San Francisco 3-Day Itinerary

This plan gives each day one part of the city and keeps the Golden Gate Bridge for the middle, so you have a spare day to swap if the fog is thick. It assumes you've booked an Alcatraz ferry for the first morning.

Day 1: The waterfront, Alcatraz and North Beach

8am: Breakfast at the Ferry Building, then walk north along the Embarcadero to Pier 33.

9.30am: Ferry to Alcatraz. Take the audio tour at your own pace, then walk the gardens.

1pm: Back on land, walk up to North Beach for a late lunch.

3pm: Climb Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower, then come down the Filbert Steps.

5pm: City Lights bookstore, then into Chinatown through the back streets, ending on Stockton Street and Grant Avenue.

Evening: Dinner in North Beach or Chinatown.

Day 2: Cable cars, the Marina and the bridge

8am: Beat the queue at the Powell and Market turntable and ride the Powell-Hyde line over Nob Hill and Russian Hill. Get off at Lombard Street to walk down the famous zigzag block, then ride on to the end at Aquatic Park.

10am: A quick look at the sea lions at Pier 39, or skip it and head west along the waterfront.

11am: Walk through Fort Mason and the Marina to the Palace of Fine Arts, and have lunch on Chestnut Street.

1.30pm: Follow Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge and walk out onto it.

4pm: Fit walkers can continue along the coastal trail past Baker Beach to Lands End. Everyone else can take the 28 bus back.

Sunset: The ruins of the Sutro Baths at Lands End, with the ocean in front of you.

Day 3: Golden Gate Park, the Haight and the Mission

9.30am: Golden Gate Park. Go up the de Young Museum's tower for the view, then visit the Japanese Tea Garden next door or the California Academy of Sciences.

12.30pm: Walk east into Haight-Ashbury, home of the 1967 Summer of Love, for vintage shops and lunch.

2.30pm: Take Muni to the Mission. Visit Mission Dolores, then the murals in Clarion Alley and Balmy Alley.

5pm: Join the locals on the lawn at Dolores Park, with the skyline in front of you.

Evening: A burrito on 24th Street, or a proper dinner on Valencia Street.

With a fourth day, take the ferry to Sausalito or book a Muir Woods parking slot or shuttle, as explained in our day trips guide.