How to spend a fun-filled long weekend in San Francisco
San Francisco – AKA California’s capital of cool – is a beautiful city with a rich history and a reputation for forging its own path. Here's all you need to know to get under the skin of this hip and culture-packed Californian city in 72 hours.
While reminders of San Francisco's hippie roots are still on display in neighbourhoods such as Haight-Ashbury, this is a city which has transformed beyond all recognition since the heady, hazy Summer of Love in 1967.
These days, it’s famous for its museums and its dining scene. The wider Bay Area is regarded as the birthplace of farm-to-table dining, largely thanks to pioneer Alice Waters who, in 1971, opened Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley (just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco) serving only organic and locally-sourced food. The city has amassed a huge number of Michelin-starred restaurants (50 of California’s 90 Michelin-starred restaurants can be found in in San Francisco and on its outskirts) although it’s also got some of America’s best bars, including many run by mixologists keen to make the most of local, organic ingredients. Here’s how to spend a loved-up long weekend in what might just be our favourite American city.
Courtesy of San Francisco Travel
Friday
Check-in at: The St Regis San Francisco (from £408 B&B), which had a spectacular makeover in early 2022. Highlights include the beautiful new St Regis Bar, with its Art Deco vibes and vast expanses of ornate metalwork – a clever nod to the city’s famous tramlines. It’s a fantastic option for art buffs – the hotel has a huge collection of art and it’s just metres from both the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Courtesy of St Regis
Shake off the jet lag at: Presidio, a sprawling park which overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge. There’s plenty of history here – it was an army base for over 200 years and the Grateful Dead’s guitarist and vocalist Jerry Garcia (a former solider) was stationed here for nine months. Later, it became the setting for anti-war protests. A network of hiking trails weaves through the park, which is home to the San Francisco National Cemetery – the final resting place for 30,000 members of the military. The National Park Service runs regular guided tours of the site – ask a member of staff if they’re running during your visit.
Canadastock/Shutterstock
Grab lunch at: The Presidio Café near the famous Presidio Golf Course. The menu’s all about American comfort food with a Californian twist. Go for the fish tacos with spicy chipotle aioli.
Grab a nightcap at: The Madrigal, a beautiful cocktail bar in the Theater District. The delicious drinks showcase more unusual ingredients (candied jalapeño, anyone?) and the food is fabulous, too – we recommend the black truffle mayo-topped duck burger.
Saturday
Escape to: Alcatraz, obviously. Dozens of companies sell tickets, but make sure you book through the official source for ferry tickets to Alcatraz Island. The self-guided audio tour offers a fascinating insight into what was once America’s most infamous prison, whether it’s the island’s history (it was a military fortress between 1850 and 1933) or the beautiful gardens (first tended to by prisoners). And then there’s the prison itself, where you can wander past the eerily quiet jail cells and check out the one which was the setting for the prison’s most brazen escape attempt in 1962. It’s been perfectly preserved – visitors can clearly see the escape hole at the rear of the cell, along with the original dummies made by the escapees, who placed them in their beds to convince guards they were sound asleep.
Courtesy of San Francisco Travel
Enjoy some fine dining at: Spruce, a Michelin-starred restaurant which pays homage to Californian cuisine and where 80% of the vegetables and herbs come from the restaurant’s nearby farm. The fisherman’s mussels – served with Calabrian chili – are to die for. Afterwards, offset your indulgences with a wander around the neighbourhood – Presidio Heights is famous for its beautiful Victorian mansions.
Courtesy of Spruce
Browse the bookshelves at: City Lights, which was founded in 1953 and is often referred to as America’s finest independent bookstore. Regarded by many as the birthplace of the Beat Generation, it’s a National Historic Landmark and has been a gathering place for writers, artists and activists since it opened. There are regular events, ranging from major book launches to poetry recitals.
Treat yourself at: Fillmore Street’s Salt and Straw, a boutique ice cream parlour famous for its weird and wonderful flavours. We recommend a scoop (or three) of the rhubarb crumble with toasted anise or, for some good old-fashioned flower power, the saffron and honey ice cream, garnished with crystalised flower petals.
Enjoy a culture fix at: Mission Street’s MoAD, a Smithsonian-affiliated contemporary art museum which celebrates Black culture. It’s a great place to check out the work of up-and-coming artists, as well as masterpieces by some of the world’s most prominent Black and Brown sculptors, painters and photographers. As for the one to watch? In September 2022, the new Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco will open in the Dogpatch neighbourhood. Expect galleries packed with masterpieces by renowned Bay Area artists.
Sunday
Get a Disney fix at: Thought Disney was just for kids? Think again. Head to the Walt Disney Family Museum at Presidio park to gain a fascinating insight into the world of Walt Disney, whether it’s how a childhood stint in France inspired his chosen career or how his post-war films (such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) transformed the art of moviemaking. You’ll also be able to check out a staggering collection of rare artefacts, ranging from original illustrations to a huge display of the 248 awards won by Walt Disney during his career.
Courtesy of Walt Disney Museum
Sign up for a walking tour with: Local Tastes of the City Tours (£56pp). Its food tour of Chinatown is the most popular one, and there’s no better way to delve into this historic neighbourhood. Highlights include meeting locals such as Vital Leaf Tea’s owner Uncle Gee, who’ll challenge you to guess his age (he puts his youthfulness down to green tea) before you sample some of the store’s varieties. There are thousands, including the delicious Ginseng Oolong, known for its energy boosting properties. Another highlight of the tour is a visit to Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, founded in 1962. A staggering 15,000 cookies (including a delicious strawberry version) are made here every day. Visitors can create their own personalised cookies.
Tamara Hinson
Hop on a tram to: Fisherman’s Wharf, if your starting point is a city centre location such as Union Square, or vice versa if you’re starting from the waterfront. This is one of the most spectacular routes on the tram network – you’ll enjoy stunning views over both the city and the Bay Area, while marvelling at the dexterity of the conductors as they leap off the tram to yank up levers in the street (San Francisco’s tram network is the world's last manually operated cable car system, and the levers lift the cables so that the tram can lock onto them).
Tamara Hinson
Toast San Francisco at: The InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco’s Top of the Mark cocktail bar, where you can soak up 360° city views. This was where servicemen and women gathered during the Second World War for pre-deployment drinks. Often, they’d buy a bottle of liquor, attach a note for other soldiers and leave it behind the bar. Fellow squadron members who visited the Top of the Mark were then entitled to a free shot – although they’d have to replace the bottle if they finished it. The tradition still exists, and a selection of some of the oldest notes and bottles is displayed in a glass case. The bar’s also known for its cocktails, as well as its vodka and chocolate pairings (there are vodka and caviar pairings for those without a sweet tooth).
Getting there
Return economy flights from London Heathrow to San Francisco with British Airways start from £448pp. For more information on visiting the city head to San Francisco Travel.
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