24 Hours in San Francisco
If you only had 24 hours in San Francisco, here are the four sites you absolutely must see!
San Francisco is home to hilly streets, Victorian homes with beautiful front stoops, technology companies, and of course, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It is charming in orientation and rich in history.
My favorite place to get started in the city is The Buena Vista Cafe. Located at the bottom of the Hyde Street hill, by the trolley stop, this cafe serves up great views of the bay and AMAZING Irish coffees. When you order an Irish coffee, the waiter yells to the bartender, “We need another regular, please!” The food isn’t anything to write home about, but grab an Irish coffee, hear the dings of the trolleys passing by, and take in the views.
The good thing about starting at the Buena Vista Cafe is that the Big Four sites you want to see are within a couple blocks:
1. Fisherman’s Wharf. A boardwalk of sorts right along the water and comes complete with restaurants, bars and shopping… it is basically a tourist trap, so you should avoid buying anything, but it is really nice to take a stroll and watch the hustle and bustle.
2. Alcatraz. You might know it as ‘The Rock’. It is the famous decommissioned prison built in 1934 and was home to super-criminals like Al Capone, Whitey Bulger and ‘The Birdman’. Alcatraz is on an island so you have to take a pretty spectacular boat ride to get there which includes amazing views of the city skyline and of course, the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour is worth doing and will run you around $45 (including the boat ride).
3. Ghirardelli Square is home to the famous Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory which makes delicious chocolate squares. While the majority of the mass production of chocolate happens in Oakland now, Ghirardelli does have their original Chocolate Manufactury open for the public. They serve ice cream sundaes, hot chocolates, coffee, and their famous chocolate squares. Probably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had, plus the ‘free’ smells of chocolate make the overpriced fare worth it.
4. Golden Gate Bridge. One of the most iconic and picturesque bridges in the world. It is best viewed from the water (so the Alcatraz tour is perfect). They also have a viewing area at the base of the bridge which is spectacular as well. I would highly recommend walking the bridge if you have time and learning more about it’s history. This article gives you the highlights.
Drinking Tourist Fun Fact: Most people think that the color of the Golden Gate Bridge is red, but it is officially “International Orange”.
If you get done with everything mentioned above, here are a couple more places that are worth checking out.
- AT&T Park – Home to San Francisco Giants. Beautiful ballpark on the water.
- Mission Dolores Park – Beautiful park with an elevated view of the city skyline. Great for sunset!
- Castro District – One of the first gay neighborhoods in America. The people-watching is incredible and so is the night life.
- 21st Amendment Brewing Company – My review is here.
It may be impressive to check out all of these sites in 24 hours, but it can be done! However, my advice would be to take it slow and enjoy the city.
One last Drinking Tourist Tip: Make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. Everywhere you go in San Franscisco, you’re either walking up or down a hill. The terrain is never flat! And high heels won’t cut it. You might want to Uber 🙂
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