Call us toll-free now. 24/7
Book with an expert:
1 778 807 9750
What to see in United States
San Francisco
Tourist attractions San Francisco
San Francisco is thought to be the most Europeanized city in the United States and is an unmissable stop on any package tour of North America. Its urban center, unlike other cities in the country, invites you to climb its steep streets on foot. San Francisco’s attractions, which have made it one of the most popular destinations in the States, thanks to sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge, which has served as the setting for numerous American films and today is the symbol of the city.
A walk along Lombard Street, the mythical street that zigzags upwards, rising from Russian Hill to Hyde Street, is an unmissable experience. Fisherman's Wharf, the fishing pier where Pier 39 is located, is another emblematic site, whilst Ghirardelli Square and the Ripley Museum, are some of the other attractions.
On a vacation package to San Francisco, you can not miss a trip to Fisherman's Wharf, the fishing pier where Pier 39 is located, Ghirardelli Square or the Ripley Museum, among other attractions.
From Fisherman’s Wharf, you can see the iconic San Francisco seals, who spend their days lying on floating platforms, and it also where visitors can take a boat to Alcatraz, the impenetrable prison that welcomes tourists, eager to look inside the island jail which has been immortalized in numerous blockbuster films.
Union Square is a good starting point for a walk through the city center. Here you can find the St. Francis hotel, the oldest hotel in the city known from the novel, The Maltese Falcon. Heading north through Market Street you will reach Haight Ashbury, the bohemian neighborhood; and Alamo Square, known for its small Victorian houses nicknamed the ‘Painted Ladies; This area of San Francisco is also where Mission is located, the neighborhood of artists and where the oldest buildings in the city can be found.
What to see in San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge
At an impressive 3 kilometers in length, the Golden Gate is the longest suspension bridge in the world and an icon of San Francisco. Its name was acquired by the strait in which it is built across, and although at first it was thought that it would not serve much importance, today it is the busiest highway to unite the peninsula of the city with Marin.
Built in 1937, the famed bridge can be crossed by car, bicycle or on foot. Any tour or holiday to San Francisco will undoubtedly include a visit to or a walk across the unforgettable Golden Gate Bridge.
The Painted Ladies
Close to Alamo Square, these low Victorian houses are one of the best-known images of the city of San Francisco. Their name, the Painted Ladies, refers to the type of architecture and the colors that are brightly displayed upon their façades.
The term was acquired from literature, from a book written about Victorian buildings by the authors Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. Made of wood and brick, these houses were a symbol of economic prosperity in the 19th century. Since then, they have become an essential attraction on a package holiday to San Francisco, and make the perfect backdrop to any holiday photo.
Lombard Street
It is not the steepest street in the city, although it is one of the most visited due to its zigzag shape and its well-kept greenery. The section which rises from Russian Hill to Hyde Street is particularly recognizable and an essential visit on any tour of San Francisco.
Carl Henry built the unique road in 1922 in an effort to reduce the gradient of the slope so that cars could travel more comfortably. The result ended up turning it into one of the icons of the city and it has appeared in numerous films like Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Inside Out, by Pixar.
Fisherman's Wharf
This fishing pier is one of the best known in San Francisco. It is home to the popular Pier 39, where a large part of the city's entertainment is concentrated. Fresh fish is the specialty of the many restaurants that can be found there, where fresh crab is the most notable and popular dish. The wharf is also home to bars and shopping centers as well as souvenir shops. Fisherman's Wharf is one of the most iconic attractions on a trip to San Francisco.
A variety of fascinating museums can also be found in the vicinity of Fisherman’s Wharf. The most curious of all is that of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, a museum which tells the stories of unusual events that have happened around the world. A few meters away is the Wax Museum, in addition to the San Francisco National Historical Maritime Park. From Fisherman's Wharf, boats leave to visit Alcatraz, one of the best-known and most impenetrable prisons in the world.
Chinatown
Considered the largest Chinatown in the world outside of Asia, a holiday to San Francisco would be incomplete without a tour of this charming neighborhood. Home to ornate temples, countless shops, and amenities, Chinatown will make you feel as if you have stepped into a different country, with Chinese signs, businesses, and even hospitals. Founded in 1848, Chinatown is a major attraction for visitors to San Francisco.
In addition to shops and restaurants where you can dine on fantastic Chinese cuisine, there is also the popular Ross Alley Fortune Cookie Factory, where the iconic cookies, which contain messages and advice about all manner of things, are manufactured. The best thing to do in Chinatown is to let yourself get lost in its colorful streets and soak up the culture.
Misión Dolores
A church founded by Spanish missionaries in 1776, the Mission Dolores is the oldest building in San Francisco. It was originally dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, with the goal of converting the indigenous Ohlone communities to Christianity. Soon after the building was renamed Mission Dolores and, due to its history and the beauty of its construction, it has become one of the essential visits of any trip to San Francisco.
The complex in total consists of a basilica, a small chapel and a cemetery in which personalities such as the first Mexican governor Luis Antonio Argüello, are buried.
OUR BEST TRIPS TO SAN FRANCISCO
YOU ALSO LIKE
Tourist attractions usa
Zion National Park
Alaska
Anchorage
Antelope Canyon
Arches National Park
Arizona
Big Island
Boston
Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Carmel
Death Valley National Park
Denali National Park
Disney World Orlando
Everglades National Park
Florida
Florida Gulf Coast
Graceland
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton National Park
Haleakala National Park
Hawaii
Honolulu
Horseshoe Bend
Jackson Hole
Kenai Fjords
Kennedy Space Center
Key West
Kona
Lahaina (Maui)
Lake Powell
Lancaster
Las Vegas
Lompoc
Los Angeles
Mammoth Lakes
Maui
Memphis
Miami
Miami Beach
Monterey
Monument Valley
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Naples
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Oahu
Orlando
Page
Palm Beach
Park City
Pearl Harbor
Philadelphia
Route 66
Salt Lake City
San Francisco
Santa Barbara
Santa Monica
Sequoia National Park
Seward
South Beach
Talkeetna
Ventura
Volcano National Park
Waikiki
Washington D.C
Yellowstone National Park
Yosemite National Park
Points of interests
- Trips to Zion National Park
- Trips to Alaska
- Trips to Anchorage
- Trips to Antelope Canyon
- Trips to Arches National Park
- Trips to Arizona
- Trips to Big Island
- Trips to Boston
- Trips to Bryce Canyon
- Trips to Bryce Canyon National Park
- Trips to Capitol Reef National Park
- Trips to Carmel
- Trips to Death Valley National Park
- Trips to Denali National Park
- Trips to Everglades National Park
- Trips to Florida
- Trips to Florida Gulf Coast
- Trips to Graceland
- Trips to Grand Canyon
- Trips to Grand Teton National Park
- Trips to Haleakala National Park
- Trips to Hawaii
- Trips to Honolulu
- Trips to Horseshoe Bend
- Trips to Jackson Hole
- Trips to Kenai Fjords
- Trips to Kennedy Space Center
- Trips to Key West
- Trips to Kona
- Trips to Lahaina (Maui)
- Trips to Lake Powell
- Trips to Lancaster
- Trips to Las Vegas
- Trips to Lompoc
- Trips to Los Angeles
- Trips to Mammoth Lakes
- Trips to Maui
- Trips to Memphis
- Trips to Miami
- Trips to Miami Beach
- Trips to Monterey
- Trips to Monument Valley
- Trips to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
- Trips to Naples
- Trips to Nashville
- Trips to New Orleans
- Trips to New York
- Trips to Oahu
- Trips to Orlando
- Trips to Page
- Trips to Palm Beach
- Trips to Park City
- Trips to Pearl Harbor
- Trips to Philadelphia
- Trips to Route 66
- Trips to Salt Lake City
- Trips to San Francisco
- Trips to Santa Barbara
- Trips to Santa Monica
- Trips to Sequoia National Park
- Trips to Seward
- Trips to South Beach
- Trips to Talkeetna
- Trips to Ventura
- Trips to Volcano National Park
- Trips to Waikiki
- Trips to Washington D.C
- Trips to Yellowstone National Park
- Trips to Yosemite National Park
Other Points of interests
- Trips to Agua Azul Waterfalls
- Trips to Banff
- Trips to Calgary
- Trips to Campeche
- Trips to Cancun
- Trips to Chichen Itza
- Trips to Guadalajara
- Trips to Guanajuato
- Trips to Jasper
- Trips to Kamloops
- Trips to Lac Delage
- Trips to Lake Louise
- Trips to Mérida
- Trips to Mexico City
- Trips to Mitla
- Trips to Mont-Tremblant
- Trips to Monte Alban
- Trips to Montreal
- Trips to Morelia
- Trips to Niagara Falls
- Trips to Oaxaca
- Trips to Ottawa
- Trips to Palenque
- Trips to Patzcuaro
- Trips to Puebla
- Trips to Puerto Vallarta
- Trips to Quebec
- Trips to Queretaro
- Trips to Riviera Maya
- Trips to Rocky Mountains
- Trips to Saguenay
- Trips to San Cristóbal de las Casas
- Trips to San Juan Chamula
- Trips to San Miguel de Allende
- Trips to San Salvador
- Trips to Sumidero Canyon
- Trips to Tadoussac
- Trips to Tequila
- Trips to Toronto
- Trips to Tule
- Trips to Tulum
- Trips to Uxmal
- Trips to Vancouver
- Trips to Victoria
- Trips to Xel-Ha
- Trips to Xochimilco
- Trips to Zinancantan
Countries Nearby
Susbscribe to our newsletter and join Exoticca GO
The best travel deals
Exclusive promotions
Expert travel tips