Alert: due to extremely poor air quality in SF resulting from the forest fire, many park areas and activities (including Alcatraz visits) are closed starting Nov 16, through Sunday, Nov 18. 

See GGNRA website for list of closed facilities.

See Bay Area Air Quality for current air quality status.

The Unofficial Guide
to San Francisco Tourism
...insider tips from a local

San Francisco has a mystique all its own. The pretty Victorians climbing its steep hills, the clang of the cable cars, the fresh sea air and the swirling fog...there's magic afoot!

I live in San Francisco - I've been here over 20 years, and was born just across the Bay - but the City still casts its spell over me.

View of Golden Gate Bridge and SF from Battery SpencerView from the Marin Headlands

I want you to enjoy it as much as I do, hence this guide. I'll tell you what it's really like, unlike the usual tourist websites.

  • Candid reviews of the popular attractions.
  • Insider tips on what to see and do (or not do!).
  • How to get discounts on popular tours.
  • Where the locals go: our favorite haunts.
  • Where the locals park ;-)

Browse through the site to get some ideas for fun things to do in San Francisco. First-timers, repeat visitors, and local Bay Area folks, welcome!

Popular SF Attractions

Pier 39 San Francisco, view of bayPier 39
Cable car at Grant Avenue in San Francisco ChinatownChinatown
Alcatraz prison exercise yardAlcatraz
Blooming Hydrangea bushes on Lombard Street, San FranciscoLombard Street
Rowboats for rent at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park, SFGolden Gate Park
Crab stand at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.Fisherman's Wharf


Things to do in SF

View from Lands End Coastal TrailLands End HIke
View of Alcatraz on Blue and God FerryBay Cruises
View of Ocean Beach San FranciscoSF Beaches


San Francisco Museums

California Academy of Sciences, living roofAcademy of Sciences
Exploratorium color exhibitExploratorium
de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Franciscode Young Art Museum


Fun Day Trips 

Napa Valley VineyardsNapa Valley
Muir Woods National Park entrance signMuir Woods
Angel Island, San Francisco BayAngel Island


When I travel, I love to get suggestions from the people who actually live there. And now you know someone in San Francisco!

Take a look and get recommendations for: 

  • Fun things to do in the city.
  • Great restaurants, where the locals eat.
  • Attractive (and safe) places to stay.
  • Tourist attractions that are really worth seeing.
  • Ideas for day trips out of SF.

Come and join us...  Sit in a cosy San Francisco cafe, order an Irish coffee, and listen to the foghorns while the mist gathers outside.

Wander the streets where Sam Spade, Janis Joplin and the Beat Generation hung out.

Go off the beaten track... See some sights that most visitors don't see, like the haunting ruins of the Sutro Baths. 

Ruins of the Sutro BathsThe Sutro Baths

Check out my tips for finding the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, like the one at the top of this page.

Ready to explore San Francisco like a local? Take a look through the site and see what sparks an interest.

Tuxedo cat sleeping in a planter box with purple pansies.San Francisco native...after a long day of sightseeing.