I've been so bad about keeping my blog updated lately. The last few months have been so busy, but one of my New Year's goals is to start updating my blog more often. Recently I traveled back to San Francisco with some friends, and it was so much fun! San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. It has such a nice vibe, and it's just so different from other cities in California. I can't explain it! There is something there for everyone. There is a fast-paced city life, but there's also a lot of nature where you can go for a nice hike or even the beach for a relaxing day. The food is AMAZING and needs it's own blog post, so I'll be making one soon. It's such a popular travel destination, so this is my guide to 3 fun days in San Fran.
Weather: From the few times I've visited, I've found that the weather is really nice during summer months around June-September. I went once in May and it felt like the weather was starting to warm up, but it was still pretty windy and chilly. I thought winters would be really cold, especially if I thought that May was chilly already, but it was actually not bad! I definitely needed a coat on some days, but some days were actually warm enough for just a light sweater. There are so many cloudy/foggy days that the city actually named the fog "Karl."
Transportation: Cable cars are really useful (and also cute!) if you're staying around the more touristy areas in the city. There are 1,3, and 7-day passes available to buy rather than paying per ride. Uber/Lyft is also convenient, especially for going to more nature-y places where cable cars might not run. A lot of places are walking distance, but the city is super hill-y, and I definitely felt like every walk was a workout. For visiting other nearby cities, the BART trains are good! Renting a car could be a good option if you're okay with the hills and traffic, but I personally would not have wanted to drive here, and parking is limited and expensive!
Where to Stay: The most convenient place to stay is probably Union Square. There are a bunch of hotels, and so many shops and food in the area. It's a major tourist spot, so hotels can be more expensive than other areas. I've stayed in Union Square before and loved the convenience. During my most recent trip, we stayed in an AirBnB in South San Francisco which was probably cheaper, but all of the major sites were about 30 minutes away, so we had to start our day earlier and pay more for transportation.
Things to do:
Day 1
San Francisco Ferry Building: This is such a fun area to explore. The inside of it is like a trendy marketplace with shops and food. On the Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays there is a farmer's market outside with a bunch of cute tents!
Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf: If you continue along the same road as the Ferry Building, you will eventually run into Pier 39. This is a really nice and popular area by the water where you can get your seafood fix. There are a ton of souvenir shops and candy stores to explore. There are also sea lions that you can watch, as a lot of them just lay out in the sun during the day! It's just such a lively area, and it's nice to see everyone's happy faces. If you keep going past Pier 39 for about 3 minutes, you will see Fisherman's Wharf, where you'll see more shops but also the famous clam chowder from Boudin! There are also usually performances out on the sidewalks during the day, and they're really fun to watch.
Lombard Street: If you've ever seen the photos of the colorful "winding road" in San Francisco, this is the one. There's not much to do there besides take a few photos, so I would say that probably less than 30 minutes is enough time here. If you get motion sick easily like I do, the ride here will probably make you a bit nauseous. There are a bunch of hills and if you actually drive/ride down the famous road, it's steep and very curvy. I don't know how people live along that road, but the houses definitely stay very cute and aesthetic! I would definitely recommend coming here during spring/summer because in the winter all the flowers are dead.
Painted Ladies: If you've ever watched Full House, this is a popular tourist attraction! We didn't spend much time here.
Japantown: If you're interested in Japanese food/shops/culture, definitely stop by this area! There are super cute dessert shops like mochi donuts (Mochill Mochi Donut) and animal-themed crepes. There is also a Daiso there, and I love that store! It reminds me of a dollar store kind of place, where everything is pretty cheap and they sell everything from socks, to kitchen supplies, to stationary, to snacks/candy!
Day 2
Union Square: Shopping day! Union Square is filled with shops and restaurants. It's just a fun area to walk around and enjoy the day.
Japanese Tea Garden: This is part of Golden Gate Park, and it's a nice and relaxing spot to walk around and feel like you're somewhere in Japan. Admission fees vary depending on what time of year you visit and whether or not you are a resident of San Francisco, but typically prices range from $10-12. I did read that if you visit before 10 am on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, admission is free, though!
Golden Gate Bridge: You can't visit San Francisco for the first time without visiting this iconic bridge. Take a walk or bike across the bridge! It's so beautiful, especially on a nice day.
Palace of Fine Arts: This is a super popular spot for photoshoots. People take their wedding/engagement/maternity etc. photos here. It's free to visit, and the theatre sometimes has events as well!
Twin Peaks: This is an amazing spot to watch the sunset! It's breathtaking to see the whole city below you.
Day 3
Lands End Trail: This is a beautiful hiking trail where you get a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's an easy hike, but some of the rocks can be slippery. The slopes are steep in some areas, so be careful! A popular spot is at Labyrinth's end, which is a mini maze made from rocks.
Dandelion Chocolate Tour: We did a fun chocolate tour here, where they walk you through the process of how to make chocolate starting from the cacao fruit. We were able to sample the fruit as well as the cocoa nib and the finished chocolate product. It was very informative, so if you are a dark chocolate person, I'd definitely recommend it.
Urban Putt: I don't putt putt a lot, but this is the coolest mini golf place I've seen! It's a bar, so they do check ID's, and each station is very unique and creative. A lot of them are modeled after popular attractions around San Francisco. Check my Instagram story highlights to see a few of the stations!
There are so many other great things to see in San Francisco, but these are just some of my favorites that I've experienced. I can't wait for another trip there eventually!