25 Best Things to Do in San Francisco (for First-Time Visitors)

The Presidio of San Francisco is a former U.S. Army post turned national park, where coastal bluffs, pocket beaches, and cypress groves frame unforgettable views of the Golden Gate.

Entry to the park is free, though some of the museums within the park are ticketed.

Begin at the Presidio Visitor Center, then follow signed trails to Inspiration Point or down to Crissy Field’s flat promenade and East Beach, where kite surfers skim the waves and dunes invite picnics.

Pause at the Warming Hut Café for a signature Crissy Mocha, then spread a blanket on the Tunnel Tops lawns (free), with food kiosks, playgrounds, and ranger talks at the Field Station, all with a dead‑center view of the bridge.

For a deeper dive, explore the Walt Disney Family Museum (ticketed, CityPASS eligible), which traces Walt’s life and innovations. Bring layers — the wind shifts quickly near the bridge — and plan to linger, as the Presidio rewards slow exploration.

Note: Crissy Field is a good spot watch the Fleet Week Parade of Ships in October.

What’s Nearby: Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, Palace of Fine Arts.

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Legion of Honor (ticketed)

A temple‑front museum above the sea, the Legion of Art (ticketed) houses European art and ancient works.

The Rodin collection shines — The Thinker will greet you at the entrance — while galleries span everything from medieval manuscripts to Impressionist paintings.

The building itself, modeled on a Parisian palace, feels like a piece of Europe on the Pacific’s edge.

From the grounds, the view stretches across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands, making the museum as much about the setting as the collection.

What’s Nearby: Lands End, Lincoln Park Steps, Sutro Baths

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Fisherman’s Wharf (free)

Once a bustling hub for San Francisco’s fishing fleet in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Fisherman’s Wharf (free) has  long been one of The City’s most popular visitor attractions.

One of the premier attractions at Fisherman’s Wharf, Hyde Street Pier (free/ticketed) is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The pier itself is free to enter, but you’ll need a ticket to gain access to six historic ships — the 1886 square‑rigged Balclutha, the steam ferryboat Eureka, the tugboat Hercules, the scow schooner Alma, the lumber schooner C.A. Thayer, and several smaller craft that round out the fleet.

One of my personal favorite attractions at Fisherman’s Wharf is Musée Mécanique (free), which offers a collection of  more than 300 vintage arcade machines, which range from pinball machines to fortune telling machines, mechanical dioramas, strength testers, and foos ball, and much, more. This is a traditional coin-operated arcade, which is half the fun! Most of the machines cost a quarter, some cost two or three.

Not surprisingly, Fishermans Wharf is famous for seafood  — especially for its sidewalk stands selling Dungeness crab, clam chowder, and shrimp cocktails. If you’re more interested in a fine-dining experience, the San Francisco Chronicle recommends Fog Harbor Fish House, which it has recognized as Best Seafood Restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Meanwhile, San Francisco Magazine recommends Scoma’s Restaurant for its “pier-to-plate” seafood and McCormick & Kuleto’s for its classic seafood with innovative twists.

As for my own personal favorite, I have to visit The Buena Vista on every visit to San Francisco for its legendary Irish Coffee. Interestingly, I never liked Irish Coffee until I tried it here.

But what I like most about the Buena Vista is that it is one of those rare places where visiting tourists find common ground with locals. Tables are shared, which often leads to impromptu conversations with perfect strangers. 

On my last trip to San Francisco, I had lunch there twice. On my first visit, my companion and I shared a table with a charming couple from Manchester, England. On my second visit, we shared a table with alumni from my high school across the bay in in Oakland. Talk about a small world!  

 

The Wharf is also the perfect spot to buy souvenirs or gifts. Rows of stalls and storefronts sell everything from San Francisco‑themed T‑shirts and hoodies to magnets, mugs, and nautical trinkets. You’ll also find quirky specialty shops with maritime memorabilia and local craft.

What’s Nearby: Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, Alcatraz ferry terminal.

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For my review of the Buena Vista Cafe, see: Buena Vista Cafe>>.

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Ghirardelli Square (free)

Ghirardelli Square (free) is a former chocolate factory that was converted into an integrated restaurant and retail complex in 1964. It is historically significant as the first major conversion of its type in the United States.

Brick buildings and courtyards give the square historic charm, making it a pleasant pause between waterfront explorations. 

One of my must-stop spots on every visit to San Francisco is a chocolate sundae at the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop at the square. Absolutely decadent!

In 2008, the Fairmont Heritage Place hotel opened in a part of the site’s former clock tower.  I was lucky enough to spend one indulgent night there on my last trip to the City by the Bay!

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For my review of the Fairmont Heritage Place — Ghirardelli Square, see: Fairmont Heritage Place — Ghirardelli Square>>.

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What’s Nearby: Fisherman’s Wharf, Aquatic Park.

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Alcatraz Island (ticketed)

Alcatraz Island is a small island in San Francisco Bay. In the middle of the 19th century, it was developed into a military fortification with a lighthouse and a military prison. In 1934, it was turned into a federal penitentiary. It was closed in 1963.

To visit Alcatraz, take a ferry (ticketed, CityPASS eligible) from Pier 33. Audio tours will guide you through cellblocks, solitary confinement, and stories of daring escape attempts.

Beyond its history, the island offers gardens, bird colonies, and panoramic views back toward the city skyline. Advance booking is essential. And make sure to wear a wind breaker. Those arctic winds blowing in through the Golden Gate are no joke!

What’s Nearby: Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf.

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San Francisco Bay Cruise (ticketed)

Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, circle Alcatraz, and glide past the city’s waterfront on a harbor cruise.

Tickets are required (CityPASS eligible), with operators like Blue & Gold Fleet departing from Pier 39 and the Ferry Building. Choose a one‑hour narrated tour or a sunset sail to appreciate the scale of the bay and the bridge from the water.

Nearby: Pier 33, Ferry Building.

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Pier 39 (free)

Pier 39 (free) opened to rave reviews in 1978 and continues to be popular with locals and tourists alike.

There are more than 90 restaurants, shops, small businesses, and attractions, including a video arcade, a two-story carousel, and the Aquarium of the Bay (ticketed, CityPASS eligible), where you can learn about San Francisco Bay’s amazing and diverse marine life. There are stunning views of San Francisco Bay the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island.

But the biggest attraction of all was spontaneous and unplanned:  the sea lions, who unexpectedly “colonized” what was supposed to be a marina, much to the chagrin of boat owners, who eventually had to surrender their berths to the noisy pinnipeds.

Their numbers slowly grew from a few hundred to more than 1,000, with many leaving in the summer to breed in the nearby Channel Islands. The best time to view them is in winter, when their numbers soar.

Tip: Pier 39  is a good spot watch the Fleet Week Parade of Ships in October.

What’s Nearby: Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz ferry terminal, Exploratorium.

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Exploratorium (ticketed)

The Exploratorium relocated from the Palace of Fine Arts to piers 15 and 17, between Pier 39 and the San Francisco Ferry Building, in 2013. 

It is one of the world’s top interactive science museums, offering hundreds of “hands‑on” exhibits and demonstrations, which give you a chance to tinker, experiment, and play.

Entry is ticketed, with installations ranging from optical illusions to physics demonstrations. Outdoor exhibits along the bayside provide stunning views of the waterfront.

What’s Nearby: Ferry Building, Pier 39.

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Chinatown (free)

San Francisco’s Chinatown was founded during the California Gold Rush between 1848 and 1855. It is the largest Chinatown outside Asia and the oldest in North America.

Covering roughly 24 square blocks, Chinatown is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city. Three main streets define its character: Grant Avenue, Stockton Street, and Kearny Street.

Start by strolling up Grant Avenue, which is lined with curio shops, small cafés, bakeries, and a few high‑end restaurants — the side of Chinatown most visitors see.

Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, at the intersection of Grant Avenue and California Street, sits at the heart of Chinatown. Dating back to 1854, the red‑brick edifice was built in the Gothic Revival style.

For a more authentic slice of local life, check out Stockton Street, just one block over, with its markets overflowing with fresh produce from nearby farms, live seafood, and dried goods. Plus: more cafes, bakeries, and restaurants!

Kearny Street forms the eastern edge of Chinatown and acts as a transition zone between the neighborhood and the Financial District. It’s a busy corridor lined with restaurants, bakeries, small shops, and a steady flow of foot traffic moving between Chinatown and North Beach.

In between, you’ll find Portsmouth Square, which serves as Chinatown’s living room, filled with families,  seniors playing cards and chess, and health enthusiasts practicing tai chi; it’s also one of the most historic sites in the city, where the American flag was first raised in San Francisco in 1846.

For the best Chinese cuisine in Chinatown, the San Francisco Chronicle recommends  Four Kings for its playful, nostalgic take on Cantonese classics, while the Michelin Guide awards one star to Mister Jiu’s, which elevates Cantonese cuisine with seasonal California ingredients,

The Chinese New Year Parade, which is held approximately two weeks after the first day of the Chin
ese New Year,  steps off at Second & Market Streets in downtown San Francisco at around 5:15 p.m., winds past Union Square, and finishes at Kearny Street and Columbus Avenue, on the outskirts of Chinatown.

What’s Nearby: Cable Car Museum, North Beach, Financial District.

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North Beach/Little Italy (free)

Adjacent to Chinatown is North Beach, a.k.a. Little Italy, named for the Italian immigrants who began settling here in the mid‑19th century. It later became the center of Beatnik subculture in the 1950s, drawing poets, writers, and artists to its cafés and bars.

The neighborhood is chock‑a‑block with Italian restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and coffee houses, especially along Columbus Avenue, the broad diagonal boulevard that cuts through North Beach and hums with sidewalk tables, espresso counters, and late‑night trattorias.

Established in 1956, Caffe Trieste claims to be the first authentic Italian‑style coffee house on the West Coast and was a favorite haunt of Beat writers and filmmakers. It is now one of several classic cafés that dot the neighborhood, where the denizens of the area start their day with a cappuccino and an Italian pastry.

Reputedly the oldest Italian restaurant in the United States, Fior d’Italia is located in a heritage structure with a history of more than 110 years. Serving classic Italian cuisine, it continues to be a favorite with locals and tourists alike.

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For my review of Fior d’Italia, see: Fior d’Italia, America’s oldest Italian Eatery>>

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Washington Square is where locals read the newspaper, catch up on neighborhood gossip, walk their dogs, or devour the mouthwatering sandwich they’ve bought at a nearby deli.

Overlooking the square is Saints Peter and Paul Church, which was completed in 1924. Built in the Italian Gothic Revival style, it features twin spires that rise over the square and anchor the neighborhood’s skyline. 

Just across the square sits Original Joe’s, a North Beach institution serving classic Italian‑American fare since 1937. It’s one of my personal favorites — the kind of place where you can settle in for a hearty plate of pasta or a steak after exploring the neighborhood.

For the best pizza in Little Italy, the San Francisco Chronicle recommends Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, famous for its championship‑winning Neapolitan and Sicilian pies, and Rose Pizzeria, celebrated for its artisanal, seasonal‑topped creations.

One of my must‑go spots on every visit to San Francisco is City Lights Bookstore, which bills itself as a library that sells books. This is where you can browse hard‑to‑find titles and soak in the literary history of the Beat Generation. Since it sits just south of Broadway, it’s technically located in Chinatown.  But its heart is in Little Italy.

Tip:  One of the most unique spots to stay in San Francisco is the San Remo Hotel, which dates back to 1906. It was built following the San Francisco earthquake to house the men that were needed to help rebuild The City. I was lucky enough to stay there for a several nights on my last visit to San Francisco. 

For the record: the bathrooms are down the hall!

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For my review of the San Remo Hotel, see:  San Remo Hotel, a Historic Hostelry in the Heart of Little Italy>> 

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Every October, the neighborhood hosts the Italian Heritage Parade (formerly Columbus Day Parade), the oldest Italian‑American parade in the U.S. It begins at Jefferson & Powell Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf at 12:30 p.m., then marches up Columbus Avenue through North Beach, ending in Washington Square

What’s Nearby: Chinatown, Coit Tower, Fisherman’s Wharf.

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Coit Tower (free/ticketed)

Located atop Telegraph Hill,  Coit Tower was built in 1933 with funds donated by Lillie Hitchcock Coit (1843 — 1928), a prominent philanthropist, socialite, and  nonconformist, to beautify The City.

Entry to the tower’s base and murals is free, while the elevator ride to the observation deck is ticketed. Inside, explore Depression‑era frescoes painted by local artists, depicting California industry and daily life.

From the top, you can enjoy one of the best views of San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, and the surrounding five counties.

What’s Nearby: North Beach, Embarcadero, Pier 39.

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Lombard Street (free)

Lombard Street is world-famous for its one-block section of eight hairpin turns, which are paved in red brick, between Hyde and Leavenworth streets.

What’s interesting is that with the exception of the one block section, most of Lombard Street is a major roadway running from inside the Presidio, all the way to the waterfront.

When to Visit: The best times to visit Lombard Street are early mornings on weekdays or late evenings, when crowds and traffic are lightest. Avoid middays between 11 am and 4 pm weekends, June through August, and major holidays. Waits can be as long as 20 minutes, and the line of waiting cars can stretch as far back as Van Ness Avenue!

Photo Tips:  From Leavenworth Street looking up, you’ll see the full zigzag framed by gardens and houses. From Hyde Street  looking down, you’ll get the curves with Coit Tower and the Bay in the background. Midway, you’ll get the most unique shots of the quiet staircases without the crowds.

How to Get There:  If you’re not driving, the best way to get to the Crookedest Street in the World is by Cable Car. Take the Powell-Hyde line and get off at Hyde and Lombard. That will put you right at the top of the iconic street.

What’s Nearby: Russian Hill, North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, Coit Tower.

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San Francisco Civic Center (free)

San Francisco Civic Center comprises one of the largest cohesive collections of  Beaux‑Arts structures in the United States, comparable to Washington, D.C.’s Federal Triangle.

It remains the symbolic heart of San Francisco’s government and cultural life, defined by monumental domes, colonnades, and the broad ceremonial plaza.

Civic Center took shape in the years following the 1906 earthquake and fire, when city leaders sought to rebuild with dignity, order, and architectural grandeur. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement, planners envisioned a unified civic district that would project stability and civic pride.

Construction began in the 1910s, anchored by the new City Hall and the formal Civic Center Plaza, and continued through the early 1930s as additional cultural and governmental buildings rose around the square, creating the unified Beaux‑Arts landscape we see today.

San Francisco City Hall

Opened in 1915, it is the architectural anchor of the Civic Center, rising from the city’s post‑1906 earthquake rebuilding effort with a monumental Beaux‑Arts design. Its soaring dome — taller than the U.S. Capitol’s — crowns a grand interior of marble staircases, colonnades, and ceremonial halls that reflect the City Beautiful ideals guiding the district’s creation. City Hall remains the symbolic heart of San Francisco’s government and one of the most photographed public buildings in the country.

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Completed in 1915, it was originally built for the Panama‑Pacific International Exposition as a vast Beaux‑Arts exhibition and assembly hall. Its grand façade and cavernous interior made it a central venue for public gatherings, political conventions, and cultural events. Today it continues to host concerts, festivals, and large‑scale performances, maintaining its role as one of the city’s major event spaces.

Asian Art Museum

Occupying the former Main Library, which opened in 1917, the Asian Art Museum (ticketed, CityPASS eligible) is a stately Beaux‑Arts structure facing Civic Center Plaza, which served as San Francisco’s central library for nearly eight decades. After the library moved to a new building in 1996, the historic structure underwent a major transformation and reopened in 2003 as the Asian Art Museum. It now houses one of the world’s most significant collections of  6,000 years of Asian art — from Shang‑dynasty bronzes and jade to serene Buddhas, Japanese screens, Mughal miniatures, Korean ceramics, Himalayan thangkas, and sharp contemporary works. 

War Memorial Opera House

Completed in 1932, the War Memorial Opera House is one of the last great American buildings executed in the grand Beaux‑Arts tradition. Its colonnaded façade and opulent interior were designed to house the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet, giving the city a world‑class performing arts venue. The building’s elegant auditorium and sweeping lobbies reflect the cultural ambition of the Civic Center’s final development phase.

War Memorial Veterans Building

Also opened in 1932, the War Memorial Veterans Building completes the western edge of Civic Center’s Beaux‑Arts ensemble. It contains performance halls, galleries, and offices for arts organizations, and is home to the historic Herbst Theatre, where delegates signed the United Nations Charter in 1945. Its dignified classical design mirrors the Opera House, creating a balanced architectural pair framing the War Memorial Court.

Phillip Burton Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse

Completed in 1964, this structure introduced a stark Modernist presence to San Francisco’s Civic Center. Its steel‑and‑glass tower and minimalist plaza reflect mid‑century Federal architecture rather than the classical ornamentation of the earlier Civic Center  buildings. Though stylistically distinct, it remains an important part of the broader Civic Center complex, housing Federal courts and agencies.

San Francisco Public Library – Main Branch

Opened in 1996 on the south side of Civic Center Plaza, the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library, which was originally housed in the 1917 Beaux‑Arts building that now houses the Asian Art Museum, is also designed in a contemporary civic style with granite, glass, and a more restrained classical vocabulary, reflecting late‑20th‑century priorities: openness, accessibility, and light‑filled public spaces. Its modern design contrasts with the surrounding Beaux‑Arts monuments while still respecting the district’s formal layout.

What’s Nearby: Davies Symphony Hall, Hayes Valley.

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South of Market (free)

Located South of Market Street, San Francisco’s SoMa district mixes culture, green space, and big venues in the city’s urban core.

Key attractions include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (ticketed, CityPASS eligible), showcasing Warhol, O’Keeffe, Richter, Serra, and more in a striking building with terraces and a living wall. Across the street, the Yerba Buena Gardens (free) offer lawns, waterfalls, and public art — a refreshing pause in the middle of downtown. The Contemporary Jewish Museum (ticketed), designed by Daniel Libeskind, hosts rotating exhibitions on Jewish culture and art.

SoMa is chock‑a‑block with bars and restaurants, making it a popular spot to hang out before or after Giants games at nearby Oracle Park in South Beach or Warriors games at Chase Center in Mission Bay. Both are within a short walk of this vibrant part of town.

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Painted Ladies of San Francisco (free)

San Francisco’s Victorian era began in the 1860s, when builders first introduced Italianate houses with flat façades, tall windows, bracketed cornices, and restrained ornamentation.

By the 1870s and 1880s, tastes shifted toward the more decorative Stick‑Eastlake style, with exposed wooden trim, angular patterns, and intricate spindle work. The 1890s brought the height of Victorian exuberance with the Queen Anne style — turrets, asymmetrical façades, protruding bay windows, and elaborate carved details — many of which became the city’s most recognizable homes.

After the 1906 earthquake and fire, thousands of Victorians survived structurally but were considered unfashionable. Owners stripped off ornamentation, covered façades with shingles or stucco, and replaced decorative trim with plain siding.

For decades, these houses were viewed as outdated relics of a bygone era; and in many neighborhoods, they couldn’t be torn down fast enough. By mid‑century, it’s estimated that nearly 70% of the city’s original Victorian and Edwardian houses had been demolished, erased in the name of modernization.

All of that changed int the early 1960s when an artist restored a neglected Victorian in the Haight‑Ashbury, stripping away later alterations and repainting the façade in bold, expressive colors. It took The City by storm!

Neighbors took notice, more restorations followed, and a new appreciation for Victorian architecture spread across The City. This early wave of restorations — later known as the colorist movement — helped reintroduce San Francisco to the architectural beauty it had nearly lost.

Today, some of the best surviving Victorians can be found in Pacific Heights, where entire blocks showcase grand, meticulously restored homes; in the Lower Haight and NoPa, where rows of Stick‑Eastlake and Queen Anne houses still line the streets; and in parts of the Castro and Liberty Hill, where smaller cottages and ornate multi‑unit buildings reveal the full range of 19th‑century craftsmanship.

If you want to capture the same snapshot that everyone else takes — the classic row of “Painted Ladies” with the downtown skyline rising behind them — you’ll find it at Alamo Square Park, facing Steiner Street between Hayes and Grove.

But exploring some of the aforementioned neighborhoods will offer you a far richer and more varied look at San Francisco’s rich Victorian heritage than the single row most visitors have seen in travel guides and on postcards.

Nearby: Hayes Valley.

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Mission District  (free)

Named after The City’s oldest surviving structure, San Francisco’s Mission District blends Latino heritage, street art, indie shops, and some of the city’s most iconic food traditions.

Scan the murals of Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley — political, playful, and poignant — then sprawl on Dolores Park for a skyline‑side picnic. Nearby Mission Dolores (ticketed) is the city’s oldest intact building.

If you love Mexican food, you need not leave the Mission hungry. The Mission‑style burrito — oversized, foil‑wrapped, and stuffed with rice, beans, meat, cheese, and guacamole — was invented here in the 1960s, with both El Faro and La Cumbre claiming to have served them first. 

For breakfast or lunch, the San Francisco Chronicle recommends El Mil Amores, especially its home-style chilaquiles de mole, tres leches pancakes, and café de olla. And San Francisco Magazine praises Loló for its non-traditional Jaliscan‑Californian fusion cuisine.

For a fine-dining Mexican experience, Californios — with two Michelin stars — is not only the only Michelin starred restaurant in The City. It is also one of a only handful of Michelin starred Mexican restaurants in the United States.

For a more down-to-earth dining experience, Michelin recommends La Taqueria, famous for its carne asada super burrito and dorado‑style tacos. It has garnered Bib Gourmand status for serving “exceptional food at a reasonable price”.

Each Memorial Day weekend, the Mission hosts Carnaval San Francisco, a two‑day festival with music, food, and a Sunday parade that begins at 24th & Bryant and winds through the neighborhood.

Nearby: Castro District, Noe Valley.

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Castro (free)

The Castro’s origins can be traced back to the mid-19th century, effectively taking  shape in 1887, when the Market Street Railway Company built a line linking what was then known as Eureka Valley to downtown San Francisco. 

Its first residents were mostly Irish and Scandinavian immigrants. By the 1960s, many of their descendants started moving from the neighborhood to  newer housing in the suburbs, and gay men started moving in. At first, it was a trickle. By the 1970s, it had become a flood. 

Gradually, businesses along Castro Street — which bisected the neighborhood — began shifting to serve the new arrivals. Bars, cafés, and shops started catering to a growing gay clientele, helping transform the street into the heart of what would become one of the world’s most iconic LGBT communities.

At its heart was the Castro Theatre, which threw open its doors in 1922. While most of The City’s neighborhood theaters were shuttered decades ago, the Castro — built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style — lives on, hosting film festivals, sing-alongs, and community events.

The highlight of the year is the San Francisco Pride Parade, led by Dykes on Bikes, which begins at Beale & Market Streets at 10:30 a.m. on the last Sunday in June. It runs west along Market Street for 1.4 miles, ending at Civic Center Plaza, where the Pride Festival continues with music, food, and community booths

Nearby: Mission Dolores Park, Eureka Valley

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Twin Peaks (free)

For a 360° view of the city, drive or walk up Twin Peaks Boulevard to the parking area, then follow short trails to each summit.

At nearly 1,000 feet, the twin hills are among the highest accessible points in San Francisco. Go on a clear morning or late afternoon; bring a wind shell.

From the top, trace Market Street’s diagonal spine, watch fog spill in from the Pacific, and see bridges and downtown towers stretch across the horizon. It’s the quickest way to grasp the city’s layout.

Afterward, head down to Castro or Noe Valley for coffee, brunch, or pastries — perfect fuel after the climb.

Nearby: Castro / Noe Valley.

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Japantown (free)

Founded in 1906, San Francisco’s Japantown spans six city blocks and is one of the oldest and largest Japanese enclaves in the United States.

Centered around Japan Center and its five‑tier Peace Pagoda, the district is known for its Japanese restaurants, ramen shops, sushi bars, cafés, dessert spots, gift stores, and a major Japanese bookstore. You’ll also find Kabuki Springs & Spa for communal baths and wellness treatments., along with a Japanese‑themed hotel anchoring the neighborhood.

For a fine-dining experience in Japantown, Michelin has awarded one star to An Japanese Restaurant, an intimate 12-seat sushi counter pairing seafood flown in direct from Japan with seasonal California produce. 

Each April, the neighborhood hosts the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, one of the largest celebrations of Japanese culture outside Japan. Parades, music, dance, and food stalls fill Post Street and Peace Plaza, drawing crowds from across the Bay Area.

Nearby: Fillmore Street.

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Haight-Ashbury (free)

In 1967, the Summer of Love turned San Francisco’s Haight‑Ashbury district into the epicenter of a national counterculture movement.