San Francisco is the center of excitement and also regarded as the commercial, cultural and financial heart of the Northern part of California. It is the 13th most populated city in the US and has the 2nd largest population density. San Francisco became popular in the year 1849 when it was known as the home to the California Gold Rush. It became the largest city in the West Coast at that time.
Famous for its exquisite restaurants and also some of the most innovative chefs in the US. With a lot of activities to engage in and have much fun in this city, we will be taking an in-depth look at the best things you can do in San Francisco.
1 – Having fun with Jelly Fish
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The Aquarium of the Bay can be spotted at the San Francisco Waterfront and here you can have a thrilling experience coming face to face with marine life. The animals living in the bay are protected by the aquarium.
Inside the aquarium, you will experience 300 feet of tunnels filled with 700,000 gallons of water and sustaining as much as 20,000 animals in the bay and the surrounding environments.
2 – Ghirardelli Square
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This square has an exciting history. It used to be a chocolate factory established and owned by Domenico Ghirardelli. He was born in Italy in the year 1817 and worked as a confectioner before he moved to Uruguay when he was 20.
Ghirardelli, with time, became a chocolate and coffee merchant and ended up in San Francisco to set up the chocolate factory. Currently, the square now houses many restaurants, hotels, and upmarket shops.
3 – Experience the view from the Twin Peaks
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The San Francisco’s Twin Peak is a famous tourist attraction and they offer a spectacular view of the Bay Areas. They used to be called the Los Pechos de la Choca, which translates to the Breasts of the Maiden. Adjacent to each other, they stand at 922ft.
Here at the bay area, there are tons of plants and animals and you will get to experience lots of them as you climb to the peak of the. Besides being at the top of the peak, you will also get to experience how San Francisco was before today’s developments .
4 – The Delicious Food at Ferry Building
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Here you can experience dining on a wide menu of food ranging from artisan cheeses to freshly caught fishes and it is one of the most famous landmarks in the city.
There is a mixture of shops here , large and small , and you can dine at some of the finest restaurants in the city.
5 – Exploring the City’s Modern Arts
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The Museum of Modern Arts was the 1st in this part of the United States of America to display just modern arts. There are as many as 29,000 works of art here which include sculptures, painting, architecture, and photographs.
This museum, initially located in the War Memorial Building, is more than 80 years old.
6 – Admiring View from The Coit Tower
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This tower has been on Telegraph Hill since the year 1933. There is a viewing deck at the top and it gives a 360-degree view of the entire city as well as the surrounding bay. It was named after Lille Hitchcock Coit, who was a very wealthy woman at the time.
She left a huge amount of money to the city when she passed and the tower was constructed in her honor.
7 – Learning About Asian Art
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San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum is filled with one of the most comprehensive gatherings of arts from the Asian continent, anywhere in the world. More than 18,000 pieces of art are displayed in the museum, which includes pieces that are as old as 6,000 years. It was founded after Avery Brundage made a huge donation to the city to establish the museum.
Brundage was a collector of Asian art and also a millionaire. These arts are gathered from different countries in Asia and the museum attracts so many traveling exhibitions. In the year 1991, the Dalai Lama launched an exhibition in the area of compassion and wisdom.
8 – Stopping at The Palace of Fine Arts
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This location is an astonishing building in San Francisco and it is registered on the US National Register of Historic Places. It was built in the year 1915, to display different works of art.
It has been used for various purposes over the years, which include military storage, tennis courts and currently an art gallery. There are also many kinds of wildlife in the water surrounding the Palace.
9 – Take a walk among the Redwood Trees
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The Muir Wood National Monument is located on Mount Tamalpais and it is an area that spans across 555 acres. About 240 acres of this space is covered by redwood trees.
At a time there were as much as 2million acres of these trees in entire California. Most of these trees were cut down when the logging industry arrived.
Remember that the park is a picnic and dog free area.
10 – A visit to the Oldest Japanese Tea Garden
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The Tea Garden in San Francisco is the oldest in the United States and was created in the year 1894 for an exhibition. At the end of the exhibition, an arrangement was made and the garden continued operating.
At the moment the area spans across 5 acres and very popular among tourists that come here to view the pagodas, arched bridges, stepping stones, and the Japanese plants.
Visitors will also see a Zen garden and a koi pond.
11 – A trip to the Bay Bridge
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This is mostly referred to as the San Francisco Oakland Bridge and it connects Oakland and San Francisco. About 240,000 vehicles commute on this bridge daily and it also has a pedestrian and cycle lane
12 – A visit to the Angel Island
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This is the second largest island that can be seen in the bay. About 60 people are residing permanently here and you can travel to the location by ferry.
At the island, visitors will come across bars and cafes that serve delicious foods and the bay can also be viewed from the Island. Visitors can also enjoy the events on the islands where live music is played and sweet drinks served.
13 – Strolling Across the Ocean Bridge
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This is a beautiful beach with very few tourists. It spans across an area of 3.5 miles and extremely quiet. The water here is okay to surf in, but you need to be experienced to try this out.
14 – Yerba Buena Garden
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The Yerba Buena Gardens is located at the center of the cultural district and you can find theaters, restaurants museums, and cafes here. You will also come across a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This area buzzes with so many activities and yearly, tons of free events are organized for visitors and locals. The park is rated as one of the top 30 urban parks in the country.
15 – A trip to the Walt Disney Family Museum
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This museum is a must see for people that enjoy movies. Covering an area of about 40,000-foot square, it features the many items that brought the imaginative life of Walt Disney to real life.
You can also find some of the 1st drawings and also a 12-foot clone of Disneyland. You can also come across the awards won by Disney in the Museum.