A LONG time ago, I made a quick trip alone to San Francisco. I really enjoyed walking tours of Chinatown and the Castro district. I remember also finding a random chamber music concert at a church within walking distance of my hotel.
So many great recommendations! Thank you! Today, I walked around Union Square to Market St. Did a little shopping at Macy’s (not as nice as it used to be) and shops nearby. DH and I met for lunch at The Halal Guys across the street from the hotel. It’s take out kind of food but yummy. I returned to hotel to do some work.
Tonight, we have a work dinner to attend. Afterwards, I’ll be going over the suggestions and making my itinerary for tomorrow.
I know it is touristy, but I love to get an Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista. Especially in this kind of weather.
It isn’t super fancy, but on rainy days we still enjoy Japantown. Go to the crazy busy ramen place or Uma for sushi, check out the unusual stores, get a dragon’s breath (ice cream that emits smoke from your mouth) or a crepe with an ice cream character in it. Daiso is a fun stop too.
I would be a bit careful with eating the dragon’s breadth ice cream. The liquid nitrogen is -320 degrees and can cause burns. Looks cool though. Lots of interesting places in the Japantown area though, both in the big mall and the surrounding area.
A hike/drive in the Cliff House area to the Lands End Lookout all the way to visiting the Legion of Honor structure is yet another awesome adventure and must see.
If you get a clear sunny day, and you are up for a long walk take an uber out to Land’s End and walk to Chrissy Field then Uber back to your hotel from there. It is a glorious (though likely chilly) walk on a clear day. I’ll PM you a link to a website with the details, as well as other good suggestions. As others have said definitely check out the Ferry Building and see what’s going on at Grace Cathedral.
I think the ice skating rink at Union Square is open. The one in Civic Center is still under construction I believe. The Asian Art Museum on the Civil Center Plaza [which is not that bad these days] is fun, and the small restaurant inside is excellent. The Exploratorium [now up near Pier 39] could be fun place on a rainy day unless it’s overrun by kids. Take a ferry to Sausalito and have lunch/
I am not a big movie buff, but my travelling companions were. We did the San Francisco Movie Sights Tour. We all enjoyed it.
https://sanfranciscomovietours.com/sightseeing-tours/san-francisco-movie-sights-tour/
I love the Saturday morning farmers’ market at the Ferry Building. When I lived in the area I would just take the train out to SF on Saturday morning, walk to the farmers’ market, buy a baguette from Acme bread, get some cheese from Cowgirl creamery, then snack while walking or biking all along the coast. You can follow the signs that say 49-mile scenic drive with the picture of a seagull. It takes a few hours, but if it’s a nice day you can walk along the coast from the Ferry Building out to the Golden Gate Bridge. There are a lot of spots along the way to pick up snacks or stop to sit and enjoy the view.
For next time, if you want to go see the Exploratorium or the Cal Academy without the swarms of children, every Thursday night both places have adult-only admission where you get to see all the exhibits, they invite some speakers to give mini talks, and they also serve alcohol.
Get on the ferry over to Sausalito, have lunch on the water while looking back at SF, and do some shopping and browsing in the galleries over there.
Another idea for a specialized tour:
https://www.contexttravel.com/cities/san-francisco
Sausalito has a cute Christmas store. I bought a couple ornaments when I was there in June!
Since we’re talking going across the Golden Gate Bridge now, my favorite viewpoint of the Golden Gate Bridge is at the Golden Gate Vista Point in the Marin Headlands on Conzelman Avenue just as you cross the bridge into Marin. Breathtaking. You’ll need a car though, or if you’re an avid biker, you can bike that area. Emphasis on the word avid.