Having friends visit San Francisco always gives me a great excuse to play tourist. Ride a cable car. Visit the Golden Gate Bridge. Wander through the Ferry Building; go to Golden Gate Park. I generally take these things for granted- cause they’re right there, all the time. When Toya and Jovan came into town for a ‘friends weekend’, Jovan wanted to take Toya to as many San Francisco tourist sites as possible, in a day. He shared his itinerary with me and it was ambitious to say the least, but I was down to go along for the ride. If you’ll remember, Jovan was responsible for our epic Atlanta food crawl. We tend to stay on the move with him around. If you find yourself with one day in San Francisco to explore, feel free to draw inspiration from Toya’s tour. You can thank Jovan for this whirlwind trip through the City by the Bay!
The Painted Ladies
Whether you grew up watching Full House or not, you’ve probably seen the iconic Painted Ladies on Steiner Street, at one point or another. The gorgeous Victorians lined up on the hill are a perfect San Francisco backdrop. Make a quick stop and grab a few photos.
Dim Sum in Chinatown
Jovan absolutely LOVES Chinese food. He had the phone number for Wonton House memorized in college. His grad school celebration was at an Asian buffet and whenever he’s in San Francisco, he finds his way to Chinatown. It was no surprise to me that one of the first stops on Toya’s tour was Chinatown for dim sum.
New Asia Restaurant has an old school vibe, a little reminiscent of a church banquet hall- linen tablecloths and all. The reviews are really hit or miss. Some people love it, others don’t. New Asia is one of the few dim sum places that still wheels out the food carts- adding to the traditional, old school feel. Our lunch was an authentic Chinatown experience, as we were pretty much the only people in the place who were not Asian (and were under the age of 50).
Other than the rice, I’m not even sure what we ordered. Toya and I watched in amusement as Jovan examined each cart and made our selections. We just went with it.
Ghirardelli Square
If you are a chocolate person (like I am), or visiting from out of town and looking for small gifts to take home- Ghirardelli chocolate is a must. Sure, you can get Ghirardelli chocolate most places, but how often do you get to go to the source?? It’s a Willie Wonka moment.
Ghirardelli Square is also home to a variety of shops and restaurants, so if chocolate isn’t your thing, you’ve got other options!
(detour) Pier 39
We didn’t actually stop at Pier 39 on this trip, but when you leave Ghirardelli, you’ll be close enough to make a quick detour. Fair warning- Pier 39 does have a tourist trap vibe. That said, you can visit the sea lions, take a great selfie with the Fisherman’s Wharf sign and grab some fresh sourdough bread.
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is one of my favorite places to play tourist.
The ornate, dramatic architecture is awesome, making it a unique place to visit when you’re in San Francisco. Walking through the beautifully designed archways always feels like being transported to a different time and place.
Crissy Field
Known by locals as a prime location to watch fireworks on the 4th of July (and a popular spots for birthday parties and gatherings all year long), Crissy Field is a great location to grab amazing pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. Jovan, Toya and I took a walk out on the pier with the fisherman, for a quick photo shoot with the Golden Gate Bridge on one side and the City on the other.
(detour) Golden Gate Park
In case you’ve still got some time and energy, I’ve got one more detour! When you leave Crissy Field, you can take a drive through Golden Gate Park. The park could easily be a day trip in itself. On this whirlwind tour, you’ll have to pick one attraction. Go find the buffalo that live in the park (yes, seriously). Walk through the Conservatory of Flowers or visit the Japanese Tea Garden.
Dinner at Fresca
Fresca was my pick for the end of this tour. Any time I have friends spending one day in San Francisco, I try and have lunch or dinner at Fresca. There are a few locations in the City. I’ve had great meals at both the Fillmore and Noe Valley restaurants. Whether you’ve had Peruvian food before or not, I’d recommend Fresca as the perfect end to a long day of playing tourist. From the cocktails, to the lomo saltado and fresh warm doughnuts for dessert- YUMMM! If you think you’ll want to hang out after dinner and hit a lounge or have drinks, I’d go to the Fresca in Fillmore.
Brown Lady Tips
This itinerary assumes that you’ll have access to a car. If you don’t, you can definitely get around either by bus (MUNI) or hopping in a Lyft. If you’re on public transportation, you may want to narrow down the number of stops on your tour. It will take a bit longer to get from one place to the next.
If you visit Pier 39, don’t do your souvenir shopping there. Wait until your back in Fillmore for dinner at Fresca and take a quick trip to Walgreens. You can usually find San Francisco t-shirts, mugs and magnets at most Walgreens, for much less than a place like the Pier that caters to tourists.
Okay all my San Francisco natives, what else should be on the list for a tourist with one day in San Francisco?