San Francisco in Two Days

San Francisco in Two Days

The streets, the houses, the neighborhoods, the food, the bay! There’s so much to love about San Francisco. So, with only two days under our belts, we headed towards the main attractions and beautiful destination must-sees in San Francisco.

If you’ve never been to San Francisco, you will surely love and enjoy it as much as we did.  We visited San Francisco as part of our PCH road trip and it was amazing.  Although most places mentioned here are super touristy, there are many ways to get away from the crowds by exploring the neighborhoods and finding lonely parks and trails.

For now, I’ll share the main icons you don’t want to miss.

San Francisco: Day 1

Lombard Street

I understand why this is one of the most photographed streets in the nation.  Lombard Street is gorgeous!  It’s known as the “most crooked” street.   Whether you’re sitting at the top of the road enjoying the great view of the city or standing at the bottom of the street looking at its beauty as cars drive down, you will surely also think it’s a charming street.

We decided to drive it down because, of course, we wanted that experience.  Just know, it’s known that there is sometimes a mile-long waiting line to drive through it.  Luckily we went earlier in the day and didn’t wait too long.

However, taking good pictures from the bottom was nearly impossible, because there were too many people.  So, make sure to arrive early if you want to get a nice photograph.

Chinatown

The Chinatown in San Francisco is the oldest and second-largest in America. Visiting was an exciting adventure.  Our walk through this ‘city within a city‘ included inexpensive gift shopping and restaurants.  We wandered around with no specific place in mind and just took in the culture and the sights. Then, starting at Dragon’s Gate on Bush street, we walked several blocks to the end of Broadway.

As we headed further away from the gate and away from the most crowded areas, we found ourselves walking by more fresh produce markets and immersed with the city’s Chinese locals.  Walk inside the stores, and you will see amazing dry foods, some that look good and interesting, and some that make you wonder what the heck you just saw!  But you will also find cheap produce such as the $1 box of strawberries we bought for ourselves.

Ghirardelli Square

Okay, you know the only reason we came here was for some Ghirardelli Salted Caramel ice cream!  Anyhow, after you buy a delicious dessert, head down Larkin Street towards Beach Street and grab yourself a bench as you relax bay-side.

From here, you will be right next to Hyde Street, where you can catch the famous Hyde-Powell Cable Car back up the steep street.  Just be ready to make a long line to ride up.  As much as we wanted to have this experience, we skipped this option and instead walked the steep road back to our car.

On a positive note, we burned maybe 5% of the calories we had just eaten.

Marshall’s Beach

You don’t need to cross the Golden Gate Bridge to have the best view of it.  I was blown away by how incredibly close we were to the bridge from a different perspective, down below.  Marshall’s Beach was pretty lonely, and we had the place to ourselves.

Just beware that it’s a nudist beach. You may find a random stranger or two walking around naked.

To get to Marshall’s Beach, you’ll need to walk down a short trail.  We highly recommend going during sunset and staying there until the lights of the bridge turn on.  It’s the perfect place for a magical and romantic night. The only people who were around were a couple of professional photographers.

San Francisco in Two Days

San Francisco Day 2

Alamo Square/Painted Ladies

I had to see the beautiful Victorian-style houses known as the Painted Ladies.  These are the houses pictured in the intro song of Full House.  Talk about childhood memories!  Unfortunately, Alamo Square park was closed due to renovations.  However, the park is great for picnics and views of the Painted Ladies.

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks has the best 360-degree view in the center of the city!   Here, you will have access to Eureka and Noe (the twin peaks), a view of the figure 8 street that runs around them, and the most incredible view of the city.  You might go picture crazy here.  Just hope there isn’t fog obstructing your view.

Pier 39

At Fisherman’s Wharf, you find Pier 39 which sea lions sun-bathing.  There are also street performances, various departing cruises, an aquarium, carousels, and food.  Our first time in San Francisco, we took a Golden Gate Bridge cruise, which was terrific and a wild ride in the waves, but there is also a more budget-friendly option: taking the water taxi to Sausalito.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is a busy spot, but still a great place to hang out.  We didn’t spend much time here as it mostly offered food and souvenir shopping.  Both of which we had already done. But, we did enjoy quickly walking by as we people-watched.

 

Battery Spencer

Another great place to see the Golden Gate Bridge is at Batter Spencer.  Our goal was to stop here and then head to Marin Headlands, which offers fantastic views.  However,  it was late and cold!   So, before it darkened we hurried and made it to Battery Spencer.

As we drove through the bridge, we were bummed to see that the fog had rolled in and that we wouldn’t get a clear shot.  But as we arrived, we realized how beautiful the bridge looked with fog surrounding it.

I have to mention it was freezing (in May) and extremely windy, as I was blowing away!  Literally. Because of this, we only lasted a few minutes here.  We took a few photographs and decided to skip the trail that follows the street towards Marin Headlands.  Let’s hope you find yourself there during better weather.

What do you love most about San Francisco, or what would you like to see most?  Do you know of any best views of the Golden Gate bridge? Please share them!

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San Francisco in Two Days