San Francisco is a bustling city that attracts more than 20 million visitors a year and most of them are eager to see the red bridge that made the city famous throughout the world. The Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see destination for those visiting the City by the Bay, whether it’s a one-day or a week-long trip. How many days will you need to visit San Francisco?
Whether you still have to decide how many days to dedicate to this city or you already know, in this article, I will try to give you some useful hints. First, I will tell you what in my opinion is the minimum time to spend to really get in touch with the eccentric soul of this city, and then provide you with itineraries designed to make the most of the days available.
In short, how many days to spend in San Francisco? And what attractions can you see if you have 1, 2, 3, 4, or 7 days?
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How Many Days to Spend in San Francisco?
If you are wondering what is the adequate amount of time needed to properly visit this extravagant city, I would say that probably the most reasonable answer is to visit San Francisco in 3 days, not so much because in this time frame you will be able to see everything (forget it!), but because spending 3 days is a good compromise that allows you to enjoy at least the main attractions.
Sure, the list of things to do in San Francisco and its surroundings is so long that you won’t get bored even in a week (as you will see) but you rarely have more than 3 days to visit the city, as your visit is often part of a road trip across California or the West Coast.
In most cases, people only dedicate 2 days to San Francisco or, alas, even just 1. In these cases, you will have to miss out on many places of interest and it will be more difficult to fully experience this city, but we will give you our best advice so that you can make the most of it. Let’s see how to organize the time you have available…
One-Day Itinerary of San Francisco
First, you must make a choice. You can either spend the only day you have available visiting San Francisco’s 2 symbolic attractions, (I’m talking about Alcatraz and the Golden Gate), or to give up one of the 2 to insert something that gives you the opportunity to better know the city? Let’s see how to distribute the attractions according to these 2 case studies:
A: Itinerary with Alcatraz and Golden Gate
Start with Alcatraz. Board the boat early in the morning and dedicate the whole morning or most of it to the visit. Once you have returned from the boat ride, continue north up the bay to first cross Pier 39 and continue along Fisherman’s Wharf. From here you’ll need to move on to the Golden Gate Bridge, which can be reached by bus. You can get on at several bus stops in the area, or by renting a bike.
B: City itinerary with the Golden Gate
Skip Alcatraz and start the day by getting on a historic cable car from Powell St & Market St (red line Powell/Hyde) and get off at Lombard Street to visit one of the most famous streets in the world. Then walk up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower and see San Francisco from above. Continue north to Pier 39 and then west across Fisherman’s Wharf. After some exploring, rent a bike to visit the Golden Gate Bridge.
This is an itinerary that requires a long walk first and a nice “bike ride” so, if you’re afraid of getting too tired, you can consider renting an electric bike to visit the bridge, or taking a bus, or, even more simply, eliminating an attraction.
2-Days in San Francisco Itinerary
With 2 days at your disposal, the visit will be more relaxed and you’ll have more time to get to know San Francisco up close. This is how I would organize my stay:
Day 1: From Alcatraz to Golden Gate
Plan your day exactly as explained in point A of the previous section.
Day 2: Explore the city, ride cable cars, and visit Lombard Street
Start in the morning with a nice breakfast at the Ferry Building Marketplace, walk through the Financial District (the Transamerica Pyramid is the main landmark), and then head to, North Beach, a Italian neighborhood where the traces of the Beat movement are still visible today, Chinatown, the largest Chinese community in America, and Union Square, the city’s main square.
After passing through these neighborhoods, take the cable car and get off at Lombard Street (exactly as described in the previous paragraph), from there continue your route on foot first through Macondray Lane (Barbary Lane), then Ina Coolbrith Park and Washington Square Park. Lastly, conclude your visit by going to Coit Tower.
San Francisco 3-Day Itinerary
Over the course of 3 days, in addition to the attractions already mentioned, you will have the opportunity to explore some residential areas. Here I will briefly describe the itinerary, but the complete itinerary and itinerary map can be found in this article: San Francisco in 3 days: detailed itinerary day by day. This is how I would distribute the things to see:
Day 1: Explore the city, ride cable cars, and visit Lombard Street
Go back to the previous section to read the itinerary for the second day of the 2-day itinerary.
Day 2: From Alcatraz to the Palace of Fine Arts
Leave early in the morning to visit Alcatraz. I suggest you set aside the morning or most of it to do this. Then continue northwards along the bay. First, stop by Pier 39 and continue visiting the Fisherman’s Wharf and go all the way to Ghirardelli Square.
From there, you take the bus (30 Stockton bus) to get to the Palace of Fine Arts, one of the most beautiful monuments in the city. If you still have some time, take a short walk to Crissy Field, one of the best-known beaches in San Francisco. Here you can admire the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. The view is a nice preview of what awaits you the next day.
Day 3: From the Golden Gate Bridge to Haight-Ashbury
The first part of the day will be spent visiting the Golden Gate Bridge. I recommend that you cross it by bike. You may even get as far as Sausalito (to go back you can take the ferry from Sausalito).
In the afternoon, take public transportation to Alamo Square to see the Painted Ladies and then walk about 20 minutes to get to Haight-Ashbury, one of San Francisco’s most interesting neighborhoods.
If you still have time left, you can visit a section of Golden Gate Park, a huge park full of points of interest that is within walking distance from Haight-Ashbury. For more details on this itinerary, please read this article:
Things to do in San Francisco in 3 days
4 to 7-Day Itinerary of San Francisco
For the first 3 days, you can follow the 3-day itinerary described above, which gives you a good idea of what San Francisco has to offer. However, on the fourth day, you will be faced with a choice. You can either explore the city’s surroundings or visit other attractions in San Francisco that you have not yet seen. Both are great options. Let’s me give you more details about the 2 alternatives in order to help you make your choice:
A: Visit other attractions in the city
There are many more incredible attractions not included in the itinerary of the first 3 days… you might decide to visit SFMoMA, one of the most important contemporary art museums in the world, or spend more time visiting one of the parks, such as the Presidium or Golden Gate Park, or perhaps going to unique and historic neighborhoods like Mission and Castro?
Those who enjoy exploring museums will have many to choose from. Science lovers will be able to visit the Exploratorium, while those who grew up with Disney movies will enjoy the Walt Disney Family Museum. Those in search of something unusual will be surprised by the Musée Mécanique‘s collection of pinball machines, music machines, and coin-operated arcade games. If you want to see accurate reproductions of famous people, head to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.
What if you would like to go on a nice nature trip? You can take a beautiful scenic trail through nature without even leaving San Francisco. It’s called Lands End, and it’s a great place to see beautiful views of the coast.
B: Day Trips
If none of these attractions appeals to you, then the choice is probably made for you. On the fourth day, you can visit the fascinating surroundings of San Francisco. There is such a great variety that one more day may not be enough, as you’ll see there are so many possibilities to fill a week or more.
Nature, good wine, and breathtaking scenery. All you need to do is rent a car (or take a ferry) to reach magnificent places just a few hours from San Francisco. Let’s see what awaits you once you go beyond the city limits:
Sausalito and Muir Woods
Sausalito is a small city of 7,000 inhabitants in Marin County. As I have already mentioned, you can get there by car or bike over the Golden Gate Bridge or by ferry. The city is pretty and pristine and it stretches from the coast and to the hills where some charming villas are perched. About 20 minutes by car from Sausalito, you will find Muir Woods, a lush redwood forest that was used as a location for The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
- Read our guide to Sausalito
- Read our guide to Muir Woods
Point Bonita Lighthouse
By taking a 40-minute bus ride from Union Square, you will arrive at one of the lesser-known gems of the Bay Area. I am talking about Point Bonita Lighthouse, a spectacular lighthouse on a cliff that can be reached by crossing a suspension bridge. From the lighthouse, you can enjoy an indescribable view. The lighthouse, built in 1885, is still operational and can be visited on certain days of the week. To get there, you will have to take a short walk that is about 1-mile round trip.
The entrance can be reached by taking the 76X Marin Headlands Express (check for more information, because the service is not active every day and on the way back, there are no stops near the lighthouse, forcing you to walk almost a mile to catch the bus), or by driving a rental car. There are 3 parking lots in the surrounding area. Read our guide on Point Bonita Lighthouse.
Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley
It’s impossible not to have heard about this world-famous wine-growing area in California. Napa Valley is one of the most renowned in the world and has some of the world’s finest romantic resorts and restaurants among its vineyards. Get ready for tastings and gourmet tours. The area is one hour from San Francisco. There are also tours departing from the city.
- Read our guide to Napa and Sonoma Valley
Monterey & Carmel-by-the-Sea
To visit these two jewels on the California coast, you must head two hours south of San Francisco. The first stop will be Monterey Bay, which is teeming with restaurants along the wharf, while the second will be Carmel, which is more refined and classy. Some points of interest along the way include Pebble Beach, Lone Cypress, and Point Lobos State Reserve.
Big Sur and Highway 1
You can head even further south to California‘s most spectacular stretch of coastline. Along Highway 1, you will feel the need to stop every mile to enjoy the view, accompanied by the sound of Pacific Ocean waves crashing on the cliffs.
Make sure to stop at Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, and Pfeiffer Beach.
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park is a favorite destination for hikers and mountain lovers. Snowy and hostile in winter, green and crowded in summer, Yosemite National Park is located about 4 hours from San Francisco and it would be a shame not to visit if you have more than 4 days.
I suggest that you stay at least one night and sleep in one of the nearby towns (read our tips on where to stay in Yosemite and in the surrounding area), or leave early in the morning and return in the evening. If you’re not planning on renting a car, there are guided day tours available from San Francisco.
- Read our guide to Yosemite National Park and our article on how to get from San Francisco to Yosemite
Other San Francisco Itineraries
If you don’t want to spend too much time planning your vacation in San Francisco, here are some resources that you can easily use:
