My 5-Day San Francisco Itinerary

Nowadays, San Francisco gets a bad rap, but it’s filled with so much important history and has an extraordinary landscape that you certainly don’t want to miss. From delicious foods and a diverse culture to stunning views of the Bay and Pacific Ocean, San Francisco is a very unique city.

This itinerary is based on my week-long trip I took to San Francisco in February 2023, but you can change things around as needed to fit your preferences and interests.

In addition to the day-by-day itinerary, at the end I share a few recommendations on places to stay, restaurants I ate at, a brief guide on public transportation, etc.

A lot of this information comes from two of my previous posts on San Francisco:

5-Day San Francisco Itinerary

Day 1

1. Join a free walking tour

In my opinion, tours are the best way to orient yourself with a new place at the beginning of a trip. By taking a tour, not only do you get to learn about the formative history of San Francisco, but you will be able to identify landmarks to help you get around when you start exploring on your own.

I took a free walking tour on the 1906 Earthquake through a non-profit group called San Francisco City Guides. The tour guides are all volunteers, and the organization runs on donations, so it’s up to you if/how much you pay. With over 300 volunteer guides, you can find a multitude of tours on specific neighborhoods, the Gold Rush, the earthquake, and more.

2. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

With seven floors of modern and contemporary art, the SFMOMA is an incredible place to spend a few hours. The museum houses many works from famous artists, including Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, and Georgia O’Keefe.

Like many art museums, this place is huge. I spent an hour closely looking at every image in a photography exhibit, only to realize I had only explored about a tenth of the museum. So, be aware that there’s lots to see. From contemporary photography and abstract sculptures to postwar German Art and temporary exhibitions, you could spend hours in the MOMA trying to take everything in. I’d recommend budgeting at least 2 hours here if you enjoy art.

3. Ferry Building

Dating back to 1898, the Ferry Building is an iconic site in San Francisco. Many travellers and commuters passed through this building up until the mid-1950s when the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge became the main way to cross the bay. Now, the building is home to many cute shops as well as a farmers’ market that runs year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

You won’t really find any traditional souvenirs here like keychains, sweaters, etc, but you can find some quality food products like baked goods, chocolate, and alcohol, as well as ceramics and various other hand-crafted items. That being said, items here are a little on the pricier side, but it’s worth a stop in to see all of the wonderful offerings.

4. View the Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field

I didn’t make it over to the Golden Gate Bridge on my first day in San Francisco, but I still wanted to see it. So, I stopped by Crissy Field to get an initial glimpse of the famous structure.

This used to be a military airfield, but now it’s a large, wide-open park that provides a great view of the bay and the bridge. It’s a lovely, quiet place to relax for a little while after your first day of exploring.

Day 2

1. Alcatraz

Alcatraz is a must-visit if you’re visiting San Francisco. This iconic site was originally a military fort, and later became a high-security prison housing some of the most notorious criminals like Al Capone and “The Bird Man”.

Tickets for a daytime trip are around $45. Ferries run between 8:40 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. and the ride takes about 15 minutes. You can take the ferry at any point in the day with your ticket. I’d recommend booking in advance—especially during the summer and on weekends—as tickets can sell out fast. I spent about 1.5 hours on the island, but if you really want to take your time and read/see everything, people typically spend around 2 to 2.5 hours on Alcatraz.

2. Shop at Pier 39

Pier 39 is an excellent place to find all of your San Francisco souvenirs, grab a bite to eat, and see some sea lions taking a nap. I’d plan to dedicate at least an hour or two here if you enjoy shopping.

In terms of souvenirs, you can find everything here from traditional postcards and t-shirts to more unique items like miniature cable cars at the Cable Car Store, Christmas decorations, or left-hand-only items.

As for dining, there are currently 12 full-service restaurants at the pier which sell a variety of items including sourdough bread, clam chowder, seafood, desserts, and more.

In addition, be sure to stop at the sea lion viewing deck to see the sea lions basking in the sun and sleeping on top of each other.

3. Fisherman’s Wharf

Pier 39 is technically on Fisherman’s Wharf, but if you walk 5 or so minutes west of Pier 39 you’ll find even more souvenir shops and yummy food to eat. You also get excellent views of the Bay, including Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

I’d recommend getting clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl in this area. Yes, prices will be a little more expensive here because it’s a touristy area, but warm, creamy clam chowder hits the spot after walking around for a while, especially on a cool day. I ate at Sabella & LaTorre and it was *chef’s kiss*.

4. Haight-Ashbury/The Painted Ladies

Haight-Ashbury is a lively neighborhood to the southwest of downtown San Francisco known for its strong hippie culture, art and music scene, and vintage shopping. The area also has beautiful Victorian homes that were left intact after the 1906 earthquake. In fact, the neighborhood is about a 20-minute walk from the Painted Ladies—an angled row of colorful, bright Victorian houses.

This trendy locale has many upscale boutiques and lower-priced thrift stores with unique items. The amount of options can be a little overwhelming, but after some searching you should be able to find something within your price range that suits your style.

Whether or not you like shopping or hippie/hipster culture, Haight-Ashbury is still a neat area to check out to see a different side of San Francisco.

Day 3

1. Coit Tower

Coit Tower can be seen from various areas throughout the city, but if you’re up for a hike, you can climb Telegraph Hill to get up to it. Or you can drive/take a bus, but where’s the fun in that?

From the top of the hill you get a lovely 360-degree view of San Francisco. Inside the tower are murals painted by 25 different artists which are free to see, and you can pay to go to the top of the tower.

2. Stroll through Golden Gate Park

If you’re looking to get away from downtown and be engulfed by parkland, Golden Gate Park is the place to go. Spanning 3.5 miles from the city to the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park has so much to explore. There are paid activities sprinkled throughout the park like the de Young Museum and the Japanese Tea Garden, however there’s plenty to see without paying a cent. It’s a great way to spend a few hours and take a leisurely stroll.

3. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge is definitely a bucket list experience. I’d recommend taking the bus to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center on the south side of the bridge and starting your journey from there.

The total length of the bridge is about 1.7 miles, so it takes over an hour and a half to walk both ways. Be aware, there are no nearby busses that take you back across the bridge, so be prepared to walk that long or to pay for a $20+ Uber. You can also rent a bike if you’d like to do that instead of walk.

If you don’t want to walk the bridge, you can view the bridge from numerous incredible viewing areas. The easiest way to see the bridge up close is by taking a bus to the south vista point and viewing the bridge at the visitor area. From there, there are a few other great viewing points in walking distance if you choose to explore.

4. Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts is a stunning performing arts venue near the Bay. Originally built for the 1915 World’s Fair, the Palace now hosts events, galas, weddings, and more. While you can book tickets to see a show here, I’d recommend visiting just to walk along its towering columns and ornate arches for a little while, especially during golden hour.

Day 4

1. Muir Woods

Muir Woods is a redwood forest about a 50-minute drive from downtown San Francisco. These woods are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which protects more than 82,000 acres of land surrounding the Bay Area. The trees here average around 500-800 years old, and the tallest is around 258 feet tall. This is an incredible place to spend a few hours in nature and escape the city.

To get to Muir Woods, you get to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and take some twisty, narrow roads. If driving on cliffs isn’t your thing, there are many half-day tours available that take you to the woods and back. However, you only get about an hour and a half to explore, which I found to be a little limiting because I love to wander and explore. But, I found it worth the investment anyways because walking beneath the towering coast redwoods felt otherworldly—especially during a downpour of rain. I paid just under $70 for a half-day tour with a lovely and informative tour guide/driver, and we got to explore the woods by ourselves.

2. Explore & eat in Chinatown

San Francisco’s Chinatown is an iconic part of the city—in fact, it is the the oldest Chinatown in North America. First established in the mid-1800s, this part of downtown San Francisco takes up 24 square blocks, making it the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.

There are many incredible places to eat in San Francisco’s Chinatown, as well as lots of streets and shops to peruse. On these streets, you can find everything from foods like traditional herbs, produce, and fresh meat to souvenirs, bars, and Chinese architecture. There’s a lot to explore in this neighborhood, so come hungry and ready to browse.

Day 5

1. Wave Organ

The Wave Organ is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a sculpture that produces musical sounds with waves and pipes. According to reviews, this is really neat to experience—when you can actually hear the sounds during high tide, that is. Unfortunately, when I visited it must have been low tide so there were no organ sounds, and I got caught in the middle of a downpour with little shelter. Still, it was neat to check out as the structure is very unique in its design, and you get lovely views of the Bay and the rainy downpours as they move across the water.

2. Ghirardelli Square

Ghirardelli Square was once the site of an original Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory. In the mid-1900s, the property was purchased to avoid it being demolished, and the old factory was filled with shops and restaurants and became known as Ghirardelli Square.

The square itself is relatively small, but there are quite a few unique souvenir shops to explore and multiple places to dine or grab a drink. However, you simply cannot visit Ghirardelli Square without stopping in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience. There, they have numerous Ghirardelli Chocolate sets, a Ghirardelli Chocolate coffee bar, and an open selection of individual Ghirardelli Chocolate squares so you can mix and match your own set of chocolates for gifts or to savor for yourself. If you’re a chocolate fiend like me, it’s worth the visit—trust me.

3. Lombard Street

This is the “Crookedest Street in the World.” Located in San Francisco’s Russian Hill, this block of Lombard Street consists of 8 hairpin turns, making it an iconic landmark in the city. It isn’t really much more than that, but it’s fun to spend a few minutes at and watch as cars slowly twist down the street.

You’re not supposed to walk on the actual road, but you can walk along the side and take in the views of San Francisco below. During the summer the area is supposedly decorated in flowers, but when I went in February it was still a nice area.

4. Explore North Beach for restaurants and nightlife

Contrary to the name, North Beach is not an actual beach. Though, it did used to be a beach until the city extended the shoreline in the late 1800s.

Name aside, this area is San Francisco’s Italian neighborhood, making it an excellent place to find great Italian food. There are also multiple places for drinks and nightlife, like Tupelo and Le Petit Paris 75. North Beach is a fun neighborhood to spend your last night in San Francisco in.

Accommodations

San Francisco is a relatively expensive city, so unless you’re staying in a hostel, accommodations are going to be on the pricier side.

Nightly prices will vary depending on the time of year and day of the week. For hostels, prices will also depend on the amount of beds in a room and if it’s a mixed or female-only space. Typically, female-only rooms and rooms with less beds will cost more.

Hotels:
Hostels:

The Green Tortoise Hostel is where I stayed, and it was amazing! I stayed in a 4-bedroom female-only dorm and paid a little over $200 for 5 nights.

Breakfast is included every day, and the maximum stay is 7 days, but you can get approval from the manager to stay longer. It’s a very social hostel so it’s super easy to meet new people there, especially with the nightly events they host. Highly recommend!

Neighborhoods to stay in:

Video: Places to stay in San Francisco

  • North Beach – This is where the Green Tortoise Hostel is, so this is the area I stayed. There’s a ton of restaurants and nightlife in this area, and it didn’t feel touristy which I really liked. North Beach is considered San Francisco’s Little Italy and it’s also right by Chinatown, so there are tons of great places to eat.
  • Fisherman’s Wharf – This area is a little more touristy and expensive, but it provides you with easy access to souvenir shops and the main tourist attractions.
  • Union Square – This is at the heart of the city and is close to malls and less-touristy restaurants. Union Square is also right next to Market Street which is the main business area, though I’d avoid this particular street if possible (see below: Safety in San Francisco).
  • Haight-Ashbury – This is a young, hippie neighborhood filled with vintage shops and thrift stores. While it’s a little far from downtown, its unique vibe and beautiful Victorian homes make it a fun, unique area to stay.
  • South of Market (SoMa) – Here you’ll typically find better prices in terms of hotels, and you’ll be in close proximity to museums like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Safety in San Francisco

As I mentioned at the beginning of this itinerary, San Francisco has been getting a bad reputation recently in terms of safety and crimes. But, if you use common sense and stay out of areas that are considered “dangerous”, you’ll be fine. Even then, the “dangerous” areas have low violent crime rates. I visited San Francisco alone and often walked around by myself and never had any issues.

What scares a lot of people away from the city is the high homeless rate in areas like the Tenderloin District (just west of Union Square), and Market Street/Embarcadero. But again, if you avoid those particular areas, you will be fine.

The main crimes that happen in San Francisco often involve property damage and car break-ins. If you happen to bring or rent a car, be sure to take all personal belongings out or hide them out of sight. But avoid using a car if you can help it.

Otherwise, San Francisco really isn’t any more dangerous than any other major U.S. city.

When to Visit

September to November is the best time of year to visit San Francisco. This is when the city is at its warmest, and there are typically less tourists than during the summer months.

Be aware that, although San Francisco is in California, it rarely gets hot there. Temperatures throughout the warmest months average around 70 degrees, while the winters average around 50-60 degrees. The weather can also rapidly change because of its position in the Bay Area. One minute it can be sunny and clear skies, and the next it can be downpouring. So, no matter what time of year you visit, wear layers and always have a quality raincoat on hand! These pictures were taken within 30 minutes of each other:

Public Transportation

San Francisco is a very walkable city, but you’ll need to use some type of transport to get to some places. Thankfully, public transportation in San Francisco is top-notch, so it’s easy to get from place to place.

First of all: how do you pay for public transport? You can simply pay by tapping any contactless credit/debit card on the bus/train scanners, but you can save money by getting a Clipper Card, which is the Bay Area’s transit card. You can purchase a digital card for your phone, however, do note that it takes a couple days for digital cards to process and work, so you can’t use it right away. I’d recommend just buying a physical Clipper Card from a train station or Walgreens.

There are a few different options you can choose with the Clipper. You can either load money onto the card to pay for your fares, or you can get a pass for unlimited rides for a certain amount of days.

The main public transport system in San Francisco is called the Muni, which consists of buses, streetcars, and metro trains. All Muni-affiliated vehicles have this squiggly red symbol on them, making them easy to identify:

The fare for a Muni vehicle is $2.50, and any other rides within 2 hours will be free. Otherwise, you can buy an unlimited day pass for $5

The historic cable cars are more of a tourist attraction than a typical mode of transportation, so those aren’t included in the price of a day pass and cost more to ride.

To figure out which form of transport to use and which way to go, I use Google Maps. If you type in your destination, the app will give you options for the bus, tram, and/or metro and will tell you which direction to take.

For instance, if you’re headed from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, one of the options is to take bus 28 that’s headed towards Daly City BART. The Daly City BART will be noted on the bus, so you’ll know that’s the one to take. If this seems difficult to decipher in writing, I promise it is simple to figure out.

Places I Ate At

I mentioned this in my Thailand itinerary as well, but I’m not what one would call a “foodie”, which means I typically search for quick, cheap meals. However, here are a few restaurants I did eat at:

Caffe Central

I happened upon Caffe Central after my walking tour which ended in Union Square. I was looking for something small and sweet to eat, so I got a slice of banana bread and a hot chai latte to warm up from the cold. In all honesty, that was the best banana bread I have ever had.

Raavi North Indian Cuisine

I didn’t find Raavi myself—it was part of a paid evening excursion through my hostel. I don’t eat Indian food very often, but I found it quite good. We had three different curries along with some naan and rice.

Pier 39 Biscoff Coffee Corner

I’d never seen a Biscoff cafe before, so when I found the Biscoff Coffee Corner at Pier 39 I knew I had to try it out. I ended up just getting a small hot chocolate to warm myself up, and it was decent. I don’t remember disliking it but I also don’t remember thinking it was the best thing ever, so do with that what you will. Though, you do get a free Biscoff cookie with your drink!

Sabella & LaTorre

One of the must-get meals in San Francisco is clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. I happened upon Sabella & LaTorre while I was exploring Fisherman’s Wharf, however there are a multitude of restaurants where you can find clam chowder in the city. It’s the perfect way to warm up on a cool day.

Chinatown

With San Francisco’s Chinatown being one of the biggest in the US, there is an abundance of great Chinese restaurants throughout the area. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant I went to, but you can find everything in Chinatown from dim sum and ramen to other noodle dishes and baked goods.

New Thai Elephant

I really miss authentic Thai food, and the Panang curry at New Thai Elephant was delicious. They also serve things like traditional rice dishes and stir fried noodles.

Brioche Bakery & Cafe

I ate breakfast in my hostel throughout the week, but on my last day I wanted to go out for a nicer breakfast. So, I decided to find a cute café and had an egg croissant sandwich. The cafe was indeed cute, but the food was meh, especially for the price. Honestly, I personally found it hard to justify dining out a lot in San Francisco because it was difficult to find a simple meal under $20, and most times I was underwhelmed for the price.

San Francisco is certainly a unique bucket list destination. If you’re hesitant about visiting because of the not-so-great media coverage and prices, don’t let that hold you back. As I mentioned, as long as you use common sense, you will be safe. It’s also easy to visit on a budget like I did if you choose to stay at a hostel, and there are plenty of amazing free things to see/do. Happy travelling!

Lilly (Happy Lil’ Traveller)

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