Things to do in San Francisco

San Francisco, California, has a charm so unique that it stands apart from all the other cities in America. Despite being a big city, it feels like a quaint little town. There are so many things to do in this City by the Bay, you can easily spend a couple of days here, and not cover all the things to do in San Francisco.

The Golden Gate Bridge: You have to start your journey of the things to do in San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge. You can't miss the sight of this striking red marvel architecture, spanning the bay across the Pacific Ocean, and connecting San Francisco to Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was built. This makes it historically significant. You can take in the sight of this magnificent structure from a vantage point across the bridge, or choose to walk down the bridge itself. This is one of the top 10 things to do in San Francisco. Be careful though, it is very windy on the bridge, so you may want to hold on to the railing, and to anything of value that you may be carrying with you! Here are some more famous American bridges.

Crissy Fields: As you travel from The Golden Gate Bridge to The Fisherman's Wharf, you come across the Crissy Fields beach and promenade. This is a quiet and serene place to enjoy the sight of The Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. You can relax on the beach, or take a walk along the promenade, watching the ships and sailing boats go by. You may also catch some wind and kite surfers off the beach, as the beach is quite popular with them. Across the bay from Crissy Fields is the Alcatraz Island, and you are able to view it clearly on a sunny day. And the best part is that this is one of the free things to do in San Francisco!

Alcatraz: Another thing to do in San Francisco is to take a ferry ride to the Alcatraz Island from Pier 33 near Fisherman's Wharf. The Alcatraz Island was featured in the movie 'The Rock'. The island served as a lighthouse and a prison in the 1960's, and was later granted the status of a historical landmark, and became a part of The Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Fisherman's Wharf: The Fisherman's Wharf is located on the waterfront, featuring the popular Pier 39, the San Francisco Maritime Museum, and The Ghirardelli Square. Pier 39 is a popular tourist destination and one of the top 10 things to do in San Francisco. It hosts a number of shops and restaurants. The biggest attraction of Pier 39, however, are the several California sea lions sunbathing on the docks. It is a sight to see these huge sea mammals lazing in the sun, and honking from time to time. And if you are a lover of seafood, there are many restaurants lining Fisherman's Wharf that serve fresh seafood, especially some mouth-watering dungeness crabs, and clam chowder. You can also visit the Aquarium of the Bay, especially if you're traveling with kids, as it is one of the things for kids to do in San Francisco.

Lombard Street: Lombard Street is known for being the crookedest street in the world. It is very steep with sharp hairpin turns. The crooked portion of the street is a one-way, and you can travel downhill on it. If you want the experience of tackling an obstacle course in your utility car, then Lomard Street awaits you. This is definitely one of the fun things to do in San Francisco!

San Francisco Cable Cars: The San Francisco Cable Car system is a manually operated cable car system. It runs from downtown San Francisco to Fisherman's Wharf. It is a must travel because it's just so much fun! Leave your car and ride aboard these quaint little cable cars to experience the spirit of San Francisco.

Coit Tower: Visiting the Coit Tower is definitely one of the top ten things to do in San Francisco, as it stands atop Telegraph Hill, and offers amazing views of the city and the bay. The tower resembles a fire hose nozzle, though the architects deny having designed it after it. However, people still believe that it was built to look like a fire hose nozzle, especially because of Lillie Hitchcock Coit's affinity towards the firemen of San Francisco. The Coit Tower also features beautiful murals by several artists.

China Town: If you can't visit China, visit China Town. As the name suggests, this is China in San Francisco. It boasts of having the largest Chinese community after China. China Town represents Chinese culture and traditions and art and literature in its purest form outside China. It has a large number of Chinese restaurants, shops, and temples with pagodas. This is one of the best things to do in San Francisco. You can truly get immersed in this exotic cultural experience.

Treasure Island: Treasure Island is an artificially created island in the bay between San Francisco and Oakland. You can reach it via the Oakland Bay Bridge. It is at the halfway mark of the bridge. The reason I mention this island is that it offers a fantastic view of the San Francisco skyline from across the bay, and it is also one of the free things to do in San Francisco.

Union Square: Union Square is called thus because it was used for rallies during the Civil War in America. It is a plaza in the central district of San Francisco, which is home to many upscale stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale's; and boutiques like Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Giorgio Armani and Prada; and salons, and art galleries, making it a center of San Francisco shopping and lifestyle. This is definitely not one of the cheap things to do in San Francisco!

Ocean Beach: This is a great place to stop and relax during or after your drive through San Francisco. Be careful near the water though, as it is quite treacherous with strong rip currents and powerful waves. It is, therefore, a preferred spot for surfers who want to do some serious surfing. More on San Francisco tourism.

These were some of the things to do in San Francisco. I'm pretty sure you'll be echoing the feelings of Frank Sinatra when it's time for you to leave this beautiful city. Here are some more places to visit in California. You can also go on other California vacations.