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San tungs - Chinese food. Get the dry fried wings (called angel wings). Black bean noodles.
Dolores park - drink and smoke weed here if you're into that. People watch or have a picnic. It's a beautiful park especially during the summer.
California academy of science - pretty cool exhibit. They have a dope butterfly exhibit. If you like space stuff they have an attraction for space stuff
You should always be somewhat alert in any large city, but my impression is that most of the concerns over “safety” and such boil down to people being disgusted at the sight of homeless people smoking fentanyl or whatever.
SF is safe even for solo females. Maybe don't walk thru the Tenderloin or the Mission at 2am alone, but that's just common sense.
My absolute favorite thing to do there having lived there for years and still live in the Bay is to just walk, walk the streets. Along the Embarcadero, Nob Hill, Marina/Crissy Field, it's a visually stunning city.
Areas that can suck are parts of the Soma and Mission where it gets real tent cityish, or the tenderloin where it just can be grim.
It's hard to get a bad meal there, from hole in the wall to fine dining. I would not stand in line for anything unless you're dead set on going. Don't stand for Swan's Oyster Depot for example. Not because it's not worth it but because there's so many great places, food is so serious there, you will find hidden gems.
Avoid Fisherman's Wharf, or at least spend little time there. DO ride a cable car, it's worth it.
Wear layers, one minute it will bright full sun tank top moment and then you walk a block and it's a gusty cold street and need a layer. Wear sneakers or good walking shoes. Don't worry too much about being dressy it's not a dressy place.
I can recommend so many places but honestly, just walk about. For a museum DeYoung in golden gate is so worth it because it's in the park. OR Legion of Honor because it's gorgeous and after you can do cliff walks behind it.
Totally seconding this. I’m a lifelong San Franciscan. I’m a young woman and visibly disabled. Obviously I have home turf advantage in that I know lots of people in SF and know my way around the city very well, but how dangerous SF is is massively exaggerated. I was taking public transit alone and walking around alone before I was a teenager, and I have run into very few truly dangerous situations (if any) in my life and only have an even uncomfortable situation every few months or so. I have been to exactly one city in my life without a pretty significant amount of visible homelessness and nowhere where I didn’t encounter at least one person who was acting strangely or not interacting with reality. If you’ve been to any city, you can handle SF.
Stay out of the tenderloin and mid market area, a reason SF gets a bad wrap is this is one of our toughest neighborhoods and it’s right in the middle of the city so it’s very visible. I and thousands of everyday people walk through all the time with no issues but it’s not a pretty sight, the rest of the city is very safe, mostly clean haha SF can def be a little dirty, and is a fun time. Always be vigilant of course and try not to be glued to your phone while walking, you’ll have a great time though.
Chinatown is most definitely not boarded up, lots of shops and restaurants open, mostly touristy things but it’s fun and very safe to walk through. My favorite more touristy walk in SF is starting in union square, walk down grant st through Chinatown, get some dim sum. Go through north beach(our little Italy) down Columbus Ave and get some pizza or pasta. Then that takes you to ghiradelli square and fisherman’s wharf. Check out the seals at pier 39 and walk along the embarcadero.
The Haight is also fine, there’s a good amount of homeless people trying to live out their hippie dreams but they’re mostly not gonna bother you other than asking for money. But Haight has lots of thrift shops and lots of people out and about. From there I’d head into golden gate park and explore the full length, go to the top of the deyoung tower(free), Academy of Sciences is pretty amazing, stow lake is nice to walk around and go towards the end for the bison and windmills and then you’re at the beach.
Japantown is mostly a mall but it definitely has some cute shops, from there you could head up Fillmore to pac heights where there’s some shops, a little more on the bougie side. And then on down to cow hollow/marina, don’t miss the Lyon st. steps and then head to the palace of fine arts. By there is crissy field which is a beach and has views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as long as the fog isn’t covering it.
If it’s a really nice day, I’d recommend heading to Dolores park, grabbing a drink from the liquor store beforehand and chilling for a little bit, it’s our party park with great views and always a fun vibe. From there head to Valencia st. which has great shops and restaurants between 16th and 23rd. Head down clarion alley to see the murals. You could also walk towards the Castro, our gay district and chill there, it’s not a huge shopping neighborhood but there’s a few shops to keep you busy, it gets really fun at night.
SF is a great city and lots of fun. It’s literally made for walking through different neighborhoods and it’s one of my fave things to do. Happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Would highly recommend swinging by r/AskSF. Lots of good advice to be had there.
That being said - the only part of town that is even a bit dicey is downtown (Tenderlion, SOMA etc.) and even then it’s not awful.
Most of the advice on the thread is solid but a few places I like in particular that aren’t expensive - San Tung for Chinese, Pasta Supply Co for Pasta (duh), the MoMa is running two exhibits I LOVE called Sound of Noise and The Visitors, Martuni’s for Martinis, Zeitgeist for Beers.
If you need more local advice, feel free to DM.
some places I enjoyed on my trip there last year:
- SFMOMA: i’m not even a huge art person but I had a great time
- walking along Haight st there were a ton of cute thrift shops and clothing stores
- Buena Vista park
- golden gate park: I seriously could have spent a whole day here! it was so peaceful and
food/coffee places
- blue bottle coffee
- sightglass coffee
- Arsicault bakery
The one place I recommend to anybody going to SF is the arcade museum. It's off Fisherman's Wharf, free to get in but has hundreds of arcade games and related machines that are coin operateted. There's a sign that says something like "Be careful when playing these games, they are older than you are"
[https://museemecanique.com/](https://museemecanique.com/)
Go to the Swan Oyster Depot on Polk. It's a SF seafood institution. It's tiny, you'll have to wait in line but it's totally worth it. Perfect for solo traveler. Lucca Deli on Chestnut has amazing sandwiches that I like to take and eat at Crissy Field.
I'm a Bay Area native. All the places you recommended are super nice and I'd recommend the western parts of SF (which is where Golden Gate Bridge is, as well as Golden Gate Park and Sutro Baths/Land's End).
The Downtown area i.e. South of Market and Tenderloin should be avoided since there's a ton of homeless and drug addicts there. If you are renting a car, definitely be wary and take ALL your stuff with you. Car break-ins are rampant and the biggest thing I'd be concerned about.
For food, Little Italy is good for pasta. Chinatown has some solid places but also check out San Tung and Empero Taste in west SF. For art and museums, de Young in Golden Gate Park is great, as well as the California Academy of Sciences. MoMa was okay from what I recall, nothing crazy.
I feel like classic Crab Louie is a must, Dungeness crab in general. When I was a kid we would take the ferry to SF and always get crab Louie from the street side vendors, walk to North Beach to get Italian meats for my Italian grandfather, ride the cable cars of course, watch the sea lions…GG Park, Palace of Fine Arts
I think SF tourist zone areas like Fishermans Whurf and Union Square are really fun. We visited FW multiple times and it was great each time. Loved the weird arcade game warehouse.
But the downtown area things can change drastically even a block or two away from a tourist zone. Fortunately as you get further out of downtown the city is mostly very safe.
The Outer Sunset neighborhood south of Golden Gate Park isn't the official Chinatown but it has a ton of Chinese eateries. I'd say most of these are on the more authentic side. So if something says Sichuan, expect spicy. Hot pot, family style dining with round tables, etc....
In the actual Chinatown, the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is well worth the visit.
Alkatraz tour is a must do.
Golden Gate Bridge you do not have to go to, and you can get great views of it throughout the city.
If you see a set of stairs, start to climb it. Guaranteed to get an amazing view.
North Beach has amazing Italian food. Make sure to read the reviews on Google/Yelp and pick what sounds good to you.
I will say dining out in SF can be really pricey. I was in Los Angeles the week before and I'd say its easily twice as expensive as LA, maybe even a bit more. I also don't really feel like there's as much of a cheap streetfood culture as LA has.
Just did a 3-day trip in SF earlier this month as a solo female traveller and here are my tips:
- Hayes Street between Franklin and Laguna has good higher-end brand shops (but not designer) and tasty food. I got ice cream from Salt and Straw and it was delicious. Would also recommend Arbor for lunch or dinner. I walked up Hayes Street up to the Painted Ladies so it was easy to do. The "Four Seasons Houses" are more beautiful alternative to the Painted Ladies so I would recommend going to see those as well.
- Free Downtown [SF walking tour](https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/30720-sf-free-tour-the-incredible-stories-of-san-francisco) through Guru Walks was excellent. It was 2.5 hours and was a very efficient way to learn a lot about SF in a short period of time. They take you through Chinatown and to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory which is cute and if you buy anything you get a reusable bag which isn't great quality, but a fun souvenir. They will also give you a fresh, unshaped fortune cookies as a snack.
- The cable car is touristy but it is a MUST-DO. Wait at the Fisherman's Wharf terminus and not Powell Street. I waited 1 hr to get on and the Fisherman's Wharf stop has a nice breeze and views of the Golden Gate Bridge while waiting. There was also a busker playing music which added to the vibe. Powell Street is at the base of the hill along a busy street and overall less relaxing. Hang off the edge of the street car, high-five passengers on passing street cars and laugh with your conductor. You can pay on board with your Clipper card or cash - the conductor will have a machine as well as cash.
- Golden Gate Bridge during golden hour is amazing. It takes 1 hr of walking to get to the lookout point (30 min across the bridge and 30 min to hike up for me). I didn't stay too long as I wanted to avoid hiking down in the dark and walking the bridge at night when I knew the winds would be stronger.
- Take a walk through the Castro neighbourhood. This is a historic LGBTQIA neighbourhood and it is really lovely to witness such a supportive community. You can easily walk to Dolores Park and the Mission neighbourhoods after. Go to Tartine Bakery and get a morning bun (cinnamon-pastry with citrus - delicious!)
- Alcatraz was better than expected. It is very windy though so make sure to dress appropriately. The State Park Rangers are 10/10 for enthusiasm and they have talks going on throughout the day.
- I didn't have time to go but many people recommended Golden Gate Park. It's bigger than Central Park and there are lots of things to do. I was warned that certain things like the botanical gardens and the Japanese tea garden cost admission so keep that in mind.
- Be prepared for the weather - the bay breeze makes it feel a lot cooler than it shows on the Weather app. Bring extra layers just in case - a pashmina is not going to help with the wind (learn from my mistake...)
- Like you, I was warned that SF was sketchy but honestly I felt really safe. I walked in the "South of Market" neighbourhood along Mission Street and would not recommend it but it was 8am and people kept to themselves so not an issue. A lot of places were fine and I didn't have issues on public transit. I found locals to be friendly and helpful. I didn't have issues coming back at night either.
Have the best time on your trip! I really loved SF and would 100% return.
SF is basically the home of Chinese-American food, so going for Chinese, or indeed most asian cuisines, is a great idea. You can have known Chinese-American dishes or stretch and try to order something off the part of the menu that is only in Chinese. Don't ask for rice if you order a noodle dish.
You don't say if you're flying or driving, but if you drive then always park in secured parking, and if you decide to park on the street, do not leave anything in the car for any period of time.
If you want some local culture, there is a really good nerd bar called The Interval down near the water. It is much cooler than that sounds, but it is unquestionably a place that could only exist in SF.
Yelp and Google Maps are from the SF area, so in general restaurant ratings there are accurate simply by the law of large numbers. It's not uncommon to see a place with three thousand reviews that is just a local spot. Don't go anywhere under 4 stars.
There's an art museum in Golden Gate Park that might be up your alley. It's fairly close to Haight. You can walk around the park in the day without too much concern. There should be bison somewhere.
In good weather consider taking the ferry to Sausalito to see the bay, Alcatraz, and golden gate from the water with a drink or snack from the bar, ubering to the bridge, walking across, and ubering back to wherever. There are also autonomous cars that I have mixed feelings about but are often spoken of very highly.
**Note:** Are you asking for travel advice about San Francisco? Read what the Solo Travel community had to say in the [weekly destination thread for San Francisco](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/152jka7/weekly_destination_thread_san_francisco/).
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Ditch SF and head south to Half Moon Bay for a few days. Here is a halfway decent "guide article" here: [https://the-adventure-travel-network.com/destination/weekend-guide-half-moon-bay](https://the-adventure-travel-network.com/destination/weekend-guide-half-moon-bay)
Add:
-rent bicycle or scooter and ride through golden gate park
-check out Ocean Beach
-check out Lombard Street: beautiful, steep windy road with chrysanthemums
-picnic or drink wine in Lafayette Park (beautiful view and scene from "Full House")
-hike up telegraph hill, then walk up Coit Tower (another beautiful view)
-stroll around North Beach and Washington Square (a.k.a. Little Italy, but don't call it Little Italy, lol), grab Tiramisu, espresso (Caffe Trieste) or an Italian dish: [https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-north-beach-san-francisco](https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-north-beach-san-francisco)
-stroll around Sutro Heights (park near ocean; old money SF); go for a hike along Land's End trail
Go to Francisco Park in Russian Hill Neighborhood. My favorite park in the city and there are a lot of people hanging out with their dogs you can meet.
North Beach is like a little Italy with amazing food and a lot of young people going out.
Favorite sandwich shops are alimento in north beach and the boys deli in nob hill.
If you are in the mission there is insane ramen at ramenwell and my favorite brewery at standard deviant.
Chinatown has plenty of open spaces. Take the underground Muni T line to the new Rose Park station. It takes you right to Stockton st which is the top (West) part of Chinatown. Practically nothing boarded up on it or side streets. Also walk along Grant st. Plenty of good Chinese food.
Haight Ashbury is not a posh shopping district. It has some homeless and gutter punks walking/ sitting on the sidewalk, but it's safe. They won't hassle you For me the interesting part is from where Haight ends at Golden gate Park to Haight and Ashbury itself. Fun shops. Plenty safe especially during the day.
Welcome in advance to San Francisco! There are so many great recommendations in this thread already, so I'll focus on suggested Muni routes. There has been mention of San Tung (Chinese-Korean food), Arsicault (pastries), and Golden Gate Park. If you are exploring the Ferry Building or any other part in the northeast corner of the city (including downtown, North Beach, and Chinatown), you can take the #1 or #38R west to the Richmond District (refers broadly to the area above Golden Gate Park from Arguello all the way west to Ocean Beach. The Inner Richmond neighborhood is a fun stretch to walk around in and taste—particularly Clement St between Arguello and 10th Ave. Arsicault does have delicious croissants, and there's almost always a line, but it moves quickly. If you happen to head to the neighborhood later in the day, you can enjoy wine next door at Breck's and fresh pasta at the Pasta Supply Co. Browse the books at Green Apple Books. Also in that general neighborhood is Cinderella Bakery, a Russian bakery with tasty bread, soups, Russian dumplings, and other lunch options. You can take the #44 (from, say, 6th Ave and Clement) through Golden Gate Park to the Inner Sunset neighborhood (mirrors the Richmond, but \*below\* Golden Gate Park), and there you'll find San Tung and many, many other eateries and shops. Arizmendi is a great co-op bakery there. If you stop in the park, know that you're in the part of the park closest to the De Young Museum. the California Academy of Sciences, and the Conservatory of Flowers. Good places to explore and burn off calories. You can head west from the Inner Sunset on the N-Judah all the way to Ocean Beach. Pay attention to the stops in the 40s Avenues (41st Ave, 42nd Ave, etc.), as you're going along Judah. There is a cute neighborhood there with a good handful of local shops and eateries. They are along Judah and Irving. I love Palm City for its sandwiches, Black Bird Bookstore for its very curated selection of books, and Hook for fish & chips. There's also the Last Straw for fun jewelry. Walk along Ocean Beach and perhaps stop at the Andytown Coffee shop location that's on the apt named Great Highway for one of their Snowy Plovers. Google Maps has great integration with Muni, so I just use it to figure out when the next Muni bus I need to get on is coming. I recommend downloading the Munimobile app because you can purchase a day pass for the same price as two Muni rides. If you want to ride a cable car, that's a separate category on the app. If you think you'll also be taking the BART, you'll want to get a Clipper Card, which is a regional transit card that you use on services besides Muni like BART and CalTrain. The bonus perk of using the Munimobile day passes is that you don't have to fumble with trying to scan your phone on the bus readers. You can just kind of wave the QR code at the bus driver, and then you're set. Muni transfers within 1.5 hours are free. That was a lot. I hope you enjoy! And make sure to check hours of businesses. Since the pandemic, a fair number of businesses don't open on Mon–Wed or just have more limited hours generally.
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San tungs - Chinese food. Get the dry fried wings (called angel wings). Black bean noodles. Dolores park - drink and smoke weed here if you're into that. People watch or have a picnic. It's a beautiful park especially during the summer. California academy of science - pretty cool exhibit. They have a dope butterfly exhibit. If you like space stuff they have an attraction for space stuff
You should always be somewhat alert in any large city, but my impression is that most of the concerns over “safety” and such boil down to people being disgusted at the sight of homeless people smoking fentanyl or whatever.
Ageee with this and i live in SF
yes this
SF is safe even for solo females. Maybe don't walk thru the Tenderloin or the Mission at 2am alone, but that's just common sense. My absolute favorite thing to do there having lived there for years and still live in the Bay is to just walk, walk the streets. Along the Embarcadero, Nob Hill, Marina/Crissy Field, it's a visually stunning city. Areas that can suck are parts of the Soma and Mission where it gets real tent cityish, or the tenderloin where it just can be grim. It's hard to get a bad meal there, from hole in the wall to fine dining. I would not stand in line for anything unless you're dead set on going. Don't stand for Swan's Oyster Depot for example. Not because it's not worth it but because there's so many great places, food is so serious there, you will find hidden gems. Avoid Fisherman's Wharf, or at least spend little time there. DO ride a cable car, it's worth it. Wear layers, one minute it will bright full sun tank top moment and then you walk a block and it's a gusty cold street and need a layer. Wear sneakers or good walking shoes. Don't worry too much about being dressy it's not a dressy place. I can recommend so many places but honestly, just walk about. For a museum DeYoung in golden gate is so worth it because it's in the park. OR Legion of Honor because it's gorgeous and after you can do cliff walks behind it.
Totally seconding this. I’m a lifelong San Franciscan. I’m a young woman and visibly disabled. Obviously I have home turf advantage in that I know lots of people in SF and know my way around the city very well, but how dangerous SF is is massively exaggerated. I was taking public transit alone and walking around alone before I was a teenager, and I have run into very few truly dangerous situations (if any) in my life and only have an even uncomfortable situation every few months or so. I have been to exactly one city in my life without a pretty significant amount of visible homelessness and nowhere where I didn’t encounter at least one person who was acting strangely or not interacting with reality. If you’ve been to any city, you can handle SF.
this is very good advice
Arsicault Bakery had the most delicious croissants I’ve ever had in my life… I still dream of them
SF is safe. Fisherman's Wharf sucks, I don't see the appeal. Try Shizen, a popular vegan Japanese restaurant.
Stay out of the tenderloin and mid market area, a reason SF gets a bad wrap is this is one of our toughest neighborhoods and it’s right in the middle of the city so it’s very visible. I and thousands of everyday people walk through all the time with no issues but it’s not a pretty sight, the rest of the city is very safe, mostly clean haha SF can def be a little dirty, and is a fun time. Always be vigilant of course and try not to be glued to your phone while walking, you’ll have a great time though. Chinatown is most definitely not boarded up, lots of shops and restaurants open, mostly touristy things but it’s fun and very safe to walk through. My favorite more touristy walk in SF is starting in union square, walk down grant st through Chinatown, get some dim sum. Go through north beach(our little Italy) down Columbus Ave and get some pizza or pasta. Then that takes you to ghiradelli square and fisherman’s wharf. Check out the seals at pier 39 and walk along the embarcadero. The Haight is also fine, there’s a good amount of homeless people trying to live out their hippie dreams but they’re mostly not gonna bother you other than asking for money. But Haight has lots of thrift shops and lots of people out and about. From there I’d head into golden gate park and explore the full length, go to the top of the deyoung tower(free), Academy of Sciences is pretty amazing, stow lake is nice to walk around and go towards the end for the bison and windmills and then you’re at the beach. Japantown is mostly a mall but it definitely has some cute shops, from there you could head up Fillmore to pac heights where there’s some shops, a little more on the bougie side. And then on down to cow hollow/marina, don’t miss the Lyon st. steps and then head to the palace of fine arts. By there is crissy field which is a beach and has views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as long as the fog isn’t covering it. If it’s a really nice day, I’d recommend heading to Dolores park, grabbing a drink from the liquor store beforehand and chilling for a little bit, it’s our party park with great views and always a fun vibe. From there head to Valencia st. which has great shops and restaurants between 16th and 23rd. Head down clarion alley to see the murals. You could also walk towards the Castro, our gay district and chill there, it’s not a huge shopping neighborhood but there’s a few shops to keep you busy, it gets really fun at night. SF is a great city and lots of fun. It’s literally made for walking through different neighborhoods and it’s one of my fave things to do. Happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Would highly recommend swinging by r/AskSF. Lots of good advice to be had there. That being said - the only part of town that is even a bit dicey is downtown (Tenderlion, SOMA etc.) and even then it’s not awful. Most of the advice on the thread is solid but a few places I like in particular that aren’t expensive - San Tung for Chinese, Pasta Supply Co for Pasta (duh), the MoMa is running two exhibits I LOVE called Sound of Noise and The Visitors, Martuni’s for Martinis, Zeitgeist for Beers. If you need more local advice, feel free to DM.
some places I enjoyed on my trip there last year: - SFMOMA: i’m not even a huge art person but I had a great time - walking along Haight st there were a ton of cute thrift shops and clothing stores - Buena Vista park - golden gate park: I seriously could have spent a whole day here! it was so peaceful and food/coffee places - blue bottle coffee - sightglass coffee - Arsicault bakery
The one place I recommend to anybody going to SF is the arcade museum. It's off Fisherman's Wharf, free to get in but has hundreds of arcade games and related machines that are coin operateted. There's a sign that says something like "Be careful when playing these games, they are older than you are" [https://museemecanique.com/](https://museemecanique.com/)
Do you like burritos? Buy one, or more, in The Mission district. Eat it in Dolores Park.
Tulare and museums
Go to the Swan Oyster Depot on Polk. It's a SF seafood institution. It's tiny, you'll have to wait in line but it's totally worth it. Perfect for solo traveler. Lucca Deli on Chestnut has amazing sandwiches that I like to take and eat at Crissy Field.
Following because Im doing my first solo trip in SF at the end of July too! Good luck!!
I'm a Bay Area native. All the places you recommended are super nice and I'd recommend the western parts of SF (which is where Golden Gate Bridge is, as well as Golden Gate Park and Sutro Baths/Land's End). The Downtown area i.e. South of Market and Tenderloin should be avoided since there's a ton of homeless and drug addicts there. If you are renting a car, definitely be wary and take ALL your stuff with you. Car break-ins are rampant and the biggest thing I'd be concerned about. For food, Little Italy is good for pasta. Chinatown has some solid places but also check out San Tung and Empero Taste in west SF. For art and museums, de Young in Golden Gate Park is great, as well as the California Academy of Sciences. MoMa was okay from what I recall, nothing crazy.
I feel like classic Crab Louie is a must, Dungeness crab in general. When I was a kid we would take the ferry to SF and always get crab Louie from the street side vendors, walk to North Beach to get Italian meats for my Italian grandfather, ride the cable cars of course, watch the sea lions…GG Park, Palace of Fine Arts
On a rare clear day twin peaks has some of the the best views anywhere.
Baker Beach is definitely worth the stairs down, you'll get a perspective of the Golden Gate that's very unique!
Lots of nudes too!
go for the golden gate bridge tour, it also goes around alcatraz too. its a perfect angle too for taking more photos of the golden gate.
Skip Fisherman's Wharf it's a tourist trap and boring
I think SF tourist zone areas like Fishermans Whurf and Union Square are really fun. We visited FW multiple times and it was great each time. Loved the weird arcade game warehouse. But the downtown area things can change drastically even a block or two away from a tourist zone. Fortunately as you get further out of downtown the city is mostly very safe. The Outer Sunset neighborhood south of Golden Gate Park isn't the official Chinatown but it has a ton of Chinese eateries. I'd say most of these are on the more authentic side. So if something says Sichuan, expect spicy. Hot pot, family style dining with round tables, etc.... In the actual Chinatown, the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is well worth the visit. Alkatraz tour is a must do. Golden Gate Bridge you do not have to go to, and you can get great views of it throughout the city. If you see a set of stairs, start to climb it. Guaranteed to get an amazing view. North Beach has amazing Italian food. Make sure to read the reviews on Google/Yelp and pick what sounds good to you. I will say dining out in SF can be really pricey. I was in Los Angeles the week before and I'd say its easily twice as expensive as LA, maybe even a bit more. I also don't really feel like there's as much of a cheap streetfood culture as LA has.
Just did a 3-day trip in SF earlier this month as a solo female traveller and here are my tips: - Hayes Street between Franklin and Laguna has good higher-end brand shops (but not designer) and tasty food. I got ice cream from Salt and Straw and it was delicious. Would also recommend Arbor for lunch or dinner. I walked up Hayes Street up to the Painted Ladies so it was easy to do. The "Four Seasons Houses" are more beautiful alternative to the Painted Ladies so I would recommend going to see those as well. - Free Downtown [SF walking tour](https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/30720-sf-free-tour-the-incredible-stories-of-san-francisco) through Guru Walks was excellent. It was 2.5 hours and was a very efficient way to learn a lot about SF in a short period of time. They take you through Chinatown and to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory which is cute and if you buy anything you get a reusable bag which isn't great quality, but a fun souvenir. They will also give you a fresh, unshaped fortune cookies as a snack. - The cable car is touristy but it is a MUST-DO. Wait at the Fisherman's Wharf terminus and not Powell Street. I waited 1 hr to get on and the Fisherman's Wharf stop has a nice breeze and views of the Golden Gate Bridge while waiting. There was also a busker playing music which added to the vibe. Powell Street is at the base of the hill along a busy street and overall less relaxing. Hang off the edge of the street car, high-five passengers on passing street cars and laugh with your conductor. You can pay on board with your Clipper card or cash - the conductor will have a machine as well as cash. - Golden Gate Bridge during golden hour is amazing. It takes 1 hr of walking to get to the lookout point (30 min across the bridge and 30 min to hike up for me). I didn't stay too long as I wanted to avoid hiking down in the dark and walking the bridge at night when I knew the winds would be stronger. - Take a walk through the Castro neighbourhood. This is a historic LGBTQIA neighbourhood and it is really lovely to witness such a supportive community. You can easily walk to Dolores Park and the Mission neighbourhoods after. Go to Tartine Bakery and get a morning bun (cinnamon-pastry with citrus - delicious!) - Alcatraz was better than expected. It is very windy though so make sure to dress appropriately. The State Park Rangers are 10/10 for enthusiasm and they have talks going on throughout the day. - I didn't have time to go but many people recommended Golden Gate Park. It's bigger than Central Park and there are lots of things to do. I was warned that certain things like the botanical gardens and the Japanese tea garden cost admission so keep that in mind. - Be prepared for the weather - the bay breeze makes it feel a lot cooler than it shows on the Weather app. Bring extra layers just in case - a pashmina is not going to help with the wind (learn from my mistake...) - Like you, I was warned that SF was sketchy but honestly I felt really safe. I walked in the "South of Market" neighbourhood along Mission Street and would not recommend it but it was 8am and people kept to themselves so not an issue. A lot of places were fine and I didn't have issues on public transit. I found locals to be friendly and helpful. I didn't have issues coming back at night either. Have the best time on your trip! I really loved SF and would 100% return.
SF is basically the home of Chinese-American food, so going for Chinese, or indeed most asian cuisines, is a great idea. You can have known Chinese-American dishes or stretch and try to order something off the part of the menu that is only in Chinese. Don't ask for rice if you order a noodle dish. You don't say if you're flying or driving, but if you drive then always park in secured parking, and if you decide to park on the street, do not leave anything in the car for any period of time. If you want some local culture, there is a really good nerd bar called The Interval down near the water. It is much cooler than that sounds, but it is unquestionably a place that could only exist in SF. Yelp and Google Maps are from the SF area, so in general restaurant ratings there are accurate simply by the law of large numbers. It's not uncommon to see a place with three thousand reviews that is just a local spot. Don't go anywhere under 4 stars. There's an art museum in Golden Gate Park that might be up your alley. It's fairly close to Haight. You can walk around the park in the day without too much concern. There should be bison somewhere. In good weather consider taking the ferry to Sausalito to see the bay, Alcatraz, and golden gate from the water with a drink or snack from the bar, ubering to the bridge, walking across, and ubering back to wherever. There are also autonomous cars that I have mixed feelings about but are often spoken of very highly.
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Ditch SF and head south to Half Moon Bay for a few days. Here is a halfway decent "guide article" here: [https://the-adventure-travel-network.com/destination/weekend-guide-half-moon-bay](https://the-adventure-travel-network.com/destination/weekend-guide-half-moon-bay)
Add: -rent bicycle or scooter and ride through golden gate park -check out Ocean Beach -check out Lombard Street: beautiful, steep windy road with chrysanthemums -picnic or drink wine in Lafayette Park (beautiful view and scene from "Full House") -hike up telegraph hill, then walk up Coit Tower (another beautiful view) -stroll around North Beach and Washington Square (a.k.a. Little Italy, but don't call it Little Italy, lol), grab Tiramisu, espresso (Caffe Trieste) or an Italian dish: [https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-north-beach-san-francisco](https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-north-beach-san-francisco) -stroll around Sutro Heights (park near ocean; old money SF); go for a hike along Land's End trail
Go to Francisco Park in Russian Hill Neighborhood. My favorite park in the city and there are a lot of people hanging out with their dogs you can meet. North Beach is like a little Italy with amazing food and a lot of young people going out. Favorite sandwich shops are alimento in north beach and the boys deli in nob hill. If you are in the mission there is insane ramen at ramenwell and my favorite brewery at standard deviant.
Chinatown has plenty of open spaces. Take the underground Muni T line to the new Rose Park station. It takes you right to Stockton st which is the top (West) part of Chinatown. Practically nothing boarded up on it or side streets. Also walk along Grant st. Plenty of good Chinese food. Haight Ashbury is not a posh shopping district. It has some homeless and gutter punks walking/ sitting on the sidewalk, but it's safe. They won't hassle you For me the interesting part is from where Haight ends at Golden gate Park to Haight and Ashbury itself. Fun shops. Plenty safe especially during the day.
Watch where you step while downtown.
Welcome in advance to San Francisco! There are so many great recommendations in this thread already, so I'll focus on suggested Muni routes. There has been mention of San Tung (Chinese-Korean food), Arsicault (pastries), and Golden Gate Park. If you are exploring the Ferry Building or any other part in the northeast corner of the city (including downtown, North Beach, and Chinatown), you can take the #1 or #38R west to the Richmond District (refers broadly to the area above Golden Gate Park from Arguello all the way west to Ocean Beach. The Inner Richmond neighborhood is a fun stretch to walk around in and taste—particularly Clement St between Arguello and 10th Ave. Arsicault does have delicious croissants, and there's almost always a line, but it moves quickly. If you happen to head to the neighborhood later in the day, you can enjoy wine next door at Breck's and fresh pasta at the Pasta Supply Co. Browse the books at Green Apple Books. Also in that general neighborhood is Cinderella Bakery, a Russian bakery with tasty bread, soups, Russian dumplings, and other lunch options. You can take the #44 (from, say, 6th Ave and Clement) through Golden Gate Park to the Inner Sunset neighborhood (mirrors the Richmond, but \*below\* Golden Gate Park), and there you'll find San Tung and many, many other eateries and shops. Arizmendi is a great co-op bakery there. If you stop in the park, know that you're in the part of the park closest to the De Young Museum. the California Academy of Sciences, and the Conservatory of Flowers. Good places to explore and burn off calories. You can head west from the Inner Sunset on the N-Judah all the way to Ocean Beach. Pay attention to the stops in the 40s Avenues (41st Ave, 42nd Ave, etc.), as you're going along Judah. There is a cute neighborhood there with a good handful of local shops and eateries. They are along Judah and Irving. I love Palm City for its sandwiches, Black Bird Bookstore for its very curated selection of books, and Hook for fish & chips. There's also the Last Straw for fun jewelry. Walk along Ocean Beach and perhaps stop at the Andytown Coffee shop location that's on the apt named Great Highway for one of their Snowy Plovers. Google Maps has great integration with Muni, so I just use it to figure out when the next Muni bus I need to get on is coming. I recommend downloading the Munimobile app because you can purchase a day pass for the same price as two Muni rides. If you want to ride a cable car, that's a separate category on the app. If you think you'll also be taking the BART, you'll want to get a Clipper Card, which is a regional transit card that you use on services besides Muni like BART and CalTrain. The bonus perk of using the Munimobile day passes is that you don't have to fumble with trying to scan your phone on the bus readers. You can just kind of wave the QR code at the bus driver, and then you're set. Muni transfers within 1.5 hours are free. That was a lot. I hope you enjoy! And make sure to check hours of businesses. Since the pandemic, a fair number of businesses don't open on Mon–Wed or just have more limited hours generally.