Full write-up → -
2
Coit Tower
An Art Deco tower on Telegraph Hill with panoramic views and Depression-era murals inside. Take the Filbert Steps up through the gardens and wild parrots.
Lobby and murals are free; you only pay for the elevator. Come early for the lightest crowds.
In the moviesAfter the Thin Man, The House on Telegraph Hill, Pal Joey and 11 more
+9more1 Telegraph Hill Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94133 Full write-up → -
3
Palace of Fine Arts
The surviving structure from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Designed by Bernard Maybeck and rebuilt in concrete in the 1960s. Free to visit.
Free and open daily. Expect wedding photographers and picnickers on the lawn. Check the theater calendar for current shows.
In the moviesVertigo, Time After Time, The Woman In Red and 18 more
+16more3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123 Full write-up → -
4
Alcatraz Island
How to visit Alcatraz: how to book tickets through the official operator, what's on the audio tour, and what to expect on the ferry from Pier 33.
Book your ferry weeks ahead and take the night tour if you can.
In the moviesBirdman of Alcatraz, Point Blank, The Enforcer and 4 more
+2morePier 33, The Embarcadero, San Francisco Full write-up → -
5
Mission Dolores
San Francisco's oldest building, an adobe chapel completed in 1791 that survived the 1906 earthquake. Founded as the sixth Spanish mission in California.
Non perdere: i travi del tetto sono sospesi a spesse cinghie di pelle senza chiodi. Dipinto con pigmenti vegetali grezzi.
In the moviesVertigo, Class Action
3321 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 Full write-up → -
6
Conservatory of Flowers
Victorian wood-and-glass conservatory at 100 JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park, opened in 1879. Five galleries of tropical and aquatic plants. $12 adults, free first Tuesdays.
In the moviesVertigo, Harold and Maude, High Anxiety and 2 more
+1more100 John F. Kennedy Dr, Golden Gate Park Full write-up → -
7
Lombard Street: Visiting San Francisco’s Crooked Street
Lombard Street's crooked block on Russian Hill has eight brick switchbacks built in 1922. Here's how to visit, by foot or by cable car.
Walk down the stairs on either side rather than waiting in the car line. The Powell-Hyde cable car drops you at the top at Hyde and Lombard.
In the moviesSudden Fear, Vertigo, The Love Bug and 4 more
+2moreLombard St between Hyde St and Leavenworth St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Full write-up → -
8
Painted Ladies Victorian Walk
The famous row of Victorians on Alamo Square is just the start. San Francisco has roughly 48,000 Victorian and Edwardian homes built between 1849 and 1915.
Climb to the top of Alamo Square for the postcard shot, then wander north into Pacific Heights for the bigger mansions.
In the moviesInvasion of the Body Snatchers, Foul Play, The Woman In Red and 6 more
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9
Golden Gate Park
1,017 acres stretching 3 miles from the Haight to Ocean Beach. Gardens, museums, lakes, a bison herd, a Dutch windmill, and miles of trails.
Cluster the museums and gardens at the eastern end, then bike west for the bison, Stow Lake, and the empty paths.
In the moviesThe Lady from Shanghai, The Lineup, Vertigo and 26 more
+24more501 Stanyan St, San Francisco, CA 94117 Full write-up → -
10
Ferry Building
The 1898 ferry terminal at the foot of Market Street, now a food marketplace and the Saturday morning home of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Come for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, an outdoor market selling produce and fruit.
In the moviesThe Maltese Falcon, I Remember Mama, D.O.A and 8 more
+6moreOne Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111 Full write-up → -
11
Fisherman’s Wharf
The northern waterfront stretch from Pier 39 to Aquatic Park. Working fishing docks at Pier 45, historic ships at Hyde Street Pier, and the original Ghirardelli factory site.
Fresh Dungeness crab is in season November through June. Working fishing boats still tie up at Pier 45.
In the moviesExperiment in Terror, Herbie Rides Again, Time After Time and 12 more
+10moreFisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Full write-up → -
12
Dolores Park
A 13.7-acre park in the Mission District with a sloped lawn facing the downtown skyline, tennis and basketball courts, two off-leash dog areas, and the Helen Diller Playground with its 45-foot hillside slide.
The south slope above 20th Street gets sun longest and has the downtown view; the flat north end by 18th Street is where the food lines and vendors are. The J-Church stops at 18th Street on the western edge, which puts you at the top of the hill without the climb.
In the moviesDirty Harry, Casualties of War, Sweet November and 10 more
+8moreDolores Street at 19th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 Full write-up → -
13
Washington Square Park
A 19th-century public square at the base of Telegraph Hill. Morning tai chi, afternoon picnics, and Saints Peter and Paul Church on the east side.
Go straight to Liguria Bakery on the northeast corner. Focaccia sells by the piece and typically sells out around lunchtime.
In the moviesThe Dead Pool, The Bachelor, Bedazzled and 4 more
+3moreFilbert & Stockton Streets, San Francisco, CA 94133 Full write-up → -
14
California Academy of Sciences
An aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum under one living roof in Golden Gate Park. Over 46 million specimens, plus a four-story rainforest dome.
See the four story Rainforest Dome and the coral reef aquarium, and come back for the 21+ NightLife event on Thursday evenings.
In the moviesThe Lady from Shanghai, The Lineup, Freebie and the Bean and 5 more
+3more55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118 Full write-up → -
15
Sutro Baths
The ruined foundations of an 1894 saltwater bathing palace that burned in 1966, on the rocks at Lands End.
Park free at Merrie Way and go late in the day for the light, but keep off the wet algae covered concrete at the water's edge.
In the moviesThe Lineup, Harold and Maude+1more680 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121 Full write-up → -
16
Japanese Tea Garden
The oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, built for the 1894 World's Fair and tended by the Hagiwara family for nearly 50 years.
America's oldest public Japanese garden, established for the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. The Hagiwara family managed the garden from 1895 to 1942; Makoto Hagiwara is credited with introducing fortune cookies at the teahouse. Three acres in Golden Gate Park; free for SF residents with ID, free for everyone before 10:00 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
In the moviesPetulia, Jade, The Wedding Planner
75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park Full write-up → -
17
Ocean Beach
Three and a half miles of Pacific sand on the city's western edge, with dangerous surf and no lifeguards.
Park at the Beach Chalet lot off Fulton and walk in, because the old Great Highway between Lincoln and Sloat is a car free park now.
In the moviesAround the Fire, Blue Jasmine, The Diary of a Teenage Girl and 2 more
+1moreGreat Highway at Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94121 Full write-up → -
18
The Castro Theatre
A 1922 Timothy Pflueger movie palace at 429 Castro Street, back in February 2026 after a $41 million restoration. Around 1,115 seats for a film, 1,385 standing for a concert, programmed by Another Planet Entertainment.
In the moviesEdtv, A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities
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19
War Memorial Opera House
1932 Beaux-Arts hall on Van Ness. Home to the San Francisco Opera and Ballet. About 3,128 seats. Schedule runs September through June.
In the moviesThe Lineup, Foul Play, Jade and 4 more
+2more301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102 Full write-up →
Last updated September 22, 2026
