Reviewing San Francisco’s Most Popular Attractions (+Hidden Gems)

by Alicja Banasiak, University of California Santa Cruz

Golden Gate Park

Huge park with so much beautiful scenery! I had the pleasure of spending a really sunny day there and renting an electric bike to see around the place which I definitely recommend. Although, bikes can be hard to find on a sunny day they are a really fun way to see a lot of the park. The academy of science was a little underwhelming once you’ve been to the museums in Manchester especially with how busy it was! With the best places having mighty queues. Overall, a great location to relax and take a breather from the concrete jungle!

Palace of Fine Arts

Such a hidden gem in San Francisco. A surreal place that literally feels like it teleports you out of SF and it’s free! Despite going on a cloudy day the palace still looked wonderful from all angles. It took me and a friend about an hour to walk around so this is certainly not a whole day activity. It is located very close to the golden gate bridge which could be your next stop on your sightseeing trip. The lake even had turtles swimming in it which was a surprise so don’t forget to look out for those! Overall, a super photogenic place worth visiting for a short walk.

Pier 39

Been here three times and the sea lions never get boring! There is always a mini crowd watching two males fight for their place to sleep, it is genuinely entertaining. The pier itself has really good vibes, great food and tons of niche shops to check out. I went to the mirror maze with a friend and we spent about 40mins running around lost! It costed 10$ for entry though so you do want to make the most out of it! The pier is usually quiet busy but it’s definitely worth a visit.

Japan Town

If you are fascinated by Japanese culture then this is definitely worth a visit. It is an indoors centre (perfect for a wetter day!) full of Asian restaurants and shops with anime merch and Asian beauty products! If you like ramen there is tons of options to choose from here although, come early because the wait can be quiet long. I must recommend you try the matcha ice cream too which is super nice. Perfect as a half-day activity!

Comment on driving in SF

My friend had a car so we opted for driving instead of walking around because it is genuinely really hilly around the city. However! Be aware that some hills are super steep to drive on so I wouldn’t recommend new drivers hopping in the car in SF. Not to mention parking is a semi big issue, we sometimes had to park 20 minutes away from our destinations or pay high parking fees. However, public transport is pretty efficient too and you can get to most places but it is a bit more tiring.