In case you’re wondering, and as you would assume, seeing all of San Francisco… in winter… in just two days is pretty difficult. But if you plan it out correctly you can accomplish almost all the ‘iconic’ San Francisco sites. When we decided to visit San Francisco I knew I would have to plan it perfectly to fit everything into a few short days. With just a couple days to fit in all of SF, lots of delicious food, and the beautiful trek back to LA along the Pacific Coast Highway, the preplanning and this guide I created was super helpful for getting around. We were non stop once we got to SF and walked about 6miles a day (thank you grandma for being such a trooper!) Hope this helps you on your trip as well!
China Town
China town is one of those places you walk through purely for the cultural experience. Don’t expect to get there and see wonderful shopping or amazing restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, there is the occasional boutique tea shop and fun trinket store stocked full of inexpensive (by that I mean super cheap and I bet you can guess where its from!) gifts. If you plan to visit, go with an open mind to explore the streets, avoid being run over try the mass hurts of people and prepare for the smell of odd fruits and fish around every corner. It’s definitely an experience in itself.
Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a 210-foot tower built in 1933 at the very top of Telegraph Hill with an open rooftop for panoramic scenery. The inside base of the tower contains beautiful murals from local artists back in 1933 with a vintage elevator to the second to last floor where you take a spiral staircase to the rooftop. With a 360-degree view you can see everything from Alcatraz to Lombard Street to the Transamerica Pyramid and on. Beautiful and worth the trip up the hill.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Head to Fisherman’s Wharf earlier in the day before the big crowds pile in. Fisherman’s Wharf is home to sweet little shops, unique restaurants, beautiful sea life scenery, and of course my favorite… sea lions. It was decorated with a giant Christmas tree and fun decorations when we went and almost everyone smiled with a follow up “Merry Christmas”. Walk around, visit Alcatraz, buy some bath sugars and enjoy your morning on the water.
Ghirardelli Square
Hello Chocolate Haven. Ghirardelli Square is home to the Ghirardelli chocolate factory and store. The square holds a couple cute stores, a Wine Bar with tastings, and their store with the original factory chocolate machine inside. And yes it is still running today. It was pretty darn cold that day so popping into their store for a Salted Carmel Hot Chocolate was the perfect way to part with the square.
Alamo Square and The Painted Ladies
Recognize this row of houses!? If you grew up in the 90s you would! This is where the Tanners are having a picnic in the opening credits of Full House. The Painted Ladies (the row of houses) can be seen in lots of movies and with a beautiful backdrop of the city it almost looks like a painting…see what I did there. =)
Lombard Street
The first thing you should know about SF is the hills are INSANE! If you have a dinky car please take a taxi because I swear it would just tilt right over and roll down the hill. Everyday was like a roller coaster and if you ever want to test your driving skills…parallel park on a SF hill. In fact the beautiful and iconic Lombard Street was created because drivers were getting too crazy and catching to much speed down the street that the city built in this crazy winding road to slow down cars on their way down the hill.
The homes on this street are beautiful and in spring the flowers are colorful and plush filling the center and sides of the street all the way down. It was a little dead when we were there since it was winter time but still beautiful all the same. With hills like this one turning walking into full lunges I understand why people in SF had such great legs.
Golden Gate Bridge
Of course I couldn’t forget the Golden Gate Bridge. I found out while there, that workers paint the bridge red EVERY single year and by the time they get to the other side the year has ended and they start all over again. So someone’s full time job is to keep the bridge red… just so tourists like me can go stand in front of it and take a photos. AMAZING. Skip the rest stops with signs to take GGB photos, instead head to Marina Blvd and get a shot with no one else in it and no massive trashcans behind you.
xxDiana
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