At the bay
San Francisco - California
Golden Gate Bridge
Description: The Golden Gate Bridge, THE landmark of San Francisco, was opened in 1937 and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at that time. Unfortunately, you are not always lucky enough to see it in the sunshine. Very often the coastal fog moves from the ocean into the bay and swallows the bridge and the city. On both sides of the bridge there are numerous viewpoints.
Our rating: One of the top tourist attractions in San Francisco. A must see you should be in the city.
Baker Beach
Description: The Baker Beach is located just northwest of San Francisco. It is a public beach and there is plenty of parking. From here you have a great view of the bridge. The location is especially popular at sunset.
Coordinate: Latitude 37.796800, Longitude -122.481836
For the GPS: Gibson Rd, San Francisco, CA 94129
Our rating: One of the most beautiful viewpoints of the bridge. You can walk along the beach and stick your feet in the very cold Pacific Ocean. Absolute recommendation.
Crissy Field
Description: The former Crissy Field airfield is located in the Presidio and is now mainly used for local recreation. From here you can walk almost under the bridge. The official Welcome Center is also located here.
Coordinate: Latitude 37.807532, Longitude -122.474645
For the GPS: 934 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94129,
Our rating: One of the most popular points to view the bridge. From the Visitor Center you can access the bridge and walk on a wide sidewalk to the other side. We can also recommend this viewpoint.
-- over the Golden Gate Bridge
Description: A ride over the Golden Gate Bridge is definitely part of a visit to San Francisco. The way out of the city is free of charge. If you drive into the city, you have to pay a fee. For some time now, you can no longer pay this in cash. There are several ways to pay. For tourists it is probably easiest to pay the fees online after the ride. You have 48 hours to do this. In addition, you should remember the time at which you crossed the bridge. On this page you can pay the fee.
Our rating: We think it is a special experience to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. Definitely recommended!!!
Golden Gate NRA - Viewpoints
Description: If you drive out of town over the bridge, you will get to the Golden Gate View Vista Point right after crossing. From here you can walk back towards the city.
If you cross Highway 101 from here, you'll find more viewpoints around Slackers Hill from which you have a great view of the bridge and the city. The best known of these is probably Battery Spencer.
- Golden Gate Vista View Point – Coordinate: Latitude 37.832553, Longitude -122.479656
- Marine Headlands Vista Point – Coordinate: Latitude 37.828136, Longitude -122.497875
- Observation Deck – Coordinate: Latitude 37.796800, Longitude -122.491391
- Battery Spencer – Coordinate: Latitude 37.827493, Longitude -122.481680
Our rating: We can highly recommend all these viewpoints, even if the weather should not be optimal. Sometimes you are lucky and have great views even with fog in the bay. The best view is in the afternoon. In the morning you have back light here.
Fishermans Wharf / Pier 39
Description: The waterfront on the north side of San Francisco's peninsula is one of the city's top tourist magnets. Pier 39 is perhaps the most visited part of the Wharf. It is home to numerous restaurants and souvenir stores, as well as an aquarium. The real stars, however, are the California sea lions that have taken up residence here. In winter it can happen that they leave their place. But so far they have always returned.
Our rating: Quite nice if you like the hype. Here is always very busy. It is nice to spend the evening, stroll around a bit and eat well. Like everywhere in San Francisco, parking is expensive and it is not always easy to find a parking space.
Pier 33 / Alcatraz
Description: In 1854, the first lighthouse on the U.S. West Coast went into operation on Alcatraz. In 1861, a prison was then established in the island's fort, and in 1930 the entire island was converted into a prison island. In 1963, however, operations were discontinued due to excessive costs. Today it serves as a museum and tourist attraction. The crossing and the visit to the prison cost $39.30/person. The island has a museum, a movie theater, and the prison block, which you can explore on a self-guided audio tour. There is a lot to explore and so you should definitely plan a half day for a visit.
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 39.30$/person
- From 8.45 a.m. every 30 minutes a boat leaves for Alcatraz.
Every 30 minutes a boat departs for Alcatraz. However, the tours are usually booked up weeks in advance. Therefore you should book the Tickets in advance online.
Our rating: Curious by the many stories about Alcatraz, we were very much looking forward to our visit here. As often in the USA, museums are very interesting and informative. So you can almost call it an experience to walk through the corridors of the prison and across the island here. Absolute recommendation!!!
Ferry Building
Description: The Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries and is located on the Embarcadero. The building is now home to a shopping center, among other things. It was opened in 1898 and survived both major San Francisco earthquakes almost intact. The striking tower was designed after the cathedral in Seville, Spain.
Our rating: Not an absolute musst see, but because of its beautiful location directly on the Bay, the building and its surroundings offer nice photo motifs.
Pier 14 / Rincon Park
Description: Rincon Park is located between the Oakland Bay Bridge and Pier 14 just off the Embarcadero. The center of the small park features a sculpture of a bow and an arrow.
It is called Cupid´s Span (2002) and was created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
Our rating: Surely there are bigger highlights to discover in San Francisco. However, if you've been to the city more often, you might also be looking for small, rather unknown treasures. We liked the bow as a photo op together with the Oakland Bay Bridge in the background very well. For those who like it atmospheric, this is the place to be at sunrise.
