A few hours in San Francisco - what should I do?

[LaCerbiatta]

I'm going to the Bay Area for work and will have one day (until 4pm ish) to visit San Francisco. Any recommendations? Preferably all in the same area so I don't have to waste time moving around and with some nice shopping if possible. Just want a feel for the city really 🙂

*Is it taxi?

Open top bus tour to see all the sights in one go. For me the essence of SF is the architecture and the ridiculously steep streets so the bus tour was a great way to see those things, plus we went over the bridge to Sausalito. Pretty sure you can do a shorter tour if you only have a few hours.

One of my must-dos was a visit to an amazing little bakery called Mr Holmes but it was sited on the roughest street in town and we feared for our wallets and safety so don’t just go wandering on your own. There is a big drug problem in SF and as such some slightly scary areas, especially for anyone who is obviously a tourist.

You can do a boat trip from the wharf that goes past Alcatraz and close to the Golden Gate, think it takes about an hour - I did it on my first evening there - great way to blow away any cobwebs.

I am not sure about Alcatraz. It's nice if you had a long weekend there, but not a must see in my mind. It will take hours.

I really like the old ferry building, and walking along the water front, Chinatown, the neighbourhood around the Coit Tower, kind of the old SF you can stroll around in. I second the Mission neighbourhood for food, street art, etc. If I could have some time there, that is what I would do. But I love discovering cities by foot, and just to wonder around.

@rookiemere and @RaisedByPangolins suggestions sound great.

We found the Golden Gate Bridge really underwhelming. It’s a bit like a cross between the Forth bridges. Alcatraz was good though!

I did this a few years ago though my one day was slightly longer - from what I recall, I think I went to the Haight Ashbury area for a stroll, got some brunch, browsed in a nice bookstore. From there I went to the botanical gardens and then to Zuni to treat myself to a special lunch (couldn't manage the famous roast chicken as a solo diner but it was still great). I much prefer that kind of thing to doing the usual touristy stuff but then I had done Fishermen's Wharf and the Golden Gate bridge on a one day visit years ago so those itches were scratched