Our San Francisco Travel Guide: Best Food, Wine + Things to Do

What we did, what we loved, and what’s worth your time if you go to San Francisco.

San Francisco is one of our favorite cities. We’ve been a few times and keep finding new things worth adding to this list — restaurants, experiences, and a day trip that might be the best day we’ve had anywhere.

San Francisco Field Notes

YOUR SF TO DO LIST

we spent a week exploring San Francisco. here’s what we recommend.

China Live Dim Sum
china live

EAT DIM SUM.

SF is known for it.

irish coffee

TRY AN IRISH COFFEE.

The Buena Vista is famous for introducing the Irish Coffee to SF and perfecting the recipe. No San Fran trip is complete without sipping this hot whiskey concoction.

Go Car Tours

SPEED AROUND in GO CAR TOURS

The most fun thing we’ve done in SF – or any city. Speed around in the open air and go on the GPS-guided tour seeing all of the highlights along the way – especially the views from Twin Peaks! We booked the 3-hour early bird tour – but were having so much fun, we extended our trip!

 

Golden Sardine San francisco
Golden Sardine

EXPLORE NORTH BEACH

The North Beach area of SF has a lot of fantastic restaurants + shops to explore. Head the famous City Lights bookstore, which has a beautiful collection of books in a historic building. Next, you can grab a drink at the funky Vesuvio. We loved wine = charcuterie at the Golden Sardine and dinner at Flour + Water Pizzeria.

Muir Woods
Muir Woods

WALK UNDER THE REDWOODS.

Muir Woods in the morning, Sausalito for lunch and wine, ferry back to the city — clear your schedule for this one.

Chinatown San Francisco
chinatown San Francisco

DO A HOHO TOUR.

The Big Bus hop-on hop-off is part tour, part transportation — plus you can see the Golden Gate Bridge from the top deck!

alcatraz tour
Alcatraz

TOUR ALCATRAZ.

Book ahead — it sells out weeks out and get the first ferry out. The audio tour is genuinely excellent and the views of the city from the island are some of the best you’ll get.


San Francisco marriott marquis
rooftop bar at SF Marriott Marquis

STAY WHERE YOU CAN WALK EVERYWHERE.


House of Prime Rib

MAKE A RESERVATION.

  • Boulevard for fine dining in a beautiful art deco atmosphere
  • House of Prime Rib for vintage glamour + an iconic SF experience
  • Scoma’s is another old-school San Francisco by Fisherman’s Wharf for seafood




📸 Fuji x100vi


San Francisco Notes: Everything we loved + would do again

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