The best things to do in San Francisco
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00:00What's up guys? This is Josh from CaliforniaThroughMyLens.com. Today I'm going to show you 24 things to do in San Francisco. Let's do it!
00:14First up, no list of San Francisco stops is complete without talking about the Golden Gate Bridge.
00:19It's one of the most iconic parts of San Francisco and it's just as impressive to see in person.
00:24You can walk on it, photograph it from one of the many viewpoints, or take it in from my favorite spot, Battery Spencer.
00:31Bonus points for going here at sunrise as it is incredible to watch the light coming up from behind the bridge.
00:39Stop 2 is a visit to Alcatraz. Alcatraz is a huge tourist attraction in San Francisco and one of the most well-known jails in the entire world.
00:48This island housed many notorious criminals but now it's a national park that is open to the public.
00:54You can take the boat ride over to the island multiple times per day and then you can explore as slow or as fast as you want on the self-guided audio tour.
01:03I don't recommend taking the trip to Alcatraz unless you have at least a half day to explore as there's just so much to do here.
01:10Even though it's pretty touristy, it's still a lot of fun to visit and there's a lot of interesting history and great views to see on the island.
01:20Stop 3 is the Ferry Building. Next to where the Alcatraz tours leave, the Ferry Building has lots of different shops and eateries inside the historic structure.
01:29Some of my favorite spots to check out at the marketplace are Hog Island Oysters, Cowgirl Creamery, and Gotts Roadside.
01:36But even if you just wander the halls and grab blue bottle coffee, you will have a good time.
01:44Stop 4 is also near the first two and it's Rincon Park.
01:48Rincon Park is the home of Cupid's Span, one of San Francisco's most well-known art pieces.
01:53While there's not a lot to do at the park, I always enjoy going there for sunrise as you can get some amazing views of the sun coming up behind the Bay Bridge.
02:02Plus, just taking some photos in front of the massive bow and arrow is worth the stop by itself.
02:09Stop 5 brings us to Coit Tower. Coit Tower is over 200 feet tall and it was built in 1933.
02:16The interior features murals painted on the mini walls and you can take an elevator all the way up to the top of the tower.
02:24When you get to the open-air top floor, you can look through the many windows they have and get some great views of the city, the Golden Gate Bridge, and even Alcatraz.
02:33It's a fun way to see San Francisco from a different vantage point.
02:41Stop 6 is a ride on the famous San Francisco Cable Cars.
02:44If you're going to San Francisco, then the cable cars are probably already on your list.
02:49They are an iconic part of San Francisco and a lot of fun to ride.
02:53You may have to wait a while in line, but it's worth it and I recommend trying to get an outside spot where you can hold onto the side and watch as the cars pass around you.
03:02This is a great way to get from Union Station to Fisherman's Wharf.
03:06Don't forget to visit the Cable Car Museum as well. It's free and it will tell you a lot more about these iconic cars.
03:12Stop 7 is San Francisco's Chinatown.
03:19This Chinatown is the largest outside of Asia and the oldest in North America.
03:24It was established in 1848 and it's a great spot to walk around and explore.
03:29I recommend spending some time in the shops, visiting a few of the restaurants, and going to the Fortune Cookie Factory.
03:36The latter of which lets you write your own fortune and have it added into a warm cookie before it's bent into the traditional shape.
03:43Also, be sure to see Dragon's Gate on the way out of Chinatown.
03:49Stop number 8 brings us to Lombard Street.
03:52Claiming to be the crookedest street in the world, Lombard Street is a tourist attraction that features 8 hairpin turns that cars can drive down.
04:01While there's not much to do there other than to walk up and down the street, it's still fun to see and even more fun if you can drive down it.
04:09Be patient though as it's usually a pretty slow drive with all the tourists jumping in the street.
04:16Stop 9 is Fisherman's Wharf.
04:18Fisherman's Wharf is one of the most touristy areas in San Francisco but it's still a lot of fun to visit.
04:23I recommend stopping by Boudin and getting some of their clam chowder in a bread bowl and then going to Musée Mécanique.
04:30Musée Mécanique is a blast as you can change your dollars into quarters and play all sorts of old games and small mechanical shows.
04:38It's a great time for the whole family and you can spend 5-10 bucks and have 30-40 minutes of fun.
04:45Stop 10 is the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.
04:50This park is run by the National Park Service and it features a half dozen boats from the last few centuries that have been restored and are available for you to experience.
05:00You can walk on and go inside many of the different boats and explore them to your heart's content.
05:06I love seeing old boats like this so I spent a good hour or two here just seeing what each had to offer.
05:15Stop 11 is Guillardelli Square.
05:18San Francisco is home to Guillardelli and it's one of the most popular tourist spots near the water.
05:23It's a great place to check out with the old buildings and the famous sign plus it has awesome ice cream that's rich and decadent.
05:30Just walking into the shop nets you a free chocolate even if you don't buy anything and be sure to check out the area in the back where they show you how their chocolate is made.
05:43Stop 12 brings us to the Palace of Fine Arts.
05:46Built for the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915, the Palace of Fine Arts is something you have to experience for yourself.
05:54It's a beautiful structure and a lot of fun to walk around with the central rotunda being the most awe inspiring.
06:01I like to photograph this spot right as the light is fading as the reflection is amazing for pictures.
06:08While not for everyone, Stop 13 brings us to the Wave Organ, a unique piece of San Francisco history that I always enjoy checking out.
06:17It's near Crissy Fields and you have to walk out on a long peninsula to get there.
06:22At high tide you can hear the waves crashing into the underwater tubes and echoing the noise through the organ above.
06:29Here, take a listen.
06:38Stop number 14 is a visit to the Presidio.
06:42With over 200 years of history, the Presidio is one of those places you could easily spend weeks exploring.
06:49This old military base was transferred to the National Park Service in the 1990s and it features many old structures, hiking trails, and beautiful views.
06:58During the summer the park has picnics on the weekends which bring hundreds of people to the main square.
07:03One of the best things to do here is visit the four pieces of artwork from Andy Goldsworthy, Spire, Earth Wall, Tree Fall, and Woodline.
07:16You can do a three mile hike to see all of them, but Tree Fall is only open on the weekends.
07:22Don't forget to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum when you are there as well, which features a scaled replica of the original Disneyland.
07:31These are just a few things you can do in the Presidio.
07:37Stop 15 brings us to another iconic view in San Francisco, and that is the Painted Ladies.
07:43These pastel colored houses were featured in the opening of the famous 90s show Full House, and since then they've become a must visit for many people in San Francisco.
07:55I'm not a huge fan of the show like others are, but the park that's next to the Painted Ladies is nice to relax at.
08:04Stop 16 is Twin Peaks.
08:06No doubt you've seen the large antenna sitting up on the hill in the middle of San Francisco.
08:11This area is known as Twin Peaks and it's a great spot to drive up and get a good view of downtown San Francisco.
08:18There are a few small hikes to the hills above the parking area and each provides slightly different views of the city below.
08:25It's a fun short stop, especially if you have a rental car.
08:31Stop number 17 is Golden Gate Park.
08:34Larger than New York's Central Park, Golden Gate Park needs weeks to fully be experienced.
08:40While I haven't got to spend as much time there as I would like, a few of my favorite spots are the Old Dutch Windmill, Bison Paddock where they have actual bison roaming, and the Japanese Gardens.
08:53There are many great museums in here as well like the D. Young Museum of Fine Art and our next recommendation, the California Academy of Sciences.
09:02California Academy of Sciences is stop number 18 on this list and it deserves its own spot as it's a blast to explore for the entire family.
09:11The main reason I like it is that it has a rainforest dome right inside of the museum.
09:16This controlled ecosystem is built to maintain the plants and animals found in a rainforest and you can walk through it and experience butterflies and other things all around you.
09:26It's a really unique spot in the middle of San Francisco.
09:31Also, during the winter this is a fun museum to visit as they have lots of Christmas attractions including snow falling in the museum.
09:40Stop number 19 is Lands End.
09:43Lands End is one of my favorite short hikes in all of California.
09:47The trail goes along the coast and it features amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge pretty much the entire time.
09:53There are many lookouts along the path but be sure to take the hike down to Lands End Labyrinth as it's one of the best views of the bridge,
10:00and then after that go down to Mile Rock Beach and hang out on the sand.
10:04I like to hike here before sunset and then go over to Sutro Baths to watch the sun go down,
10:09but even if you hike in the middle of the day it's still an amazing trail in San Francisco.
10:15Stop 20 is the Sutro Baths.
10:19The Sutro Baths are a historic spot right on the water that's one of my favorites for exploring, especially at sunset.
10:25The area is fun to walk around as it features the remains of a privately run saltwater swimming pool complex.
10:32Not much is left from the complex other than the outline of the pool,
10:36but the views here are spectacular and it's an amazing area to explore and to watch the sun go down from.
10:42Stop 21 is Marshalls Beach and it's probably my favorite spot for sunset in San Francisco.
10:47The beach is located below the coastal bluffs and the Golden Gate Bridge overlook
10:52and it's about a half mile trail to get down to the water.
10:55Once you get there you can walk along the rugged coastline and take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
11:01It's surely one of the best views in San Francisco.
11:04Do remember that you have to walk a half mile up to get to the beach,
11:08Do remember that you have to walk a half mile uphill on stairs to get back to your car.
11:16Stop number 22 is a visit to Fort Point.
11:19On the other side of the bridge from Marshalls Beach,
11:22Fort Point is a historic military base that you can visit for free when it's open.
11:26It sits right at the bottom of the Golden Gate Bridge and it provides amazing views
11:30plus a sense of scale for how big the bridge truly is.
11:34There's a few floors you can visit plus a bunch of old cannons
11:37and I love going to the top floor to get the views of the bridge, Alcatraz and the water.
11:45For the last two recommendations we're leaving the city a little bit.
11:48It's best to do both of these only if you have a rental car as they're not very easy to get to on foot.
11:53First recommendation number 23 is the Point Bonita Lighthouse.
11:58Located on the cliffs across from Land's End, this lighthouse is one of the most picturesque in California.
12:04It's accessed by a half mile walk and it features a suspension bridge that takes you over the water to the lighthouse.
12:10The views from the lighthouse of the coastline and the bridge behind you are amazing
12:14and it's something that all Bay Area visitors should see at least once.
12:18It's only open one to two days a week though so be sure you check in advance.
12:24My last recommendation is a trip up to Muir Woods.
12:27When visiting California people often ask where to see redwoods.
12:31While it's best to see them at Redwood National Park or Sequoia National Park,
12:34if you're staying near San Francisco then Muir Woods is about as good as it gets.
12:39Muir Woods is about 35 minutes from downtown San Francisco
12:42and it features some amazing trees and a beautiful spot to walk around and explore.
12:50That's it, my list of 24 places to visit in San Francisco.
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13:00And then if you want to read more about all these spots and others in California click the link below.
13:05We will see you guys on the next video.