What NOT to Do When Visiting San Francisco
Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re talking about what NOT to do when you plan a trip to San Francisco. While most travel blogs will tell you the best things to see in San Francisco, we want to be sure you know what NOT to do when visiting San Francisco. (Not Frisco, nobody calls it that!)
Don’t Forget to Check the Weather & Pack Layers
San Francisco weather can vary greatly within a day. It’s not Southern California with sunshine and warm weather all day. Packing layers is a must, as is being prepared for wind and rain any time of year.
While San Francisco has beaches, they are not warm, sunny beaches for sunbathing. You’re better off bringing hiking boots than a swimsuit as you can walk along some of the beaches, but you’ll be glad to have a jacket! The water is cold, and they have pretty gnarly riptides, too.
Don’t Forget to Prepare for Walking and Hills
San Francisco is a super walkable city, but it’s also very hilly. If you can train a bit before your San Francisco trip, you’ll have a much better time exploring the city on foot. Good walking shoes will also make it much more pleasant.
As an older city, you can also expect a lot of uneven pavement, so watch where you’re walking. It’s so easy to twist an ankle on a cracked sidewalk.
Don’t Feel Like You Have to Walk the Entire Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is the symbol of the city, and many people want to experience it by walking across. The bridge is nearly two miles long, so you’ll be walking about 3 ½ miles out and back. If you’re not up for a 90-minute walk, then there are other options to see the bridge. You can take a ferry tour, or drive across the bridge. There are also some great viewpoints where you can get photos of the bridge.
Don’t Skip Fisherman’s Wharf
Yes, it’s super touristy with a lot of souvenir shops, but it’s still worth visiting Fishermans’ Wharf. The Aquarium of the Bay is right there, and it’s also where you’ll catch any boat tours or ferries, including the Alcatraz tours. The Musee Mecanique is also a fun stop, especially if you’re into arcade games.
You can expect overpriced food when you visit Fisherman’s Wharf, though. Just like any popular destination, restaurants charge a premium in this area, so keep that in mind.
Don’t Miss Out on San Francisco Food
Food and travel go hand in hand, and San Francisco is no exception! San Francisco is a great melting pot of cultures, including Asian, Latin American, Italian and more! San Francisco food is pricey but worth it as there are some things that are just better here.
- Sourdough Bread is famous in San Francisco, thanks to the unique climate in the Bay area. You can’t get sourdough like this anywhere else!
- Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bread Bowl is a great way to try two San Francisco specialties in one go.
- Dungeness Crab is another specialty on this part of the West Coast. It’s a smaller type of crab, and it can be difficult to get the meat out. Don’t be afraid to ask your waiter the best way to clean the crab, or you can order Crab Louie, which is the crab meat already cleaned out and on top of a salad.
- Pacific Oysters are also a local specialty; they are super fresh and delicious!
- If you want to try several types of seafood, order Cioppino, which is a seafood stew. This dish originated with Italian immigrants in San Francisco; you’ll usually find calamari, mussels, and clams in there.
- Dim Sum is a Chinatown must! You can also get upscale Chinese food, Thai Food, Korean food and Japanese food in this area. Take advantage of the local Asian population and try their cuisine where it’s done really well.
- Mission Burritos come from the Mission District, which has a lot of Latin restaurants. Chipotle burritos are inspired by Mission Burritos, so picture the whole kitchen sink wrapped up in a giant tortilla.
- Ghirardelli Chocolate is made in San Francisco; in fact, Ghirardelli Square is right off of Fisherman’s Wharf. There are several stores around town, and the most popular thing to try is an ice cream sundae with Ghirardelli chocolate on top. On a cold day, their hot cocoa really hits the spot.
- America’s first Irish Coffee was created in San Francisco, and there’s even a plaque to prove it. The Buena Vista Cafe is the place to go for the original formula, and it’s right by the Fisherman’s Wharf Trolley stop.
When you are eating out in San Francisco, don’t expect restaurants to be open all day. Many restaurants are lunch-only, or dinner-only, or they may close between lunch and dinner. If there’s a place you really want to try, make sure you check their hours ahead of time and see if you need a reservation!
A great place to go if you want to try a bunch of different food is the Ferry Building Marketplace. They have several stalls with artisanal cuisine, and there’s a farmer’s market several days each week.
Unless otherwise specified, plan to tip 15 – 20% of your total bill when eating at San Francisco restaurants. Check your bill, though, as some places may automatically add a service charge.
Don’t Forget to Explore Different San Francisco Neighborhoods & Day Trips
Make sure you explore some of the many neighborhoods of the city and don’t just stick to what’s within walking distance of your hotel. A few of the best San Francisco neighborhoods include:
- Chinatown, where you should definitely have dim sum. Fortune cookies actually originated here, not in China! You can even tour the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory!
- North Beach is where many of the best Italian restaurants are found, so if you’re craving pizza or pasta, head to North Beach!
- The Mission District is where you’ll find great Latin American food and murals.
- Haight-Ashbury became famous in the 60s as the hippie neighborhood where the Grateful Dead lived. The neighborhood feels pretty commercialized these days, but if you’re looking for a tie-dye t-shirt, you’ll find plenty here.
- Sausalito is its own city, but it’s a fun little ferry trip from San Francisco.
- Muir Woods is also a popular day trip from San Francisco, but don’t forget your Dramamine! It is a winding road to get there from SF. Don’t forget to look for banana slugs when you get there!
You can probably skip Union Square unless you’re looking for a new Louis Vuitton bag or other luxury stores.
Don’t Drive in San Francisco
Driving in San Francisco is not fun, and I don’t recommend it unless you have to. Parking is difficult and expensive, directions can be confusing, and Uber & Lyft are widely available. This goes double for Lombard Street; it’s actually quite stressful to drive down. It’s more fun to walk down and watch the people trying to drive down the “crookedest street in the world.”
Don’t Forget to Buy the Clipper Card
The Clipper Card will get you access to all of the public transportation in San Francisco. You can preload it and use it all over the city. It’s so much easier than trying to figure out tickets at each bus and train stop. (If someone offers to sell you their Clipper Card, don’t accept; it’s probably already been used)
Don’t Have High Expectations for the Cable Car
You’ve seen the San Francisco cable cars in movies and TV shows, but it’s not quite so “romantic” in real life. They have been a National Historic Landmark since 1964, so it’s worth going, but keep your expectations in check!
If you board at Fisherman’s Wharf, you can expect a pretty long line that you’ll have to wait in before you can hop on. And it’s $8 for a single ride, so it’s not exactly a cheap way to get around San Francisco. For a family of four, it will cost you $32 for a single ride, unless you have kids under four.
Don’t Miss Out on Art, Architecture & History
San Francisco has beautiful architecture, like the Coit Tower or the Painted Ladies, the row houses featured on Full House, and so many cool murals in the Mission District and elsewhere throughout the city.
There are some fantastic museums as well, which are especially great for those cold, rainy days! de Young has classic paintings and sculptures, while the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the best in the country! The Wells Fargo Museum is an interesting one that is often overlooked, especially if you’re interested in Gold Rush-era history.
A few other favorite San Francisco museums include:
- Railway Museum
- Cable Car Museum
- Asian Art Museum
Don’t Expect An Affordable Vacation
Between San Francisco hotels, attractions, and restaurants, you will probably spend a lot of money in San Francisco. It is one of the most expensive cities in the world, not just in the United States. It’s totally worth it, as it’s such a unique city, but be prepared to shell out a lot of money for your trip.
How to Save Money When Traveling
Don’t Mess with the Homeless
Yes, San Francisco has a large homeless population. As a tourist, it’s not much of an issue, other than you will likely be shocked at how many people are living on the streets. As a city with a lot of tourism, they do tend to keep the tourist areas fairly cleaned up, so you deal with it as much as the residents do. On my last visit, I felt that bad press was overblown, and it was still a great city to visit, with friendly locals. So, don’t let the media dissuade you from visiting San Francisco; come and judge for yourself.
Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!
San Francisco is definitely a must-visit city in California and one of our top cities in America! It’s one of those cities where even the “tourist traps” are worth visiting. Between art, architecture, outdoor attractions, and fantastic food, San Francisco really does have it all. With your basic travel smarts, it’s a safe city to visit, with lots to see and eat!
Want more California travel tips? Check out these blog posts!