Location: San Francisco
Top Things to do in San Francisco
Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in San Francisco, California (CA)
Every neighborhood in San Francisco has its own personality, from the hippie chic of the Upper Haight to the hipster grit of the Mission. The Marina district boasts trendy bistros and postcard-perfect views of the Golden Gate Bridge, while Noe Valley offers quaint and quiet boutiques. Wave hello to the sea lions at Pier 39, and sample local cheese and charcuterie at the Ferry Building. Sit in on a yoga session in Dolores Park or marvel at the Dutch Windmill across from Ocean Beach.
Restaurants in San Francisco
1. Anchor Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 487 reviews
We offer guided public tours every day. You’ll get a brief history of our company and a walk through our brewing facility. And yes, there’s a tasting session immediately to follow. Together, the brewery tour and the beer tasting last for about 1.5 hours. -Public Tour schedule: Mon.-Thur.: 2:00 PM & 4:00 PM Fri.-Sun.: 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM, & 4:00 PM. -Available for private group tours daily. Tours are $25 per person and reservations are encouraged. Walk-ins can be often be accommodated as well. There is a gift shop on site offering apparel, souvenirs, packaged beer, growlers and more! It is open to the public M-Thur: 10:30 AM- 5 PM and Fri-Sun: 10:30 AM -6 PM. Anchor Public Taps, our pilot brewery and bar, has 19 Anchor beers on tap and serves pints, flights and growlers. It's open Monday through Wednesday, 12pm - 9 pm, Thursday through Saturday from 12pm - 10pm and Sunday 12pm - 8pm and is located at 495 De Haro Street, just across from the main brewery.
Reviewed By seanbG8732SV
Here lies the birthplace of Craft Beer..... before it was cool. Come for beer , learn some interesting history. Definitely stay for the beer, you will not be disappointed. We enjoyed several types of rare and unique brews.
2. Alcatraz Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 55,332 reviews
Park rangers conduct tours by recounting the prison's thrilling history along with intriguing anecdotes about Al Capone and other legendary figures that made a "home" here.
Reviewed By Piggin01
I did the night tour it was amazing and very interesting love that former inmates and staff did the audio recording for the tour which is easy to follow and very informative would highly recommend and would do again
3. Ferry Building Marketplace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,363 reviews
A city landmark transformed into a gourmet food emporium and farmers market.
Reviewed By shelleyc398
The Ferry Building has a wide array of attractions: wonderful restaurants like Slanted Door and Boulettes Larder, great food from top of the line local purveyors like Cowgirl Creamery and Acme Bread, shops with all manner of goods, and a fantastic Saturday market with San Francisco’s unique spin, whether high end oils and preserves or hot foods from stands owned by local restaurants. A great venue with a mix of locals and tourists.
4. Asian Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,528 reviews
Spanning cultures from Turkey to India and China to the Philippines through 6,000 years, the collection provides a panorama of Asian art and culture. Included are over 18,000 objects ranging from tiny jades to monumental sculptures. Superb paintings, porcelains, arms and armor, furniture, textiles, and bronzes are featured.
Reviewed By geotech522
The Asian Art Museum is located in a very stately building that was formerly the City's Main Public Library in the Civic Center of San Francisco. Behind the doors of this impressive building is a collection of over 6,000 years of the most beautiful art from all over Asia. This museum has collections that cover the great civilizations of Asia. On the top (third) floor, the galleries feature South Asia, the Persian World and West Asia, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas and the Tibetian Buddhist World, and early China. The second floor continues with later China, Korea, and Japan. The first floor contains Special Exhibitions Gallery, a cafe and the Museum Store. The various collections are very comprehensive and contain some very precious exhibits. This one of the best museums of Asian Art in the US and the best on the West Coast.
5. Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,419 reviews
Designed to look like a Roman ruin, this golden building is certainly a beauty to behold.
Reviewed By Bad_Seed4 - Canberra, Australia
I did not know about this place, my hotel was in the area and we were having an evening stroll and came across it and its the place for your IG or family shots While we were there in the twilight, there was a group taking wedding photos and another group all dressed u in their finery taking family shots. Evening is a good time because its less crowded, I can imagine taking photos would be trickier in the daytime because of more people. Its just beautiful. Its a lovely place to wander and take in the architecture and sit and contemplate (and take photos!)
6. Musee Mecanique
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,871 reviews
This superb collection of mechanical games and toys will entice people of all ages.
Reviewed By JameAndDare - Woodstock, Canada
After having happy hour drinks at the restaurant across the street from this museum, we wandered in and ended up spending over an hour in here! Its free to get in and open until 8pm on weekends, although I'm pretty sure we were here til about 8:30. This place is amazing with a wide range of old arcade games from cheesy old games that show some sort of scenario, to strength games, ski ball, common video games, love tests and our favorite; The Gypsy Queen fortunteller! Bring AT LEAST a roll of quarters, if not more. They go quickly and it was so much fun. We felt like little kids again!
7. Golden Gate Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49,332 reviews
Stretching 4,200 feet and towering as high as a 65-story building, this well-known bridge is the gateway to San Francisco.
Reviewed By SandeeHoff - Villas, United States
Crossed this iconic bridge and wish I had time to walk or bike over it, simply put it an amazing bit of history and is phenomenal engineering. Lives up to all photos I've seen, if time and health allow I'd get out of car and experience it!
8. Cable Cars
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25,107 reviews
Since 1873, cable cars have run up and down the hilly city, though after the 1950s, these cars have been kept in operation more out of historic nostalgia. Seventeen miles of track remain and have been deemed a historical landmark.
Reviewed By cazr2018 - Exeter, United Kingdom
You cannot visit San Francisco without riding the famous cable cars. Running from Fisherman’s Wharf and Union square, the cable cars are great fun- try standing up! Visit the cable car museum as well- it’s free and tells you all about the history of this unique mode of transport.
9. Cable Car Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,702 reviews
A museum to San Francisco's beloved cable cars, with a subterranean walkway that lets you see the moving cable.
Reviewed By Mratch - Belmont, United States
Great way to learn how the cable cars work - can see all in 30 minutes, free and makes you appreciate those cable cars!
10. San Francisco Botanical Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 992 reviews
Welcome to San Francisco Botanical Garden, one of the most diverse gardens in the world. The Botanical Garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, showcasing over 8,500 different kinds of plants from around the world.
Reviewed By TV2451
These gardens are truly special and worth a couple of hours to explore as they are full of unusual plants and flowers. Come on a sunny day.
