3 Day Guide to San Francisco
If you’re looking to get a feel for San Francisco, but not use a ton of vacation time, a long weekend is perfect. I know all too well the struggle of wanting to travel and see the country/world, but wanting to use as little PTO (and spend the least time away from my cats) as possible.
Thankfully, San Francisco is a perfect city for a weekend getaway. As a former travel agent, it’s impossible for me to not make itineraries, so if you’re thinking of heading to the City by the Bay, here’s what I recommend you do.
Day One - Get the Lay of the Land
Your first day in the city is a great time to take tours. You’re tired from a day of traveling, possibly jetlagged, but you don’t want to waste a whole day of your trip. This is a great day to take it at your own pace. Find a cafe or diner for breakfast, and hop on a tour!
San Francisco is like any other city in the sense that they offer the big bus tours you’ll see in cities like New York and London, but my recommendation is the Painted Ladies Tour. Instead of a big bus, think a VW bus. This is awesome for two reasons. One: it’s a smaller, more personalized tour. Two: the VW bus is small enough to get places that the bigger buses can’t. On our tour, we went down Lombard Street, saw the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Full House houses. It was a great experience.
Once your tour is over, there’s one more stop before you call it a day and find a spot for dinner: the cable cars. San Francisco’s cable cars are the only historical monument that still moves, and it’s worth every penny of the $8 ticket! The route we took started at Beach/Hyde by Fisherman’s Wharf and ended in Union Square, but there are three total routes to choose from.
Make sure to sit on the outside to get the best views!
Day Two- The Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge
After your relaxing first day, get ready to get some steps in! This action packed day is for checking off two major San Fran “musts:” The Golden Gate Bridge and Muir Woods. Here’s how you should do it.
Leave your hotel around 7am and begin the drive to the Woods. Your route will take you over the Golden Gate Bridge, which is an experience in and of itself. But Lauren, where will I stop for pictures? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Once you cross the bridge, immediately on your right is arguably the best place to take pictures with the bridge: the Lone Sailor Memorial. You could easily spend an hour here sipping coffee and snapping pictures but, remember, you have a parking reservation.
Once you get to Muir Woods (make a reservation early, I promise you it’s worth not having to walk), you’ll likely have very few people around, if any. We got there right at 8am and there was no one. We walked all the way to the third bridge, then hiked up a little ways and walked back above the canopy. These trees are older than America’s country-dom and it’s so worth a visit. Once you’re done hiking, there’s a gift shop and cafe you can stop at.
You’ll get back into the city in the early afternoon and this is a great time to see some sights like the Palace of Fine Arts, the Presidio, or head out to the beach. Even though we didn’t have time to visit them on our first trip, I’ve heard great things about Lands End and Twin Peaks as well! Find a spot for dinner and then head in for the night.
Get to the Woods early and it will feel like you have the whole place to yourself! It was so quiet and serene.
Day Three- Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf
It’s your final day in the city, why not spend it in prison? Seriously, Alcatraz is such an awesome spot. You have to take a ferry to the island, which you pick up at Pier 33. The ferry ride is about 15 minutes and super smooth, so all my seasick-friends rejoice! Once you get to the island, it’s a climb to the cellhouse where the main audio tour is. We arrived right as a walking tour was leaving so we hopped in that group and got to hear some awesome facts about all the buildings we were walking by. The tour drops you right at the main cellhouse and from there, it’s all self-guided. All in, we spent about three hours there (11am to about 2:00pm) and the time flew by.
Once you get back to the mainland, take a stroll up the Embarcadero to Pier 39. There’s shops, food, coffee and, most importantly, sea lions! I’m not kidding, Pier 39 is where a large number of sea lions congregate to sun themselves and take naps. The Pier is also a great place to do your souvenir shopping! There’s tons of little gift shops there, with the largest one being at the entrance. If you’re still up for some walking, I recommend making your way west on the Embarcadero for dinner. There are two restaurants we went to called Scoma’s and Cioppino’s and, honestly, I’m still thinking about the food we had there.
And there you have it!
Alcatraz Island also offers some incredible views of the city and is a perfect photo spot
Some Honorable Mentions
A weekend is not enough time to see everything, but it’s enough time to get a sample of the city. When we go back, Sam and I want to go to Lands End, Twin Peaks, the Exploratorium, the Musee Mechanique, and back to the Muir Woods, of course!
