What is San Francisco famous for?

From iconic sights like the Golden Gate Bridge to its rich and diverse culture, there are lots of places and people that make San Francisco unique.

By Seren Morris
Published: July 18, 2024
San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the most well-known and recognizable cities in the world. But what is San Francisco famous for? If you’re planning on visiting the Bay Area, check out our list of what makes San Francisco famous, including...

  • The Golden Gate Bridge
  • Alcatraz
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Fisherman’s Wharf
  • Cable Car
  • Haight Ashbury
  • The Castro District
  • And more!
San Francisco skyline

Golden Gate Bridge

A trip to San Francisco would be incomplete without visiting the Golden Gate Bridge. It's over 80 years old and has long been one of the most famous sights in San Francisco. For a unique perspective on the bridge, take to the water on a sightseeing cruise.

This hour-long cruise takes you directly under the bridge, while your audio tour tells you everything you need to know about the sights. Or get up close and take a Golden Gate Bridge guided bike tour along the waterfront and across the bridge itself. This fully-guided, three-hour tour departs from Fisherman’s Wharf, takes you to Sausalito Bay, and brings you back to the city on a ferry. 

Getting in: 🎟️ Golden Gate Bridge Guided Bike Tour admission is available on the Go City® Explorer Pass.

🎟️ Golden Gate Bay Cruise admission is available on the Go City® All-Inclusive Pass.

Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz is an island in San Francisco Bay, known for being a prison that was home to notorious gangsters, including Al Capone. Escaping from Alcatraz was said to be impossible – but that didn’t stop its prisoners from trying. Learn all about the attempted escapes, as well as the prison’s history and its famous former inhabitants.

Take the Escape from the Rock cruise around the island, which gives you an insight into Alcatraz’s rich and complex history. Your narrated audio guide tells you everything you need to know as you take in a 360-view of the island.

Getting in: 🎟️ The Escape from the Rock cruise is included with the Go San Francisco All-Inclusive pass.

Alcatraz island

San Francisco Giants

Sports fans will know that San Francisco is famous for its baseball team, the San Francisco Giants. If you can, get tickets to see the Giants in action and make the most of the city's sports scene. Games take place all year round so check out the Giants website to see if there’s a game happening during your vacation.

Whether you’re a baseball fan or have been inspired by seeing a Giants game, you can take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Oracle Park stadium. See everything from the press box to The Giant Vault.

Fisherman’s Wharf

One of the most popular areas of the city for visitors, Fisherman's Wharf is home to a plethora of attractions and sights including Ghirardelli Square, the seals on Pier 39, and more. Be sure to stop here for food – there are tons of classic San Francisco dishes to choose from, such as clam chowder bowls and crab.

Take a one-hour tour of Fisherman’s Wharf and learn all about San Francisco’s fascinating history. Remember to take your camera for amazing views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Plus, keep an eye out for the seals on Pier 39. 

Getting in: 🎟️ Admission to Fisherman’s Wharf Walking Tour is included on all Go City® San Francisco passes.

Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco Cable Cars

For a uniquely San Francisco experience, take a trip on the cable cars. Cable cars were invented in San Francisco nearly 150 years ago. However, they still take locals around the city (and up and down those steep San Francisco streets) to this day. Traveling by cable car is a great way to experience the city’s most important landmarks. If you feel inspired and want to learn more, why not visit the Cable Car Museum? 

Getting in: 🎟️ Admission to the Cable Car Museum is free, cable car tickets are purchased separately.

Haight Ashbury

Haight Ashbury is one of San Francisco’s most famous neighborhoods. It is considered the birthplace of the 1960s counterculture movement. Its hippie history can still be seen in the vintage clothing and music stores that line the colorful streets. Haight Ashbury was home to famous bands and singers of the 1960s, including the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.

The neighborhood reached its peak during the 1967 Summer of Love, but its cultural impact remains. Stroll through the eclectic streets, browse vintage clothes in the thrift stores, and pick up a vinyl record or two. 

Haight Ashbury

The Castro District

Another famous area of San Francisco is the Castro District, which is considered San Francisco’s LGBTQ neighborhood. The Castro is known as a symbol of LGBTQ activism. It was also home to Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man voted to public office. Learn about The Castro District’s history at the GLBT Historical Society Museum and join the LGBTQ Castro District Walking Tour.

Then, visit the Human Rights Action store at the former location of Harvey Milk’s camera store. This neighborhood is full of interesting San Francisco history, so consider adding a visit here to your itinerary. 

Getting in: Admission to the GLBT Historical Society Museum tickets must be purchased separately. Entry to the Human Rights Action store is free.

Castro District

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 attraction pass you pick, you'll save while you sightsee!

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Seren Morris
Go City Travel Expert

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T-rex skeleton in the lobby of the natural history museum at the California Academy of Sciences
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Best Museums in San Francisco

From the de Young Museum’s striking copper facade to the enormous steel cube that forms part of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, many of San Francisco’s museums are as much a marvel from the outside as they are from the inside. There’s something for everyone here, with plenty of great art, science and historical treasures to keep even the most fatigued museum-goer entertained. Read on to discover our pick of the 10 best museums in San Francisco. De Young Museum Slap-bang in the middle of Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum cuts a striking figure with its burnished copper skin and 144-foot observation tower. Inside, the extensive collection of American art dates back to the 17th Century, with highlights including Salvador Dalí’s mesmerizing portrait of San Francisco philanthropist Dorothy Spreckels Munn, George Caleb Bingham’s 1846 masterpiece Boatmen on the Missouri and several Ruth Asawa wire sculptures. An impressive collection of art, textiles and costumes from Africa, Oceania and the Americas completes the picture. Be sure to ascend the tower for 360-degree views of Golden Gate Park, downtown San Francisco and the Bay. Walt Disney Family Museum Enter the magical world of Walt Disney at this Presidio museum that's a stone’s throw from the Golden Gate Bridge. Here’s where you can view Walt’s earliest drawings and experience the evolution of Mickey Mouse via sketches, models and toys. There are over 40,000 square feet to explore, with exhibits including artwork that spans the Disney dynasty, from Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Walt’s debut 1937 feature, up to the present day. There are over 200 screens showing cartoons, movies and archive footage, as well as listening stations that include narration by Walt himself. There’s even a 12-foot model of Disneyland! Exploratorium Hands-down the best interactive museum in town, the Exploratorium on Pier 15 is chock-full of amazing art and science exhibits that come to life as soon as you get involved. Say hello to Albert as you enter this trippy universe, where you can – deep breath – dance with your very own animated doppelganger, create sandstorms, step inside a tornado, get lost in the fog, explore an enormous model of San Francisco made from thousands of toothpicks and get a whole new sense of perspective in the Distorted Room. And that barely scratches the surface of what to expect here. Don’t miss the Sun Painting, a huge kaleidoscopic work of art made by reflection and refraction of the sun’s rays. Museum of the African Diaspora One of just a handful of US museums that exclusively showcase contemporary art by native Africans and their descendents, the MoAD is a celebration of Black culture and identity that seeks to entertain, challenge and educate visitors in equal measure. Set in San Francisco’s downtown Yerba Buena Arts District, its regularly rotating exhibitions have featured artists as diverse as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett and Alison Saar, while the emerging artists program also supports upcoming talent from the Bay Area. USS Pampanito Docked at Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf, the USS Pampanito is a designated National Historic Landmark. This huge submarine was in service during World War II, making patrols of the Pacific and sinking several Japanese ships. Step aboard to learn more about the vessel’s storied history, explore the living quarters, see the torpedoes and check out onboard equipment that has been restored to working order, including the engines, periscope and... ice-cream machine. Legion of Honor Located in Lincoln Park, the Legion of Honor is easily one the best art museums in San Francisco, boasting a fine collection that spans over 5,000 years of ancient and European art. There’s a particularly impressive variety of pieces from France, including paintings by Impressionist masters like Degas, Renoir, Monet and Cézanne. Check out the collection of nearly 100 Rodin sculptures and get up close to some of his most famous pieces: The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell, to name but a few. The Hall of Antiquities and mummy room are your one-stop shop for mummified Egyptians, ancient and definitely-not-cursed carved figurine, as well as all manner of well-preserved sculptures, ceramics and jewelry from millennia gone by. Musée Mécanique Relive your misspent youth (depending on your particular vintage) at the Musée Mécanique on Fisherman’s Wharf. This curious place is crammed full of coin-operated arcade games, automata and other such strange devices, with some dating as far back as the early 20th Century. Play classic pinball machines and video games, test your strength against a masked arm-wrestler, find out where you rank on the kiss-o-meter (from passionate to disappointingly clammy), see what is perhaps the only steam-powered motorbike on the planet, and be charmed by not-at-all-creepy Laffing Sal, a florid six-foot cackling automaton with a missing tooth. Asian Art Museum A well-preserved bronze Buddha statue that’s nearly 2,000 years old, Chinese Jades from the Neolithic period and Persian ceramics are just some of the highlights to be found in the vast Asian Art Museum. The 18,000-strong collection is largely Chinese in origin, usually representing around half of the 2,000-ish pieces on display at any given time. It’s one of the biggest and most important Asian art collections in the world and can be found inside a gorgeous Beaux Arts building in the San Francisco Civic Center. Not to be missed. California Academy of Sciences This sprawling museum in Golden Gate Park is an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and one of the world’s largest natural history collections all rolled into one. Inside its epic 400,000-square-floor space are 46 million specimens and residents that include blacktip reef sharks, an elusive giant Pacific octopus, Madagascan chameleons, poison-dart frogs and a towering t-rex. Equally striking is the museum’s architecture: its roof topped with rolling green hills is home to nearly two million plants! San Francisco Museum of Modern Art SFMOMA is the daddy of all art museums in San Francisco, boasting thousands of important works from household names including Jackson Pollock, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper, Gerhard Richter and Paul Klee. There’s a largely open-air rooftop sculpture garden that’s accessed via a glass-and-steel bridge and, also outdoors, a vast living wall. This dense forest of foliage changes with the seasons so you’ll get a different sensory experience depending on which time of year you visit. Save on the best museums 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
A San Francisco cable car overlooking Alcatraz Island
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Things to do in Downtown San Francisco

Set in the northeast corner of San Francisco overlooking the bay, Downtown takes in the Financial District as well as parts of Chinatown, North Beach and the Tenderloin. Its top-notch central location makes it a fine base for sightseeing, with world-class museums, a grand opera house and some of the city’s best shopping and dining, as well as easy transport links to other neighborhoods. Join us as we explore all the best things to do in Downtown San Francisco. Sightseeing in Style The rattle of the wheels, the distinctive clang of the bell, the squeal of the cables... if you can steel yourselves for long queues of increasingly tetchy tourists, the city’s iconic cable cars provide a great introduction to the city. Hop aboard these colorful wooden carriages at Powell and Market and enjoy the rollercoaster ride through this famously hilly city just as San Franciscans did way back when the cars first appeared in the 1870s. Brave souls can even ride the narrow platforms on the exterior of these rolling historic landmarks. Just remember to keep your phone in your pocket no matter how tempting that snap of Chinatown might be, and don’t lean outwards if you value your head! There are two lines running out of Downtown, with both terminating near Fisherman’s Wharf for fine views (and boats) out to Alcatraz Island. Of these, the Powell-Hyde line is the most popular because it passes crooked Lombard Street and affords spectacular views of Alcatraz as it crests the hills. This, naturally, makes it the most popular line for tourists, so plan accordingly if this is the route of your dreams, and travel at less busy times if you can. Embarcadero Highlights In a city with many instantly recognizable landmarks, the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero holds its own. Its soaring clock tower has been keeping time at the San Francisco Waterfront for over a century and its vast, arched interior is now home to a bustling marketplace full of artisan foodie stores, cute boutiques and tempting cafés and restaurants. Pair a classic SF sourdough with local cheeses and a classic California Cab Sauv, or grab unique souvenirs like honey and handcrafts from local producers. From here, it’s just a short harborside walk to the astonishing Exploratorium science museum, an interactive feast for kids young and old, and surely one of the most fun things to do in Downtown San Francisco. Ever fancied dancing with your own shadow or stepping inside a tornado? Then this is most definitely the place for you. Chinatown Downtown San Francisco is also where you’ll find the oldest Chinatown in North America. It’s where 19th-century San Franciscans had their Western minds blown by their first taste of shrimp dumplings and fluffy pork buns, so be sure to pay homage by doing the same – there are, of course, dozens of excellent dim sum restaurants to choose from. Jazz up your Insta feed with a selfie or six beneath the Dragon Gate and find further photo opportunities by the ornate red-and-green streetlights on Grant Avenue, as Chinese lanterns sway overhead in the breeze. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of a traditional temple, sample China’s national beverage in a traditional tearoom, unleash your inner Mariah in a karaoke bar, and discover your future at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. At the very least, you’ll find out how thousands of these tiny treats are made by hand every day and get a chance to taste different flavors and toppings. We see a green tea fortune cookie in your future, for sure. Get Your Culture Fix Make time to hang out in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). One of the largest modern and contemporary art museums on the planet, its collection of over 30,000 masterpieces includes paintings, sculptures, photography and more. View works by some of the greats, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper, Gerhard Richter and Frida Kahlo and head to the glass pavilion in the rooftop garden for ace views of SFMOMA’s sculpture collection and the San Francisco skyline. Expect grandiose performances in sumptuous surroundings behind the stately colonnaded facade of the War Memorial Opera House. This is the place to get your glad rags on, raise a monocle to your eye and see the world-class SF Ballet, Opera and Symphony in action. Or, for something with a few more chuckles than Madame Butterfly or La bohème, try the Punch Line comedy club over on Battery Street. Shopping and Nightlife Downtown San Francisco is a shoppers’ paradise, with Union Square at the heart of the action. Get your bearings on the plaza where a statue of – we kid you not – the Greek goddess Nike – is by far the most interesting feature, before foraying into the many streets that branch from it. It’s here that you’ll find a consumer cornucopia of upscale boutiques, souvenir shops and department stores galore running for several blocks in every direction. Give your bank manager a heart attack as you flit merrily from Saks Fifth Avenue to Apple and Louis Vuitton to, yup you guessed it, the flagship Nike store. As well as having a massive Target store, Metreon is a great place for family evenings out with entire floors dedicated to dining and movies. Grab your popcorn and brace yourself to experience the latest blockbuster on a towering IMAX screen – at 75 feet it’s one of the tallest in North America. As you’d expect from one of America’s most popular cities, San Francisco's nightlife scene is a joy, with much of it centered in and around Union Square. Craft beer fans can bar hop between perennial faves including the Golden Gate Tap Room and Bartlett Hall’s in-house brewery, while down on 11th Street at the edge of SoMa is where you’ll find some of the best clubs in town – from the bass-thudding fun of Audio SF to risqué drag performances at LGBTQ+ favorite Oasis. Save on things to do in Downtown 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
San Francisco City Hall illuminated in festive colors
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Christmas in San Francisco

If you’re looking for a festive city break brimming with holiday spirit, it’s hard to beat Christmas in San Francisco. From delightful winter displays to enchanting traditional performances and a host of unique seasonal events, it’s hard to beat the festive wonder of the Bay Area at the holidays. Festive Displays Union Square No area is quite so quintessential to Christmas in San Francisco as Union Square. This teeming commercial hub transforms throughout the holiday season into the beating heart of all things Christmas in the Bay Area. The San Francisco holiday season kicks off with the lighting of the Macy’s Christmas Tree in late November, traditionally taking place on the first Friday after Thanksgiving. Hundreds of locals and visitors alike come out to watch the event and embrace the festive spirit, as Union Square becomes a veritable winter wonderland brimming with seasonal spirit. Running in parallel to the early Christmas festivities, Union Square is also host each year to the Bill Graham Menorah in celebration of Hanukkah. Each night of the Jewish festival of lights is marked by the lighting of a candle atop the giant candelabra, accompanied by a hearty gathering filled with live music and a great deal of merriment. You’ll find all manner of ways to get into the holiday spirit around Union Square, whether it’s taking the kids to Macy’s to visit Santa Claus and awe at the frolicking, adoptable animals in the SPCA’s Holiday Window or showing off your moves on the Union Square Ice Skating Rink before grabbing some holiday deals at Westfield Shopping Center. Fisherman’s Wharf One of the Bay Area’s top attractions becomes ever more exciting throughout the holidays, hosting a number of festive events throughout the season. Rivaling the main display on Union Square, Pier 39 goes a step further by lighting its Christmas tree multiple times an evening from late November to early January, synchronized to a fanfare of holiday music. In much the same way, the Pier also celebrates Hanukkah with its own giant menorah at the Entrance Plaza, lit up each night of the Jewish festival. At the opposite end of Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square hosts its own diverse program of holiday celebrations, complete with the obligatory Christmas Tree display and Hanukkah festivities. In years past, the square has also been known to put on an outdoor cinema showcasing a number of popular holiday movies throughout the season. Always a popular sight on the waterfront is the Fisherman’s Wharf Decorated Boat Parade, held each year in partnership with the St. Francis Yacht Club. Usually falling in mid-December, the parade sees local boats of all shapes and sizes adorned in festive lights and decor as they sail along the bay. Those who are particularly keen can pay to watch from the official starting line while enjoying a special holiday buffet. Fairmont Hotel If magical holiday displays and an exuberant seasonal atmosphere are what you’re looking for, be sure to visit the Fairmont Hotel at the top of Nob Hill. Each year, this luxury hotel goes all out on its holiday display, erecting a life-sized gingerbread house right in its main lobby. Large enough for adults to walk through, the charming display is made all the more enchanting by the miniature railway encircling the house. Seasonal Events SantaCon You’d better watch out, as Santa Claus is coming to town in his masses! For a day each December, Union Square and its surrounding streets, bars and venues get overtaken by a colossal procession of Christmas characters, most of which end up in quite the drunken state as the day rolls on. This Santa-themed celebration comes complete with caroling, costume contests and stockingfuls of merriment. Though entirely free to enter, SantaCon asks that visitors bring unwrapped toy donations of any size and value to help local charity drives aimed at disadvantaged families across the city. And, of course, festive fancy dress is highly encouraged! The Great Dickens Fair For a series of weekends throughout the holiday season, the city hosts The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, complete with festive market stalls among an impressive replica of Victorian London. Visitors can enjoy various Victorian-themed events and pick up some treasures while exploring the world which so inspired the famous nineteenth-century writer. New Year’s Eve Seeing out the holiday season, the Bay Area is considered to be among the top five destinations in the United States to spend New Year’s Eve, and that certainly isn’t without merit. Like many cities, San Fran veritably lights up with activity for the twilight hours of the year, with many of its top restaurants, bars and venues filled to the brim with jovial revelers. Throughout the night, the city hosts a number of popular live events and concerts to beckon in the turn of the new year. As the night reaches its peak, many flock to the waterside to watch as barges 1,000 feet out in the bay set off a magnificent firework display, illuminating their surroundings in a blaze of vibrant color. The most popular site to catch the show is typically just south of the Ferry Building near Pier 14. Holiday Performances Known for its incredible entertainment scene, it should come as no surprise that San Francisco also hosts a variety of limited-time performances throughout the holiday season, many of which have become a staple of local holiday tradition. Tickets to any of these performances typically sell out fast, so you’ll want to keep a keen eye out when they become available. Nutcracker Ballet Step into the magical wonderland of toy soldiers in this classic ballet performance of the Nutcracker, performed by a kaleidoscope of over 150 dancers as they battle the King of Mice and dance through the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Accompanied by a fantastic live orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, this is a truly enchanting performance to catch during the holiday season. A Christmas Carol Perhaps one of the most popular Bay Area holiday traditions is to bag a ticket to a theater performance of Charles Dickens’ festive classic, A Christmas Carol. Each year, the American Conservatory Theater puts on their own delightful adaptation of the classic tale, with a bubbly cast, vibrant costumes and a host of spooky ghosts.
Robert Heaney

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