10+ things to do in San Francisco for adults

Culturally rich, diverse in population, and filled with an array of attractions to explore, it's easy to see why San Francisco is one of the most popular vacation spots in the US.

By Katie Sagal
Published: July 18, 2024
Homepage_SFO

Outdoorsy, relaxed, and plenty of attractions to keep travelers busy; San Francisco has it all.

While it has a reputation as a kid-friendly city, there's more than enough for groups of friends or couples to enjoy in the Bay Area. Take to the water and get a view from the shoreline, bike along the Golden Gate Bridge, and sample the dining and nightlife scene. You'll be spoilt for choice!

So, if you’re looking for things to do in San Francisco for adults, check out our list, including:

  • Big Bus San Francisco Sightseeing Tour
  • California Academy of Sciences
  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • San Francisco Cruises
  • AT&T Park Tour
  • UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens
  • and more!

Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

A great introduction to San Francisco for first-time visitors is a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Although the city itself is pretty compact, it’s also hilly and very densely populated, and it can be difficult to plan an itinerary for yourself that covers all the big highlights in a single day.

Opt for a comprehensive bus tour that showcases all the biggies. As a bonus, a hop-on hop-off version gives you the flexibility to pick and choose what you want to see without being tied to an entire progression.

California Academy of Sciences

roof-california-academy-sciences-san-francisco

Let's kick off with one of the most amazing museums on the entire West Coast, the California Academy of Sciences. It’s got everything from natural history galleries to an aquarium to an all-digital planetarium and much more. With a reputation for being at the forefront of conservation activities, the California Academy of Sciences' cutting-edge research plays a valuable role in sharing information with the public. Pay a visit to their playful penguins, marvel at their green roof, and walk through a four-story rainforest.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

panorama-museum-modern-art

Art lovers will relish the chance to visit this famed institution. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is filled with some of the most inspiring and innovative contemporary and modern art in the world.

Explore the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection in all its glory, and see works from diverse artists: famous, local, and in between. The SFMOMA also has a number of special events and exhibits on rotation, so be sure to consult their website before you visit to see if there's any you want to check out. They’ll often have adults-only evening events, too - perfect for a quiet evening of reflection.

San Francisco bike rentals

female-cyclist-rides-bicycle

Outdoorsy couples or friends will want to bike around San Francisco. It’s certainly very hilly, but the challenge is part of what makes it so much fun. The bike-friendly streets of San Francisco are a blast to pedal around, and the waterfront paths are particularly scenic. Your rental comes with a map and some suggested routes of varying distances. Opt to stick around the city, or take a ride all the way to Sausalito.

San Francisco cruises

beautiful-panorama-view-cruise-ship-passing

The waters of the San Francisco Bay are beautiful and fun to explore. A cruise is a great option to combine sightseeing with a delightful few hours spent out on the open water. Choose an Escape from the Rock Cruise for an informative and exciting overview of the most famous prison in the United States.

Sail around Alcatraz Island as you’re regaled with tales of its controversial history. Or, opt for the Bridge 2 Bridge Cruise, a sightseeing excursion that takes you under both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge.

More San Francisco art museums

Can’t get enough of San Francisco arts and culture? Fortunately for you, there are plenty more wonderful art museums to explore in the city. The stellar de Young Museum is beautiful both outside and in and features fine collections of American painting, art of the broader Americas, Oceana, and more. The Legion of Honor, designed to look like an eighteenth-century French palace, offers a variety of European paintings plus ancient art and artifacts.

Asian Art Museum

Finally, the Asian Art Museum has a particular focus on 6,000 years of art and history from the continent.

GoCar San Francisco tour

Enjoy one of the more unique ways to explore San Francisco with this GPS-guided storytelling car. This GoCar Tour offers a way to see the city without the hassle and stress of navigating on your own and showcases sites that visitors rarely see (and a few where tour buses can’t even go!) A few of the highlights on your tour are the best for photos, like Ghirardelli Square, the Cannery, the Marina District, the Presidio, the Sea Cliff, and more.

AT&T Park

Sports fans should take advantage of the chance to tour one of Major League Baseball’s most charming stadiums. Located right on the water, the views from this stadium are breathtaking. The insight you’ll get on the tour is really interesting, too.

See significant places within the park like the Batting Cages, the Press Box, a Luxury Suite, and more. Depending on when you’re visiting, you could also pick up tickets to a game. What’s more fun than enjoying some hotdogs and beer while watching America’s favorite sport?

Aquarium of the Bay

fishes-monterey-bay-aquarium

Animal lovers will definitely want to visit the Aquarium of the Bay, an amazing institution that focuses exclusively on the marine life of the San Francisco Bay and contiguous waters. One of our favorite exhibits is “Under the Bay” where you can stroll through 300 feet of clear tunnels under a marine exhibit, featuring over 20,000 animals.

You’ll get some awesome photos of the sea life in this exhibit, as well as the “Touch the Bay” tank, where you can actually come into contact with (tiny) sharks.

San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

giraffes-sf-zoo

You'll find plenty of animal fun in San Fran. Head to Golden Gate Park and the San Francisco Zoo. It's filled with amazing critters big and small, from bears to zebras, and also boasts a peaceful series of gardens featuring local California flora.

A visit here is a nice chance to see your favorite animal pals and to get some fun souvenirs, too. Of course, if the garden aspect is your favorite part, perhaps you'll want to consider our next suggestion...

UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens

tropical-botanical-garden

Nature is all around you at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. This place makes for a delightful trip outside of the city, to see a wide variety of native and exotic flora in recreated environs. Wander through 34 acres of amazing plants, representative of over 12,000 different species from across the globe. There’s a special emphasis on plants from Mediterranean climates, so keep an eye out for some especially cool exotics.

Dining & nightlife

San Francisco is also an amazing culinary city, offering multiple areas of the city with award-winning cuisine. Try the Financial District, Japantown, Jackson Square, Lower Haight, the Richmond.

If you’re looking for some fun nightlife or great drinks, then Gaslamp Quarter (also very historical), the Mission, North Beach, and the Tenderloin are good choices. Resources like Yelp and Open Table can be really helpful when finding good insight into local places, too.

Can't choose? No need, see it all with Go City® 

With an All-Inclusive Pass from Go City, you can visit both attractions for a fraction of the cost. Plus, you could save up to 50% on all your San Francisco must-sees. Or pick an Explorer Pass, if you've chosen your fave and have a specific bucket list you're dreaming of ticking off. Whichever San Francisco pass you pick, you'll be saving as you sightsee! 

☀️ Compare San Francisco passes ☀️– 🌏 Explore other destinations 🌏 –  ✈️ Buy a pass ✈ 

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

Continue reading

Flowers in bloom on a sunny day in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Blog

San Francisco in July

July sees San Francisco’s tourist season get into full swing, with schools on vacation planet-wide and the city’s fine weather and funky festivals drawing in the crowds from here, there and everywhere. It’s peak season and therefore the priciest time of year to visit, but a trip to San Francisco in July still has much to recommend it. Visiting San Francisco in July Average Temperature: 54–66°F • Average Rainfall: 0 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 10 hours/day Umbrellaphobes, rejoice! July is one of San Francisco’s driest months with an average of, um, zero days’ rainfall, meaning the chances of being poked in the eye by an unruly golf umbrella or – worse still – looking on helplessly as the cable car pulls away with your precious bumbershoot still on board, are close to non-existent. What you can expect is mild weather with plenty of sunshine, tempered by occasional fresh sea winds and a healthy dose of the Bay area’s famous fogs. It’s why the locals often refer to this time of year as ‘no sky July’. But don’t let that put you off! Sure, San Francisco may not be the place to get that perfect California summer tan, but those all-enveloping mists have their own curious charm, and the city’s great parks and museums, abundance of July festivals and all-round party atmosphere more than make up for any minor weather-related downsides. Top tip: the Golden City is deep into tourist season in July, so make sure to book your hotels and Airbnb accommodation well in advance to secure the best rates possible. Things to do in July No trip to San Francisco at any time of year would be complete without setting foot on the world’s most photographed bridge. It’s worth doing this two ways in July. First: choose a clear day to take a walk the Golden Gate’s entire length, starting in the Presidio and finishing with lunch in downtown Sausalito. As you stroll across this rust-red icon (the bridge’s official color is actually ‘international orange’, fact fans) you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the Bay and the rolling waves of the vast Pacific, meaning ace selfie opportunities galore. For a truly otherworldly experience, keep an eye on local forecasts and pay the bridge a second visit when it's shrouded in dense fog. You won’t be able to see much, but ghostly close-up snaps of the bridge’s soaring towers will make you the envy of all your friends. Pro-tip: you can also simulate this experience in the interactive Fog Bridge exhibit at the Exploratorium, a fantastic museum of arts and sciences on the Embarcadero. The bridge’s big green namesake, Golden Gate Park, lies a few miles south, sprawling west from the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to the sands of Ocean Beach, itself a lovely spot for sunbathing (when not foggy) and surfing – professionals only though, please; the riptides here are notoriously dangerous. Back in the park, there are plenty of activities to keep you occupied for an entire July day. Visit the Japanese Tea Garden for a gentle stroll along paths that meander past koi ponds, bonsai groves and impressive bronze statues. Look out for the impressive five-tiered pagoda and pause for a refreshing jasmine tea and a moment of zen in the pavilion. Golden Gate Park is also home to two of San Francisco’s finest museums. The vast California Academy of the Sciences is home to a huge natural history museum, an aquarium, a rainforest and a planetarium, while the de Young Museum showcases fine art from the US and beyond, all housed in a striking copper-clad building with a 144-foot observation tower boating 360-degree views of the park, as well as downtown San Francisco, the Bay and the Marin headlands. What’s on in July? Fourth of July Fireworks July is a great time to visit San Francisco if you’re into fireworks, great live music and... running. Sounds like a strange combination, but hear us out. First up, those fireworks. Fourth of July is cause for celebration across the States, and San Francisco is no exception. The city puts on two major displays in Fisherman’s Wharf, with the event at Pier 39 being the biggest and best. There’s live music along the waterfront until, at the appointed hour, the spectacular display commences, with hundreds of colorful fireworks set off from a series of barges in the Bay. This event is free, so don’t miss it! Fillmore Jazz Festival One of the biggest free jazz festivals on the west coast, the Fillmore Jazz Festival showcases local and international talent on two main outdoor stages. There’s great street food too, as well as smaller live music events in and around Fillmore’s legendary clubs and theaters. This part of town is synonymous with great jazz music – in its heyday it attracted acts of near-mythical status including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker – so you just know the acts performing at this festival are going to be outstanding. And, like the best jazz, the shows are completely free. Catch a Baseball Game July is a great time to catch the San Francisco Giants in action at the Oracle Park stadium in SoMa, with the Major League Baseball season in full swing. Catch them against the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and, if you’re lucky, their arch rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers. And, if bats and balls don’t float your boat, perhaps a bit of opera will: the stadium also hosts live simulcasts of performances from the famous War Memorial Opera House, throughout summer. The San Francisco Marathon You’ll need to apply well in advance if you want to take part in this one but, if you’re a runner, it’s a great way to see many of the city’s attractions at sunrise while getting some extra miles in. The race starts and ends at the Embarcadero, taking in many of the city’s big attractions, including Fisherman's Wharf, Coit Tower, the Presidio and the mural-filled Mission district. It even crosses the Golden Gate Bridge (hence the early start to allow the bridge to reopen to regular pedestrians by 9AM). You can also take it down a notch by entering the half marathon or 5 and 10k events, while braver souls limber up for the challenging ultra-marathon: double the distance at a thigh-numbing 52.4 miles. Phew! Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Golden Gate Bridge viewed from the Bayside
Blog

2 Days in San Francisco

One of the most popular cultural hotspots in the US, San Francisco has a little bit of something for everyone. With its globally-recognized landmarks, stunning waterfront landscape and wealth of charming activities and venues, the Bay Area is a fantastic destination for a short city break. Though two days in San Francisco is more than enough time to enjoy some of the city’s best sights and attractions, you’d be hard pushed to fit in absolutely everything. To help you make the most of your visit, we’ve outlined some of the most popular and worthwhile things to do, along with their average visit durations, to help you draw up your ideal two-day itinerary. Top Sights Golden Gate Bridge Recommended Visit: 10 minutes to see, 30 minutes each way to cross Considered the world’s most recognizable bridge, nothing is quite so quintessential to the Bay Area’s brand as the towering crimson beams of the Golden Gate Bridge. Often sporting an impressive scarf of thick fog, the mile-and-a-half-long titan is truly a sight to behold, particularly if you can catch it illuminated against a clear night sky. Alamo Square Park Recommended Visit: 15 - 30 minutes Aside from offering a pleasant space of open greenery on the edge of the city’s Western Addition, Alamo Square Park is most popular as the location of the iconic Painted Ladies. Standing vibrantly against the muted backdrop of the San Francisco skyline, this row of colorful Victorian- and Edwardian-style houses line the eastern side of the park and serve as one of the city’s most popular photo ops. Golden Gate Park Recommended Visit: 30 minutes - 2 hours Should you find yourself with a couple hours to spare and some particularly pleasant weather, the colossal Golden Gate Park to the east of the city serves as a fantastic spot for a leisurely stroll or a lunchtime picnic. Housed within the park grounds are also the gorgeous displays of the San Francisco Botanical Garden and the serene landscape of the Japanese Tea Garden. Alcatraz Island Recommended Visit: 2 - 3 hours History buffs visiting San Francisco will be no stranger to Alcatraz Island, home to the nation’s most infamous former high-security prison. Those with the stomach for it can take a boat tour out into the Bay to explore the hostile grounds and chilling cells that once held some of the most notorious criminals in history. Popular Neighborhoods Fisherman’s Wharf Recommended Visit: 1 - 3 hours Easily one of the most popular areas of San Francisco is the charming Fisherman’s Wharf waterfront complex. Regular haunt to a colony of playful, barking sea lions, you can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours exploring the various quaint stores, engaging activities and bayside eateries on offer here. Take some time to discover the various retailers and restaurants of Pier 39, and awe at the striking wax models housed within Madame Tussauds. Rediscover your inner child among the exhibitions at the Cartoon Art Museum, before playing with the 300-plus coin-operated arcade games and amusements housed within the Musée Mécanique penny arcade. Chinatown Recommended Visit: 1 - 2 hours Just beyond the iconic Dragon’s Gate at its entrance, Chinatown comprises a bustling maze of streets and alleys brimming with quirky stores and traditional Chinese eateries. Among the stunning ornate architecture, you’ll find everything from bakeries to souvenir shops to karaoke bars, alongside the famous Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory where you can catch one of the nation’s favorite after-dinner treats in the making. Japantown Recommended Visit: 30 minutes - 2 hours Also known as Nihonmachi, San Francisco’s Japantown is a compact historic enclave in much the same vein as Chinatown. Built up around a central courtyard plaza housing the striking 5-tiered Peace Pagoda, Japantown comprises various large complexes housing a number of charming Japanese-style stores, restaurants, karaoke bars and day spas. Galleries & Museums California Academy of Sciences Recommended Visit: 2 - 3 hours Found within Golden Gate Park, the multifaceted California Academy of Sciences is a true architectural and cultural marvel. The mighty 400,000-square-foot venue is home to a vast aquarium and a four-story indoor rainforest filled with all manner of exotic flora and fauna, not to mention the incredible natural history museum and digital planetarium to boot. Exploratorium Recommended Visit: 2 - 4 hours Both families and curious adults alike sing the praises of the Exploratorium, whose incredible array of interactive exhibits offer visitors a hands-on learning experience at the intersection of science and art. Dance with your own shadow, touch a tornado, capture a wave and even stop time as you explore the hundreds of wonderful installations spread throughout the museum. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Recommended Visit: 2 - 4 hours With a central focus on 20th and 21st century art in its various forms, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art comprises 10 floors of everchanging and innovative exhibits. Over 30,000 art pieces make up the museum’s permanent collection, covering everything from painting and photography to sculpture and architecture. Asian Art Museum Recommended Visit: 1 - 3 hours Opened in the mid-1960s, the Asian Art Museum is widely considered one of the most important museums in San Francisco. The museum’s extensive collection comprises sculptures, paintings, ceramics, carvings and architectural fragments from various major Asiatic cultures and spanning multiple historical eras, with some pieces dating back over 6,000 years. Walt Disney Family Museum Recommended Visit: 2 - 4 hours Whether you happen to be visiting with kids or not, the delightful exhibits of the Walt Disney Museum are sure to bring a smile to your face. Explore the life and work of history’s most famous cartoonist through over 40,000 square feet of engaging and interactive exhibitions detailing the evolution of the family-favorite media empire we know and love today. Getting Around Big Bus Tour With San Francisco as sprawling as it is and only two days to explore, you’ll likely want to find a comfortable and efficient way to get around. Operating a main route that passes by many of the city’s top sights, a Big Bus Tour offers passengers the chance to hop on and off more or less at their leisure, complemented by optional audio commentary in a number of major languages to boot. Cable Cars Originally introduced in the late 1800s to help locals combat the many challenging hills on which the city stands, San Francisco’s remaining cable cars serve as a great way to explore the city in historic fashion. The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason routes offer the most scenic journeys and pass by a number of major attractions, with tickets available to buy on-board. Boat Tours If you’re looking for a great way to sit back while admiring the stunning San Francisco landscape, nothing quite compares to a Cruise on the Bay. Most tour operators will have you sail beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and alongside Alcatraz Island, with a fly-by of the area’s best waterfront sights and landmarks such as Angel Island and Fisherman’s Wharf.
Robert Heaney
The Coit Tower in North Beach, San Francisco
Blog

San Francisco in June

June marks the beginning of San Francisco’s busy summer season, with fine weather, feel-good vibes and festivals galore. Read on for our guide to visiting the Golden City in June... Visiting San Francisco in June Average Temperature: 53–66°F • Average Rainfall: 1 day/mth • Average Sunshine: 10 hours/day San Francisco summers are curious beasts. One minute you’re basking in glorious sunshine and considering dipping your toes in the Bay’s cool waters and the next a damp, chilly fog has enveloped you and you're wondering why you even bothered slapping on all that sunscreen. Seriously though, if it’s wall-to-wall sunshine and a California suntan you’re after you might be better off heading a little further south to the golden sands of LA and San Diego. But if a pleasant (and interesting) climate in the high 60s floats your boat, there’s much to recommend San Francisco in June, from street parties to the massive Pride Parade – one of the biggest and best on the planet. And hey, that fog is as much a part of San Francisco’s character as the Golden Gate Bridge, the 49ers and crusty sourdough bread. Lean into it and you might even learn to love it; at the very least your Insta feed will be the envy of all your friends. Top tip: June is San Francisco’s busiest season, so book your vacation as far in advance as possible to get the best rates on your desired accommodation. Things to do in June With such pleasantly mild weather, June is a great time to explore San Francisco on foot without breaking a sweat. Ok, ok, you’re going to sweat a little: have you seen the size of some of those hills? Pro-tip: you can always save your aching legs by ascending the steeper sections on a bus or – better yet – one of the city’s iconic old-fashioned cable cars. If the near-vertical climb to the top of Buena Vista Park doesn’t take your breath away, the views when you get there certainly will. Expect sweeping panoramas that include the Golden Gate Bridge and – on a clear day – the dramatic cliffs of the Marin Headlands. Even in the fog, the view from up here is nothing short of astonishing, as the towers of the famous rust-red bridge rise up out of the rolling pea-souper. Head over to Alamo Park to ogle the Painted Ladies, a picture-postcard row of pastel-colored Victorian houses with the skyscrapers of the downtown financial district gleaming incongruously in the background. There are many more colorful buildings – flamingo pink, oxblood red, mellow yellow – to check out on a walk from here to Golden Gate Park via the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. This lovely part of town wears its strong links to the ‘67 summer of love proudly on its sleeve. Pop some flowers in your hair and get in the groove as you make your way into the park and over to Hippie Hill, now a popular spot for picnicking. And now for something completely different. Over on the Great Highway in view of the crashing surf of the Pacific, you’ll find San Francisco Zoo and Gardens. There are over 100 acres to explore here, containing no fewer than 2,000 critters. Spot giraffes, zebras and Marabou storks in the African Savanna exhibit, catch the penguins and grizzly bears at feeding time, meet ferociously cute red pandas and go on an Australian Walkabout with wallaroos and kangaroos. There’s bountiful plantlife here too, with plenty of native Californian and exotic vegetation to discover. Look out for the windswept cypress trees and rare swamp gum eucalyptus. What’s on in June? North Beach Festival Every month is party month in San Francisco, but perhaps none more so than June, when a veritable explosion of street festivals hit town. The area around Grant Avenue and Columbus is the venue for the bustling North Beach Festival, a two-day extravaganza that includes – deep breath – live local bands and tribute acts, poetry jams, comedy stages, artisan art and craft stalls, wine and beer gardens, street performers and, of course, those all-important gourmet food vendors. And with Grant Avenue also happening to be Chinatown’s main thoroughfare, you can be sure the snacks are going to be really, really good. In fact, we defy you not to make straight for those sweet fluffy BBQ pork buns before doing anything else. Street Parties Galore! The Juneteenth event on Fillmore Street ceebrates the abolition of slavery in the States with music, food and much more. Stick around until 4th of July weekend for this historic boulevard’s other great knees-up: the Fillmore Jazz Festival. Meanwhile Haight Street and Union Street both also host their own vibrant street fairs in June, meaning there’s very little chance of boredom setting in. San Francisco Pride Saving the best for last, San Francisco’s Pride parade and festival is one of the biggest and best celebrations of LGBTQ+ people on the planet. Usually taking place on the very last weekend of the month, in commemoration of the Stonewall riots, the festival's focal point is the Civic Center area, where dance stages, fetish booths and drag performers provide the entertainment and the streets are fairly festooned with beautiful rainbow flags. On Sunday morning, a colorful, joyous parade weaves its way west along the huge boulevard that is Market Street, starting in the morning and culminating in much singing, dancing and merrymaking late in the afternoon. If you’re game, you can continue the party into the wee small hours in the lively bars and clubs of the Mission and Castro districts, where even the crosswalks have rainbow stripes. Note that the Castro is the beating heart of San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community, so it’s fair to say that you can expect loooong queues wherever you go on this particular weekend. Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.