San Francisco packs more per square mile than almost any American city — a 49-square-mile peninsula with the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the oldest building in the city (built 1776), and a sourdough bakery running from a starter that survived the 1906 earthquake. The Golden Gate Bridge is free to walk; Alcatraz requires advance ferry tickets that sell out weeks ahead. Old Mission Dolores is the sixth mission in California's chain, founded 5 days before the Declaration of Independence.
Jump to: Iconic San Francisco Landmarks · History & Food · Planning Notes · Also worth visiting
Iconic San Francisco Landmarks
Golden Gate Bridge Must-see
San Francisco County · San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge spans 1.7 miles across the mouth of San Francisco Bay — completed May 27, 1937 after 4 years of construction at a cost of $35 million (approximately $730 million today). Walking or biking across is free; the east pedestrian path opens daily at 5 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. The full round-trip walk takes 90 minutes; most visitors walk one direction and take Golden Gate Transit Route 101 back from Vista Point on the Marin side ($3). Best land-based views: Battery Spencer on the Marin Headlands (north, accessible from Vista Point lot, 5-minute walk), and Fort Point National Historic Site directly beneath the south tower. South-side parking at the Welcome Center fills by 10 a.m. on weekends — Muni line 28 from the Richmond District reaches the bridge in 25 minutes.
Alcatraz Island (Golden Gate National Recreation Area) Must-see
San Francisco County · San Francisco
Alcatraz Island operated as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963 — 29 years housing inmates including Al Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, and Robert Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz). In 36 documented escape attempts, no confirmed successful breakout occurred; the 1962 Anglin brothers case, featured in the Clint Eastwood film, remains officially unresolved. The island is 1.25 miles from Pier 33 in a 54°F channel with 4-knot currents. Ferry service runs through Alcatraz Cruises; tickets include the award-winning audio tour narrated by former guards and prisoners ($47.30 day, $50.30 evening). Night Tours (Friday and Saturday) access sections of the island not on the day tour and include a ranger presentation. Book 2–4 weeks ahead in summer; same-day tickets are nearly impossible May through October. The island also has gardens, Civil War fortifications, and a lighthouse — the oldest on the US West Coast.
History & Food
Old Mission Dolores (Mission San Francisco de Asis) Must-see
San Francisco County · San Francisco
Old Mission Dolores was founded on June 29, 1776 — 5 days before the Declaration of Independence — and is the oldest intact building in San Francisco. The adobe church completed in 1791 has walls 4 feet thick with a ceiling painted in geometric patterns by Ohlone and Coast Miwok people using vegetable dyes. It is the sixth of the 21 California missions established by Father Junipero Serra's order. The adjacent basilica (built 1918) is a larger active worship space; the original church houses the museum and is open for self-guided tours daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $7/adult. The adjacent cemetery contains graves from 1792 including the first Mexican governor of California. The mission is at 16th and Dolores Streets in the Mission District; BART 16th St Mission station is 2 blocks away.
Boudin Bakery & Fisherman's Wharf (SF Sourdough Since 1849) Must-see
San Francisco County · San Francisco
Boudin Bakery has used the same sourdough starter continuously since 1849 — the culture, specific to San Francisco's bay fog and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis bacteria, produces a characteristic tartness not replicable elsewhere. The starter survived the 1906 earthquake when Isidore Boudin's mother carried it out in a bucket during the evacuation. The flagship Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf (160 Jefferson Street, at the corner of Mason) has a glass-walled bakery showing production on the ground floor, a Bakery Museum of San Francisco bread history on the second floor, and a full Boudin Bistro café. The signature item is the sourdough bread bowl filled with New England clam chowder ($12.99); the sourdough baguettes and round loaves are sold whole to take. Open daily 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pier 39 (sea lions) is 3 blocks east along the Embarcadero.
Planning Notes
Where to stay: Union Square is the most central location — walking distance to cable cars, Chinatown, and 3 blocks from the Powell Street BART/Muni hub. Fisherman's Wharf hotels put you 10 minutes on foot from Pier 33 (Alcatraz ferries) but cost more. The Mission District has affordable options near Old Mission Dolores and BART. North Beach is quiet at night and walkable to the Wharf.
Book ahead: Alcatraz is the one must-book-ahead in San Francisco — 2–4 weeks in summer, or you miss it. Night Tours sell out even faster. All other SF attractions listed here are walk-up or self-directed. The Golden Gate Bridge walk requires no ticket; Old Mission Dolores and Boudin Bakery have no reservations.
Getting around: BART connects SFO airport to the Mission District (16 minutes) and downtown in 35 minutes — the fastest route in from the airport. Muni Metro and bus cover most of the city; cable car lines (Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, California) are tourist-facing but useful for Nob Hill. A car is not needed for any of the four attractions in this guide; parking is scarce and expensive throughout the city ($30–$50/day in garages). Rideshare pick-up is consistently available.
