Things to do in San Francisco for self travelers
Enjoy self-guided audio tours with included attraction tickets in one appTop sights in San Francisco
All self-guided activities
Embark on a self-guided audio tour of Fisherman's Wharf, with your ticket to the Cartoon Art Museum included. Note! While an audio tour inside the Cartoon Art Museum is not included, the city's intriguing sites ensure an unforgettable adventure across San Francisco. Putting cartoon art on the pedestal it deserves is what the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco does best. With over 7,000 original pieces on display, your tickets to the Cartoon Art Museum offer access to traditional comic strips and comic books, as well as anime, political cartoons, graphic novels, and more. After exploring the Cartoon Art Museum on your own, follow the in-app audio tour and have a walk along Fisherman's Wharf. On this tour, you'll experience the best of Fisherman's Wharf, from adventurous marine stories to centuries-old recipes with a secret touch. Your journey will start at Ghirardelli Square, built in the 1890s as a chocolate factory and converted into a retail and dining complex. You will walk along the Wharf's bustling bay, where you will get to meet a variety of marine animals and visit a historic lane when visiting the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park vessel collection. You will get a chance to try the finest seafood in one of the oldest restaurants in the area, visit the place where Irish coffee was first made in the US, and enjoy the legendary sourdough bread at Boudin Bakery.
Alcatraz Island used to host a Civil War fort, a military prison and a notorious namesake federal prison till 1963. This tour will show how the maximum-security Alcatraz prison operated across the 17 important open-air sites and narrate its eventful past. The journey starts at Pier 33, where you will board the ferry to Alcatraz Island and listen to its history dating back to the Gold Rush era. Later on, you will enter one of the oldest buildings there, the neglected Military Guard House that was a cutting-edge fortification to defend California back then. Climbing up the rocks, you will pass by the stately shell of the Officers' Club where officers and their families would gather to play bingo, watch movies and celebrate holidays. As you approach the immense Cellhouse, where the most dangerous criminals in the whole U.S. used to lodge, its scale will amaze you. Looking at the imposing Warden’s House ruins nearby, you will imagine the lavish cocktail parties that the first warden would throw here. On your way up, you will admire the blooming West Side Gardens like a few lucky prisoners would, who worked there instead of the industry buildings. Finally, you will reach the island's summit and get back to 1936, when the first dare-devil inmate Joseph Bowers took his chance to escape and learn his fate. Join the tour to walk the secluded rocky grounds and discover how the Alcatraz residents, both imprisoned and free, lived and enjoyed it there!
Find animation, innovation, and inspiration, and immerse yourself in the remarkable life story of Walt Disney, the man who turned animation into an art! Get your Walt Disney Family Museum tickets to explore a world of Walt's own imagining in San Francisco's historic Presidio. Get to know the man behind the mouse! There's 40,000 square feet of imagination to inspire you here. Contemporary interactive galleries and state-of-the-art exhibits are narrated in Walt's own voice, and feature early drawings, cartoons, movies, music, listening stations, more than 200 video screens, and a spectacular model of Disneyland. Discover the entire life and times of Disney, from Walt's childhood right through to the launch of Disney World in Florida. Walt Disney tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a distinctly American legacy, transforming the entertainment world. These Walt Disney Family Museum tickets give you access to one of the Bay Area's most inspirational venues.
The Legion of Honor sounds like an assembly of superheroes, but it's not. This museum in San Francisco still packs a punch though. Inside, you'll find an unrivalled collection of art. There's over 124,000 works spanning 4,000 years, from European sculpture and paintings to ancient art from the Mediterranean and Near East. Its most famous piece is Rodin's _The Thinker_, but there's plenty of other highlights by Degas, Monet, Rubens and more.
San Francisco's Exploratorium is more than a museum - it's an educational experience the whole family can enjoy! Step into a world of science, art, and human perception with hundreds of interactive exhibits designed to boggle the mind.
Spend some time getting up to scratch with your art here at the de Young, which strives to stay involved in today's most relevant cultural discussions. Be inspired by American art from the 17th to 21st centuries, international contemporary art, textiles, costumes and more!
If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to visit the Aquarium of the Bay. Located at Pier 39, this aquarium has 20,000 local sea creatures ready for seeing and even touching. With a 300-foot underwater tunnel, nature talks, and thousands of sea creatures, this is an amazing - and interactive - way to get to know the waters that surround this city.
Putting cartoon art on the pedestal it deserves is what the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco does best. With over 7,000 original pieces on display, your tickets to the Cartoon Art Museum offer access to traditional comic strips and comic books, as well as anime, political cartoons, graphic novels, and underground comix. The Cartoon Art Museum presents a variety of exhibitions and screenings, and hosts animation classes and workshops. Mix and mingle with local and international cartoon artists at any one of these sponsored events.
Lock, load, and strap in - San Francisco's 7D Experience is a ride like no other. Experience the latest virtual reality technology across four different action-packed scenarios. It's a nerve-wracking race against the clock!
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences is the world’s only aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, and natural history museum all housed under one incredible living roof. There’s something for someone of every age to enjoy. With hands-on exhibitions, shows, and public programs, you’re in for an action-packed science adventure. Plunge into the world’s deepest living indoor coral reef, home to nearly 40,000 live animals, representing more than 900 unique species. Meet the newest African penguin chicks, Pogo and Ozzie and the rest of the colony of playful penguins in African Hall. Then pay a visit to the iconic alligator with albinism, Claude.
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About San Francisco
The must-see attractions in San Francisco for a first visit are:
The best walking tours to do in San Francisco are:
- San Francisco: Alcatraz's Untold Stories Audio Tour
- San Francisco: Cartoon Art Museum Ticket & Fisherman's Wharf Walking Audio Tour
- Fisherman's Wharf In-App Audio Tour: Exploring Iconic Waterfront Neighborhood
- San Francisco: Golden Gate Park Audio Tour
- Unearth Architectural Gems: San Francisco Self-Guided Audio Tour
The best indoor tours in San Francisco for rainy days are:
The best tours to do in San Francisco with kids are:
Insider tips for visiting San Francisco
SmartGuide2022On a first trip, I recommend mixing classic things to do in San Francisco with a few local habits. I usually start early at the Ferry Building for Blue Bottle coffee, then walk the Embarcadero before the bay wind picks up. For what to see in San Francisco, ride the 22 Fillmore to the top of Fillmore Street, where you get postcard views without the bigger crowds. One of my favorite attractions in San Francisco is Ina Coolbrith Park at sunset; locals know it’s quieter than the usual hilltop stops. If you like tours in San Francisco, choose a neighborhood food walk in the Mission and stop for a burrito on Valencia afterward.
When I visit San Francisco for eating, I rotate between the Mission, Richmond, and North Beach. If you visit San Francisco and want the city’s real flavor, start in the Mission for burritos and newer California spots along Valencia, but I always duck onto 24th Street for pan dulce and old-school taquerias. In San Francisco, the Richmond is where I go for incredible dim sum, Burmese food, and low-key bakeries, especially along Clement. North Beach is still one of my favorite things to do in San Francisco for espresso, pasta, and late-night cannoli. For any travel guide San Francisco advice, I’d skip Fisherman’s Wharf meals and eat where locals linger.
I recommend giving San Francisco at least three full days, though four lets you slow down and enjoy the city properly. In my travel guide San Francisco mindset, one day disappears into the waterfront and ferry rides, another into neighborhoods like the Mission, North Beach, and Japantown, and a third into parks and hilltop views. When I visit San Francisco, I like having extra time because San Francisco changes with the fog; Dolores Park can be sunny while Lands End is completely misted in. That flexibility makes a big difference for things to do in San Francisco, especially if you want to visit San Francisco beyond the postcard stops.
When I’m showing friends San Francisco, I usually steer them to North Beach, the Mission, Japantown, and the Richmond. For attractions in San Francisco with real neighborhood character, North Beach gives you old cafes, City Lights, and the climb up to Coit Tower. In San Francisco, I like the Mission for murals in Balmy Alley and sunset at Dolores Park, while Japantown is where I go for ramen and small shops around the Peace Plaza. The Richmond is one of my favorite answers to what to see in San Francisco because Clement Street feels local, and you’re close to Golden Gate Park. If you like self-guided tours in San Francisco, these neighborhoods are easy to pair in one trip.
When I’m with family in San Francisco, I usually head to Golden Gate Park because it packs several of my favorite things to do in San Francisco into one easy day. Kids can run around the Koret Playground, then I walk over to the California Academy of Sciences, one of the smartest attractions in San Francisco for mixed ages since the aquarium, rainforest dome, and rooftop all keep attention moving. In San Francisco, I also like renting a pedal boat at Stow Lake if the weather is clear. For what to see in San Francisco, the bison paddock nearby feels like a fun surprise, and it’s calmer than most tours in San Francisco areas.
When I visit San Francisco for shopping, I skip the chain-heavy areas and head to Hayes Valley, Fillmore, and Valencia Street. If you visit San Francisco and want local style, Hayes Valley is where I browse independent fashion and design shops, then grab a coffee in Patricia’s Green. In San Francisco, Fillmore has a polished mix of boutiques and home stores, but I like it most for the side streets and quieter storefronts near Alta Plaza. Valencia is one of my favorite things to do in San Francisco because you can pop into bookstores, record shops, and small makers’ spots without rushing. For any travel guide San Francisco tip, shop neighborhood corridors, not the malls.
I recommend using Muni, walking, and the occasional rideshare instead of renting a car. In my travel guide San Francisco advice, the 1 California, 38 Geary, and 22 Fillmore are especially useful because they connect neighborhoods you’ll actually want to see without parking headaches. When I visit San Francisco, I’ll walk downhill whenever possible and catch transit back up; locals know the hills can wear you out faster than the distance suggests. San Francisco is compact enough that you can combine transit with neighborhoods on foot, which makes everyday things to do in San Francisco much easier. If you visit San Francisco, get a Clipper card and avoid driving in North Beach or the Mission at night.
When I want a fuller San Francisco trip, I mix city neighborhoods with quick escapes just outside the center. For attractions in San Francisco, I still love Lands End for the cypress-lined trail and Golden Gate views, especially in the late afternoon light. In San Francisco, I’ll pair that with the Presidio Tunnel Tops, which has great bay outlooks and space to relax without the usual rush. For what to see in San Francisco beyond downtown, I often cross to Sausalito by ferry and linger near the houseboats, or head south to Fort Funston to watch hang gliders. If you’re considering tours in San Francisco, I’d focus on neighborhoods and waterfront routes rather than crowded bus loops.