Our San Francisco Guide

Intro

San Francisco is a beautiful, 7x7 mile peninsula city, known for stunning views of sights that of the Golden Gate Bridge, diverse neighborhoods with their unique microclimates, and a vibrant history of eras like the Gold Rush, Counterculture movement, and the current tech boom.

In this guide, we attempt to cover essential tips for those venturing to this chilly, hilly metropolis, including transportation, safety, weather, and must-see attractions throughout the city.

Use the interactive map and city recommendations in this guide to make the most of your visit to this beautiful City by the Bay.

We hope your trip here is one to remember.

Love, Sam & Nick

Good to know

Here are some useful tips for visitors to know!

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Locals call it “San Francisco” or “SF”, never “San Fran”.

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SF has phenomenal coffee. Best coffee is SPRO, Equator, Sightglass, Andytown, Verve, Coffee Movement, and Four Barrel. For some crazy flavors, check out Home.

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SF has a world-class bakery culture. We both agree that the best bakeries are Thorough Bread, Poesia, and Le Marais. These places all consistently rank as the best croissants in SF.

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Bring a hat and jacket! SF is northern California, not southern California. It is typically 50 F - 70 F temperature. The exception is some days in early fall, so make sure to check the weather before arriving! Even if it is warm in one part of the city, it can be cold in another part (aka microclimates).

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The Financial District is not what makes San Francisco great. Many people see this and are disappointed. It can have homeless people and be loud and messy. San Francisco is not New York so don’t expect an incredible downtown. However there are certainly worthwhile areas to see downtown: Salesforce Park, Ferry Building, Cable Cars, & Nintendo Store.

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Staying Safe

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Avoid the Tenderloin & Mission Street.

Never leave anything in your car.

Homeless people exist as this is a city. They are typically harmless.

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San Francisco is generally very safe. However, like any city, you will still need to be smart.

Transport

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You don’t need a car in the city. We don’t recommend one. Parking is difficult.

Try Waymo. You will love it. Otherwise, use Uber, Lyft, or public transport.

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There are plentiful transport options available in the city.

🌁 Weather

San Francisco, is a chilly, hilly peninsula and, as such, has weird weather. It is a city of microclimates, where different neighborhoods of the city have vastly different weather. North Beach (Little Italy) and Mission Bay are typically warm and sunny while Ocean Beach can be foggy and windy.

Here is a great article on the microclimates and what to wear.

Our experience is that sun and wind matter a lot. Regardless of the temperature, if it’s sunny without wind, you can wear a T-Shirt, but if it is foggy and windy, you need a winter coat.

Spring - Best season. Weather is warm enough and because it is after the rainy season, things are green instead of yellow/brown like the summer and fall.
Fall - Usually great weather. Can be quite hot on certain days but is also a great season to visit. Occasionally there can be wildfires in the area that reduce the air quality, but otherwise it is great.
Winter - Can be just a bit colder and can be rainy but typically is also a great season to visit.
Summer - Worst season for weather. You can certainly visit in the summer but the weather will be foggy and windy, starting in the afternoon. It will typically be colder than you would expect for the summer so be sure to bring a hat and jacket.

Map

https://www.pampam.city/san-francisco-guide-7PcHQSkxKcvc87NLWawE?37.744313,-122.517435,10.05

Click to open this map full screen

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Tip: Open this map on your phone, and save it to your home screen to use it on the go.

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SF Sights

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