OK so the title of this post is quite ambitious and pretty much impossible to do. There is so much to do in San Francisco that you won’t have enough time to tour San Francisco in one day. However you can hit most of the highlights with this itinerary, with time to spare for relaxing and breaks. I recently took a friend around San Francisco with this itinerary so it can be done!
The key to accomplishing this ambitious plan is to start early. Not only will that allow you more time to do more during the day, it will also allow you to avoid afternoon traffic, especially on the bridge if you are sightseeing on the weekend.
So here goes the San Francisco One-Day Itinerary:
First stop: Muir Woods
Start your day at Muir Woods National Monument. By starting early, you will most likely avoid the dreaded bridge traffic that can delay your trip by 30 min – 1 hour on some bad days. You will have a better chance of finding closer parking while visiting Muir Woods.
Muir Woods is located 12 miles north of San Francisco, and it is an old-growth coastal redwood forest that had been part of the National Parks system since 1908. Join a “Tree Talk” or stroll through the park with one of the park rangers to learn more about the history of Muir Woods and how unique these coastal redwood trees are.
At the park you can take a casual walk around an easy loop trail to explore the redwood forest. For the more adventurous folks, you can take one of the trails extending from the main loop, even all the way to Stinson Beach.
Optional activity: stop by Vista Point after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. You can park your car there and take a walk on the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge.
Lunch at Sausalito
After spending a few hours at Muir Woods, you make your way south to the city of Sausalito, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge behind you. Take a walk by the water and enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery across the Bay. If you are lucky you may even see people fishing – two stingrays were caught when we were there!
There are many restaurants and cafes in the main area by the ferry dock, so feel free to explore to find a good lunch spot for you. Some popular lunch places are Napa Valley Burger and Barrel House Tavern. Bocce Bar is away from the ferry area but is a fun and unique place to have lunch. There is a small beach next to it that you can play bocce ball (yes it’s set up for you).
Money shot of Golden Gate Bridge at Hawk Hill
After filling your belly, make your way to Hawk Hill to get a good view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. There are a few spots where you can park your car to take pictures. Parking is very limited so you may have to park at a farther lot and walk to the area you want for the money shot.
Go sightseeing in San Francisco!
Now that you’ve seen San Francisco from afar, it’s time to make your way into the city. Because the tourist attractions are quite crowded and parking would be difficult, you may want to consider taking public transportation. I left my car at one of the MUNI stations in the city (West Portal because there is a lot of street parking there) and took the MUNI into the Financial District. At the time of this post, cost of a single ride on the MUNI is $2.25 per adult no matter how many stops you go.
We began our city tour in Chinatown. San Francisco has the oldest Chinatown, and depending on your source, it is either the largest or second largest Chinatown in North America. At Chinatown you will find restaurants, souvenir shops, boba, and markets. There is a mix of locals (usually buying groceries at the markets) and tourists. Wander around the streets and explore the many shops that are there. Take a picture at the Dragon Gate, located at Grant and Bush.
From Dragon Gate, make your way to the main cable car stop at Powell and Market. There you will see a turntable that allows the workers to turn the cable car around. You will likely find a long line of tourists waiting to ride the cable car. As a tourist, taking the cable car is a must do, so do it! Cost of a single journey on the cable car is $7, or you can purchase a day pass for $20. If you are a local and have a monthly MUNI pass, it is part of the SFMTA system, so it is free for you. Note – you can hop on/off the cable car at any stop along the line, so you can choose to hop on from the stop at Chinatown (or anywhere else).
Take the Powell-Hyde line to Ghiradelli Square. Try to hang off the side like they did in the 90’s show TV show Full House. Along the way you will pass by Union Square, Chinatown and Lombard Street (the crookedest street). You will also get a good view of Alcatraz, the Transamerica Pyramid, and Coit Tower.
Lombard Street is only a 10-15 min walk from Ghiradelli Square, so we chose to get off there for pictures and walk to Ghiradelli Square.
At Ghiradelli Square you can wander along the beach, take pictures with the boats docked there and enjoy sunset with Golden Gate Bridge in the back drop. While you are there, check out Ghiradelli’s “Original Chocolate Manufactory.” Ghiradelli chocolate is a San Francisco brand, so it is a good souvenir/gift to take home with you.
Make your way along the water towards Fisherman’s Wharf. This is a very touristy area so it is quite festive. When we were there there was a parade of modified vintage cars, complete with hydraulic wheels and loud music.
At Fisherman’s Wharf, check out the row of seafood stalls and try out crab po-boys and ceviches you find there. Alternatively you can have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the area. Pier 39 is a pier known for sea lion sightings. You will know if they are there because you can usually hear/smell them before you see them…
By this time you will be quite exhausted from a full day of sightseeing. You can either call it a day here, or take the F line along Embarcadero to go to the Ferry Building. In the day time the Ferry Building would be bustling with ferries full of commuters and people having lunch at the many restaurants and booths there. At night you will find a lit up clock tower with the Bay Bridge behind it.
Additional sights
If you have more time in San Francisco, here are additional sights to check out on the west side of San Francisco:
- Lands End and the Sutro Baths
- Golden Gate Park (Japanese Tea Garden, Botanical Garden) – the park is so big you can easily spend a day here relaxing and enjoying the weather
- View of San Francisco from Sutro Tower
- View of San Francisco from Golden Gate Heights/Grandview Park
- The painted steps on Moraga and 16th Street
- Palace of Fine Arts/Chrissy Field
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