San Francisco is a hustling and bustling city! You will not run out of things to do, sights to see, and spots to photograph.
It was a short trip to San Francisco, but with all the places we have been too and all the photos we took… its seems like we were there so much longer. And we have done all this using public transportation (Clipper Card) and of course, our beloved feet!
Golden Gate Bridge
What's a visit to San Francisco without seeing the iconic marvel Golden Gate Bridge?! Take a ferry, walk, drive, bike through this magnificent bridge or if you are like me, take tons of photos with it. Whichever you chose to do, I'm sure its going to be a 'golden' experience of a lifetime. Check out some of my favorite spots here.
If you are visiting on a limited time, prioritize your activity around the Golden Gate if the weather is good! Some days it's completely foggy and you will not see it at all. Yes, the infamous "Karl the Fog" is real.
Cable Car
Hours: 6:30 am - after 12:00 am
Address: Powell/Hyde
Fee: $7
Riding this vintage manually operated cable car is hands down my favorite experience here. Sure you can take photos with it while its parked, but nothing beats the feeling of riding a "Museum in Motion" (as it is aptly called) through the steep hills of San Francisco while enjoying the scenic view and with breeze of your hair.
They have the friendliest operators who even suggested that I hang/swing out of the cable car for that iconic photo.
With limited budget our preference is geared towards doing touristy stuff that are ‘free’. But sometimes, you need to shell out some dough and this experience is totally worth every penny.
Painted Ladies
Address: Steiner St. & Hayes St. SF
Coordinates:
Latitude: 37° 46’ 34.044” N Longitude: 122° 25’ 58.74” W
The Painted Ladies is another iconic landmark of San Francisco often seen in postcards and magnets! For me, its something a little bit more special being a 90's teen who polished my English watching sitcoms like Full House, which I think made this area even more popular.
Just across the Painted Ladies is the Alamo Square park where people have picnics (just like the Tanners) or just hang out.
Pretty Houses & Interesting Doors
Pretty, colorful houses are my thing. If it's yours too, then you will definitely have a dose of these in SF. These colorful Victorian & Edwardian houses are just a feast to the eyes and very instagrammable.
Below are some houses that caught my fancy and their corresponding coordinates :
House 1
Latitude: 37° 48’ 20.052” N Longitude: 122° 25’ 5.634” W
House 2
Latitude: 37° 46’ 37.926” N Longitude: 122° 25’ 59.508” W
House 3
Latitude: 37° 46’ 40.8” N Longitude: 122° 25’ 59.766” W
House 4
Latitude: 37° 46’ 37.314” N Longitude: 122° 25’ 59.052” W
Lombard Street
Address: 1070 Lombard Street between Jones & Hyde St.
Coordinates: (of the blue house)
Latitude: 37° 48’ 7.272” N Longitude: 122° 25’ 4.398” W
The most famous crookedest street in the world, is definitely a favorite among the tourists!
Very cool but so challenging to take a photograph with. Unless you have a drone or in a high vantage point, you will not be able to capture its entirety. But hey, if you must know, I'm nitpicking, you can always take a photo below or above the street!
A really dope experience would be to drive through it especially with this cute go car. I didnt, I'm a budget traveler, lol! But if you are not, by all means go for it.
Anyhow, I might have not gotten an "IG" photo with the street itself, but I found a blue-tiful house which is by all standards instagrammable.
Palace of Fine Arts
Address: 3601 Lyon St. SF
Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.8020° N Longitude: 122.4486° W
A wonderful attraction that is a mix of impressive architecture and nature, very well maintained, great for stroll and of course photography.
The focal point of the Palace of Fine Arts is this rotunda derived from a Greek-Roman architecture that will make you feel like you are another city (or maybe even another continent).
,
Treasure Island
Address: Avenue of the Palms and California Avenue, SF
Coordinates:
Latitude: 37° 49’ 22.626” N Longitude: 122° 22’ 34.944” W
A man made island just a few minutes away from SF, but feels like in you are another worlds as it is away from the grind of downtown. There was no event or festival in the island when we went so it was so quiet and isolated that I felt eerily like in an abandoned setting for a horror flick, but do not be disheartened by my description, the view here is awesome.
San Francisco Beaches
Address: Baker Beach, Bowley St. & Gibson Rd., SF
Coordinates:
Latitude: 37° 7938” N
Longitude: 122° 4836” W
A perfect way to end a day of exploring and walking, is to chill and watch the sunset in one of the beautiful beaches of San Francisco and if you must, choose one with the view of the majestic Golden Gate. Our beach of choice during our stay was the Baker Beach.
China Town
Address: Grant Avenue, SF
Coordinates:
Latitude: 37° 47’ 25.758” N Longitude: 122° 24’ 19.896” W
The oldest and possibly the most popular Chinatown in the US. I have to be honest that with our limited time, we didn't get to really explore this part of San Francisco. That's not to say that it didn't pique our interest, as we will definitely make sure to explore this to our hearts content on our next visit to San Francisco.
Comments