You and other travelers might not have heard of the hidden gems in San Francisco.
You might have heard of them but not considered them part of your San Francisco trip.
Maybe you're too focused on the best things to do in San Francisco, like riding the cable car, watching the sea lions at Pier 39 or biking across the Golden Gate Bridge. Don't forget to check those off of your bucket list.
These lesser known San Francisco attractions will give you a more rewarding and enriching experience.
The locals love to go to these San Francisco hidden gems. If you are like me, you love to experience what is unique about a city or destination and what makes it a great place to live.
There are 131 vibrantly decorated San Francisco hearts around the side streets, business foyers and windows, and staircases, which is a cool way to visit San Francisco California.
The hearts are decorated with painted mosaics and portraits of San Francisco's wild parrots.
I left my heart in San Francisco and started the San Francisco Hearts Project to raise money for the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation.
Each year, San Francisco artists are invited to paint their very own Heart to be displayed in the city.
The hospital foundation has raised over $10 million through the hearts, which are auctioned off at the end of the year.
America's greatest city by the bay is located on the corner of Powell and Post Streets in San Francisco. The corners of the square have hearts.
Privately owned and some in easily discovered locations, such as the lobbies and storefronts of our generous corporate supporters, others are at the homes of private individuals.
Some can be found in locations such as City Hall, Pier 39, and San Francisco General Hospital.
Andy Goldsworthy is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist who creates sculptures and land art in natural and urban settings.
His art installations are located in the Presidio.
The four pieces of the Presidio can be explored individually or together via a three-mile hiking loop.
It is made from the trunks of 35 cypress trees and 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611
Woodline was camouflaged and in synergy with the surrounding forest landscape of fallen foliage.
It took me a moment of walking on the logs lying on the ground to realize they were an art installation and I could follow their weaving pattern down the tree lined path.
Wood Line invites you to contemplate where the life of a tree begins, as opposed to inviting you to look up and ponder the rejuvenation of this beautiful city forest.
There is a tree fall on the roof of the Powder Magazine building and a wall on the club floor.
Both invite viewers to look at the relationship between what is natural and what is built.
People come to Chinatown to get Golden Fortune Cookies.
One of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco is located in the oldest neighborhood in the bay area.
Tin How Temple is the oldest Taoist temple in San Francisco and one of the oldest Taoist temples in the United States.
It is only a small space on the 4th floor of an apartment building on Waverly St and there is not much else to do but smell the incense, soak up the peaceful atmosphere and marvel at something quite ancient and magical.
There are murals on the walls in Chinatown. They are just as worthy of attention as the murals in the Mission District and can be classified as hidden San Francisco points of interest.
Related Post – Where to stay in San Francisco: 24 best hotels
I thought this was one of the best places in San Francisco.
Jack Kerouac Alley is where the East and the West meet.
As you walk from one end of Chinatown to the other, look down to learn a few tidbits of wisdom from the likes of Confucius and Maya Angelou.
In San Francisco, Francis Ford Coppola wrote the script for the movie "The Godfather" and Jack Kerouac and Allen Ghinsberg used to sit and ponder the meaning of life over a few cocktails.
It has hosted writers, poets, artists and musicians for years. Its design and purpose have not changed since it was established in 1948.
This is a secret place in San Francisco.
San Francisco in a Day is a solo Mother's relaxed adventures.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin founded City Lights Bookstore in 1953 and it became an instant gathering place for readers, writers, artists, and activists.
The Beatnik bookstore is best known for publishing Howland Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg.
The most comprehensive collection of any bookstore in San Francisco can be found at City of Lights.
You can find new-release books from major publishing houses on the third floor.
I picked up a copy of The Open Road at City of Lights Bookstore and headed to Vesuvio to read a few chapters.
Vesuvio is on my San Francisco bucket list for a while, but we walked past its 21+ bar on our previous visit.
I was going to read a book with a glass of wine in one of the most famous bars in the United States.
It's the kind of bar you want to sit around all day and, while I enjoyed the opportunity to sit on my own and read, I was envious of the young people who were sitting around the bar.
I was a traveler in London and Europe and found this pub to be a good place to stay.
The pub told stories.
Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan are just a few of the greats who have had stories born here.
I looked at the bookstore and Jack Kerouac alley from the balcony table.
What local wouldn't want to sit with a grove of trees on their lunch break?
Travelers will love it as well.
You can see the Transamerica Pyramid shaped building from all over the city, but if you're in the Financial District you should stop by the small pocket park next to it.
The Santa Cruz Mountains brought in 80 mature redwood trees. The area is home to 50 original trees that are shaded, green and surrounded by glass and steel skyscrapers.
It is one of the true San Francisco hidden gems and is a tranquil place to sit for a while.
This site is where Mark Twain once lived and wrote. There are jumping frog sculptures in the fountain that are in remembrance of him.
Car lovers will recognize the winding road from the commercials. The backdrop for it is quite interesting.
Twin Peaks is named for a pair of summits in a remote residential neighborhood with modern homes densely packed on steep lots along winding streets.
The best time to visit Twin Peaks is early in the morning before sunrise or sunset.
You can get there by car.
I don't know how to pay attention to this area of San Francisco before.
The Sutro Baths are at the end of the Lands End Trail.
It was the largest public swimming area in the world before it was destroyed by fire.
There are some crumbling remains on the edge of the ocean. The view out to a few rock outcroppings is beautiful. The Pier 39 seals were spooked by the 1986 earthquake and moved to their current location.
The Lands End Trail will give a wonderful view of San Francisco's rugged coastline hugged by cypress pine and the odd gum tree.
It is a trail that leads to a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The trail was very quiet. It is a mile return hike.
We walked down the east side until we reached the Labyrinth.
The labyrinth is one of the hidden gems in San Francisco that is meant to be worth the return hike down to.
I wouldn't recommend Baker Beach for a whole beach day. I don't think that's one of the best things to do in San Francisco.
Too cold, too windy, dangerous water conditions. There was a bit of trash around and the sand was pretty dark.
Our girls picked up a lot of it, they are good Junior Rangers.
The view from Baker Beach of the Golden Gate Bridge is special.
There are houses on the cliffs at Sea Cliff. The big brownish red one at the end is Jack Dorsey's house. From the China Beach side, you can see it from the Lands End Trail.
You can see the million-dollar homes lining the cliff face after you drive through the gorgeous Sea Cliff neighborhood.
You might not think of this as one of the best hidden gems in San Francisco, as this wonderful half day or full day experience is becoming very popular on a trip to San Francisco.
Sausalito is a place where locals love to go for a calmer local bayside experience and fresh seafood.
Craig and I rode our bikes from Fisherman's wharf to Tiburon. It was a highlight of our trip to San Francisco. We caught the ferry back as it was too large to ride. You don't think the bike is that far over the bridge.
We contemplated biking the bridge with our kids, but it was too cold and windy. I couldn't handle any more cold weather after six months of RVing.
We rode around the park.
It's a little energy saving enclave that has popped up complete with a community of mailboxes. These run down looking homes are worth a fair bit of money, even though they are cute.
Cibo is our pick for coffee.
It's on your list of things to do in San Francisco.
You can check out this tour for 3 hours. The San Francisco Sightseeing Pass includes bike hire and guided bridge bike tours.
The Coit Tower is in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. Pioneer Park was established in 1876 on the site of the former telegraph station.
It costs $10 to get to the top of the tower, but it is worth it. You will get a panoramic view of San Francisco city and the bay area from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge.
If the San Francisco fog has risen and the blue sky is visible, you will see views that will make you think you have landed on a Greek island.
The murals on the walls tell the story of life in California during the Depression.
At the bottom of the tower there is a park with nice gardens and seating areas. The gum trees were huge. San Francisco reminded me of Australia.
There are parrots in the park. I didn't pay attention and didn't see any.
San Francisco is a hilly city so they have created a few stairways around the city with patterned mosaic tiles to make it easier to get up and down the streets.
We liked the two staircases.
On our private tour of San Francisco, we discovered these stairs as a hidden gem.
There are other San Francisco Staircases of note.
I didn't know about the park until January of this year.
One of my favorite attractions in San Francisco is the Presidio Park.
I believe it is so important that it is included on our itinerary.
One of the true San Francisco hidden gems are the walking trails, museums, art installations, biking trails, beaches, spectacular bay and bridge views, and large open green spaces for picnics and communal gatherings.
During the summer, the Parade ground is lined with local food and beer trucks.
There are many hiking trails you can do at the Walt Disney Museum. The Ecology Trail takes you to some viewpoints.
Related Post – 14 best things to do in the PresidioYou can check out how cool the park is. Look inside our hotel, The Kimpton Sir Francis Drake.
You can find delicious and unique ice cream flavors in the Mission District and Bi-Rite Creamery.
Coffee and Toffee was my pick. Pick me up for a refreshing afternoon.
You can get ice cream at the park. One of my favorite views of San Francisco was from here.
Be sure to check out the Mission District.
The Mission District has hundreds of walls and fences adorned with colorful murals.
One of the cool places in San Francisco is an outdoor art gallery.
Arsicault bakery is a hidden gem in San Francisco.
These guys are award winning. The best breeches in the country award is not just any award.
Oh my gosh.
They definitely earned that! I'm free of gluten and could not resist a bite. It was difficult to not destroy the whole thing.
The croissant was very soft. Totally melt in your mouth.
This is one of the best off the beaten path places to eat in San Francisco.
The second best bakery in San Francisco is in the Mission District. Michael from Boutique Traveler gave us that tip.
I don't know why the Ferry Building isn't more popular with tourists.
They are all vying for clam chowder and fried seafood at the wharf. I will trade that for all local, organic seafood from The Ferry Building.
This place has been an important landmark in San Francisco since it opened in 1898.
There is a farmers market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at the building, which has a brilliant blue faade and clock tower.
Buttery lemon mussels are not something you like. What about bread or empanadas?
There is also local honey, chocolate, cheese, ice cream, chocolate almond brittle and my favorite store dedicated toGluten free pastries.
California has amazing produce on their doorstep. We ran out of food in this building and couldn't try anything from every store, so we had to leave.
There is history inside these walls as well. The Ferry building stood the test of Mother Nature.
You can see Bay Bridge and Treasure Island from the back.
The F Market streetcar stops.
Several people recommend the Seward Street Slides to us, even though we didn't make them, because the locals love them.
The main event in the garden is two long, steep concrete slides.
It says to bring a piece of cardboard and wear sturdy pants. Adults and children must be with each other.
The island in the San Francisco Bay is overshadowed by the smaller island of Alcatraz.
Angel Island is San Francisco's answer to Ellis Island, a place where immigrants were processed before being allowed to leave.
It is now a state park with many hiking and biking trails. Ferries leave.
We enjoyed visiting Japantown, but most people head to Chinatown.
The oldest of three remaining Japantowns in the US is marked by the Peace Pagoda and bright red cherry blossom banners.
Michael from the Boutique Traveler is our private tour guide and he says that Japantown is as authentic as it can get outside of Japan.
There are things to see and do.
One of the best places to watch the sunset is on Hawk Hill.
The road was closed for some reason and we didn't make it to here. We ran out of time as well.
This was recommended to us as a local favorite. There are many hiking andbiking trails that lead to Rodeo Beach and the Pacific Coast.
You can take a scenic drive along Conzelman Road from the northern foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.
In our post on things to do in San Francisco with kids, we mention that you should also visit the Muir Woods. It is a San Francisco bucket list item.
Thanks to our Boutique Traveler tours, we discovered a lot of San Francisco hidden gems.
This award winning tour company started in San Francisco and now runs tours in three countries.
A friend of ours is Michael. He has lived in San Francisco for the past 8 years and has amassed a lot of San Francisco travel tips.
He showed us his tours and the city he now calls home. We can attest to his friendly personality.
We discovered his passion for the stories behind the buildings in the city. When walking the streets on your own or on one of the heavily scripted tours, there are stories that you don't know about.
San Francisco has a rich history of gold Rush, earthquakes, and fires and has a vibrant and exciting melting pot of cultures and neighborhoods with their own style and flavor.
We wanted to stay longer and return more often.
His tours are small and personalized and the best part is, tour guides become your own personal photographer on the trip.
The guides will take photos of you in San Francisco and you can relax and enjoy it.
If you are like us, there is always someone missing in your photos.
Our friend is no longer running these tours, but I found a private walking tour that gets good reviews. This San Francisco activity is still recommended by us.
We mapped out your 3 day trip to San Francisco and gave you a time frame to enjoy what we think are the must see San Francisco attractions.
Travelers can save 42% or more on admission to San Francisco's top attractions with the City Pass.
The price is $94 for adults and $74 for children. It is valid for nine consecutive days.
The San Francisco Sightseeing Pass has more diversity in their attractions and local tours.
The MUNI was only used from the city pass. We aren't big museum people so it wasn't a win for us. I don't like how the bay area attractions are chosen.
We had fun visiting the top attractions in San Francisco. You will love the Museum of 3D Illusions.
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