San Francisco doesn’t do steady and predictable. From the 1849 Gold Rush that spiked the population by 2000 percent in a single year to the 1906 earthquake that shook and burned nearly the entire buried-treasure-funded town to the ground, highs and lows are part of the city’s DNA. San Francisco being one of the hilliest cities in the world (second only to La Paz, Bolivia) seems almost too on the nose.
But people don’t flock to San Francisco because it’s a safe bet. They come because they sense something bubbling beneath the surface, and all these intrepid travelers have left their mark: From the consciousness expanding ethos of the hippies and the avant-garde literary output of the Beats to the world-shifting innovations of the techies and the culinary expressions of the chefs, San Francisco remains a place where weird and revolutionary ideas launch into the world. That also means no visit here will ever be the same as the last.
Here’s how to really immerse yourself during a long weekend.
The 5.4-acre Salesforce Park floats 70 feet above San Francisco’s busy downtown streets.
Photo by DTM Media/Shutterstock
Day 1: Stroll along the waterfront, an elevated park, and the Levi Strauss campus
Head to the Ferry Building, the church for devout food worshipers. The 1898 Beaux-Arts building still functions as an active ferry terminal and is home to more than 50 restaurants, cafés, and specialty food markets. Beeline to Parachute bakery for one of the cube-shaped croissants, built by laminating more than 200 layers of dough. For coffee, cruise a few stalls over to Red Bay Coffee, an artist-run roaster.
Once you’re fueled up, stroll north along the waterfront Embarcadero. A 15-minute walk will get you to the HQ of Levi Strauss & Co., the denim brand founded in San Francisco in 1853. The campus includes a pair of Japanese-inspired parks designed by Lawrence Halprin, as well as the Vault, the brand’s museum that just reopened after a five-year hiatus. The current show (on view through December 18) is about Levi’s influence in music, featuring the crystal-clad jeans of Beyoncé and a pair of heavily distressed and patched button-flies worn by Kurt Cobain.
From Levi’s Plaza you’ll hear the call of parrots, as a feral flock of these colorful birds have called the neighborhood home since the ’90s. You have the best chance of spotting them if you follow Filbert Street across Sansome to what looks like a dead end where, to the left of a chain-link fence, is a nondescript stairway. Start climbing.
“The historic Filbert Steps that run from just below Levi’s Plaza up to Coit Tower offer one of the essential walks in San Francisco,” says Gary Kamiya, the author of Cool, Gray City of Love, who once spent a year walking every square mile of the city. “These atmospheric old wooden steps cut through a magnificent urban garden and are lined by some of the oldest houses in the city.” Back at the bottom, reward yourself with a snacky lunch of pintxos, or skewered bites, with a view at Coqueta, the tapas-focus Spanish restaurant by the late chef Michael Chiarello.
This would be a fine time to hail an eerie but impressive ride with Waymo, which operates a fleet of over 800 driverless cars. Or else hop on the historic F Market, the public-transit line that stars a collection of century-old street cars from all over the world that have been retrofitted to rumble up and down the tracks along the Embarcadero and Market Street.
Whichever transit method you choose, get yourself to the nearby Transbay bus terminal. Take the elevator to the fourth floor, and the doors will open to the 5.4-acre Salesforce Park, floating 70 feet above the busy downtown streets.
As the surrounding office buildings start to empty out and the temperature drops a few degrees, duck into SFMOMA for seven stories of modern art. On Thursdays the museum stays open until 8 p.m., and the vibe is lively. You don’t need a ticket to take in the ground floor exhibits, including Kara Walker’s large-scale work Fortuna and the Immortality Garden, featuring a cast of haunting automatons.
Dinner is at Bar Shoji, a new spin-off of the Michelin-starred omakase restaurant the Shota. Don’t miss the unforgettable $50 fondue burger, sandwiched between beef tallow brioche and served in a baking dish full of melted cheese.
While you’re likely stuffed and maxed out on your step count by now, there is one last, late-night stop. The Westin St. Francis, one of the city’s oldest hotels, is home to the Eighth Rule, a new subterranean bourbon bar by NBA legend Steph Curry. Sip your way through a six-drink cocktail flight, then head back to the main elevator bank behind Café Rito. Request floor 32 on the touchpad, and the glass-encased lift will shoot you high above the city, offering one of the very best nighttime views of glittering downtown.
Chef Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s serves up Chinese American fare at his Michelin-starred hot spot.
Day 2: Find nourishment in Chinatown, Little Italy, and a grand bookstore
San Francisco’s Chinatown is well-known for being the world’s largest and oldest outside of Asia. But what makes the area extra special is that it’s next door to North Beach, the city’s Italian enclave. The border blocks are a delightful and—delicious—amalgamation of the two cultures.
Start at Liguria Bakery, which offers nothing but its famous, fresh-out-of-the-oven focaccia in various flavors. Buy a hot slice, then find a seat at Caffe Trieste for coffee. “The Caffe Trieste, opened in 1956, is a living link with the Beats, serves the best espresso in town, and is still frequented by artists and writers,” says Kamiya.
It’s also a preview of the day, which is all about books, art, music, and film. Key Jo Lee, author and chief curator at the nearby Museum of the African Diaspora, shares her go-to spot in North Beach. “City Lights Booksellers & Publishers is my forever favorite. This bookstore is a sanctuary for anyone who loves ideas. I can lose hours there, discovering writers I’ve never encountered, and leaving with a few books that I know will change the way I think.” The literary haven has been expanding minds since it was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Lunch is a bowl of spaghetti alla carbonara at Cafe Zoetrope, a Roman-style trattoria owned by Francis Ford Coppola, who bought the copper-clad, flatiron Sentinel Building back in 1972 to serve as the headquarters for his film production company, American Zoetrope. Today it also houses the offices of Zoetrope Magazine, the literary publication founded by his daughter Sofia, who stocks an expertly curated newsstand in the café.
After lunch, wander beneath towering redwoods in the shadow of the Transamerica Pyramid. A cluster of new dining and drinking outposts encircle the tower, but don’t pass up a kakigori from Mad Lab, a pop-up sweet shop that builds intricate desserts that marry Italian gelato and traditional Japanese shaved ice.
Slip into Chinatown via Washington Street, but stick to the atmospheric alleys whenever possible. Stroll the length of Waverly Place, stopping in at On Waverly, a shop stocked with AAPI-authored books and an irresistible selection of chili crisps, black sesame butters, and infused cooking oils. While zigzagging through the alleys, try to spot wheat-paste works by Michael Jang, a sought-after septuagenarian street artist who still steps out weekly to share his creations.
Nearby Ross Alley is home to the Chinese Culture Center, fronted by a design shop stocked with pieces by local Asian American artists, designers, and craftspeople. A few doors down is the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, where fortune cookies are pressed and handfolded all day, every day right in the center of the shop.
Kamiya insists no visit to Chinatown is complete without taking in the scene at Portsmouth Square, or “Chinatown’s living room, which is historic ground zero for San Francisco and is now the local hangout for residents of adjacent Chinatown, many of them avid gamblers.” Take a walk down any of the surrounding alleys and peek through the grated metal doors, haphazardly covered with cloth, to spot the betting action day or night.
For dinner, snag an early table at one of the hottest spots in Chinatown: Four Kings, for claw-intact fried squab and mapo spaghetti, or Mister Jiu’s, where the crackly skinned, Beijing-style roast duck has repeatedly been declared one of the best in the country.
Finally, catch an only-in-SF performance: Dear San Francisco, through which the spirit of the Beat poets lives on—but with death-defying acrobatics. This interactive show takes place at Club Fugazi, the former home of Beach Blanket Babylon—a beloved high-camp musical revue that ran for nearly five decades—and this troupe of young and wildly talented performers will leave you speechless.
Enjoy the view at Tunnel Tops, a new park in the 1,000+-acre Presidio, all part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Photo by Ryan Curran White / Parks Conservancy
Day 3: Commune with nature next to and over the Golden Gate Bridge
After two days navigating the busy city streets, touch grass with a morning in the Presidio, a vast wooded sanctuary (and former army base) that’s part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the city’s northern tip. Start with brunch at Dalida, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant that’s earned plaudits from the Michelin Guide, then explore the Tunnel Tops, the city’s hottest new park designed by James Corner’s Field Operations, the team that created New York City’s High Line.
You’ll want to fuel up for the next adventure, and Il Parco serves slices of thick focaccia pizza that can easily feed two. Then head to the nearest Bay Wheels bike station and pick your ride.
It’s time to tackle the Golden Gate Bridge! We suggest opting for the electric model considering the hills in your future, but plenty of folks do the trip analog. On weekends, the bike-only protected lane is open, so follow the riders in front of you, and you’ll soon be sailing the nearly two miles across the iconic orange span.
Once on the other side, coast downhill into the charming seaside town of Sausalito. It’s an easy 10-minute cycle through town and over to Heath Ceramics, the legendary dinnerware and tile studio. This humble factory hidden in a working marina is where all Heath’s dinnerware has been produced since 1959. This is also the only location of Heath’s Overstock Tile Shed, where seconds can be scooped up at a deep discount.
Dinner is at Fish, the casual, counter-service restaurant that serves extraordinary seafood. The dock is set with dozens of tables, where you’ll likely spend a few hours ingesting Hog Island Oysters, local rockfish tacos, a Dungeness crab roll, and some NorCal IPA. But keep an eye on the clock—the last ferry departs Sausalito at 6:30 p.m. (You didn’t think we’d make you ride back up those hills, did you?)
Get a look at the lovely Painted Ladies on your way to Haight-Ashbury.
Courtesy of Joshua Sortino/Unsplash
Day 4: Gaze at Painted Ladies, shop in Haight-Ashbury, chill at Golden Gate Park
The route for the final day is a straight shot through the center of San Francisco, but the scenery will be anything but homogeneous. Start in Hayes Valley, the buzzy center of the AI boom, where hacker houses proliferate and there are dozens of restaurants ready to feed a population that is too busy coding to cook. Breakfast and coffee is at Loquat, a modern Jewish bakery turning out dreamy salted chocolate babka.
The shops of Hayes Street feature a handful of hot brands like Clare V. and Malin + Goetz alongside local superstars like Métier (jewelry), Allbirds (shoes), Marine Layer (apparel), and MMclay (ceramics).
Jump on the 6 Muni bus for a tourist-worthy ride past the Painted Ladies, colorful Victorian and Edwardian houses, and get off at Masonic and Haight Streets. Haight-Ashbury was hallowed ground for the hippies during the Summer of Love, but it has fresh energy thanks to a new generation of vintage shops, bookstores, and restaurants. Find your perfect pair of archival Levi’s at Held Over, or score an old-school hoodie at Blue Bin Vintage.
Haight Street is also one of the last strips where casual sandwich shops, falafel joints, and slice houses outnumber pricey Michelin-starred restaurants, so don’t skip out without lunch. Sandy’s Muffuletta makes killer New Orleans–style sandwiches, while Jalebi Street is slinging some of the best Indian street food in the city.
The street culminates at the foot of Golden Gate Park, the start of our final pilgrimage. It’s just over three miles from this point to where the park—and the entire city/county—ends, at Ocean Beach. John F. Kennedy Drive is the main drag that goes east-west from one end of the park to the other. A few years ago, a 1.5-mile section was reimagined as the JFK Promenade, a car-free stretch that has become a colorful, human-powered highway of bikers, roller skaters, walkers, runners, and strollers.
The promenade will lead you past the de Young museum and the California Academy of Sciences, modern architectural marvels designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Renzo Piano, respectively, to the Whale’s Tail (open May–Oct), a lawn set with bright yellow Adirondack chairs and featuring a lively beer garden. You’ll know you’ve made it when you spot the wood-paneled, life-size whale breaching the asphalt.
Just past small Spreckels Lake, usually teeming with model boats captained by members of the lakeside Model Yacht Club, you’ll come face to face with 10 hulking, shaggy American bison munching on grass. Bison have been roaming this section of the park since 1899, and more than 500 calves have been born in Golden Gate Park, helping save the species from extinction.
Stumble a few blocks out of the wilderness to Rampant Wine Co., a cozy bar serving a stellar selection of low-intervention wines in the Outer Richmond. Find dinner right across the street at the Laundromat, a Detroit-style pizza destination. If the sun hasn’t set, finish the day at the literal end: Lands End rises at the edge of Ocean Beach and offers a rocky, cypress-enclosed perch to watch the sun drop into the Pacific. Goodnight, San Francisco.
Rooms at the sustainable 1 Hotel offer views of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island.
Where to stay
1 Hotel
Situated right on the edge of the Bay, 1 Hotel offers views of the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the iconic Ferry Building’s clock tower. The LEED Gold–certified property seamlessly integrates cutting-edge sustainability practices—reclaimed redwood from the old Bay Bridge was used throughout the property, and the farm-to-table restaurant, Terrene, uses only locally sourced ingredients and adheres to zero-waste initiatives.
Inn at the Presidio
This intimate escape inside the Presidio is housed inside a Georgian revival building that originally served as the living quarters for unmarried officers back when the park was still a military base. Today, rocking chairs line the long porches that front the three-story brick building of the Inn at the Presidio, the perfect spot to view the soaring Golden Gate Bridge towers on a fogless day.