Top 10 Things to Do in San Francisco

Alcatraz is the most famous prison in American history — a 12-acre island in the bay that held notorious criminals including Al Capone and Robert Stroud, the Birdman. Ferries depart from Pier 33 and the award-winning audio tour narrated by former guards and prisoners is one of the best museum experiences in the country. Book tickets at least two weeks in advance as tours sell out constantly. The night tour adds extra atmosphere and is worth the premium. Allow three hours for the round trip.

Fisherman's Wharf is SF's most visited waterfront neighbourhood, stretching from Pier 39 to Ghirardelli Square along the northern waterfront. The main draws are the sea lion colony at Pier 39's K-Dock, fresh Dungeness crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, the historic Hyde Street Pier with its tall ships, and views across to Alcatraz. It's touristy by design but utterly enjoyable — arrive early for the sea lions and to beat the crowds at the best seafood stalls.

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest in North America, established in 1848 and still the most densely populated neighbourhood in the city. Enter through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue and explore 24 blocks of herbal medicine shops, dim sum parlours, fortune cookie factories, and century-old temples. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley lets you watch cookies being folded by hand for free. This is living history — a neighbourhood that has survived earthquake, fire, and redevelopment.

San Francisco's cable cars are the world's last manually operated cable car system, a National Historic Landmark that has been running since 1873. Three lines still operate: Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason, and California Street. The Powell-Hyde line is the most scenic, cresting Nob Hill before descending to Fisherman's Wharf via Hyde Street with spectacular bay views. A single ride costs $8; buy an all-day Muni Passport for $24 if you plan to ride multiple times. Expect queues at the Powell Street terminus, especially at weekends.

The Mission District is SF's most vibrant neighbourhood — a Latino cultural heartland packed with 400+ restaurants, taqueria institutions like La Taqueria and El Farolito, and the largest concentration of outdoor murals in the US. Clarion Alley and Balmy Alley are open-air galleries of political street art. Dolores Park is the neighbourhood's living room, especially packed on sunny weekends. The Mission has also become a hub for craft cocktail bars and acclaimed restaurants — book ahead for Atelier Crenn and Lazy Bear.

Golden Gate Park stretches 4 km from the Panhandle to Ocean Beach — a 1,017-acre urban park larger than Central Park, containing a Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, bison paddock, and dozens of lakes and trails. Rent a bike from the Haight and spend a full day exploring. On Sundays, JFK Drive is closed to cars. The Academy of Sciences under its living roof is one of the finest science museums in the world.

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero is SF's greatest food market, a beautifully restored Beaux-Arts hall housing 40+ artisan producers including Blue Bottle Coffee, Cowgirl Creamery, Hog Island Oyster Co, and Acme Bread. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market brings local farms to the waterfront promenade outside. The building also functions as a working ferry terminal with regular services to Marin and the East Bay. Best visited Saturday morning.

The 400 block of Lombard Street in Russian Hill is billed as the world's crookedest street — eight sharp hairpin bends descending steeply between banks of hydrangeas on a one-way street. Driving down is free but can take 30 minutes of queueing on summer weekends; walking down or watching from the steps is instant. The view from the bottom looking back up is the better photograph. Pair it with a walk through the elegant residential streets of Russian Hill for a broader neighbourhood experience.

Haight-Ashbury is the spiritual home of the 1960s counterculture movement — the neighbourhood where Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane lived when the Summer of Love transformed global culture in 1967. Today it remains a centre of independent bookshops, vintage clothing stores, record shops, and cafes. The Grateful Dead House at 710 Ashbury Street still draws pilgrims. Pair a walk here with a visit to Buena Vista Park or entry into Golden Gate Park, right at the neighbourhood's edge.

Alcatraz is the most famous prison in American history — a 12-acre island in the bay that held notorious criminals including Al Capone and Robert Stroud, the Birdman. Ferries depart from Pier 33 and the award-winning audio tour narrated by former guards and prisoners is one of the best museum experiences in the country. Book tickets at least two weeks in advance as tours sell out constantly. The night tour adds extra atmosphere and is worth the premium. Allow three hours for the round trip.

Fisherman's Wharf is SF's most visited waterfront neighbourhood, stretching from Pier 39 to Ghirardelli Square along the northern waterfront. The main draws are the sea lion colony at Pier 39's K-Dock, fresh Dungeness crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, the historic Hyde Street Pier with its tall ships, and views across to Alcatraz. It's touristy by design but utterly enjoyable — arrive early for the sea lions and to beat the crowds at the best seafood stalls.

San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest in North America, established in 1848 and still the most densely populated neighbourhood in the city. Enter through the Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue and explore 24 blocks of herbal medicine shops, dim sum parlours, fortune cookie factories, and century-old temples. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley lets you watch cookies being folded by hand for free. This is living history — a neighbourhood that has survived earthquake, fire, and redevelopment.

San Francisco's cable cars are the world's last manually operated cable car system, a National Historic Landmark that has been running since 1873. Three lines still operate: Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason, and California Street. The Powell-Hyde line is the most scenic, cresting Nob Hill before descending to Fisherman's Wharf via Hyde Street with spectacular bay views. A single ride costs $8; buy an all-day Muni Passport for $24 if you plan to ride multiple times. Expect queues at the Powell Street terminus, especially at weekends.

The Mission District is SF's most vibrant neighbourhood — a Latino cultural heartland packed with 400+ restaurants, taqueria institutions like La Taqueria and El Farolito, and the largest concentration of outdoor murals in the US. Clarion Alley and Balmy Alley are open-air galleries of political street art. Dolores Park is the neighbourhood's living room, especially packed on sunny weekends. The Mission has also become a hub for craft cocktail bars and acclaimed restaurants — book ahead for Atelier Crenn and Lazy Bear.

Golden Gate Park stretches 4 km from the Panhandle to Ocean Beach — a 1,017-acre urban park larger than Central Park, containing a Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, bison paddock, and dozens of lakes and trails. Rent a bike from the Haight and spend a full day exploring. On Sundays, JFK Drive is closed to cars. The Academy of Sciences under its living roof is one of the finest science museums in the world.

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero is SF's greatest food market, a beautifully restored Beaux-Arts hall housing 40+ artisan producers including Blue Bottle Coffee, Cowgirl Creamery, Hog Island Oyster Co, and Acme Bread. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market brings local farms to the waterfront promenade outside. The building also functions as a working ferry terminal with regular services to Marin and the East Bay. Best visited Saturday morning.

The 400 block of Lombard Street in Russian Hill is billed as the world's crookedest street — eight sharp hairpin bends descending steeply between banks of hydrangeas on a one-way street. Driving down is free but can take 30 minutes of queueing on summer weekends; walking down or watching from the steps is instant. The view from the bottom looking back up is the better photograph. Pair it with a walk through the elegant residential streets of Russian Hill for a broader neighbourhood experience.

Haight-Ashbury is the spiritual home of the 1960s counterculture movement — the neighbourhood where Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane lived when the Summer of Love transformed global culture in 1967. Today it remains a centre of independent bookshops, vintage clothing stores, record shops, and cafes. The Grateful Dead House at 710 Ashbury Street still draws pilgrims. Pair a walk here with a visit to Buena Vista Park or entry into Golden Gate Park, right at the neighbourhood's edge.