San Francisco is a perfect long weekend getaway! A vibrant city of hills, bridges, and culture. Known for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, eclectic neighborhoods, and cable cars, there is plenty to explore here. Here is how to spend 3 days in San Francisco.
Where to Stay In San Francisco:
I would recommend staying in Union Square during your 3 days in San Francisco. There are many hotels to choose from here and it is a great starting point for walking to your destinations or an easy spot to grab an Uber. Union Square is a good central location for your adventures in this itinerary. A few options include The Marriott San Francisco Union Square, The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square, and Hotel Emblem San Francisco.
Day 1
On your first day, you will explore various areas of San Francisco on a self-guided walking tour. All of these areas in the first part of the day are doable for walking, however, you can always hop in an Uber if needed.
Fisherman’s Wharf is a busy tourist destination, but definitely worth checking out. If you are staying in Union Square, this will be about a 30-minute, very doable walk. San Francisco is known for their massive hills (which there are most definitely a lot), but this walk is relatively flat. If you are starting from Union Square, walk through Chinatown to experience this busy market. There will be a lot of people walking through so take your time navigating this area, admiring the culture, and looking at the food halls and market options.
After Chinatown, continue until you make it to Fisherman’s Wharf. Go to brunch at Abacá, a delicious restaurant featuring Filipino-California food. I highly recommend the garlic rice bowls, served with either beef or pork with an egg on top. After you eat, walk around Fisherman’s Wharf. Pier 39 is a great place to explore and if you walk by the water you will see a lot of sailboats docked and even come across an area with seals. These seals are noisy so you will probably hear them before you even see them. These seals had me mesmerized, and I could have stood there even longer than I already did and watched their unique movements on the docks and in the water. This was definitely a highlight of Fisherman’s Wharf! You will also be able to see Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge from afar here.
After you explore Fisherman’s Wharf, walk about 15 minutes to Ghirardelli Square. This is a gorgeous square, overlooking the ocean with a brewery, some small shops, a mini golf place, an arcade, and the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience where you can get your chocolate fix. This is a good place to walk, stay for a while and enjoy.
Continue on your walking adventure to Nob Hill. On this walk, you will experience those hills San Francisco is known for! Make sure to stop at San Francisco Park to sit at a picnic table (and maybe catch your breath!) to stare at the stunning view of the ocean. Then, continue on making sure to stop at Lombard Street, which one section of it is known for having eight, steep, hairpin turns. Continuing on, you will walk through gorgeous, quiet neighborhoods, admiring the unique housing. Once you get to Nob Hill, you can go to the Cable Car Museum. The admission is free and you can learn about the history of the famous cable cars in San Francisco.
Next, continue walking back to your accommodation in Union Square. After your busy day of walking, stop at your accommodation to rest your feet and get cleaned up for your evening.
Once you are ready, take an Uber to the Painted Ladies. These iconic pastel-colored Victorian homes are located on the Eastern side of Alamo Square Park. These houses were featured as the location of the popular TV show “Full House.” It is a good place to sit on the grass and admire these beautiful buildings. The skyline of San Francisco sits right behind them, so it is a picturesque setting.
Walk just 10 minutes to a very nice area to grab a drink at Anina. With an aesthetic outdoor area filled with plants and picnic tables, it is a great place to have a drink. (I recommend any of the spritzes). Now it is time for dinner. Walk about 5 minutes to Nakama Sushi for your dinner reservation. This small restaurant feels cozy inside and has great sushi. Enjoy the ambiance and the fresh sushi here before heading to your final destination for the evening. This one is a fun experience. Walk back towards Anina to Smugglers Cove to head into a dark, two-storied bar for a fresh Rum drink. The dark ambiance and unique cocktails pair well with the tiki and nautical decor. After you are done, get an Uber back to your accommodation for the night.
Throughout your time exploring, you will probably see driverless vehicles such as Waymo and Cruise. These are incredible to see in action if they are not common in your city! Download the apps and try them out for yourself during your trip to San Francisco.
Day 2
To start your day off, enjoy breakfast at Bluestone Lane in Union Square and grab one of the many toasts they offer; I would recommend the Avocado Toast. Then, enjoy the day in whichever direction it may take you with the options below. But, when you are back from your activities for the day, have dinner at Bouche, a small, neighborhood French restaurant in Union Square with a fabulous tasting menu.
This day is a choose-your-own-adventure day, so see below for some activity options to do on your second day in San Francisco.
Explore all tour options here.
Muir Woods and Sausalito
Muir Woods is a great place if you are looking to get close to nature in San Francisco. Muir Woods is known for their tall, redwood trees. In this area, you will walk along trails among the trees to Cathedral Grove, Bohemian Grove, and Redwood Creek. It is a really fun nature activity. This also pairs well with a stop in Sausalito, a town on the water known for its unique boathouses.
Alcatraz Tour
Experience the incredible Alcatraz Island during your time in San Francisco. Known for being a Civil War fort, a military prison, and a federal penitentiary, you will get to experience and learn about this interesting piece of US history.
Bike Rentals
A great way to experience an area is on a bike. So, why not rent a bike for a day and bike on the Golden Gate Bridge? See this beauty up close by experiencing it on a bike. In addition, you can bike to Sausalito, a town on the water just past the Golden Gate Bridge, known for its unique boat houses.
Napa/Sonoma Wine Country
Napa/Sonoma is about an hour from San Francisco. If you are looking to get a taste of the wine country on this trip, book a day trip to Napa/Sonoma for a wine tour. On most tours, you will get to stop at the Golden Gate Bridge on your way to see it up close. Throughout the tour, you will be taken to 3 different small wineries, and provided with 4 wine tastings at each. Additionally, there is a stop at Sonoma Square for lunch to explore the area on your own and enjoy lunch. It is a good way to see Napa and Sonoma in one day, on a budget.
Day 3
On your final day in San Francisco, you will start by walking to Honey Honey Cafe and Crepery, before taking an Uber to explore a few outdoor, nature spaces that San Francisco has to offer. The first stop will be the Japanese Tea Garden. This is a very peaceful space with greenery and koi ponds. Take your time walking around this beautiful area. Then, walk down the street to explore the Botanical Gardens. This large space includes plants from many different regions of the world and again is very peaceful.
Your next stop will be lunch near Pier 1. Before lunch, walk around this area as it is beautiful with the water to one side and the tall, city buildings to the other. Have lunch at a tapas restaurant, Coqueta. Once you are finished with lunch, walk through the Financial District. Then, take the Cable Car from the Powell and Market Street Turnaround in the Financial District. For a quick trip, take the cable car to your accommodation in Union Square, or all the way closer to Fisherman’s Wharf for a longer ride.
For dinner, go to Perbacco, an Italian restaurant, or Estiario Ornos San Francisco, a Middle Eastern restaurant located next to each other close to the Financial District.
This concludes your long weekend in San Francisco! There is plenty to do though, so if you do have more time, use the activities you did not do for day 2 to extend your trip. Enjoy your 3 days in San Francisco!
Follow for more on social media and email me with any questions!
One response to “3 Days in San Francisco”
[…] such as how long it takes to get to the destination and what kind of trip it is. For example, San Fransisco takes just a couple hours to get to for me and I like to spend 2-3 days in a city. So, that is the […]