I took a quick trip up to San Francisco for work recently and was able to spend a bit of time on my own exploring the city. I’ve only been to SF a handful of times during my time living in California but have fallen in love with the beautiful creative city.
For most of my trips up north, I’ve opted to drive and check out the California coastline on the way there. The trip will take you anywhere from 5 and a half to 10 hours depending on the route you take and traffic. I like to do a combo of freeway and coastline so that I get the best of both worlds.
This past time, I was traveling for work so flew up. It is quick (53 minutes) and cheap (you can get round trip tickets for ~$100 if you plan ahead) to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I flew on Southwest out of Burbank which was lovely, small airports for the travel win! Be sure to plan for delays. The fog makes weather and flight conditions unpredictable so it is always good to have time on your side. If you do end up getting delayed – call the airline and ask if they can compensate you. I received a $100 Southwest Luv Voucher for my last fight because of a 2-hour delay. My husband got the same voucher even though he was traveling as my companion and we’d paid only about $11 for his ticket!
With our delayed arrival, I had just over 24 hours to enjoy the city and luckily only a few of those hours needed to be spent working 🙂
This is a roundup of the spots I went to on my last visit to San Francisco.
The Sights
San Francisco is known for several iconic sights that are quick and easy to see. It’s a small city so you can get around easily by uber or public transit. That being said, several of the main landmarks are spread out so pick your favs if you are on a quick trip. These are my top three and the spots I went on my last trip.
Golden Gate Bridge
This iconic sight is a must if it’s your first time in SF and depending on the fog it will likely be a little different each time you return. It’s perfect for a quick trip to the city because you are able to take it in quickly if you are strapped for time. We’ve been a few times so didn’t feel like we needed to spend too much time but it was fun to see even as a returner. If you have more time, walk or drive across to take in the full beauty of it and visit the welcome center and read the plaques to learn about the history and construction.
Painted Ladies
These colorful houses are a great way to see and learn a little about San Francisco’s architecture. They are also part of the opening credits to Full House. Fun to see in person if you are a fan of the show!
Chinatown Gate
This beautiful gate is the entrance to Chinatown. It’s fun to walk along the streets and see this part of the city. It’s about a 6-minute walk to union square and close to the street cars.
The Food
Eating is one of my favorite things to do in this city! The food is just incredible. As per usual, Yelp is my go-to for finding spots and there is a huge yelp community in SF so you’ll find many spots with thousands of reviews. This is a very small sampling of a few of my favorites and the three spots that I went on my last visit.
Tacorea, Nob Hill
I love fusion and this place does it so well! It’s a Korean taco spot with a love of tater tots. This place is tiny and there is limited seating. Come during off hours to avoid waiting too long in line. I was thrilled that they let me sub in veggies for rice with no extra charge.
Roam Artisan Burgers, Multiple Locations
This is THE SPOT to get a burger. They have all kinds of options for burgers and sides and the salads are gorgeous. With multiple locations across the city, you’ll more than likely end up in the vicinity at some point.
Cityscape Lounge, Union Square
We came here for an evening drink and oh my gosh, the view! Cityscape Lounge is located on the 46th floor of the Hilton Hotel. We came at night and watched the city light up and then become blanketed in fog. I was pleased that the drink prices didn’t totally break the bank and it’s a great spot for a quick trip because you can see so much city from so high up.
The Hotel
On this past trip, we stayed at the Stanford Court Hotel in Nob Hill. It’s located near a beautiful church. They offer free postcards that they will send out for you which is a fun perk. We also loved the well-equipt gym and free coffee in the morning. Check-in isn’t until 4 pm but they will kindly hold your bags while you go see the city.
Does anyone else have great ideas for a quick trip to SF? Let us know in the comments!