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11 Hella Cool Things to do in San Francisco, California
Here is a list of our 11 favorite things to do in San Francisco including riding a cable car and visiting Alcatraz. | What to do and where to go in San Francisco, California.
San Francisco Skyline
11 Best Things to do in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco is such a great city! We've been so many times, yet there is something new to do every time. With all the hills and located on the coast, there are spectacular views! We love being a tourist and they have some pretty great food there too! Here is a list of our FAVORITE things to do in San Francisco:
1. Ride a Cable Car
I always think of Full House when I see the cable cars. Your trip would not be complete without a ride on these guys! There are three cable car lines: the Powell-Hyde Line, the Powell-Mason Line and the California Line. There's even a cable car museum! It's about $7 to take a ride. Check out San Francisco’s official guide: How to ride a Cable Car
Ride a Cable Car
2. See the Painted Ladies
Address: Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Check out these iconic brightly colored Victorian beauties. Alamo Square Park, located directly across from the ladies, is the perfect spot to sit and enjoy them! If you're not singing the theme song to Full House in front of these houses, there is something wrong with you. Speaking of, the actual Full House house is located: 1709 Broderick Street, about a mile away. We walked to the Mrs. Doubtfire house instead see #10.
Painted Ladies in San Francisco
3. Check Out Alcatraz
This famous prison is in the middle of the bay, once home to Al Capone. Make sure you buy your tickets a couple weeks in advance, the earlier you go, the less crowds there are. Day tickets to The Rock are only $45, including the ferry to get there and the self guided audio tour. I dare you to try the night tour! Buy tickets here: Alcatraz Tours or Viator offers great bundles and you can get into Alcatraz and the Aquarium for $63!
4. Visit Lombard Street
Address: Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Check out the 8 crazy zigzag turns down the hill on Lombard Street. It’s fun to drive down!
5. Visit the Sea Lions at Fisherman's Wharf - Pier 39
Address: Beach Street & The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
Grab a bite to eat, do some shopping and then come see these guys! There are hundreds of sea lions at times, swimming, barking, and splashing. I could sit and watch them for hours!
6. Visit the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129
You can drive, bike, and even walk across this massive bridge, or enjoy from a beach nearby. Any way you choose, you can appreciate the beauty of this iconic art deco bridge. If you get to the other side, there is a park/lookout area to snap a few photos. This was taken from the Crissy Fields East Beach:
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE FROM CRISSY FIELDS EAST BEACH
7. Walk through the Palace of Fine Arts
Address: 3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123
Take a walk through the Palace of Fine Arts walking distance from the Crissy Fields beach in #7! Appreciate the Greco-Roman architecture and lookout for turtles and ducks!
See if there are any events while you are there: Palace of Fine Arts Events
8. Get Ice Cream and Sit in the Park
Bi-Rite: 3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Bi-Rite is one of the best ice cream establishments in San Francisco. There is always a wait, but it is well worth it. Dolores Park is right across the street, which is a great place to enjoy city views and have some ice cream. The park isn’t always so crowded, it had rained all week and it was a warm beautiful day!
See our full BiRite Ice Cream Review here
9. Go Shopping in Union Square
Address: 333 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Shopping is one of my favorite activities and Union Square has some of the best stores: Macy's, Saks 5th Ave, Tiffany & Co, Nike, Apple, Williams-Sonoma, to name a few. Stop at the Burger Bar in Macy’s for Union Square views and a milkshake! If you go down Powell there are even more shops and a mall off of Market Street.
TONY BENNETT'S "I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO"
Milkshake at the Burger Bar
10. Find the Mrs. Doubtfire House
Mrs. Doubtfire House Address: 2640 Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94115
"Steiner Street. Oooh how lovely!" Quote from Mrs. Doubtfire, one of my favorite movies of all-time. There's even a Robin Williams tribute with people that have signed rocks in the planter. Here's what it looks like: inside the house.
11. Catch a Giant's Game at AT&T Park
Address: 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94107
Check out their schedule and buy tickets: Click Here
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Other things to do in Northern California:
ICE CREAM REVIEW: Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco, California
Check out one of the best places to get ice cream in San Francisco: Bi-Rite Creamery! Delicious! Things to do in San Francisco | Places to eat in San Francisco #icecream #sanfrancisco
ICE CREAM REVIEW: Bi-Rite Creamery
San Francisco, California
3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
San Francisco is known for many things and ice cream is definitely one of them. One of the most popular ice cream destinations is Bi-Rite Creamery. Part of the Bi-Rite family, the Bi-Rite Market opened in 1940 and eventually opened their own creamery in 2006. They serve homemade organic ice cream and also have a soft serve window. We went on a warm day in February and the line was about 20 mins long wrapping around the street corner. Go with cool friends, it makes the line go faster.
Once you take a step inside, it's very small, the ice cream freezer case is right there, but the faces behind the counter are warm and friendly! See all flavors here: MENU
They not only make the ice cream in house, they also have a bakery attached and make all brownies, marshmallows, toffee in the ice cream. They also make toppings such as peanut brittle and hot fudge. If you're lactose intolerant, don't worry, you can join in on the fun too, they offer a vegan, dairy-free ice cream daily! SO MANY OPTIONS!
Happiness is definitely one scoop at a time.
I took my delicious coffee toffee, Cookies & Cream, chocolate cone and decided to eat it in the park across the street. I texture had the perfect balance of creamy and soft. My favorite was the cookies and cream. I tried the rose, salted caramel, and a peanut butter fudge type.
Since it was so warm, my friends and I walked across the street and decided to enjoy our ice cream, and the views, from Dolores Park.
Related Post: 10 Hella Cool Things to do in San Francisco
We were definitely a fan of Bi-Rite and will come back next time we are in SF!
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Looking for more things to do in NorCal? Try these:
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