San Francisco is a vibrant city with many beautiful places to see, so when I came to plan my 2-day itinerary there, I found there may be too many things to squeeze in!
Luckily for you, I’ve already done all the research (so you don’t have to) 🙂
I’ve put together all the places I loved – including the hotel I stayed in, attractions and a couple of nice restaurants.
Feel free to let me know if you have questions!
Galleria Park is a renovated boutique hotel with cute rooms and a cozy atmosphere.
My room was super clean, with a nice design and felt very welcoming. There is a nice lobby with a seating area – if you want to bring your laptop, chill or get to know new people.
My recommendation is to check the availability of this hotel as soon as you know you’re going – there are many hotels in the area who charge about the same but are not as nice.
Check if they have available rooms on your travel dates here
Galleria Park also wins when it comes to location, just a few minutes walk from union square and the city center.
There are many shops and restaurants, and you can spend a few hours here if you’re in the mood for a little bit of shopping, eating or taking beautiful photos 🙂
DAY 1
VISIT THE FISHERMAN’S WHARF
To get to the Fisherman’s Wharf, you can either take a short Uber ride from the hotel or walk for about 30-minute and stroll through China Town.
Which ever way you choose, your goal is to get to the famous Pier 39.
Some will say it’s super commercial and touristy, but I find the little shops very charming.
You can have a coffee or grab a quick bite in one of the food stands, or hang out by the pier and breath the fresh air.
I caught a bit of a cloudy/rainy day – but it was still a fun experience.
About a 7-minute walk from the pier, you will find a hidden gem called Musée Mécanique.
It has many antique coin-operated mechanical instruments & vintage arcade games, totally usable and ready to be played with!
So if you wish to play pinball or have your fortune told by a mechanical witch, this is the place to go. Make sure to get lots of coins, I spent almost 2 hours here 🙂
http://www.museemecaniquesf.com/
From here you can keep walking on the shoreline, and see Alcatraz Island from a distance.
You can also take an Uber to the Golden Gate Bridge and have a nice stroll on it back and forth (it’s free!) – I didn’t because it was a rainy day, so I took a photo from afar 🙂
Or you can just at hang out at the nice Maritime Garden and enjoy the fresh sea air 🙂
EAT SUSHI AT JAPANTOWN
I always had this weird attraction to Sushi Go Round (or in the less attractive name “Conveyor Belt Sushi”) – maybe because it’s almost like a Sushi tasting menu.
You can try many different small dishes and get as many as you like based on your level of hungriness 🙂
So you can imagine how pleased I was to find Tenroku Sushi, conveniently located in a shopping center in Japantown – about 10-minute drive from the Fisherman’s Wharf and also from the hotel.
Don’t expect anything fancy, but the sushi here is of great quality and it’s a really good option for lunch or a casual dinner.
http://tenroku-sushi-san-francisco.sites.tablehero.com/
DAY 2
BRUNCH AT ZAZIE
Another one of my food pleasures are mid-week brunches, because if you’re a tourist – shouldn’t you be able to enjoy brunch all week long? 🙂
Zazie has exactly that – so you can enjoy your Eggs Benedict any day of the week!
I went for St. Trop dish, with smoked salmon and home fries, and it was absolutely delicious.
You can get here by taking an Uber from the hotel, which will take about 15 minutes. This will also bring you closer to the next section of the day – which is the nearby Golden Gate Park.
EXPLORE GOLDEN GATE PARK
Just like San Francisco, the Golden Gate Park has a variety of beautiful places to visit.
I was there end of March, which meant cherry blossom was at it’s prime – therefore the Japanese Tea Garden was definitely on my bucket list.
Having been to Japan before, I can tell you the gardens are very tastefully done, and walking through them is totally worth the visit.
Have a look at their website for admission prices, in certain days and hours you can even get in for free!
Second on the list, were the San Francisco Botanical Gardens – where you can find plant collections from all over the world.
This is a great place for an afternoon stroll if the weather is nice.
You can also bring a book or just relax in one of the many quiet areas here, under a tree or a bench. It is a truly a nice city getaway 🙂
The Hungry Chick Journeys 