San Francisco
From Mission burritos and North Beach espresso to Lands End trails and the Castro, here are our local picks for eating, exploring, and staying in San Francisco.
Browse San Francisco
San Francisco Bay
The ferry from Pier 33 out to the former federal penitentiary is one of the most memorable half-days in the city, and the award-winning cellhouse audio tour, narrated in part by former inmates and gua
Haight-Ashbury
Amoeba grew from a single Berkeley shop in 1990 into an independent California institution, and the cavernous Haight Street location is a pilgrimage for record diggers. You’ll find hundreds of thousan
Tenderloin
Why it matters: Brenda’s is the work of chef-owner Brenda Buenviaje, a Filipina-American raised in New Orleans who built a devoted following for her Creole and Southern cooking. The menu leans into he
North Beach
Opened in 1956 by Italian immigrant Giovanni ‘Papa Gianni’ Giotta, Caffe Trieste is often called the West Coast’s first true espresso house and remains the beating heart of North Beach’s Italian coffe
Golden Gate Park
This is four attractions in one: a four-story rainforest dome, the Steinhart Aquarium, the Morrison Planetarium, and a natural history museum, all beneath a famous living roof. It’s a full half-day an
North Beach
Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, City Lights was the country’s first all-paperback bookstore and remains fiercely independent, still publishing under its own imprint.
The Castro
Why it matters: Cruisin’ the Castro has been women-owned and operated since 1989, one of the longest-running walking tours of San Francisco’s most storied LGBTQ neighborhood. Guides are local resident
Golden Gate Park
The de Young holds American, Oceanic, and African art collections along with strong touring exhibitions, all in a striking copper-clad building in the park. A local secret: the Hamon Tower observation
Ferry Building, North Beach, Mission & Japantown
Why it matters: Edible Excursions is a woman-run business, started by Lisa Rogovin in 2004 and locally owned ever since. The tours walk you through neighborhoods like the Ferry Building, North Beach,
Mission District
Why it matters: El Rio has been queer-owned and operated since 1978 and, by its own account, throws more than 150 benefit events a year for underfunded nonprofits, teachers, trades workers, and BIPOC
Embarcadero
The Exploratorium practically invented the hands-on science museum, and hundreds of tinker-with-it exhibits about light, sound, and perception still make it one of the most playful spots in the city f
Castro
Why it matters: Fabulosa is an LGBTQ-owned bookshop in the heart of the Castro, and it runs Books Not Bans, a program that ships queer titles to schools and youth groups in places where such books are
Embarcadero
Why it matters: Running since 1993 and operated by the nonprofit Foodwise, this market exists to link city shoppers directly with California’s sustainable growers and food makers while funding food-ed
Presidio
The city-side welcome center is the classic spot to take in the Golden Gate Bridge up close, with exhibits, a 1933 test tower and easy access to the pedestrian walkway. It’s free to visit, though park
North Beach
A tiny 15-room hideaway on Columbus Avenue, Hotel Boheme leans into North Beach’s literary past with rooms named for Beat writers like Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs. The vintage-jazz-club styling is
Pacific Heights
Perched on a quiet residential hill in Pacific Heights, Hotel Drisco is an independent boutique hotel that trades a downtown location for old-world calm and neighborhood charm. Rooms lean toward under
Russian Hill
Tucked into the steep steps of Russian Hill, this little terraced park is an easy-to-miss local secret with a surprising payoff: a clear view toward Coit Tower, the bay and the Bay Bridge. It’s named
Presidio
Why it matters: the Inn at the Presidio sits inside the Presidio, a 1,500-acre national park site stewarded by the Presidio Trust, and it runs as a certified sustainability champion with LEED Gold and