San Francisco
Cable cars, rolling fog and painted houses on the steepest streets you have ever seen.
Photo: Podstawko · CC BY-SA 4.0
San Francisco travel guide: cable cars, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, the Painted Ladies, Lombard Street, the Mission District, what to wear and safety tips.
San Francisco packs an enormous amount into its small peninsula. Ride the cable cars, running since 1873 and the last hand-operated system of their kind in the world, over Nob Hill toward the bay. Walk through Chinatown, the oldest in North America, and continue to North Beach for espresso in the city’s old Italian quarter.
At Alamo Square, the Victorian “Painted Ladies” line up in front of the downtown skyline. Lombard Street twists through eight hairpin turns, the Mission District is famous for colorful murals and giant burritos, and the sea lions at Pier 39 are noisy and entertaining.
Golden Gate Park, even bigger than Central Park, holds museums, gardens and a herd of bison. Follow the waterfront to Crissy Field for the classic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and dress in layers: summer fog can make July feel like winter.
Don’t miss
- 1A cable car ride on the Powell–Hyde line
- 2The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square
- 3Murals and burritos in the Mission District
- 4Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Tea Garden
Insider tips
- Dress in layers; the weather can change completely between neighborhoods.
- Board the cable car a few stops after the turnaround to avoid the long line.
- Never leave anything visible in a parked car.
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