Discover Places off the Beaten Path in the City by the Bay
San Francisco is a destination for tourists from around the world. The city offers so much to visitors with many popular places to visit, via, of course, the usual bus tours and tourist traps. But there are also locales to discover that are hidden away from the ordinary sightseer – it’s just knowing where to look to find these gems!
If you’re planning a trip to the City by the Bay, here are some things to do and places to go that are a little off the usual tourist radar:
Delight Your Taste Buds
- For a restaurant with modern Italian flair, check out Barbacco in the Financial District. Go for lunch or dinner, and you’ll find this place packed with locals. The menu offers a wide selection of appetizers, pastas, fish and meat.
- The views in San Francisco are spectacular, and there are plenty of great locations to grab some takeout and enjoy the scenery. Greens to Go at the Marina offers a variety of sandwiches and soups that are easy to take with you to the waterfront for an out-of-the-ordinary lunch break.
- North Beach packs Italian restaurants from end-to-end. What you might not expect is a Belgian café serving up endless options of beer and their must-try mussels with several preparations to choose from. La Trappe is open only for dinner, but worth checking out.
Unique Tour Experiences
- One of the best ways to see this city is on foot. San Francisco City Guides presents tours of many of the different San Francisco neighborhoods via their specialized walks: whether you’re interested in architecture, gardens, specific time periods in history – you name it, there’s a walk. There is no cost to take these tours; however, donations are welcome. Personal favorites include “City Scapes and Public Places,” “Embarcadero Skyway” and the “South of Market Architecture Stroll.”
- Did you know that the dome of San Francisco’s City Hall is taller than that of the United States Capitol? City Hall is an architectural gem, with free tours offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. On Friday afternoons you will see many happy couples tying the knot at this famous landmark.
- Take a step back in time and tour the Haas-Lilienthal House in Pacific Heights. The house is San Francisco’s only Victorian-era home and museum, still filled with artifacts and furniture, open for year-round tours. Stop by on Wednesdays and Saturdays (noon to 3 p.m.) and Sundays (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). View more information here about the docent-led tours.
- As did many of the west coast cities, San Francisco grew up around a mission. Spanish missionaries settled at Mission Dolores and built a Spanish colonial style church in 1776, which is now the oldest building in San Francisco. It is open daily except for major holidays, with a suggested donation of $5. Take your own self-guided tour and experience some of the earliest history of this great city.
Curtain Up!
- Culture and theater abound in the City by the Bay. TIX Bay Area has a booth conveniently located in Union Square and offers discounted tickets up to half-off, as well as full price tickets to many of the local theater, music and comedy events in the city. The site will show you what discounted tickets are available for that week. Take a peek at all of the great performances this city has to offer.
- Beach Blanket Babylon is a hilarious pop-culture musical revue at Club Fugazi in North Beach. The costumes are spectacular; you’ll marvel at the trademark outrageous, gigantic hats, and will laugh throughout the show! You can find the schedule of performances on the website, and usually there are two shows a night on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. (Insider’s Note: Buy tickets in advance, especially for the weekends. Many of the sections contain unreserved seating, so plan to arrive about an hour before if you are in one of those areas.)
There are so many things to see and experience in San Francisco. Next time you take a trip there, see what other hidden gems you can discover.