“San Francisco has only one drawback. T’is hard to leave.” – Rudyard Kipling. 3 days in San Francisco is all you need to see everything and you’ll never leave.
The coldest winter I saw is summer in San Francisco, is a popular quote and it is right. San Francisco can get very cold and windy. So plan on wearing layers and comfortable shoes to walk in. The streets are all zig zag, just vertically:-). I am proud to call this my city and I’ve traveled quite a lot, and San Francisco remains one of my favorite cities in the world. For a place that has less than one million people, San Francisco has definitely pushed above its weight in terms of contributions to the world.
3 days in San Francisco might confuse people as to what to see and how to get around. There are lot of beautiful places, an hour or two away. This is an extensive 3 days in San Francisco itinerary, although there are beautiful places to visit around San Francisco. It offers a variety from scenic places, monuments, to food places. I’ve included some activities that are quite expensive, but worth it(the helicopter ride) to a ton of things that we can do around without spending a olot. My best advice would be to plan the trip a few weeks in advance. Driving in the city can be a hassle, uber works great or there are trams going to different places. I would highly recommend uber. When someone asks me for a 3 days in San Francisco itinerary, this is what I send them.
3 days in San Francisco
THINGS TO DO: Free
-
Walk the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
Start your day at the bridge. In addition to being San Francisco’s most famous landmark, this is also one of America’s finest pieces of engineering.
We recommend that you walk across the bridge, taking care to watch out for cyclists who share the pedestrian walkways, and then make a stop at the visitors center. The bridge is gorgeous at night too, so make sure to stop by with many layers in the night to enjoy this beauty.
2. Palace of Fine Arts
This is very close to Golden Gate Bridge. After a long walk, you can spend few hours in this beautiful museum. The food inside is not great, so you want to grab something out before heading in.
3. Drive down Lombard Street/Walk
This is one exihilaring experience. The real estate in that street is sky rocketed and the drive down is simple blood pumping. I would highly recommend you to ask your uber driver to drive down that street(sometimes they agree). After parking down, you must walk up the beautifil street. It is an experience like none other.
4. Cable Car
Start day two by catching the cable car on Market Street. The city’s cable cars offer a fun way to experience the different neighborhoods in San Fran, and they’ll save you from walking up the city’s infamous hills. Make a stop at Lombard Street to watch as bikes and cars navigate the world’s most crooked street. It’s quite the scene!
Here, you can head to the Art Institute of San Francisco and Coit Tower before grabbing lunch at North Beach. Spend your afternoon exploring Chinatown, the biggest of its kind in the United States. There are temples, tea houses, markets, and great Chinese food.
5. Coit Tower
Spectacular views can be had from the top of Coit Tower. You can see the bay, the bridge, the whole city. It’s gorgeous! The area surrounding the tower is lush and beautiful in itself, and if you pay attention, you may just see some of the wild parrots. We did (listen for their call!), but they were too high up to get good photos.
It’s $8 per person to take the elevator to the top. There are some lovely murals on the walls, be sure to walk through and check them out before you take your ride. Inside Coit Tower to get to the top you take an elevator. It was eight dollars or five dollars for seniors. I believe it’s 85 years old (The elevator inside) all the workers were very nice and it views were amazing.
Being there reminded me of the old Clint Eastwood movies
6. China Town
This China Town is the biggest in United states and a must see. It’s so colorful and you can find the best dumplings in town. When in town definitely visti Good Mong Kok Bakery
7. Suasalito-Tiburon
Suasalito and Tiburon is 15 minutes away from Golden Gate Bridge and a beautiful small rich town. They have some nice small classy restarants. After a nice early dinner, you can sit by the sea and enjoy ferries coming from the ferry building to Suasalito. Saylors is a must eat place when you visit here.
8. Pier 39
If you had 1 hour to spend in San Francisco, I’d say spend 45 minutes at Pier 39, and the other 15 minutes going across the Golden Gate Bridge and returning on the other side. This place is probably the number 1 tourist spot for first time visitors and for a good reason; it embodies what San Francisco is all about, from the beautiful picturesque views to Alcatraz, to the different foods they offer that bring out the San Francisco culture, to so many shops that sell a great collection of shirts, key chains, posters etc, etc… There are some great chowder places on Pier 39.
9. Ghirardelli Square
This is a popular spot to check out when in town. They have a large Ghiradelli chocolates store and a few “restaurants” that serve desserts. There are also some small shops, a wine tasting room, and brewery.
There is a a lot of seating throughout the area, which is good because the square gets very crowded. They have corn hole and ping pong open for people to play.It’s so nice all around here with a green space overlooking the bay, and then the classic brick lining the entire square adds a nice touch. Those aesthetics are only minor details to acknowledge, the real thing to get here? The ginormous, incredibly tasty, world-famous SUNDAE.
10. Haight Ashbury Place (only if you are a fan of Full House)
A historic neighborhood, though the Summer of Love was a couple of years before I was born I still have heard about Haight and Ashbury. Sadly, the bus tour brought me here on a Sunday morning and it was still way to early for much of the area to have come to life. Great graffiti if that’s something you’re into capturing. Also many store front are brightly painted and well worth a look.
11. Ferry Building
Amazing market for the locals and tourists! The farmers market around the side and back is full of everything you need that is sourced locally. The selection is insane with the different types of choy, leafy greens, fruit, and broccoli.
Inside the ferry building is another site to see with the local vendors and cafes that are there year around. Hog island oysters are my favorite!
12. Union Square
If you are into shopping, this is the place to be. The hustle and bustle of the city can be seen here. Lively and beautiful. You will see people dressed in suits, to track pants and shorts. San Francisco is a very casual town. But, don’t get me wrong, casual fashion is what I meant;). All the big brands to high street, you can find everything here. If you are in Union Square, definitely visit the tallest Hilton building and they have a beautiful restaurant on the top floor. You can have coffee and snacks and enjoy the views.
13. Fort Funston
A beautiful beach in San Francisco, which has the best sunsets ever. My favorite hike near the Pacific Ocean. It’s a dog friendly beach. Walkies to the beach are enjoyable especially when its during sunset. there are times when you come here one hour before the sun sets the colors are out of this world. i would get lost here and just soak up all the amazing vibes that this place gives me. whenever you just need a break from the hectic city life and all the noise, this place is your safe haven.
THINGS TO DO: $$$
Awesome tour. Especially
2. Ferry Ride to Suasalito
Take a ferry ride to Sausalito and have your dinner in town. The Sausalito into San Francisco is a beautiful one during evenings. The ferry is reasonably priced and provided a quick and effective way to reach San Fran. There is a bar on board which was reasonably priced. Plan your trip in advance as there can be a significant wait between ferries at certain times of the day.
3. Helicopter ride under the Golden Gate Bridge (worth every penny)
We had a great experience. I’ve lived in SF for 22 years and this helicopter tour made me fall in love with San Francisco all over again. In addition to the magical views and the thrill of being in the air, I also felt absolutely safe. The pilot was friendly and clearly capable. There was a bit of fog on the day of my flight but the pilot was still able to show us amazing vistas. The ground transportation team was also nice and professional. I highly recommend this tour. Might be expensive but worth every bit. Whether you have 3 days in SanFrancisco or you come for longer, this ride will stay in your memories forever.
The most beautiful lombard street.
A view from under the bridge while going on the helicopter ride.
This was a shot taken when we were on the helicopter ride. Alcatraz.
If you have 3 days in San Francisco then these are great places to eat.
PLACES TO EAT – amazing eats for less to most expensive
If you have 3 days in San Francisco, then this is the first stop you should go to. With an entire cookbook out on the market dedicated to Tartine’s breaded breakfast goodies, it’s no surprise that the line to buy them at the source regularly exceeds a 45-minute wait. The best SOURDOUGH in town. First timers usually go for the morning bun, a flaky but dense pastry with a hint of citrus to it. Bread, tarts, cookies, cakes, and more fill the rest of the saliva-inducing display, all of which make the perfect pairing with people watching in the outdoor seating area.
2. Tommy Joynts(American Sandwiches and Pizza.
Favorite pizza when I’m going for a slice. I recommend to get a slice of a fresh one! They’re usually always making a pizza. Delicious! The dough is light, fluffy, thick and crispy. The toppings are always fresh and delicious. The staff is always friendly and efficient
Saylors hits all the things you want….really reasonable prices, excellent happy hour, great bar, amaaaazing food, friendly staff and of course great chips and salsa. Great Mexican food, great people who take care of you.
4. Slurp
Get the vegetarian spicy one, simply amazing. Very reasonably priced and decent Ramen in SF. It is a smaller shop, so if you come with a group prepare to take up the seats by the bar. It took some time to get our food, but we had kind of slammed them during an otherwise quiet-seeming time. Staff was kind and everyone in the group enjoyed their dish. Writing about it now has got me craving it.
5. Goodmongkok (Dim Sum Bakery)
This is probably my favorite dim sum in the Bay. Every time my friends come into town I take them here. This is not a sit down place; you go in pick everything you want and take it to go.
I can rave about all the food honestly, but some of my favorite of their menu is the shu mai (honestly, best I’ve had in the Bay Area), shrimp dumplings, scallion pancakes, sesame balls, and pork buns. Honestly, you can not go wrong with any of the food.
The food is extremely affordable. It’s easy to order too much and eat with your eyes. I got all of the food listed above for $12.
6. Honk Kong Lounge ( Dim Sum)
My go-to dim sum restaurant when I’m craving dim sum and don’t want to think about the fuss.
Food-it still comes out on the carts but you can also place your order via marking the menu. Once you mark it up, hand it to any server and they’ll print out a list of items you ordered. Each waitress who walks by with food will check your slip and place your ordered items on the table. We tried many items and my favorites were the beef tendon and chicken feet. Dim sum tastes vary so much but what I can say is that the food is fresh, isn’t overly seasoned and comes out hot! None of the dishes we dined on were off-point.
A cute little French style bakery on Clement at that has cakes, pastries, and Mousses. I ordered a chocolate mousse that tasted great. Very decadent and rich in chocolatey goodness, it was chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings, on a chocolate sponge cake, with pieces of chocolate on top. Then a raspberry on top! High quality but I would definitely recommend sharing it amongst 3 people. I think most people come here for the cakes and although I haven’t tried em, they look beautiful.
8. Loving Cup
Everyone we’ve introduced Loving Cup to thinks it’s the best frozen yogurt they’ve ever had- one person had a diet philosophy of not trying new categories of foods they might be tempted by, but froyo passed because she’s already had it. But after trying, she said “this is a new category of foods because it’s that good.”
8. Gary Danko (Fine dining, American)$$$
One of the best dining experiences we have had in the world (from a foodie with 2 first place cooking completions). The tasting menu and the wine pairing is the way to go, worth every penny (or should I say hundred) The staff is on point.
9. Kin Khao (thai fusion)
It is not authentic, but fusion and so good. It is a Michelan Star restaurant and the chillest place to hang out. Although it’s in the heart of a touristy place, it’s feels very local and the food is clean and tastes so good.
10. Kokkari Esteatoria $$$$ (Greek food)
A Downtown “star for many years”, this “sublime” Greek “continues to shine” with “lamb shanks from the gods”, “flawlessly” spit-roasted meats and other “fabulous” specialties served by an “exceptional” crew in an “inviting”, “rustic-chic” space favored by “fashionable” crowds; the “memorable experience” requires a “difficult rezzie” and deep pockets to meet the “high-class” cost, but it’s widely hailed as a “must-go” “for a good reason.”
11. Delphina $$$ (Italian)
A “tried-and-true destination”, this Mission mainstay from Craig and Anne Stoll still “wows”with Northern Italian staples “done superbly well”, notably “fantastic homemade pastas”that “just melt in your mouth”; given the “vibrant atmosphere” and a crew that makes everyone “feel at home”, fans “keep coming back for more” even though it’s a “tough reservation”; P.S. there’s also a “casual pizza parlor next door” serving traditional pies.
12. Scoma’s (Seafood) $$$$
A must eat when in SF. I highly recommend getting seafood stew. It is the best thing on the menu and order extra garlic sourdough bread. For dessert, I recommend the seven layer cake. It is light and fluffy and hits the spot. Reservations recommended.
13. Greens (Vegan) $$
A Bay Area standby for vegetarians who don’t want to sacrifice flavor in the name of vegetables, Greens has been serving inventive farm-to-table fare for 37 years. This veggie palace has gotten the seal of approval from Michael Bauer, Zagat, and James Beard — and we’re not talking just in the vegetarian category. Greens has been named one of the city’s best restaurants, against even the carnivorous competition.
If you like Indian food, this is nice place to go. Little expensive but nice ambience.
The restaurant is usually busy and is a good fine dining place. Though the food is expensive it is a nice place to stop by once in a while.
Pin this for later.
Oh Asha! I loved your guide for SF! What a great guide with all the right places, inexpensive and expensive! Beautiful shots as well! I need to explore some of the food places myself 😉 Thanks for the list!
Thank you so much Amisha!! Means a lot. Do let me know if there’s any place i’ve left out, would love to add it in.
xo
I definitely need to revisit SF coz the package tour didn’t do justice to the city. We took a helicopter ride at the Grand Canyon and I can relate to the feeling you described here. Perhaps next time…when my better half joins in too 🙂