3 Days in San Francisco: The Ultimate Itinerary
As soon as I made it into the city, I knew I was in trouble. I had barely been there 30 minutes, and San Francisco already had me. I’m not sure precisely what it was—maybe the steep hills filled with picturesque houses, the happy vibes I got from its inhabitants, or possibly the little boutiques I went strolling by.
I hadn’t expected to like it so much—I’m not a huge lover of cities—but I was hooked. If you’ve never been before, go ahead and book a ticket now. I’ll save you the trouble and loop you in on some iconic top attractions in San Francisco you absolutely must try on your first visit to the city!
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1 | Painted Ladies of Alamo Square
If you’re a Full House lover like myself, you kind of have to check out the Painted Ladies. They’re absolutely adorable. After checking them out, I definitely had serious #housegoals, but not the millions of dollars to support those goals.
2 | Cruise through San Fran Bay
Take an afternoon cruise through San Francisco Bay. For me, there was nothing cooler than boating under the Golden Gate Bridge! This one is a no brainer, and definitely one of the top attractions in San Francisco.
3 | Check out Alcatraz
While you’re on the water, make sure to take a good look at Alcatraz. Even better, if you have the time, stop and take a tour! I have sort of an odd fascination with prisons, so if you’re anything like me, definitely check it out.
4 | Dolores Park
Dolores Park may have been one of my favorite parts of San Francisco. Imagine a giant park, sunshine overhead, and thousands of people just chilling on picnic blankets. Friends bring snacks, drinks, and other goodies, and just enjoy a day outside. It was such a relaxed atmosphere, and everyone was so friendly! I’ll put it to you this way–if I ever become homeless, I would want to live in Dolores Park.
5 | Cable Cars
Cable cars are a pretty iconic part of San Francisco. I sincerely doubt there are any locals on them, but I say go for it! It’s a top touristy thing to do for a reason…plus, they’re really cute!
6 | Fisherman’s Wharf
Like the cable cars, Fisherman’s Wharf is another one of those top attractions in San Francisco that you just can’t miss. I learned that it actually refers to the whole neighborhood, not just the wharf portion. Make sure to hit up a local seafood joint, check out the iconic Pier 39, and make friends with the pier’s favorite residents: the seals!
7 | Lombard Street
Not going to lie, for this just being a street, I was pretty excited to visit. I mean, how can you not be thrilled to see what’s touted as the “most crooked street in the world?” Factor in stunning houses and blooming flowers, and you have a photographer’s paradise…except for the hundreds of other tourists also stretching to get a photo. Best of luck there!
8 | CREAM
If you want to eat the best ice cream sandwiches of your life, go to CREAM. That’s really all I have…if you’re not into ice cream sandwiches, I’m guessing we’re not friends? Just do it, I promise you will not regret your decision!
9 | Explore Sutro Baths
Sutro Baths used to be a huge, private saltwater swimming pool facility, but the complex burned down back in the 1960s. It’s now in ruins, and a really cool area to walk around and explore. It’s nice to escape the bustle of the city and just enjoy the Land’s End area.
10 | Brunch/ Wander the Hills
Ok, so I don’t know if this is true, but I’m pretty sure everyone in the entire city goes out to brunch on the weekends…at least that’s how it felt trying to get a table Saturday morning! In any case, everyone has the right idea, so copy the locals and hit up the hot brunch spots. Afterwards, walk off that brunch through the San Fran hills.
11 | Drive over Golden Gate Bridge
By this time, you’ve been under the Golden Gate Bridge, but driving over it is 100% one of the top attractions in San Francisco. You get beautiful views of the bay, and the bridge (duh!). Honestly, it’s just one of those items you have to tick off the bucket list…it’s a really cool experience!
12 | Napa
After you drive over the Golden Gate Bridge, just keep on driving (to Napa)! I used one of my days in San Francisco to explore wine country, and it may have been the best decision of my trip…currently tied with ice cream sandwiches. In Napa, you will find wine tasting, sunshine, and happiness…need I say more?
Logistics
Cheap flights: I’d recommend looking up eDreams.net. They scan tons of different travel discount sites and feature special flight deals.
Where to Stay: Luxurious: Hotel Omni. Mid-Range: Inn San Francisco. Budget: The Willows Inn (as much as San Francisco has budget hotels…just expect to pay a lot when staying in the city.
Car Rentals: You don’t need a car in San Francisco, but I had a rental since San Fran was the last stop on my California road trip. As far as rental cars go, you can’t go wrong with Expedia. They pull from a number of different car companies, and definitely provide good deals. If you’re looking for a luxury rental, try Sixt; Sixt provides some legit deals on premium and luxury rentals!
California Resources:
For further reading on California, make sure to check out the following guides!
- Venice Beach: For your weekend guide to Venice Beach, look no further!
- Big Sur: Discover the top 8 foolproof tips for driving Big Sur!
- Solvang, California: For a unique mash-up for Dutch culture and California, make sure to check out Solvang!
- Napa Valley: Explore Napa Valley 101 for all you first time visitors!
- Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip: For the most epic 8 day PCH road trip guide down the California coast, look no further!
And folks, there you have it…how to spend a fun-filled weekend in San Francisco. I’m sure I’ll be back again someday, so let me have it—what are some of your favorite things to do in the city?
I see some interesting activities! Alcatraz for sure, I’ve never visited a prison, I’d like to see that historic one. Lombard street as well, too iconic to let it go! Sutro Baths is another interesting one, but I’d ideally finish my tour in Napa for sure, with a glass of wine!
Definitely plenty of activities to entertain yourself there! I’d love to get back to Napa too and spend some quality time there.
One of our favorite cities ever! We will definitely check out those flight deals, we are always looking to get back! Awesome post 🙂
Thanks! I’m always checking them out too, you never know what good deals might pop up 🙂
Lombard street is what I want to see. Click pictures with a backdrop of the Golden Gate bridge. I should have gone to the West Coast while I used to work in NY. I would also love to visit Alcatraz. SFO is just amazing and I so want to visit this place.
I hope you do get to visit some day! It’s an incredibly picturesque city 🙂
I love this city! I remember I spent 5 days last year in my spring break with my friends! and yes they actually covered all these places in 3 days! such a beautiful city!
Yeah there’s a ton to do, but super easy to get around which I liked. An awesome city 🙂
We were thinking of a short trip to San Francisco since it isn’t too far from Vancouver. San Francisco looks like it has a lot of great places to see like Lombard Street. We will have to check out priceline and momondo since we didn’t find anywhere yet that was in our budget.
I love momondo! Also definitely want to check out Vancouver soon, I’ve heard amazing things about that area 🙂
Whenever my husband heads to San Francisco on work , he asks me to accompany. But I brush off the idea thinking what will I do there all alone while he will be off to work. Now I know 🙂 I am going to accompany him on the next trip and work my way through these wonderful sightseeing that you suggested
Oh yeah, you definitely should go! There is so much to do, and an easy city to explore solo!
San Francisco is simply spectacular. There is so much to see here. Of course for me the best attaction is , The Golden Gate Bridge. I was really intrigued by the beauty of Lombard street, it looks so colourful and bright.The Painted ladies of Alamo Square are another attraction that looks simply enthralling.
Agreed, the Golden Gate Bridge is truly spectacular. I had to make sure to go under and over it while I was there 🙂
San Francisco has always been on my favorite list. There is so much to see and do here, For me the most fascinating is Painted Ladies and driving on the Golden Gate. Sutro baths too look cool to explore and Lombard street really blew me away. Its so picturesque.
The whole city is gorgeous, it was hard to figure out what to do with just a few days! Hoping I’ll be able to visit again someday and explore even more
Lombard Street… Sutro baths… The two things that really caught my fancy. So definitely is an exciting place and I do hope to get the sometime
If you’re feeling up to it, you can drive down Lombard Street! Or if you’re on foot (like me), walking it is just as fun.
Ah Cali! Home sweet home! I still need to explore Napa Valley and really wanna see the one with the castle you posted! #feetdotravel
The castle was so cool! I also want to get back to Napa one day–I feel like I could easily spend a week there haha 🙂
Great list – we did most of these on our visit – I was quite reluctant to visit Alcatraz but everyone told me we had to go and it was one of the best things we did! Also ride the cable cars! My daughter loved it hanging on up and down those hills!
So cool, glad you had an awesome visit there!
I really liked San Francisco but I would love to spend more time there next time. I loved wandering around the city, checking out Alcatraz and walking across Golden Gate Bridge – so many highlights in the city! Beautiful photos and thanks for sharing – I want to get out to Napa next time!
Make sure to save plenty of time for Napa! I only had one day there, and it definitely wasn’t enough.
I must agree San Francisco is beautiful with those pretty and colorful houses in Alamo Square to the lovely cable cars it looks like an amazing blend of new and old. I didn’t know that the floral crooked street is Lombard Street in San Francisco though I have seen the picture of it hundred times over the social media.
I found out about Lombard Street from some locals while I was there! I was in the same boat as you – had seen photos before, but didn’t know it was in San Fran until right before I left.
This is a great post, covering all the reasons we would love to visit San Francisco. Have pinned for future reference! #feetdotravel
Thank you guys 🙂 Hope you get to visit soon!!
I would love to visit San Francisco one ady, it’s one of the few places in America that I really want to see (and it’s impossible at the moment due to visa). I would love to walk on those hilly streets and admire the colorful houses.
The hills are crazy steep–I was surprised by that when I first arrived. Hope the visa situation improves so you can get to San Fran one day!
I love San Francisco and you have listed some wonderful activities for people to do while there. Great photos and I pinned for later. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Stephanie! It’s so easy to write about a city when you have a good time there 🙂
Had not heard of the Sutro Baths. Saturday brunch sounds perfect. Haven’t had a relaxing weekend in a while. Love your list of activities for San Francisco. #feetdotravel
San Francisco is definitely an awesome spot for a relaxing weekend!
Great read. The actual Full House house isn’t with the Painted Ladies which is a common mistake. Here’s the address: 1709 Broderick St, San Francisco, CA 94115, you can even take pics on the stairs.
That’s really helpful info, thanks Kristen!
Where did you stay while in San Francisco?
I did an Airbnb there, there’s a ton to choose from!