by Basil D Soufi / CC BY-SA 3.0

San Francisco's Rich Tapestry: Diversity, Landmarks, and Social Challenges

A. About San Francisco

Nickname: Frisco

San Francisco with around 870,000 inhabitants is well known for its liberal community, hilly terrain, scenic parks, Victorian architecture, postcard-perfect views, and great ethnic and cultural diversity.

The most recognizable landmark in San Francisco is, of course, the 2.7 km long Golden Gate suspension bridge, which opened in 1937.

From a tourist perspective, it is evident that San Francisco has experienced an extreme decline in its attractiveness as a destination compared to its previous appeal due to the ongoing challenges related to drug abuse, homelessness, and safety concerns. We used to rank the city much higher on our list. 

As a result, San Francisco has witnessed a substantial decrease in visitor numbers in recent years.

The Good: 

The city enjoys a scenic location stretching across the narrow strait of the Golden Gate above the swirling union of the Pacific Ocean and scores solid or better in almost all categories.

In addition, the climate is more than appealing.

The Not-So-Good: 

⚠️ San Francisco's safety situation has reached alarming levels, with the pervasive issues of drug abuse and homelessness impacting the entire city. Unfortunately, no area is immune to the consequences of these challenges. These challenges have impacted the overall atmosphere and can be a jarring experience for visitors. It is crucial for travelers to be aware of these issues and take necessary precautions while exploring the city. The sheer scale of the crisis has made it impossible to keep up with the cleanliness standards that visitors might expect. Definitely avoid any hotel that is too close to the Tenderloin area.

Apart from the Golden Gate Bridge, the sights are not that impressive, and San Francisco does not offer many pedestrian zones and is very expensive.

B. Best Things to Do in San Francisco in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than seventy sights in San Francisco. These sights and attractions contribute to a score of 7.15/10 in this most important category:

# Golden Gate Bridge 8 4.1 out of 5 stars

This elegant Art Deco suspension bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world and the definite symbol of San Francisco.

Completed in 1937 as an engineering marvel and spanning 2.7 km (1.7 miles) the vivid orange Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco to Marin County. While walking or driving on the Golden Gate Bridge offers spectacular views, the majestic landmark itself is best seen from Fort Point in the Presidio and Vista Point in Sausalito.

Bridge Length: 2.7 km / 1.7 miles

by Rich Niewiroski Jr / CC BY-SA 2.5

# Alcatraz 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Sitting on a small, rocky island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, Alcatraz used to be a federal maximum-security prison for notorious criminals like Al Capone from 1934 until 1963.

Today visitors can reach the island in 15 minutes by ferry ride from Pier 33.

Island | Former Prison ⚠️ Prebooking advised

by Frank Schulenburg / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Golden Gate Park 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

This vast rectangular (4.8 km long and 0.8 km wide) park covers 1,017 acres — about 174 more than New York’s Central Park.

There are numerous attractions in the park such as the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden, the deYoung Fine Arts Museum, the Bison Paddock where bison herds have been grazing for over one hundred years, the tallest artificial waterfall in the West, and the Conservatory of Flowers (an ornate Victorian tropical glasshouse).

Park Land Area: 4.1 km2 / 1,017 acres | Created: 1871

by Hispalois / CC BY-SA 3.0  

# Presidio 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Overlooking the Golden Gate, this 1,500-acre park on a former military post offers superb views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the city, and the ocean.

Park with fort Land Area: 6.08 km2 / 1,500 acres

by Guillaume Paumier / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Coit Tower 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Built on Telegraph Hill in 1933, this 64 m- (210 ft-) high art-deco tower offers fantastic 360-degree bird’s-eye views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

In addition, the white-concrete Coit Tower is well-known for its wrap-around fresco murals in the American Social Realism style.

Historic Tower Total Height: 64 m | Observation Deck: 54 m [with elevator] | Completed: 1933

by Kyle Harmon/ CC BY-SA 2.0

# San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the largest contemporary art museum in the US, is known for its spectacular architecture by Swiss architect Mario Botta (1995) and the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta (2016) and its remarkable collection of modern painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts.

Show top 3 artworks (click here)

Museum Gallery Space: 16,000 m2 | Opened: 1935 | Visitors (2017): 1,113,984

by Henri Matisse / Public Domain

# Asian Art Museum 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

This impressive museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of Asian art.

Of its 18,000 objects and works of art, 2’500 are on display.

Museum Highlight of the Collection: Ritual Vessel in the Shape of a Rhinoceros (1100s–1050 BCE))

by Mountain / Public Domain

# Lombard Street 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Packed with tourist cars on weekends, this steep and winding one-block portion of Lombard Street contains eight hairpin turns, adorned with beautiful flower beds between the bends.

Street

by Supercarwaar / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Palace of Fine Arts 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

This Roman Revival rotunda and peristyle were originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.

Monumental structure

by King of Hearts / CC BY-SA 4.0

# Fisherman’s Wharf 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

This delightful outdoor area along the waterfront is known for its souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, and the famous sea lions at Pier 39.

City District

by Almondox / CC BY-SA 3.0

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class  

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent 

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in San Francisco

    • Lands End (park and viewpoint) 5.5
    • California Academy of Sciences (museum) 5.5
    • Chinatown (city district)5.5
    • California Palace of the Legion of Honor (museum) 5.5
    • De Young Museum (museum) 5.5
    • Twin Peaks (viewpoint) 5.5
    • AT&T Park (stadium) 5
    • Baker Beach (beach and viewpoint) 5
    • Cable Cars 5
    • City Hall 5
    • Aquarium of the Bay (109 m tunnel, 2,600,000 l total, 6,000 m2) 5
    • Grace Cathedral 5
    • Transamerica Pyramid (total height 260 m, no observation deck, completed 1972) 5

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from San Francisco

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (World Heritage Site since 1984, 265 km from San Francisco) 6

E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in San Francisco (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend you when visiting San Francisco for at least three entire days:

Golden Gate Bridge 8

Alcatraz (island with prison)  6

Golden Gate Park 6

 Presidio (park) 6

Coit Tower 6

Museum of Modern Art 6

 Asian Art Museum 6

Lombard Street 5.5

Palace of Fine Arts 5.5

Fisherman’s Wharf 5.5

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