San Francisco is one of the world’s few international cities that contain a European flair with individuality, style, and cultural fusion. Its steep streets and expansive water views along with its unique architectural designs are what make the city as a whole instantly recognizable. Within the city, visitors can enjoy the major city attractions with visiting the chic boutiques, upscale restaurants or the many historical museums. Outside the city, visitors can access Napa Valley or Highway 1 to experience the beauty of Northern California.
The city has something to offer everyone regardless of the pace. Visitors can enjoy a 10 day trip and still feel like they are not doing anything excessive more traveling around Northern California.
Travelers may have little background on the city yet, they will be familiar with its History, Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Lombard street. Most of these attractions are centralized within the city and can be easily accessed at all of the sites.
Head south of the city to find the beautiful Stanford University campus and enter the region of Silicon Valley. Here you will have a quick overview of the world renowned technological culture. Big Sur and Elephant Seal Vista Point offer dramatic views so visitors can soak up nature and understand why this route is known as one of America’s scenic drives. There are plenty of stops on the drive that are just as captivating. There’s the artistic charm found in the towns of Monterey, Carmel, and Solvang.
Nappa Valley can also be a great use of your time. If you are making a side trip out of San Francisco, Nappa Valley is definitely worth the time. Each winery has its own story to tell, and thus a tasting here goes beyond pouring wine into a glass. It introduces you to the culture of the area.
San Francisco is nice with its somewhsat pleasant year-round weather, flowery streets, and overall nice look, although not as glamorous as New York, not as showy as Las Vegas, or as stretched out as LA, San Francisco has a warmth and charm that other cities lack which makes visitors unguarded and relaxed. People in the Bay area, where the vast majority of homes are earthquake proof, weather is more favorable.
The city’s undulating terrain creates a constant visual variety and depth. Its brightly colored structures stand out even more against the backdrops of other American cities.
Located at the tip of the peninsula of San Francisco, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, and with water on three sides, this city enjoys stunning views of the bay and the ocean. The summer weather is particularly nice.
Since its inception, the city has been influenced by various communities of different ethnicities, resulting in a diverse population and a rich tapestry of cultures that define the city. The presence of a large Chinese community has led to the establishment of many traditional Chinese signs, which adds an element of familiarity to visitors who speak Chinese.
San Francisco has been a very progressive and liberal city for many years. It was once the center of hippie culture, and is still one of the biggest centers for LGBTQ+ culture in the country. The sexual revolution in the U.S. is also closely linked to the nearby University of California, Berkeley.
San Francisco is a free-spirited and artistic city with a surprisingly inclusive personality for its small size. Most of the civil rights movements, including the hippie and gay rights movements, started here. With the energy of the Gold Rush, the city was built and is characterized by steep hills. Because of these hills, driving can be difficult, but they also give the city a playful, almost cinematic, Inception-like appearance.
The Bay Area, one of the richest regions in the U.S., has its housing costs compared to those in Manhattan. It is also home to Silicon Valley, the world's leading high-tech industry hub, attracting tech talent from all over the globe. What is most remarkable is the combination of high ambition and determination for a good quality of life that people have here.
One day is not enough to understand the full scope of San Francisco, so it is best to stick to the most important locations.
With the sun still rising, head for Fort Point for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then to the Palace of Fine Arts and Lombard Street. Have lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf.
After lunch, you can explore more of Fisherman’s Wharf, then ride one of San Francisco’s historic cable cars down to Union Square. After browsing at Union Square, you can go to Chinatown for dinner.
Head down to Twin Peaks for a view of San Francisco at night. If you have the energy, keep the night going by going to a bar to experience the city’s nightlife. If not, head back to the hotel to end the day.
Try to get a Golden Gate cruise from Fisherman’s Wharf in the morning for the best views of the bridge. Then you can explore waterfront attractions. Have lunch at the Ferry Building. After that, head to the Castro district, then finish the day with San Francisco’s night view from Twin Peaks.
You should keep the focus of this day around central San Francisco. Start with a distant view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Then move to the Palace of Fine Arts and Lombard Street. Have lunch in North Beach, then spend the afternoon around Union Square. Don’t forget to check out California Street and the cable-car turnaround. Dinner by the Union Square area is a good option.
Start with the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Then when midday hits, head to Alamo Square and take pictures of the “Seven Sisters” row houses. After that, head to City Hall, and finish off the day with dinner in Chinatown.
What you should try to do is the 49-mile-scenic-drive, it outlines a classic driving route through San Francisco. This can either be done in one or two days with four or five sights each day. Sky-blue signs that say "49 Mile SCENIC DRIVE" will lead you to attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Lombard Street. The 49-mile scenic drive allows you to pick more unknown attractions based on your interest, while the drive spans 37 attractions in total.
The 49-Mile scenic drive allows you to see the amazing views from Twin Peaks and the Golden Gate Bridge at Baker Beach. You can also enjoy a great seafood meal at Fisherman’s Wharf, and visit the movie-featured Palace of Fine Arts from The Rock. Lastly, Golden Gate Park has the science museum and a Japanese garden while offering multiple museums and a varied experience.
Twin Peaks -> Golden Gate Park -> Baker Beach -> Palace of Fine Arts -> Fisherman’s Wharf -> Chinatown -> City Hall
Day 1 is perfect for visiting all the attractions that are more distributed inland. You can also focus on photography and sightseeing. Make sure to catch the sunset at the Golden Gate Bridge, as it's stunning. On Day 2, float on over to the hippie and LGBTQ+ districts, and take your time here. Check out the indie shops, bookstores, and grab a bite to eat.
Pier 39 -> Fisherman’s Wharf -> Lombard Street -> Coit Tower -> Union Square -> Alamo Square -> San Francisco City Hall -> Golden Gate Bridge
Castro District -> Haight-Ashbury District -> Twin Peaks for some night views
San Francisco is known for its hills, and riding the cable cars is experience you shouldn't miss out on. The most popular cable car line to ride is the Powell-Hyde Line, as it traverses North Beach, Russian Hill, Chinatown, and the Cable Car Museum, ending at Fisherman’s Wharf after passing Lombard Street. The entire journey may take about 30 minutes, and I recommend buying a day pass to fully appreciate it. This itinerary assumes you travel by car in San Francisco for three days. Day 1 Stanford University -> hotel check-in -> Golden Gate Bridge -> Fisherman’s Wharf Day 2 Lombard Street -> parking at Union Square -> take the Hyde Line cable car to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch -> shopping at Macy’s at Union Square -> dinner at Cheesecake Factory on the 7th floor of the department store Day 3 Alamo Square -> drive to Silicon Valley to see Apple and Google -> shopping at Gilroy Premium Outlets -> Twin Peaks San Francisco Bay Area Self-Drive Route Day 1 We begin in the South Bay at San Jose. Google’s headquarters marks the starting point, where the technology-centered campus is situated. Anyone with an employee contact may be able to register as a visitor and enter the facilities to view the offices and Google products on display. Next, visit Apple’s headquarters at the Infinite Loop, where there is also an Apple Company Store. In the afternoon, head to Stanford University to see the campus, Memorial Church, the Rodin Sculpture Garden, and Hoover Tower for views of Palo Alto. Day 2 Explore the staples of central San Francisco, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Lombard Street. Day 3 After crossing the Bay Bridge, head to East Bay where you will find the University of California, Berkeley. Explore the campus and ascend the Campanile for stunning views of Berkeley. You may feel less comfortable on the outskirts of Berkeley than on the actual campus. This means there is little reason to explore beyond the university. In the afternoon, you can shop at the Livermore Outlets, which feature a variety of brands at different price points, then head back to San Jose.
The Bay Area does include San Francisco, but for the sake of the itinerary, this section will focus on the two most important universities in Northern California: the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and the large tech companies in Silicon Valley.
Stanford University → Facebook headquarters → Google headquarters in Mountain View → UC Berkeley (includes campus, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in the hills, and Indian Rock with views across the Bay Area).
You can visit UC Berkeley and Stanford University for free. Of the notable companies in Silicon Valley, Google has an open campus, which is suitable for self-drivers. EA does tours by appointment, and the other big companies have closed campuses where you can barely do anything but take pictures at the entrance. You often need a friend who is an employee to go in. Therefore, you can plan to spend one full day for a Bay Area itinerary centered around Silicon Valley.
