25 essentials: what to see in San Francisco in 2, 3 or 4 days

I tell you that you visit from San Francisco will bring you a good part of the best attractions that can be enjoyed in a trip to the west coast of the United States.

En San Francisco You will find a very nice city, very easy to visit.

But you will also have excellent panoramic views, corners and some of the icons that you surely have of the United States,

What to see and do when visiting San Francisco

If you want to visit this city on your own California, to help you plan your visit, below I detail some tips with the best places to see on your visit to San Francisco.

Twin Peaks Lookout in San Francisco

The most recommended thing as soon as you arrive in San Francisco is climb Twin Peaks Hill, just as I did during my trip.

From its viewpoint you will have the best panoramic views of the city and the bay, which will allow you to position yourself for the subsequent visit in detail of the city.

Golden Gate Suspension Bridge in San Francisco

The main San Francisco tourist icon is undoubtedly the Golden Gate, known as Golden Gate.

This is what the space that opens into the sea between the San Francisco peninsula and the cliff area in the northern part is called.

Bliss sea ​​gate It is crossed by what is undoubtedly one of the most famous bridges in the world, the Golden Gate Suspension Bridge, which delimits the Pacific Ocean for the San Francisco Bay.

In order to enjoy the best panoramic views of the Golden Gate and its surroundings you have several viewpoints on both sides of the suspension bridge.

And, of course, my advice is that you don't forget to take a walk across the bridge, because this way you will feel its enormous dimensions. It's worth it.

Neighborhoods of San Francisco

A characteristic of the city ​​of san francisco is the great diversity of environments that are experienced in the different Neighborhoods, which in one way or another you must visit, and where you will find a mix of skyscrapers and historic buildings.

So you will find different attractions in San Francisco neighborhoods as Little Italy, Chinatown, the Hill of Nob Hill o La Marina.

Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco

So, for example, in the northern part of the city you find the famous district of Chinatown, or what is the same, the San Francisco Chinatown.

The origins of San Francisco Chinatown They date back to the mid-19th century and are the oldest Chinatown in the United States.

I assure you that in your walk through Chinatown At certain moments you will have the feeling of being in a Chinese city.

Little Italy neighborhood in San Francisco

The district of North Beach, also known as Little Italy, is another of the must-see places in San Francisco.

Its location is adjacent to Chinatown and extends along the broadway street, from the Downtown from Transamerica skyscraper, the oldest in the city.

Above all, it should be noted that there you will find a wide range of Italian restaurants.

Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco

The walk through the district Haight-ashbury It will allow you to experience the feeling of being in a European city.

Furthermore, this neighborhood was the center of the movement hippie in the 60s, and now maintains a bohemian atmosphere with European-style restaurants and cafes, as well as designer shops.

Painted Ladies Victorian Houses in San Francisco

In this neighborhood of Haight-ashbury, an essential visit is the famous victorian houses known as Painted ladies, which you find in Alamo Park.

The park is located at the top of the hill, and the aforementioned group of houses Painted ladies, with its characteristic style of Victorian architecture, has become one of the iconic images of the city.

To such an extent that they have been the protagonists of scenes in several movies.

Castro neighborhood in San Francisco

Another neighborhood that has earned great fame in San Francisco is the Castro, center of the homosexual community.

It had a big boom during the 60s and 70s and now when you go up the Market Street from the city center to the twin peaks hill, its location will be easily recognizable by the profusion of multicolored flags.

With a European-style atmosphere, its busiest area is the confluence between the Market Street and 19 street.

Mission Dolores in San Francisco

San Francisco It is a city where there are still buildings from the colonial era.

That is the case of the Mission Dolores, a church of Spanish colonial style located in the upper part of San Francisco, at the foot of the hill Twin Peaks, and near the Market Street and the district Castro.

La Mission Dolores de San Francisco It was founded in 1776 by Spanish missionaries José Joaquín Moragas y Francisco Palou, and it is the oldest building that currently exists in the city.

It was part of a series of missions built in California and, specifically, the Mission Dolores Its objective was to evangelize the Ohlone Indians.

The Mission It is a small building that was built under the name of St. Francis of Assisi, although over time this mission also became popularly known as Mission Dolores.

Next to the original mission building, in 1918 a large basilica was completed, known as the Mission Dolores Basilica of San Francisco, whose ornamentation has a style churrigeresque.

San Francisco City Hall

El City Hall It is a building where the civic center of the city is located, which stands out for its enormous central dome.

El San Francisco City Hall It was built in 1915 to replace the old town hall building that was destroyed by the great earthquake that devastated the city in 1906, and in its architecture it resembles The Invalides of Paris.

La City Hall dome It is the fifth largest in the world by its dimensions.

At 94 meters high, it is only 35 meters higher than the dome of the Washington Capitol, and its diameter is 20 meters.

Downtown San Francisco

The city center is the area known as Downtown, which is marked by several corners such as the commercial area Union Square and its numerous skyscrapers.

Union Square shopping area in San Francisco

At downtown San Francisco you find the  Union Square shopping area,

The main shopping centers and department stores are concentrated here, such as Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Barneys New York, Nordstrom y Saks Fifth Avenue, and also the most prestigious luxury brand stores.

In short, it is the true commercial hub of the city and there are also located the tallest skyscrapers in San Francisco.

Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco

As I mentioned previously, the tallest and most iconic skyscraper in San Francisco is known as the Transamerica Pyramid.

Not only because it is about tallest skyscraper in San Francisco, but above all because of its special design that justifies its name, since, indeed, it is a pyramid-shaped building with four sides.

When you arrive in San Francisco, you will have no problem recognizing it because it is located on the most central avenue in the city, Columbus, in the neighborhood North Beach.

Its name of transamerica comes from originally being the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, owner of Bank of America.

This San Francisco icon skyscraper It was built between 1969 and 1972, with the design of the architect William Pereira.

For its construction, the special orographic conditions of the city were taken into account, with great seismic sensitivity, which required special reinforcements in the structure of the building.

This was put to the test in 1989, after a magnitude 7,1 earthquake hit San Francisco Bay, after which the building was not affected.

You will see when you arrive in San Francisco that it is not a city of enormous skyscrapers, which explains why its tallest building has 48 plants.

Of course, when in 1072 the construction of the Transamerica PyramidAt 260 meters high, it was the eighth tallest building in the world, a fact that really now looks ridiculous compared to the large skyscrapers that have risen in recent years in countries, especially in Asia and the Persian Gulf.

In 1999 the company that owned the building, Transamerica Corp., was absorbed by the Dutch insurance company AEGON, but the T markransamerica It remained there, since it continued to be the headquarters of this financial division.

The Transamerica Pyramid is an office building that cannot be visited by the public.

But if you are especially curious about this peculiar skyscraper, at the entrance of the clay street is the Transamerica Pyramid Visitor Center, where you can watch videos, have information about its history, or buy souvenirs.

SFMOMA Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco

En San Francisco you can also visit a Museum of Modern Art, which took a name similar to that of new york museum, so it is known as the SFMOMA.

It is in the downtown area Downtown of San Francisco, specifically in the 151 Third Street, together to the Yerba Buena Gardens.

Opened in 1935, it includes works, among other artists, by JAkson Pollock, Richard Diebenkorn, Paul Klee, Marcel Duchamp y A.

Slopes in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco

Near to downtown you have the neighborhood of Nob Hill, north of the city, where you can see the famous hills and steep streets of San Francisco.

It is an area highly visited by tourists because the traditional cable tram, which is now a tourist attraction.

Lombard Street in San Francisco

You should not miss going to the famous Lombard street, with its incredibly steep hill through which the cars descend between very sinuous curves.

La Lombard street It was designed in 1922 to overcome the great unevenness that existed on the hill where it is located.

San Francisco streetcars

The traditional cable trams which currently, more than as a means of transportation, remain as tourist attraction.

Coit Tower in San Francisco

In the district of North Beach You have the possibility of going up to a viewpoint to enjoy some Panoramic views of the city and the bay.

This is the Coit Tower viewing point, tower located on a small hill in said district near the Pier y Fisherman's Wharf.

La Coit Tower It was built in 1933 on top of the hill called Telegraph Hill.

Architectural style art decó and 60 meters high, its circular staircase contains numerous murals by artists who have studied in the Decorative Arts School Of California.

Oakland Bay Bridge suspension bridge in San Francisco

In addition to the famous Golden Gate, in San Francisco You also have the chance to see and cross another large suspension bridge.

This is the Oakland Bay Bridge, which are actually two successive bridges that span the Yerba Buena Island in a west-east direction, on a road that heads inland.

It was built in 1936 and the two sections have a total length of almost six kilometers.

San Francisco Pier

If you want to make a San Francisco Bay Ferry Tour you must go to the building Pier, from where they depart, among others, the one that will take you to the Alcatraz Prison Island, where you can visit the criminal history.

Bliss San Francisco Maritime Station You will find it in a majestic building built in 1898, which has survived the earthquakes of 1906 and 1989, and which is currently surrounded by modern skyscrapers.

What stands out above all about this building is its clock tower Built with a certain architectural inspiration in the Giralda Tower in Seville.

La San Francisco Embarcadero Ferry Terminal It was the second terminal with the most ship traffic in the United States.

But in the 30s, the Bay Bridges and the famous suspension bridge were built. Golden Gate, which brought with it a significant reduction in maritime traffic.

San Francisco Bay Ferry Cruises

The Pier Terminal currently take the ferries that take you, for example, to the islands of Alcatraz y Angel.

Or also the ferry that takes you to the coastal town of Sausalito, located on the other side of the bay, in front of the city of San Francisco.

In order to take an excursion during your trip to the Californian city, here is a list of ferry routes for sightseeing trips or cruises through the San Francisco Bay with information on the different lines and their routes.

You also have information about the dates on which these ferries operate, as well as their schedules.

Palace of Fine Arts in La Marina in San Francisco

In the district of La MarinaIn addition to the leisure areas, you can also see a curious neoclassical building that you may be surprised to find in the city of San Francisco.

It is known as Palace of Fine Arts (Fine Arts), which was built near the Golden Gate in 1915, on the occasion of a Pacific Exposition.

In reality, it is an architectural complex that is located in a large garden and next to a pond.

Fisherman's Wharf entertainment area in San Francisco

And at night, the essential visit is the area of ​​the old fishing port known as Fisherman's Wharf, in the district of La Marina, where you will enjoy shops, restaurants and musical shows.

In addition, Pier 39 pier you will have the opportunity to see dozens of sea ​​lions on freedom.

Sausalito in San Francisco Bay

Among the places you can visit with a San Francisco Bay ferry cruise, one of the most notable to visit is Sausalito. coastal town that you can also reach by road crossing the Golden Gate.

En Sausalito You are going to see one of the most exclusive residential areas of the San Francisco Bay, with its famous houseboats.

Alcatraz Island and Prison in San Francisco

Un Ferry cruise to visit the island and the former Alcatraz prison It is one of the most requested excursions by tourists who visit San Francisco.

This excursion allows you to get to know this historic enclave of the San Francisco Bay, with the prison that was closed in 1963 and is currently considered a national park.

Tours and excursions in San Francisco

For your visit to the Californian city you have the option of signing up for various tours and guided visits of San Francisco in Spanish.

For example, the tour San Francisco complete with Alcatraz Island, which will take you an eight-hour day.

You also have numerous options for excursions around San Francisco.

Finally, if you arrive by plane you may be interested in the option of transfers from San Francisco airport, and for your stay, here you can search hotel in San Francisco.