San Francisco

de Young Museum

A modern and ethnic art focused museum, with three levels of exhibits with contemporary and historical pieces from America as well as art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas in a uniquely-designed building with courtyards and sculpture gardens that includes Three Gems piece by Turrell. One corner of the building houses the free Hamon Observation Tower which offers a lovely 360-degree view of the park and surroundings.

Tue-Thu, Sat-Sun 9:30AM-5:15PM, Fri 9:30AM-8:45PM · $15 adults, $10 seniors, $6 students, free for 17 and under; includes same-day admission to the Legion of Honor. Special exhibits may require extra admission; first Tuesday of each month free

Palace of Fine Arts

The only structure remaining from the 1915 World's Fair, it features a classical Roman rotunda (1,100 feet wide, 162 feet high) with curved colonnades (30 Corinthian columns frame a wide walkway in the colonnade) situated in an idyllic park setting with a classical European-Style lagoon. It's a great place to unwind, have a picnic, and watch the swans float elegantly by. It also has a theater offering a variety of shows, musical and cultural events.

6AM-9PM daily · Free · Built 1915

Mission Dolores

Mission San Francisco de Asis

The oldest building in San Francisco, commissioned in 1776 by Father Serra and members of the De Anza Expedition as the 6th of the 21 missions in California. The original mission is a small building adjacent to the parish church, a large building with intricately decorated towers that was, also, the first Catholic church west of the Mississippi River to be deemed a basilica. The attached cemetery is one of the few in San Francisco that were not relocated to Colma during the first half of the 20th century.

Built 1791

San Francisco Botanical Garden

formerly the Strybing Arboretum

One of the largest botanical gardens on the west coast, the Botanical Gardens cover 55 acres with thousands of varieties of plants from around the world and multiple specialized gardens and miles of trails (seriously, the place is huge). One of the most unique attractions is the Redwood Trail, which runs through a naturalistic redwood forest reminiscent of the ones north of San Francisco along the Californian coast. There is also a bookstore and library on the premises, near the main entrance. Free guided tours of the gardens depart from the bookstore daily at 1:30PM with an extra tour on the weekends at 10:30AM. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays another free tour departs from the Friend Gate at 2PM.

Mon-Fri 8AM-4:30PM, Sat Sun and Holidays 10AM-5PM · $15 · Entry 12.00 USD

Japanese Tea Garden

The oldest public Japanese garden in the country, with beautiful plants, ponds, bridges, and Japanese-style structures including a tea house. Tours are available every Wednesday and Sunday at 1PM starting at the main gate.

March–October daily 9AM-5:45PM, November–February daily 9AM-4:45PM · $12 adults ($10 Oct–Feb), $7 seniors/teens, $3 children 5-11, free for children 4 and under; free admission M, W, F before 10AM

Telegraph Hill

Telegraph Hill earned its name in the days of the Gold Rush when it was used as a signaling post to relay messages about incoming ships to the bay. Coit Tower was erected at its peak in 1933 and rewards a weary traveler with some wonderful views over the city. Over time a quiet residential neighborhood built up along the hillside, and their magnificent flowing gardens have always been something to admire on your way up or down. Other neighbors include a colony of colorful feral parrots, predominantly red-masked parakeets, which grew up as descendants of escaped domesticated pets. One can drive to the top, but it's better to take one of the narrow steps leading up and down the sides of the hill (including the Greenwich and Filbert Steps), as they offer better views over the Bay.

91 m high

Asian Art Museum

Built in 1917 as the city's public library building, this building is a fantastic blend of "Beaux Arts" and modern design elements. It was designed by renowned architect Gae Aulenti (architect of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris). Inside, you'll find many interesting architectural details including the grand staircase, loggia, vaulted ceilings, the great hall, stone floors, period light fixtures, an oddly interminable escalator, and inscriptions. The museum is one of the largest and newest museums of Oriental art. It has circa 15,000 artifacts covering 6,000 years of Asian history. The Asian Art Museum hosts many special exhibits as well. The cafe on premises also has some decent food, though pricier and somewhat more tame than better places a short walk away.

Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM (with extended evening hours every Thu until 9PM); closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day · Free first Sunday of every month, $15 adults, $10 seniors/students/youth ages 13-17, free for children 12 and under/military/SFUSD students. Th evenings at a reduced rate ($10) after 5PM. Special exhibitions cost extra · Wheelchair accessible

Conservatory of Flowers

This antique palatial greenhouse, one of the first structures of its kind in the county, is filled with a huge variety of beautiful and exotic plant species. Pay special attention if the Titan Arum is blooming, as it only does every few years. Adult tickets go down to $11 for weekdays in December and January, and up to $15 for all weekends. Free on first Tuesday of every month.

Tue–Sun 10AM–4:30PM · $13 adults, $7 teens/seniors/students, $3 children, free for children 4 and under, free on the first Tuesday of each month · Heritage listed

Mission Dolores Park

One of the city's most popular parks, this is one of the main neighborhood hangouts, with people regularly partying or partaking in some recreational marijuana on its grassy slopes, as well as a sunny retreat for many San Franciscans when the rest of the city gets foggy. There are plenty of recreational facilities as well as a fantastic playground built into the hillside, and the top of the park (at the corner of 20th and Dolores) offers an excellent view of the San Francisco skyline. Playground is wheelchair accessible.

10AM–6PM; restrooms 8AM–8PM · Free

Buena Vista Park

Steep paths to the top of its 575' elevation lead to some nice views through the trees, but are easily circumnavigated by non-enthusiasts.

Aquarium of the Bay

A nice place and the right size for kids, with an underwater tunnel, where the fish swim above you as you gaze at them, and ponds where you can touch various live marine animals. It's a perfectly decent aquarium, but many locals would recommend you save your money for the fantastic California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

Open daily except Dec 25. Summer hours: 9AM-8PM daily. Most other times Mon-Thu 10AM-6PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-7PM · $24.95 adults; $14.95 seniors (age 65+) and children (ages 4-12); $70 family (2 adults, 2 children). children 3 and under free

Yerba Buena Gardens

The Yerba Buena Gardens, above the Moscone Convention Center, provide a nice urban oasis. A large grassy meadow, a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., play places for kids, fountains and gardens make this a great place to come, play and relax.

6AM-10PM daily · Free

South Park

This is an ok quiet park in the middle of the hustle and bustle of industrial SoMa, with a few small restaurants around it that cater to the Patagonia-wearing tech crowd. Not very nice at night since homeless use the park to sleep.

Built 1852

Lafayette Park

Another little oasis park in the heart of Pacific Heights — like its neighbor Alta Plaza Park, it is pristinely kept by local residents and it also has excellent views over the Bay.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

The park consists of a visitor center, Hyde St Pier and the fleet of historic ships moored there, the Maritime Museum, Aquatic Park, and the Municipal Pier.

Heritage listed

Alta Plaza Park

A charming and immaculately manicured Pacific Heights park with great vistas over the Bay. It has tennis courts and a playground, and is a pretty good place for a picnic, or even just a rest if you've just scaled the hill.

05:00-24:00 · Wi-Fi

Marina Green

Marina Green is a long, flat strip of grass at the front of the Marina that runs along the Bay, equidistant between the Presidio and Fort Mason. The "Green" teems with joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, kite flyers, volleyball players, frisbee throwers, and rollerbladers — all getting their health kick exercising in an iconic location. The activities continue all the way through Crissy Fields ("The City's Front Yard") to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge where you will find surfers patiently waiting for that next "big one."

Mountain Lake Park

A small hiking trail winds around this scenic lake, noted for its historic importance in that it supplied water to the nearby colonial Spanish settlement of the Presidio. There is also a playground and a tennis court at the southern side of the lake.

California Academy of Sciences

An absolutely stunning museum and an excellent place to take the children. Among the many highlights of this museum is the building itself; ride the elevator to the top to see the Living Roof, a literal green roof and marvel of architecture with soft hills covered in grass and flowers. On the ground floor are numerous interactive science exhibits, outdoor gardens, an aviary, and towering over the massive exhibit halls is the sphere-like Planetarium on one side of the building, while the other side is overshadowed by the domed Rainforests of the World exhibit, a massive transparent dome which contains a winding pathway that takes you to the top, past towering trees and animal displays. As if all that wasn't enough, the building also contains a fantastic aquarium on the bottom floor, which showcases the more unusual sea life such as octopus, jellyfish, sea dragons, and sea stars among its displays of coral reefs, kelp forests, and tidepools. It's a big museum; be sure to give yourself at least a few hours to see it all.

Mon-Sat 9:30AM-5PM; Sun 11AM-5PM · $34.95 adults, $29.95 seniors/students/teens, $24.95 children 4-11, free for ages 3 and under

Civic Center Plaza

This grassy plaza is at the heart of the Civic Center and its tree-lined central avenue visually draws the eye to the imposing structure of City Hall. Protests and demonstrations of all political persuasions are frequently staged here. There is a parking lot underneath the plaza, which used to actually be a subterranean convention center that held some of the earliest Apple events back in the 1980s.

Pioneer Park

This park sits atop Telegraph Hill and surrounds the base of Coit Tower. It has some excellent 360 degree vistas around the city and there are some coin operated binoculars to help you enjoy the view.

Mama's

Unbelievably popular place with locals, you only need to see how long the lines are outside at breakfast to understand the popularity of Mama's — it has become a North Beach institution. In 2007, it won Zagat's "Best Breakfast in San Francisco."

Tue-Sun 8AM-3PM · Breakfast and lunch go for about $9-11

Shakespeare Garden

With roses and other flowers mentioned in his plays. A bust of Shakespeare sits at the opposite end from the entrance.

Free · Free entry · Built 1928

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

Opened in 1962, this tiny factory produces more than 20,000 fortune cookies a day. The factory is in a small alley and it is tiny with only 3 people making fortune cookies. Tourists are welcome to walk in off the street — you get a flat (un-bended) fortune cookie sample but photos cost 50 cents and the moment you walk in they are asking you in their broken English what cookies you want to buy. It is a must see though!

7AM-8:30PM daily · Free entry, $10 for a huge bag of cookies

Columbus Tower/Sentinel Building

This flatiron (wedge shaped) copper-green building is an unmistakable San Francisco beauty. The "Grateful Dead" once recorded some of their songs there. Today it is owned by movie-director, Francis Ford Copolla. It now has a cafe on its ground floor, where you can grab a coffee whilst admiring its impressive setting, at the foot of North Beach.

Duboce Park

The N Judah streetcar travels along the perimeter of the park and stops at the intersection of Noe Street and Duboce Street. The park is attractive and split into a dog-friendly and a children-friendly section. There is a well maintained children's playground that attracts children from the neighborhood.

Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve

A large chunk of undeveloped green space atop Mount Sutro owned and maintained by the University of California San Francisco, lying directly south of the UCSF Parnassus campus. Mount Sutro is covered in eucalyptus trees with a network of hiking trails winding up the steep slopes to a native-plant meadow at the summit. Numerous trailheads connect the park to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Caffe Greco

Probably North Beach's most popular cafe, especially with locals. It has a real European atmosphere and imports its coffee from Italy. Curbside tables add to the ambiance.

Sun-Thu 7AM-11:30PM, Fri-Sat 7AM-midnight · Limited wheelchair access · Outdoor seating

Caffe Trieste

Has become a North Beach landmark. Although a little bit scruffy, it has excellent coffee — certainly one of the best cups of coffee in North Beach, and it's very popular with the locals. One famous local patron was Jack Kerouac and reportedly Francis Ford Copolla wrote part of the Godfather here.

Sun-Thu 6:30AM-11PM, Fri-Sat 6:30AM-midnight · Wi-Fi · Takeaway

North Beach Restaurant

Fine dining from the Tuscany region of Italy. This restaurant has a lavish interior with cherry wood walls, high ceilings and Florentine tiled floors. There are four dining rooms in total and there is a cigar room and wine cellar in the basement.

11:30AM-11:45PM daily · $30-60 · Wheelchair accessible