Must-see in San Francisco??

Question

im going san francisco for a weekend. I've never been there before and i was wondering what are some places that I should definitely check out?

someone told me the Zoo?

((im kinda on a budget))

Answer 1

this is a must

walk the embarcodero when the sun comes up and I swear on my niece and nephew you won't be disappointed. its the best FREE thing the city has to offer.

the zoo is OKAY..honestly its good if you have kids other than that..its so so (still worth a visit but you are going there to see a city not animals)

stay away from the tourist areas because..if youre on a budget..its not cheap...but walking the piers is nice...head over to the acadamey of sciences you'll love that and its in a nice area that pretty and you can see the GG bridge from there.

want the ultimate sf experience? see where people live etc...take the NN JUDAH line all the way to ocean beach (the last stop) and you'll get to see the busiest line in sf where the people live...much fun.

but A MUST is heading over to the mission and spending a day in dolores park

that is a must...its were the locals hang out and many consider that more sf than GG park.

born and raised in the bay..grew up in san fran...now live in spain

Answer 2

i'm all about cheap, low cost options. i assume that you're not driving unless you/a friend drives you might end up paying for parking. either way, if you only want to hang in sf i recommend ditching the car & do what the locals do- take public transportation & cabs; not only is it cheaper though you can meet other people on the bus & get recommendations from them on what to check out in terms of places & food.

the things i would recommend:

--- duhs ----

= alcatraz island - cost depends upon which tour you do

= golden gate bridge (walking across isn't that long & fun, plus great pics) - free

= pier 39 - cost varies upon what you do

= sea lions (right next to pier 39) - free

= riding on a cable car (catch one near california & not by the gap, because waiting in lines are a waste of time.) - it costs $5/person

= metreon (name of amc movie theatre w/ imax) - get the student discount [my fav. movie theaters are the castro & amc van ness because of the history of the buildings, plus they're cheaper than metreon]

= the castro (experience g*y culture first hand) - free

= ocean beach (what's a trip to sf, without hitting the beach) - free

= chinatown (don't eat the food - it's greasy, just shop here & check out the area) - free/depends upon if you eat/shop

= union square (all the shopping is right here or within walking distance, don't forget to bring someone that doesn't mind carrying bags) - money is needed for sure

= ghiradelli square (some of the best chocolate you'll have)

= coit tower (some of the best pictures of the city & bay) - free

= haight/ashbury (a must stop if you're into vintage clothing, lots of great shops & food) - check out the mural on haight & cole

= giants stadium (some great photos & possibly a game going on when you're in town)

= bay bridge (great place to take a photo of it is in front of palomino restaurant)

= java hut (walkable from the stadium, it's a red building along embarcadero with great food & seating on the water)

--- i didn't knows -----

= steward st slides (located at Seward St & Douglass St near castro)

= clement st in the richmond district (some of the best asian food can be found here from vietnamese to chinese)

= cable car museum (found in the nob hill area - the walk back up is steep) - free

= z. cioccolato (one of the best candy stores out there) - free samples

= go to a concert (there are always great bands playing in the city at a variety of venues: check out craigslist.com or stubhub.com)

= the 1st tuesday of each month offers free admission into the museums across sf (love love the legion of honor)

= legion of honor (great view of the golden gate bridge & art is always amazing)

= bats improv theatre (no age limit, plus it's interactive) - really cheap

= alamo square (you get to see the famous full house painted ladies picnic shot)

= 1709 Broderick Street (the full house house; the door isn't red anymore) - free

= carousel in golden gate park (it's just not for the kiddies!) - uber cheap

for events, pick up a guardian or look at yelp.com. yelp usually lists a lot of free events you can attend. the zoo... is not free though not as good as some other zoos in the country.

Answer 3

Pier 39

Answer 4

Fisherman's Wharf

Pier 39

Ghirardelli Square

Cannery

Ride on cable car

Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge

Sausalito

Chinatown

Any and all of the above - you can't go wrong.  Have fun.

Answer 5

go to fisherman's warf and look for the signs that say "no thongs" with the picture. hahaha.  

Answer 6

Alcatraz Prison Island!  (AKA The Rock).

But BOOK IN ADVANCE, or you will be disappointed.

Of course see the golden gate bridge, that is free of course.  

Answer 7

When travel to San Francisco, you cannot miss the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Union Square. http://www.tours4fun.com/san-francisco-t...

Answer 8

Things you must-see and I highly recommend when you visit SF:

GOLDEN GATE BRIGDE: It's the city's most famous symbol. The full splendor of this structure can be appreciated from a viewpoint near the access road on the south side of the bridge. I personally love to take a walk on the bridge to see the city as background while I'm feeling the cool breeze from the bay.

MARKET STREET; This street cuts across the city from the northheast to the southeast. This is a perfect place to start a tour. The departure for cable cars is at the junction of Powell St and Market. Just taking a walk on Market is a great experience.

ALAMO SQUARE; Is one of the prettiest squares in SF and one which offers a much-photographed view of the skyline. It's surrounded by a fine collection of "Painted Ladies", as the magnificent Victorian houses are called.

GOLDEN GATE PARK: This expansive and beautiful park is full of blooming flowers, tall trees and gushing waterfalls.If you want to have a moment of peace just go to this park.

TELEGRAPH HILL AND COIT TOWER: A wonderful view opens out across San Francisco Bay. You can take expectacular pictures from this point.

GRACE CATHEDRAL: It was inspired by Notre Dame in Paris. I love architecture and for this reason I found so beautiful this cathedral.

HAIGHT ASHBURY: This area became synonymous with the hippy movement in the 60's. These days it's more gentrified, but the counterculture is still represented by offbeat stores selling vintage clothes, funky jewelry, smoking paraphernalia, posters and records.

EMBARCADERO: You can visit the old building located in here. In addition, you can get really cool pictures of the Bay Bridge from this place.Just walk to the right side of the building I think it says" Pier 14" on its entrance.

CHINATOWN: This is a very beautiful place to see a lot of theChinese culture. IN addition, you can get some cool souvenirs in here.

COIT TOWER: I great place to get a panoramic view of San Francisco.

If you just walk on San Francisco streets you enjoy seeing its beutiful victorian style in every building.

Hope you have a great day in the most beautiful city!!