San Francisco in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

In this itinerary of what to see and do in San Francisco in three days I show you a lot of activities, but with the intention that you will fall in love with the city so much that you will want to come back for more.

Regardless of where you're staying, you may need a transfer between the airport and San Francisco to get you ready to start touring the city in three days. Alternatively, you can opt for a taxi or public transport.

To get you started on your first day, I recommend visiting some of the city's most popular sights, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the town of Sausalito.

Cycle through Golden Gate Park

The first thing I recommend you do is rent a bike and ride around Golden Gate Park for about two hours. You can also book a bike tour of the Golden Gate Park and Sausalito and kill two birds with one stone, as this is one of the best bike tours in San Francisco.

• It's ideal for the whole family, as the kids will love it.
• The buffalo and fern garden areas are the best parts of the park.
• It's a good place for a picnic if you haven't had breakfast.

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy the breathtaking views

Once you've had a bit of fun in Golden Gate Park, it's time to head out and cross the Golden Gate Bridge to take lots of photos to remember your trip to San Francisco.

It's clear that climbing the Golden Gate Bridge will not only leave you with a unique experience, but will also allow you to see one of the best views of San Francisco, so it's well worth the ride across the bridge.

• You can choose to leave your bike behind or continue your route on wheels.
• Before going up to the bridge , I recommend you enter the Welcome Center to learn about the history of its construction.

Get to Sausalito and get to know its floating houses

When you go down the Golden Gate Bridge on the Sausalito side, one of the things that will surely impress you is the way the houses are built there. Many of them are floating on the water, making them one of the town's most interesting attractions.

This town has a reputation for being the birthplace of intellectuals, bohemians and people who dedicate their lives to composition and art. But if there's one thing you can't miss about Sausalito, it's the food, and by now you'll want to grab a bite to eat before continuing on into the afternoon. This brings you to the next point on our itinerary.

Stop for a bite to eat in Sausalito

Sausalito is a place of varied and delicious cuisine, so I recommend this town for the obligatory lunch stop. Although there are many good restaurants, one of my favourites is Scoma's of Sausalito.

This place I recommend is worthy of being among the best food tours in San Francisco thanks to the quality of its menu and especially the menu of authentic local food that they offer. Plus, their prices are very moderate.

• Don't miss the steamed manila clams, prawns with garlic and coconut curry mussels.

Stroll Fisherman's Wharf and admire the sea lions at Pier 39

From the bike you can get off at Sausalito and buy your ferry ticket back to San Francisco to continue seeing the city from every possible angle.

The ferry will take you back to the bay, where you will arrive at Fisherman's Wharf. Once at the pier I invite you to see the most curious sight in San Francisco Bay: the sea lions resting on the pier.

This is an attraction to see at any time of the year, but it is especially an activity that I would include on my list of things to do in San Francisco in January because this is when the most sea lions arrive.

Discover Chinatown and learn how fortune biscuits are made

From the Fisherman's Wharf pier you can take a car, taxi or public transport to Chinatown. There are plenty of things to see and do in San Francisco's Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the United States.

One of the must-see attractions when visiting Chinatown in San Francisco is the fortune biscuit factory, located in the heart of Chinatown.

I also recommend visiting the Welcome Arch and the various food establishments on your own or by booking a Chinatown food tour.

Spend the night and enjoy good food in the Italian Quarter

North Beach, also known as the Italian Quarter, is not too far from Chinatown, so you could either walk there or use public transport to get as close to Little Italy as possible.

Little Italy is the right choice if you're looking for a night of drinking, dancing and good food.

The Italian Quarter has plenty of dining options, but if you want someone to guide you through Little Italy, a food tour of Little Italy is the way to go. It's one of the best San Francisco tours you'll find, I assure you.

For the second day of your trip I recommend you to visit places as emblematic and interesting as the first day.

On day two you will visit Alcatraz, Twin Peaks and Painted Ladies, among other places that are very close and are included among the most relevant sites of the city of San Francisco.

Learn the stories about Alcatraz Island

I recommend starting your day with a visit to Alcatraz Island to learn first-hand the terrifying stories about this place that once served as a military prison.

To get to Alcatraz you'll need to take a ferry; there are many half-day excursions you can book to see the island. The ferry departs from the pier and the crossing to the island takes approximately 20-30 minutes.

Booking a tour to Alcatraz costs around 140 euros per person and includes a boat ride in San Francisco from the bay to the island and then a tour of the former prison facilities with a guide who is an expert in the history and stories of the prison. The entire tour usually lasts approximately two to three hours.

Go down Lombard Street if you're an adrenaline junkie

One activity I recommend you to do after disembarking at the pier after your excursion to Alcatraz Island is to go down Lombard Street, definitely the most famous street in the whole city of San Francisco.

You have two options to go down the street: by private car or hire a Go Car Tour in San Francisco, which is one of the most fun options to do the tour.

Go Car Tours are activities that take place aboard small cars that take you around parts of the city. They also include an audio guide so you can enjoy the activity even more.

Admire the beauty of Victorian architecture at Painted Ladies

It will take you approximately fifteen minutes to get to Painted Ladies from Lombard Street, if you are using a car. If you choose not to rent a car, you can use public transportation or take a taxi to get here.

Painted Ladies is one of the city's most iconic attractions. It is a residential complex consisting of several Victorian-style houses with colourful facades.

Have lunch in front of one of the most breathtaking views

Around the Painted Ladies there are several places where you can have a coffee or some snacks, but if you want to have lunch, I recommend you to visit my favourite place to eat near the Painted Ladies: Alamo Square Seafood Grill.

From there you can enjoy great views of the city as well as good seafood.

• It is open from Monday to Saturday until 17:30 and on Sundays until 17:00.
• I recommend you try the crispy squid bay style, a dish that is definitely deluxe.
• Prices may vary according to the type of food, but they range from 8 to 20 euros per plate.

Climb Twin Peaks for great views

After you've recharged your batteries with a full lunch, I recommend you continue your tour by car or public transport to the twin hills known as Twin Peaks, where you'll be able to see a perfect panoramic view of the entire city of San Francisco.

• If you drive up, you'll find ample parking at the top.
• If you prefer to go by public transport, there is only one route that will take you close to the viewpoint at the top, but after that you will have to finish the walk.
• On the other hand, you can also do the entire route on foot.

Get to know Castro, the most popular gay neighbourhood

After a while in Twin Peaks, it's time to head down to use public transport or drive to the Castro District, the most popular gay neighbourhood of all. It's only a few streets from Twin Peaks to the Castro District and it's only a 10-minute drive.

In the district you can:

• Visit parks, museums and monuments dedicated to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
• Enjoy a cultural and colourful atmosphere.
• Book a tour of San Francisco's Castro neighbourhood and be accompanied by a guide.

Enjoy speaking Spanish while strolling through the Mission District

Just a few streets away from the gay district is the Mission District, San Francisco's most Latino neighbourhood. It's home to the largest Latino and Spanish-speaking population in the city, so you're free to speak Spanish instead of English.

I recommend you to close your second day in the Latin Quarter because you'll find a wide gastronomic offer that you won't be able to ignore. In addition, in the Mission District there are many bars and nightclubs where you can spend a pleasant time dancing to Latin rhythms and drinking international cocktails.

This is definitely the best plan to include in your list of things to do in San Francisco at night on the second day of your trip. And, like the Castro, you can also book a tour of the Mission District if you wish.

The third and last day of your visit to San Francisco begins, and among the activities I'd like to suggest for the day are some cultural visits to Haight-Ashbury and the Palace of Fine Arts, but it's also a good day to relax a bit at Baker Beach.

Start the day by enjoying the view of Baker Beach

To start the day's activities I recommend a visit to the beach at Baker Beach. It is a place I recommend if you are looking for options of what to see and do in San Francisco in summer, when temperatures are warmer.

To get to Baker Beach you can use public transportation, hopping on the line that takes you directly to the beach. After getting off at the bus stop, you'll walk just a few metres to the shore. If you are driving, the car park is open from morning until late afternoon.

Baker Beach is a great place to spend the early morning hours, jogging, spending time with the family and taking lots of photos of the Golden Gate Bridge from a different angle.

Take a leisurely stroll through Crissy Field

Just off the coast and further north you'll find Crissy Field, a great place to spend the rest of the morning doing outdoor activities. This park is a good option, especially if you're with kids, because there are plenty of options for cycling, running and playing.

One of the things I like most about Crissy Field is the great view you can see from the place.

• The entrance to the park is free.
• Itonly takes a few minutes from Baker Beachto get there by car.
• There is also parking for your car at the park.

Take a lunch break

After walking through much of Crissy Field, you're likely to be hungry soon, so one option is the Presidio Social Club restaurant.

• There is a wide variety of food on offer.
• Prices are moderate.
• It is the best option for lunch because it is on the route to the next point to visit.

Visit the Palace of Fine Arts

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is one of the most beautiful places near Presidio. From the restaurant where you just had lunch to this place it is only a few streets away, so you can walk or use public transportation without any difficulty.

This is one of the most beautiful monuments you can find in San Francisco, ideal for taking the most beautiful pictures of your holiday in the city.

Get some inspiration from the art at the De Young

You have a chance to enter the De Young until 17:30, so I recommend getting there by 15:00 at the latest. The best way to get from the Palacio de Bellas Artes to the De Young Museum is to take a taxi, which will take you there in just twenty minutes.

After buying your tickets to the De Young Museum, I invite you to take a look at the different exhibitions, both permanent and temporary.

But before visiting the museum I would recommend you to read all about the De Young Museum: tickets, guided tours, prices, etc. This will help you prepare for your visit.

Stroll around Haight-Ashbury and check out some of the bars in the evening.

To close the night of the third day and before going to the hotel where you are staying, my recommendation is to visit Haight-Ashbury, an upper class neighbourhood that is a sensation in San Francisco these days.

The place has different restaurants, bars and pubs where you can spend the afternoon and evening. Most of the bars are open late into the night, so this is a plan that you can do with your friends without restrictions.

To get around San Francisco like a local you can use public transport such as bus lines, the underground, the train and especially the tram. The latter is the most widely used form of transport in the city and is the one that takes you to most of the tourist attractions.

If you want to save money on transportation, I recommend you to book the San Francisco sightseeing bus, but there are many companies offering it with different routes so it's best to read up on the best San Francisco sightseeing buses and choose the one that suits you best.