For different reasons, when you make a trip along the west coast of the United States, at the time of visit San Francisco for tourism You may find that you cannot dedicate too much time to it.
Although an ideal visit to San Francisco well worth a minimum of three days, perhaps you can only dedicate one day o two days to explore this incredibly attractive city.
But this should not be an impediment for you to do the essential visits of this city of California.
DON'T FORGET YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE
Are you planning your trip or getaway? Don't leave without take out your travel insurance before, and here we explain whyIf you contract it with us, you have a 10% discount with the code GUIASVIAJAR10.
In order to help you plan visit from San Francisco en one day o two days, then I am going to recommend which are the places essential to see.
Of course, to be able to make these visits in such a short period of time, it is essential that you have a rental car.
In this regard, I can tell you that compared to what can happen in other United States citiesas the New York, in San Francisco you can move around very easily with your vehicle and you will not have problems parking.
All the information in detail
- 1 The best things to see and do in San Francisco in one day
- 1.1 Where to see the best panoramic views of San Francisco
- 1.2 Crossing the Golden Gate in San Francisco
- 1.3 Where to see the Cuestas de San Francisco
- 1.4 Tour on traditional trams along the slopes of San Francisco
- 1.5 Where to see Victorian houses in San Francisco
- 1.6 San Francisco Chinatown
- 1.7 Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco
- 1.8 Leisure areas in San Francisco
- 1.9 Tours and guided visits in San Francisco
The best things to see and do in San Francisco in one day
Where to see the best panoramic views of San Francisco
The first and recommended thing is to climb the hill of Twin Peaks, from where you will have the best panoramic views of the city and the Bay.
This will allow you to position yourself for the subsequent visit of the city and to measure the distances.

Crossing the Golden Gate in San Francisco
My advice is that you then go directly to the Golden Gate, the famous suspension bridge that links the San Francisco peninsula with the north.
This impressive bridge is the true gateway to the San Francisco Bay.
To begin with, the Golden Gate You will cross it in your car, but what you have to do is go to the gazebo (point view) from the north bank, which is on the right, just after crossing the bridge.
It is really from said viewpoint, and not on board the car, that you will be able to enjoy the best panoramic views of the Golden Gate, and also in the background you can see the Buenos Aires from the city of San Francisco.

On this visit, my advice is that you don't miss the opportunity to take a brief walk across the bridge, just as many of us tourists who visit it do.
Where to see the Cuestas de San Francisco
Another of the icons of this very interesting Californian city are its famous slopes.
Indeed, part of the city center sits on a hill so that several avenues extend along it with very striking slopes.
To see these steep streets you must go to the district of Nob Hill, north of the city, where from different points you will have curious views of them.
Y the most famous slope in San Francisco, whose visit must be obligatory, is the Lombard street, where you find those super steep curves that you have seen in so many movies.

There you will be able to see the curious scene of cars descending and zig-zagging down a steep slope.
Tour on traditional trams along the slopes of San Francisco
Another very popular activity among tourists visiting San Francisco is get to know the Nob Hill neighborhood.
And for this the best way is to get on board one of the traditional cable trams that Nowadays they have become a tourist attraction more of the city.
The only line of San Francisco streetcars that remains in operation connects the city center with the coastal area of La Marina. and in this one Nob Hill tour It goes up and down the famous slopes.
ORGANIZE your TRIP
- Don't forget your TRAVEL INSURANCE with a 10% discount
- Book the HOTEL for your trip
- eSIM card to have INTERNET at a discount
- The best TOURS and EXCURSIONS in Spanish
- TOURS and ACTIVITIES in English and other languages
- NO-LINE TICKETS for museums and monuments
- RENT a CAR for your trip
- Has your flight been cancelled? How to claim compensation
- Book your TRANSFER from the airport
You will see that these trams are full of tourists, and keep in mind that the price of the ticket does not correspond to that of public transport, but to that of a tourist activity.

Where to see Victorian houses in San Francisco
Another reason that makes the city of San Francisco very attractive is the special charm of some streets that show a surprising european atmosphere.
In those streets you can find a succession of victorian style houses so that seeing some corners can give you the feeling of being in a city in England.
While these Victorian houses can be seen in various corners of the residential district of Haigh Ashbury, the advice is to go to Alamo Park where are the famous ones victorian houses known as the Painted ladies.
Its colorful facades fit into the aforementioned atmosphere of a European style neighborhood, with hippie-style design and clothing stores, a trend that became fashionable in this residential neighborhood in the 60s of the last century.

San Francisco Chinatown
In many cities around the world it is increasingly common to have a Barrio chino…and San Francisco is one of them.
What's more, the San Francisco Chinatown It is one of the best examples you can find in the world of a Chinatown , which, for example, is much more attractive than New York.
On your walk through Chinatown at some point you will have the feeling of being in a Chinese city, as you will not only see establishments of Chinese merchants, but also buildings whose architecture in some way emulates that of China.
Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco
And as happens in other North American cities such as the aforementioned New York, in San Francisco there is also a Italian neighborhood.

Very close to Chinatown you can take a walk through the district of North Beach, which is also known as Little Italy, where you will find an atmosphere of Italian restaurants.
Leisure areas in San Francisco
To complete the day of sightseeing in the city, the last essential visit in San Francisco is to go to Fisherman's Wharf,
This is the old fishing port of the city, which has currently become the great leisure and entertainment area of the same, with restaurants and bars always very popular with tourists.
Obviously, you still have many other attractions to visit in the city of San Francisco, but if your time availability is limited, you should leave them pending for a new trip.
Of course, with the visits that I propose in this article, you make sure see the essentials in San Francisco.
Tours and guided visits in San Francisco
Now, if what you prefer is to join an organized group to make a specific visit, here you have information with tours and guided visits in Spanish in San Francisco, which includes the best tourist activities.
You can also consult the information with the best excursions around San Francisco.
And possibly this information will also be useful to you to search hotel in San Francisco en booking.com.






Hello José Luis, last week I returned from the trip to the west coast and I must thank the help of your blog, thanks to the travel guides I was able to make an itinerary with the most important things and carry them out perfectly. I visited San Francisco, Yosemite, I traveled through Death Valley, I was in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Zion Canyon, Los Angeles and the different places on the 1st until returning to San Francisco for the return. What I enjoyed the most and would have stayed longer was Yosemite and the canyons, it is something incredible, wonderful. Again, thank you very much for all the contributions. Greetings Fernanda
Thank you very much, Fernanda.
I am very glad that all the information was useful to you and that you enjoyed the trip.
regards
Hello…..I have 7 days to visit San Francisco and Los Angeles,,,,, I would like to know if it is safe to rent and travel by car to get around, what cities should I visit, and how much does it cost to rent a car?
Hedy, it is totally safe to rent and travel by car in the United States.
Here you have information that can guide you, as well as prices
http://guias-viajar.com/estados-unidos/planes-viajes-rutas/consejos-como-alquilar-coches-baratos/
http://guias-viajar.com/estados-unidos/planes-viajes-rutas/consejos-viajar-carreteras-conducir-coche/
Hello, could someone guide me for our next visit to Sn Francisco in the last week of July please? I would like to know what the weather is like in that season and if you can swim in the bay, as well as attractive places for 2 teenagers who will go too? We will be there for 6 days, thank you very much.
Rosy, you may not know that San Francisco has a surprising microclimate that means that even in the middle of summer there are many cloudy and, above all, quite cool days. That is, in certain places in the bay it will be good to wear a cardigan or sweatshirt. And, of course, on your night walk.
With this I want to tell you that I do not think it is an ideal place to swim in the bay, since this microclimate makes it very cool. And I assure you that I am not exaggerating.
As we plan places to visit, routes, etc., many doubts arise since the number of places is very important and time is sometimes not enough to travel as much as one would like, less is preferable but fine. I wanted to ask you, if you had to choose a place to spend the night between LA and San Francisco, on our return trip, would you have something to recommend that is not so expensive and would allow us to get to know the San Simeon, Big Sur area during the day? , Carmel, etc. Thank you
Fernanda, I cannot recommend specific hotels, but I advise you to read this article
http://guias-viajar.com/estados-unidos/dormir-en-moteles-en-estados-unidos/
In summary, my advice is to stay in motels that you will find along the road. Except in the big cities, LA and San Francisco, in the other places you can stay as you go, which will give you great flexibility
Thanks Jose Luis, I was looking on Google Maps at the options you gave me and there is a third route which is US-395 and CA-190E, it passes through Bishop where there are hotels at a good price to spend the night on the way to Las Vegas, instead to sleep in Yosemite which is very expensive. Do you have any reference about that route? Thank you
Fernanda, I have no reference to this route, but it is also a good option. Good idea to stop in Bishop. I didn't sleep in Yosemite on my trip either, as I preferred to get to Fresno, where it was cheap to sleep.
José Luis, we are already more advanced in our travel plans and what my husband is worried about is the highway between Yosemite and Las Vegas. We are not going to stop to sleep, we are going to leave early and we want to know which route is most convenient. Leaving at 8 in the morning we have 10/11 hours to reach Las Vegas with light and get situated. If you can guide us we would appreciate it. Greetings Fernanda
Fernanda, I understand that you mean that you will leave Yosemite early and want to arrive in Las Vegas the same day.
No problem. On Google Maps you can see the most appropriate route, which is up Tioga Road, which will not take you more than seven and a half hours of driving (time for stops aside)
https://maps.google.es/maps?saddr=Yosemite+Valley,+California,+Estados+Unidos&daddr=37.2541972,-117.0078017+to:Las+Vegas,+Nevada,+EEUU&hl=es&ll=37.670777,-118.092041&spn=2.934707,5.817261&sll=36.919156,-117.432861&sspn=2.964165,5.817261&geocode=FaLzPwIdfCXf-CmvY_I4_vGWgDFu4slULj8hGQ%3BFTV0OAIdR5oG-Sl5ynr7PdC4gDH0wXINEWHjGw%3BFdYQJwIdMJoi-SnRffWkgre-gDGjebPV5tXMOg&oq=las+veg&mra=dvme&mrsp=1&sz=8&via=1&t=m&z=8
You also have the option of going to the west of the mountain range, which would take you 8 hours. Advantage? You don't have to go up the mountainous Tioga Road. Disadvantage? You miss these mountainous landscapes... that I wouldn't miss.
https://maps.google.es/maps?saddr=Yosemite+Valley,+California,+Estados+Unidos&daddr=36.8085125,-119.7478213+to:34.8788356,-117.0851241+to:35.4421882,-115.679135+to:Las+Vegas,+Nevada,+EEUU&hl=es&ll=35.804449,-117.614136&spn=3.006914,5.817261&sll=35.559043,-117.855835&sspn=3.016172,5.817261&geocode=FaLzPwIdfCXf-CmvY_I4_vGWgDFu4slULj8hGQ%3BFUCnMQIdE8vc-Cn5AmIpB12UgDEu5MtarRA_Ww%3BFXM1FAIdPGwF-SnNbFwIrH7EgDEpGeqTlpGP8g%3BFQzOHAIdYeAa-Sm72M6tvorFgDFI5Pu4aYpGUQ%3BFdYQJwIdMJoi-SnRffWkgre-gDGjebPV5tXMOg&oq=las+veg&mra=dvme&mrsp=3&sz=8&via=1,2,3&t=m&z=8
Hi, I'm going in June.
Hello Fernanda. When are you going to San Francisco?
José Luis, again I have my doubts, we will start the trip in San Francisco, where we will be approximately 3 full days, could you tell me which neighborhoods are most appropriate to look for accommodation in terms of safety and to move around more easily? (we plan to rent a car) Thank you very much!! Fernando
Fernanda, I cannot help you on this issue, because on my trip to San Francisco, due to certain circumstances, I stayed in a hotel outside the city.
In any case, honestly, San Francisco didn't seem to me to have any troubled neighborhoods.
Hello, we are planning to do the west coast but we don't know how. We have around 15 days with a car around the end of May and we intend to do it on our own. Do you consider it possible to do San Francisco, three and a half days, Yosemite, one day, sleep in Fresno. From there continue through Monterey, to Sta. Bárbara one day, night there. Approximate day 7 departure to Los Angeles for two/three days, then to Las Vegas for two days and from there the visit to the Grand Canyon by road using two days and returning to Las Vegas for the return. Could you tell me if I'm on track or if it's too much. Thank you so much
Fernanda, I see it as very appropriate. What's more, I'll tell you that it is almost the route I took on my last trip to the West Coast :)
If you have any other questions, ask me so I can guide you.
Thank you very much, I have doubts, I will ask them as I see the itinerary in a more concrete way. I ask you, if we arrive at Yosemite between 12 and 13 p.m. Is the rest of the day enough to cover it and get to sleep in Fresno? and the other is, taking the route that you indicated from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon of approximately 7 hours, enjoying the way, spending the night in Tusayán. How would you plan the next day in relation to returning to Las Vegas or would it be advisable to stay one more night to travel during the day? Thank you
Regarding Yosemite, it gives you time to do a basic tour. In summary, the visits that I point out in the following link.
http://guias-viajar.com/los-estados-unidos/recomendaciones-consejos-visitar-parque-nacional-yosemite-california/
Of course, I advise you to arrive as soon as possible, and to make the most of it, which will make you arrive in Fresno almost at night. But there is usually no accommodation problem.
And regarding Tusayan, if you are not going to take special excursions in the Grand Canyon, and you are only going to visit the viewpoints, you will have time to do it and then get to Las Vegas, even if it is already at night. Since you will have a hotel reserved, you will have no problem even if you arrive late. Of course, I advise you that on the day you go to the Grand Canyon, don't rush too hard to see the sunset from one of the viewpoints. The views and color are stunning.