I decided to tag along with DH on his business trip to SF. So, here I am, day 1 of 4 in the lobby with no plan. We are at the Hilton Union Square and I can walk to Macy’s and the shop in that area but I do that every time I come here. Take me off my beaten path!
One of my favorite places in SF is the Musee Mechanique. It has antique pinball games. There are more wonderful things than pinball games there too! It’s worth a visit
http://www.museemechanique.org/
I also enjoyed Golden Gate Park’s Japanese garden, the botanical gardens there, and there are two museums, bison
In the Castro district there’s a wonderful movie theater. Before the (I think) 7:00 pm show there’s an amazing organ that rises out of the floor and someone plays it. Then you can see the movie, which is usually an interesting film.
It’s probably raining so the botanical garden is probably out. My friend recently went to the Jewish museum and raved about the Lew the Jew tattoo artist exhibit.
My D was there a few weeks ago and loved an eatery Chubby Noodle.
Have fun. A walk out near the ocean or on the bay after a break in rain is always pretty.
Nearby there’s Tacqueria Le Cumbre with great burritos.
http://www.taquerialacumbre.com/
I also like Gordo’s in the sunset district –
http://gordotaqueria.co/
Head up to the Marina District if possible. Enjoy the views of the bay, Alcatraz, and Golden Gate Bridge (skip Fisherman’s Wharf). Walk over to the Palace of Fine Arts. You wont regret it!
If you’re hungry, stop in at Izzy’s Steakhouse for their marinated skirt steak - the best!
If you have never seen these tiled steps, I think they are worth the effort:
http://www.16thavenuetiledsteps.com/
I also like the Museum of Modern Art:
https://www.sfmoma.org/
today is a bad day since it’s raining.
But a new thingy might be to go to the new Salesforce Building and go to the Observation Deck.
The SF Transbay Transit Center is also new and has great views too, but it might be closed because of some structural damage found a while back. Not sure if it reopened.
As far as old things, the cable cars are nearby, both going thru Chinatown and north to Fisherman’s Wharf. From Fisherman’s Wharf, head west towards the Marina, go over to Chrissy Park/Palace of Fine Arts area.
The BigBus I think is $28 for a ticket to go around the city and see all the spots.
Angel Island is interesting. We found it fascinating to view the carved poems by detainees and the cramped quarters they lived in.
@Dustyfeathers I just made the same recommendation for the mechanical toy museum, but on a second duplicate thread. Glad OP got your suggestion. I love that place!
SF MOMA, deYoung museum, Cal Academy of Sciences, palace of fine arts + shopping in the marina district, Chrissy field + fort point, = my SF day trip faves. Have fun!
It’s been a while since I’ve gone during the holidays, but the Crocker Galleria used to have some beautiful decorations. Plus if it’s raining, your under cover. If the weather is bad, the lines for the cable cars might be bearable…take a over to Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s an adventure. If you are interested in more shopping there’s
Stonestown out in ‘the avenues’. You walk down to Market and take the underground muni M line. Drops you in front of Stonestown.
If your up for a bit of a walk, head right up the hill to Grace Cathedral. Check out their schedule, they have very large community yoga classes - if that’s your thing.
There’s a great farmers market at the Ferry Plaza - but it’s only on certain days of the week. As per the schedule, there’s one today (Thursday) and the next one is Saturday. Runs from 10 a.m. - 2.p.m. While you are at the Ferry Plaza, consider taking a commuter ferry to Sausalito or Larkspur. They are much less expensive than the tourist ones (Red and White fleet) which run from Fisherman’s Wharf. Sausalito is a great little town for a stroll - weather permitting.
Stay away from Civic Center Plaza unless you like to watch addicts shooting up and enjoy the experience of human waste on your shoes.
I like to just wander around in Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Golden Gate Park, Embarcadero, Lands End if you have time. Or take a boat to Sausalito.
Go see the giant gingerbread house in the lobby of the Fairmont and/or the Westin St. Francis (closer to Union Square). Tomorrow (when it isn’t raining) go up the Filbert Street stairs on Telegraph Hill. You might see the parrots. I also concur with the Musee Mechanique idea- that place is really cool. Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate park has been advertising something called Night Bloom (a night show with lights)… I haven’t been but if you are looking for an evening thing you could check their website and see if it sounds interesting. Go to the Fortune Cookie factory in Chinatown.
I have not been but I hear good things about The Walt Disney Family Museum.
- If you like free walking tours, try http://www.sfcityguides.org/ I've done many....always interesting.
- Union STREET (not Square) has fun, interesting shops and great restaurant scene. (Flores, Belga, etc.)
- Ferry Building for food, shopping, holiday decs.
- Grace Cathedral also has concerts....https://www.gracecathedral.org/events/?reset
- Junior League has Holiday craft fair in North Beach
- Dec. Holiday calendar (https://www.events12.com/sanfrancisco/december/)
- And my ultimate favorite thing to do in SF at the holidays is Beach Blanket Babylon in North Beach... https://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/ Enjoy!!!
I would also suggest a walking food tour. It isn’t free, but you will feel completely full by the end of it! We have taken the tour of North Beach and it was fantastic. In fact soon we will be going to the Chinatown food tour run by the same company, because we enjoyed the other one so much. You don’t walk very far, but you get a lot of history and a lot of food in about a 3-hour timespan.
If the weather is nice, you can take the BART over to Berkeley. Campus is beautiful, and if you get up the hill to the football stadium (or higher), the sunset views back over the Golden Gate are breathtaking. Chez Panisse has always been one of my favorites.
Lots of good suggestions above. Here are a few walking opportunities that it doesn’t look like anyone has mentioned: Presido walking tour of Andy Goldsworthy’s art installations. I loved it. (https://www.presidio.gov/places/andy-goldsworthys-wood-line) and hiking at the Marin Headlands (across the SF Bridge).
Finally, if you like browsing book stores, visit City Lights Bookstore. You could spend hours there.
My H did a project in SF and was there for the better part of two years. He had access to a company apartmet so I’d often go with him. Because H is a foodie, we went to lots of great restaurants. Some of our favorites: Kokkari, Zuni Cafe, Slanted Door (Vietnamese), Hakkasan (Asian), Cow Girl Creamery (cheese place/cafe in Ferry Building), Bix (this is like a throwback to old time super clubs–jazz piano bar). Finally–if you really want to splurge go to Saison or Coi (Michelin star-type places with exquisite food and prices to match.)
If you visit Coit Tower on top of Telegraph Hill, I recommend taking an Uber to the tower and then afterwards walking down the Filbert Street stairs (not up). At Coit Tower, buy tickets in the gift shop to take the elevator up to the observation deck.