Underrated Things to Do in SF — San Francisco Travel Guide
Travel guide · San Francisco, CA
Underrated things to do in SF
Beyond the postcard views — the neighborhoods, bars, hikes, and meals that locals actually love. A 10-day playbook for doing San Francisco properly.
First, know this
San Francisco rewards curiosity more than planning. The city is built for walking — steep, yes, but every hill earns a view — and its neighborhoods each feel like a distinct small town with their own coffee shops, markets, and local bars. Locals are genuinely friendly. Wear layers; the fog is real and the temperature shifts block by block.
For getting around, load a Clipper Card with about $15 — it covers buses, the historic streetcar lines, and cable cars. For longer trips across the bay, Waymo self-driving taxis are now a reliable (and slightly surreal) option that many locals use daily.
Neighborhoods worth exploring
Skip the tourist map, explore by block
The best version of San Francisco is found neighborhood by neighborhood. Each has its own rhythm.
The Mission
Exit at 16th St BART and walk Valencia Street — murals, vintage shops, some of the city's best tacos, and excellent coffee. Turn east on 24th Street to see the heart of the neighborhood.
Cole Valley & Inner Sunset
Quiet, residential, and genuinely local. Walk Judah Street in the Inner Sunset and Clement Street in the Inner Richmond for food markets, dim sum, and neighborhood bars.
North Beach
The Italian neighborhood, home to City Lights bookstore, the parrots of Telegraph Hill, historic dive bars, and some of the most authentic Italian food outside of Italy.
The Castro & Noe Valley
Two walkable neighborhoods with very different characters. Castro Street is lively and historic; Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights nearby is quiet and family-focused.
Japantown & Hayes Valley
Japantown has excellent ramen and a rare Peace Pagoda. Hayes Valley on Valencia is boutique-lined and one of the nicer streets in the city for a slow afternoon walk.
The Embarcadero & FiDi
Walk the waterfront from the Ferry Building to Pier 39. The green parrots of Telegraph Hill often fly over this area — look up. The Ferry Building farmers market runs on weekends.
Hikes & outdoor spots
A city full of surprising green spaces
San Francisco is unusually hikeable for a dense city. Several trails offer genuine wilderness feel within 30 minutes of downtown.
Lands End
The best urban coastal hike in the city. Start at Sutro Baths ruins, follow the trail above the cliffs, and look for the secret staircase leading down to a small rocky beach. A labyrinth overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge is hidden along the route.
Bernal Hill
A 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city. Combine it with a walk through the Mission beforehand. There's a giant swing at the top — genuinely fun, genuinely local.
Twin Peaks & Mt. Davidson
Twin Peaks is the famous viewpoint. Mt. Davidson is technically higher and has excellent views on its east side, plus a monumental cross at the summit — less crowded than Twin Peaks.
Corona Heights & Coit Tower steps
Corona Heights has wild rock outcroppings and city views. The Filbert Street steps from Coit Tower down to the Embarcadero pass through secret gardens and wild parrots — one of the city's finest walks.
Mosaic staircase, 16th Ave
A community-made mosaic tile staircase in the Inner Sunset. Keep walking up past it and you reach Grandview Park — one of the best views in the city, and almost no one knows it.
Ina Coolbrith Park
A steep but short climb to a small hilltop park with some of the best sunrise views in the city. Arrive early and have it mostly to yourself.
Day trip worth it: The Tennessee Valley Trailhead in Marin leads to an ocean beach. Combine it with lunch at Hookfish (fish burritos in a beer garden) and a ferry back from Sausalito. No car needed for Muir Woods — a tour bus runs from Larkspur Ferry Terminal.
Food & drink
Where to eat and drink like a local
San Francisco has more restaurants per capita than almost any American city. The Ferry Building farmers market on weekends is pricey but worthwhile for browsing. Below are the places that actually get recommended.
Swan Oyster Depot
Cash-only seafood counter — the best place in the city for crab and oysters. Lines form before it opens. Worth every minute of the wait.
House of Prime Rib
The most iconic San Francisco restaurant. Hard to get reservations — eat at the bar instead. Dark, clubby, old-school SF in the best possible way.
La Taqueria (Mission Street)
Often cited as the city's best burrito. Simple, unpretentious, and correct. Walk the Mission murals before or after.
Piccolo Forno (North Beach)
A small, intimate Italian restaurant that neighborhood regulars love fiercely. Not fancy, just very good food and warm service. Go for dinner.
Rich Table
One of the city's most creative kitchens. Walk-ins possible at the bar, best chances Tuesday through Thursday or arriving 15 minutes before opening on weekends.
Buena Vista Café (Fisherman's Wharf)
Famous for its Irish coffee — the original San Francisco version. Great for breakfast if you don't mind being seated with strangers, which is half the fun.
Clement Street & Inner Richmond
Burma Superstar, Mai's, and Taqueria Los Mayas are local favorites on this stretch. The Sunday farmers market here sells exceptional mini pies — both savory and sweet vendors.
Holy Nata & Hilas Gelato
Two small spots worth seeking out: Holy Nata does Portuguese egg tarts that locals claim surpass the ones in Lisbon. Hilas Gelato's pistachio is exceptional — the kind of thing that ruins gelato elsewhere.
Bars worth finding
Cocktails, dives, and hidden gems
True Laurel + Trick Dog
Two exceptional cocktail bars within walking distance of each other. True Laurel: order the fried mushrooms. Trick Dog: rotating menus, creative and never gimmicky.
Cityscape Bar
Rooftop bar atop the Hilton Union Square with some of the most dramatic city views available. Go at sunset to catch both golden light and the city coming alive at night. Service is slow — factor that in.
Vesuvio Café
A historic Beat Generation bar in North Beach, right across the alley from City Lights bookstore. Feels genuinely pulled from the past. A beloved dive with real literary history.
Last Rites
An excellent tiki bar — the kind of place that takes its rum drinks seriously without being precious about it.
Specs' Twelve Adler
One of North Beach's great dive bars. Covered in maritime artifacts and neighborhood history. Order a beer and settle in.
Bix (North Beach)
A supper club with a jazz atmosphere and old San Francisco glamour. Excellent cocktails, a gorgeous room.
Museums & culture
Beyond the obvious
The big institutions — SFMOMA, the de Young, the Legion of Honor, the Asian Art Museum — are all genuinely good. But a few lesser-known spots stand out.
Musée Mécanique
A collection of antique coin-operated mechanical amusements near Fisherman's Wharf. Penny arcade machines, fortune tellers, and player pianos from the 1800s still in working order. Best experienced on a weekday when it's quiet.
Exploratorium
Hands-on science museum that's genuinely fun as an adult. Thursday evenings are adults-only from 6–10pm. The Tactile Dome — a pitch-black sensory maze — is bookable in advance and unlike anything else.
Walt Disney Family Museum
Built by the Disney family in the Presidio, this is the definitive account of Walt Disney's life and creative legacy. Surprising depth, beautifully presented, and rarely overcrowded.
Fort Point
A Civil War-era brick fort directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, run by the National Park Service. Open weekends. It was filmed in Hitchcock's Vertigo — watch it before visiting.
California Academy of Sciences
A natural history museum, aquarium, and planetarium in Golden Gate Park. Thursday evenings are adults-only (21+) from 6–10pm — a completely different atmosphere.
SF City Guides walking tours
Volunteer-led walking tours covering about 70 different routes across the city. Genuinely free — donations go to the non-profit, not tips. About 90 minutes each. One of the best ways to understand a neighborhood.
A great walking day
The waterfront loop, on foot
One of the most satisfying full-day walks in the city, entirely on foot with optional detours:
1
Ferry Building — start at the Saturday farmers market, have coffee, browse the food stalls.
2
Embarcadero → Pier 39 — walk north along the water. Sea lions at Pier 39. Continue to Fisherman's Wharf.
3
Aquatic Park → Fort Mason — walk through the Aquatic Park cove and up into Fort Mason for bay views.
4
Marina Blvd → Palace of Fine Arts — walk west along the waterfront to the rotunda, one of the most beautiful structures in the city.
5
Chestnut St → Fillmore St → Union St — walk east through the Marina's main retail streets.
6
Lombard → Coit Tower — see the famous crooked block, then climb or take a cab to Coit Tower for panoramic views of both bridges.
7
Filbert Steps → Embarcadero — descend through the secret garden staircase, listening for the wild parrots, back to the waterfront.
Practical notes
Golden Gate Park alone warrants half a day — walk it from the Panhandle all the way to Ocean Beach. The Japanese Tea Garden inside is calm and beautiful. Salesforce Park (Transbay Transit Center rooftop) is free, has a gondola, and almost no one goes there. Alcatraz night tours book up weeks in advance — reserve early. And yes, walk or bike the Golden Gate Bridge; the view from the bridge itself looking back at the city is the one that stays with you.
