San Francisco is one of the most popular and beautiful cities in northern California. It’s filled with restaurants, bars, parks, museums, history, culture, and diversity. It’s a place with endless entertainment and experience.

There are various famous attractions like Fisherman‘s Wharf, Alcatraz Island and The Golden Gate Bridge, but don’t forget all the other amazing sightseeing possibilities around the city.

Here are some of the best attractions that you can see on a visit to San Francisco, in no particular order.

Golden Gate Bridge

This is the most significant icon of the San Francisco Bay. People all over the world often gather around here for photographs and sightseeing. This enormous “International Orange” colored bridge stands out strongly on the blue ocean, but it’s equally attractive at night, when the structure is beautifully lit.

This is one of the greatest man-made attractions in the United States. Officially opened on May 28, 1937, and took a total of four years to build.

The bridge is open to cyclists and pedestrians, and many locals love riding their bicycle or jogging across the bridge. Driving across the bridge takes you to Marin County, filled with miles of amazing beaches, Muir Woods and other awesome places to see.

Alcatraz Island

This is one of the most infamous and notorious prisons. It officially closed down in 1963, but was opened to visitors as part of the National Parks registry. It was the former home of some of America’s most famous criminals, like the Birdman of Alcatraz and Al Capone.

When you visit the infamous prison, you can take a ferry over the island and take your time checking out the jail cells, prison yard, dining hall and other cool locations while following an audio tour that is provided with your Alcatraz Tickets. Over its 30 year existence, the prison was home to over 1576 criminals.

People often come for the novelty or the history of the prison, but the location is also a natural wildlife habitat for some rare birds.

Fisherman’s Wharf

If you’re visiting the city for the first time, then you should definitely head to Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s known for its beautiful waterfront setting, shops, and restaurants. This is a spectacular place for sightseeing and experiencing some mouthwatering local food like Dungeness crab. The main attractions are Ghirardelli Square, The Wax museum, Pier 39 and Ripley‘s Believe It Or Not Museum. If you love to shop and eat, check out Pier 39, which has over 130 stores and amazing places to dine.

Golden Gate Park

This beautiful green space contains various museums and gardens. In fact, some people consider it the heart and lungs of the city. The park has various cycling paths and walking trails with dozens of plants, lakes, and trees. The main attractions in the park are the California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese tea Garden, and the San Francisco Botanical Garden. It is also the home to San Francisco’s mega music festival, Outside Lands, which takes place over 3 days every August.

Chinatown

Chinatown is nestled in between North Beach and the Financial District and is a vibrant part of the city to visit for shopping, eating or grabbing some drinks. It contains a cool variety of stores, antique shops, theaters, and other small businesses. If you are traveling through San Francisco during the holidays like Chinese New Year, expect to see a huge celebration with fireworks and decorations.

Legion of Honor

This amazing museum was a gift to the City of San Francisco and it’s a full-scale replication of the French Pavilion in Paris. It contains a vast collection of European art, paintings, and sculptures. The museum is located in Lincoln Park, an excellent place for a leisurely walk and to play golf. It is also a great place to take in an amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Legion of Honor
100 34th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94121

415-750-3600

Palace of Fine Arts

Located in the popular Marina District, The Palace of Fine Arts was originally built for the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915 as an art exhibit hall. It is one of the only remaining structure left over from the Exposition. Although it was carefully rebuilt over ten years from 1964 to 1974, the architects made sure to restore it to its original design. The famous landmark is a cool place to visit and brings a variety of concerts, comedy shows and private events throughout the year.

Palace of Fine Arts
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123

415-886-1374

The California Academy of Sciences

This Academy is located in the Golden Gate Park, and is both a multi-faceted museum and an architectural phenomenon. It has over 2.5 acres of native plants covering the roof. It also has a solar panel to generate electricity, while the soil acts as proper insulation. This place contains various rainforest, aquarium, planetarium, and much more. It has over 38,000 living specimens, and don’t get us started about the rainforest with over four stories high with a variety of living species. The Museum also has skeletal features of blue whales, T-Rex, and other fascinating historical animals.

California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Dr.
San Francisco, CA 94118

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

This modern art museum has around 170,000 ft.² of space and has reopened around the spring of 2016. It has over ten floors with a spacious gallery that is open to the public without any fees. The museum often has thousands of new features, exhibits, and new pieces ready to impress.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 3rd St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

415-357-4000

Twin Peaks

These unique hills are over 900 feet high and have one of the most breathtaking views of the city. You can experience a relaxing drive over the North Peak or hike along the trails. They are the only hills that aren’t built over and remain in its natural state. During a warm sunny day, you can experience a strong cool breeze from the Pacific. Check out the fun shops and delicious restaurants while you are there.

Asian Art Museum

The museum opened in 1966 and has a variety of art collections from Avery Bundage. Bundage created a private collection to bridge the gap between the East and the West. He died at age 88 in 1975, and the museum serves as a collection of art featuring his legacy.

The museum continues to collect a vast selection of paintings, bronze, ceramics, sculpture, jade carving, and much more. The collections mainly originate from India, Iran, Asia, Japan, and Korea.

Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94102

415-381-3500

Oracle Park

If you love baseball, then a trip to Oracle Park (formerly AT&T Park) should definitely be on your list. Home to the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball Team, it is one of the most beautiful stadiums around. It is located right on the San Francisco Bay with sweeping views of the Bay and beyond from the top deck. If you can’t see a game, then consider a ballpark tour to check out what goes on behind-the-scenes. Tours are usually scheduled around the games, so definitely check out the online calendar if you are interested.

Oracle Park
24 Willie Mays Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94107