San Francisco travel guide: the cultural centre of Northern California

There’s no place like San Francisco. Known for its cable cars, steep streets, eclectic architecture, summer fog and spectacular views, this vibrant city attracts visitors from around the world looking for an urban adventure.

Everything about San Francisco is diverse, from its population to the thousands of restaurants across the city.

It’s the cultural centre of Northern California – this is where you go to get your fill of museums, concerts, plays and dance performances – and constantly evolving, embracing its history as it looks to the future. Now is the time to see what San Francisco has to offer.

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What to do

Get up close and personal with some of San Francisco’s most beloved landmarks during a Red and White Fleet Golden Gate Bay Cruise. During this hour-long narrated sailing, you’ll pass under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and by Alcatraz, a former prison that once housed such infamous names as Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. There are three daily sailings, and in the winter, the 4pm tour doubles as a sunset cruise.

Looking for a taste of the Bay Area? Visit the San Francisco Ferry Building, which dates back to 1898 and is now home of the Ferry Building Marketplace. Inside this public food market, there are outposts of regional favourites like Acme Bread and Gott’s Roadside, while outside, local farmers sell their fresh produce several times a week. Edible Excursions offers a two-hour tour of the market, with a knowledgable guide leading participants from merchant to merchant, procuring samples of their specialities – it’s fun, informative, and delicious.

The San Francisco Botanical Garden provides a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Tucked away in Golden Gate Park, the garden – open daily at 7.30am – boasts more than 8,000 varieties of plants from around the world, with the towering Monterey cypresses providing both shade and beauty.

From the San Francisco Botanical Garden, it’s just a quick stroll to the de Young Museum, which houses American, African and Oceanic art; textile arts; and costumes. On exhibit through to 12 February 2023, “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” showcases 181 incredible artefacts from ancient Egypt, including royal masks, sarcophagi, gold jewellery, mummified animals and amulets. Be sure to add on the virtual reality experience “Ramses & Nefertari: Journey to Osiris”, which takes participants on a dazzling tour of the majestic Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s tomb.

Officially, San Francisco has 36 neighbourhoods, including Chinatown (the oldest Chinese community in the United States), The Castro (home to many LGBTQ landmarks) and Haight-Ashbury (the birthplace of hippie culture). You can explore the areas that interest you by foot, public transport or bicycle (there are rental places across the city), taking the time to check out the public art and murals and stop at one-of-a-kind shops and cafés.

The San Francisco C3 ticket is an easy way to see multiple attractions at a discount – it offers one-time admission to three places or activities (options include the Aquarium by the Bay, Exploratorium, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, California Academy of Sciences, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) for savings of up to 44%.

Where to stay

Right on the Embarcadero, the 1 Hotel San Francisco combines luxury with sustainability. Locally sourced and repurposed materials are found throughout the hotel – the lobby floor is composed of 7,000 square feet of reclaimed barn wood – and the well-appointed rooms come with plush pillow-top mattresses, crisp linens, Nespresso machines and in-room greenery, with many offering sweeping views of the Bay Bridge and Ferry Building.

California cuisine with a global spin is on the menu at Terrene, the hotel’s restaurant. The ingredients for specialities like the seared scallops with aubergine puree, harissa chicken skewer and za’atar fries are sourced within 100 miles of San Francisco, with some, like the mint and other greens, grown on the rooftop chef’s garden. Looking to relax further? Book a holistic treatment at the Bamford Wellness Spa, equipped with outdoor Japanese soaking tubs that have picture perfect views of the city.

Rates at 1 Hotel San Francisco start from £410 per night for a standard room.

Where to eat and drink

Flavour, flavour, flavour. That’s the first word that comes to mind after trying the Korean fried chicken (order the full serving – you’ll want leftovers) and soy marinated beef short ribs at Ilcha, a new Korean restaurant on Lombard Street. Every dish is perfectly seasoned, with the tender beef bulgogi starring in two of the menu’s standout dishes: the bulgogi tater tots and bulgogi jeongol, a delicious hotpot chock full of meat, vegetables, tofu and textural surprises like rice cakes and japchae. The servers are friendly and happy to answer any questions about the anju (food) and sool (alcoholic drinks) menus.

The menu at Ancora is a love letter to local ingredients. A new seafood-centred restaurant in the Mission District, the food served at Ancora couldn’t be any fresher – the focus is on in-season produce, anchovies and black cod from the waters of San Francisco, Mt. Lassen trout and Petrale sole caught in Half Moon Bay. The delectable sauces, like the one found on the luscious plankton tagliolini with white sturgeon caviar, add an extra burst of flavour. Order the outstanding homemade bread to soak it all up.

Wildhawk isn’t your average bar. Yes, you can walk in and order a gin and tonic or Manhattan, but why would you want to? Wildhawk is known for its wildly creative house cocktails – the Diving Swallows, for example, is made with two types of Scotch whisky, San Zanj rum, Galliano, and coconut milk, topped with buttered popcorn – and ice cold martinis for two. The vibe is warm and cosy, and whether you’re sitting at the bar or on one of the comfortable couches, you’ll feel welcome by the affable bartenders.

For a quick breakfast or lunch, swing by Tartine Bakery for a fresh pastry, like a flaky croissant or morning bun, or a more substantial slice of quiche. After 10am, consider ordering one of the hot pressed sandwiches, made to order on Tartine’s excellent country loaf bread (the pastrami with gruyere, horseradish, and dijon mustard is a winner).

La Cocina Municipal Marketplace is a different type of food hall. Its six vendors touch “disparate corners of the Earth – Senegal, El Salvador, Algeria and others”, but though the cultures represented are “diverse”, there are “small, poetic considerations that unite them”, said the San Francisco Chronicle. Most offer beans and rice in some form and meals are “made to be financially accessible to low-income residents of the Tenderloin”. It’s an empowering – and tasty – environment, with diners able to order from multiple vendors for a true culinary journey.

How to get there

There are direct flights from London Heathrow Airport to San Francisco International Airport on British Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Delta. For more information on things to do in San Francisco, see sftravel.com