I finally flew across the United States all the way to the state of California. I had a feeling my first trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be my last, and I was right. I am already itching to get back and do more exploring of the city. I had quite a few trips planned for the remainder of the year and since San Francisco was for a weekend and a wedding, I didn’t do a ton of research. In fact, I waited until the night before to figure out what I wanted to do. The good thing is I did enough to not have any regrets and therefore would love to share my long weekend itinerary for San Francisco for first timers.
If you’ve read my other itinerary posts, I like to include my cost to share that traveling really isn’t that expensive. With a little saving and budgeting, you can travel and book your next adventure too. To get inspired, take a look at my post on creating a budget and start saving.
EXPENSES
Below are the expenses of the trip. A few things to note:
- I paid for my flight with Chase credit card points. I have earned enough points to get me quite a few free flights over the last few years with this card. If you have the money to pay off your credit card each month, chase is the way to go. Because I paid with points, my trip only cost about $300 out of pocket!
- For rental cars, if you have AAA, you can add friends to drive for free. If you have Chase, you also won’t need to get insurance because Chase covers that insurance. This saves A TON of money!
- I spent more than I would have liked at restaurants. This cost fluctuates depending on the person, but this cost could go down.
- I split the rental car, airbnb, and most of the ubers with three other people. Traveling with others is a great way to save more money. Just make sure you are good travel partners before!
WHERE TO STAY
If you’ve heard anything about San Francisco, it’s probably that it is insanely expensive. Knowing this and trying to be on a budget, we had to look outside the city. We found the perfect Airbnb in Daly City. Just 20 minutes driving outside the city, it was a quick drive or uber to and from.
Driving in the city: I’m always nervous about parking and if it would be worth the money driving in the city. I asked around and bit the bullet to rent a car. I will say that driving and parking in San Fran is actually very simple. The one advice that I got was to get the Pay by Phone app, which is an app that you pay through your phone. So, if you decide to stay outside the city, don’t be afraid to rent a car.
Alright, so now that you have a rough amount of the trip and know where to stay, let’s get to the itinerary!
DAY 1: ARRIVAL & VIEWS
Whether you are on the east coast, or west coast, flying as early as possible is the best scenario for getting your time in for a long weekend vacation. Our flight was at 7AM, which got us in San Francisco at 11AM. From there, we went straight into the city to begin our day 1 adventure.
Stop 1: Fisherman’s Wharf
This is a very touristy area that we thought to stroll through to say we did it. And that is just what we did. We walked around, went to Ghirardelli Square and grabbed lunch at Cafe De Casa. We ordered a delicious açaí bowl and salad.
Stop 2: Muir Woods
I am so glad I found this gem. Just a half hour north of the city, this wooded area is a small part of the Red Woods. Make sure to take a look at their website here for more information. We found out by the signs on the way there that you must have a reservation. We quickly called and they thankfully had openings. Make sure to call in advance to reserve your parking spot!
There are a variety of small hikes and walking paths you can take within the woods. Since we didn’t have much time before sunset, we spent about an hour and a half there.
Stop 3: Golden Gate Bridge
On the way back from Muir Woods you can stop at the view points of the Golden Gate Bridge. The one we went to was right off the main road which had three different stops. We got there right for sunset which was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. It’s good to do it on the way back from Muir Woods because you are already across the bridge and each time you go across it’s around $8!
Stop 4: Baseball Game at AT&T Park
For tickets as low as $6, why not go experience and cheer on the home team? AT&T park is great because there is not a bad seat in the house. The food is expensive as it usually is at stadiums, but it’s a great night out!
DAY 2: WEDDING DAY
I may have forgotten to mention that we were in San Francisco for a wedding, so this was the big wedding day. We somehow still managed to fit a ton in, so thankfully if you don’t have a wedding, here are still a few other activities to do.
Stop 1: Run to Fort Funston
Depending on where you are and what you’re into, a run or walk to Fort Funston can be a great way to be active and enjoy the morning. You can run around the small pond in the area, on the beach, or walk up to the views on the cliffs.
Stop 2: Brunch at Plow
We were ten minutes to leaving this place because it was so busy, but am forever grateful we didn’t. I can eat brunch food for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, so I’m a sucker for a great restaurant. Plow was one of those places. Make sure you put this on your list!
Stop 3: Grab a drink at Coin-Op game room
Great drinks plus old school arcade games – what more could you want? Stop into Coin-Op game room, play some pac man, then head to your next stop.
Stop 4: Roam around Hayes Street
You may know Hayes Street for the Painted Ladies location, but it is also home to tons of shops and restaurants. Relax and take in the beautiful views of the city in the background.
Stop 5: Dinner at Nopalito
Close to Hayes Street, Nopalito has delicious Mexican food and I had one of the best quesadilla’s I’ve ever had there. Once again, their drinks are also worth having.
DAY 3: WALK THE CITY
There were quite a few wrong turns taken and sitting in the grass this day, but it was relaxing and perfect in my eyes.
Stop 1: Breakfast at RAW Sugar Factory
I won’t say this is the best breakfast I ever had, but it is in a great location in the Mission District which is well known to be quite hipster. You will find plenty of shops, restaurants and nightlife here.
Stop 2: Dolores Park
The benefit of a hilly city are the views at the top. Dolores Park is a great place to stroll through for a beautiful view of the city and of course people watching at it’s finest.
Stop 3: Walk through the Castro
We ended up walking the wrong way and as we looked down saw this extremely cool rainbow crosswalk and realized we were in the Castro. It is one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States and it is absolutely an area you shouldn’t miss.
Stop 4: The Painted Ladies
I was very excited to head here and it fulfilled my expectations. We sat here for about an hour, relaxing and appreciating the views of the Painted Ladies and the city landscape.
Stop 5: Dinner at La Taqueria
End in the Mission District for some of the best tacos around. This is also home to a latino community, so you may run into some excitement in the area. We saw a cool antique car show!
Stop 6: Sunset at Fort Funston
We loved Fort Funston so much that we knew we had to get back there for sunset. In California, the sun sets over the water so the colors and views are spectacular.
I would absolutely love to head back out west to explore more of San Francisco. I know there is so much more to see, but at the end of our three days, we felt accomplished and made the absolute best out of our short stay. Leave any and all recommendations in the comments below for when I do return!
