image via Pinterest
My boyfriend and I went to San Francisco for a whirlwind (less than) 24 hours. We were up in Northern California for my college friend’s wedding in the Pleasanton area. My boyfriend and I figured while were up there, we might as well head to San Francisco and explore for a little! So…our schedule looked a little something like this: Saturday morning in SF, Saturday afternoon/evening in Pleasanton, and Sunday morning in SF, then I drove home 5 hours and he flew home (side note: we’ve been in a long distance relationship about 2.5 years now, so whenever we get a chance to see each other, we do!)
HOW TO GET AROUND:
Whether you’ve been or haven’t been to San Francisco before, it’s only a 7 mile x 7 mile area, however, feels H-U-G-E. There are so many little neighborhoods and districts, and getting around can be tricky. We tried hopping on a cable car but it was full with tourists like us everytime it sped by. We had my car in the city which was fine except parking is SO expensive (I’m talking $65/night at our hotel). So, if you’re trying to get around the city I highly recommend ubering or walking (such killer hills I loved the exercise).
OUR ITINERARY:
Our quick 24 hour itinerary is totally do-able and I suggest using a SF map…. hellooooo tourist 😉 These are the major city spots we were able to experience in our limited time:
- Chinatown
- Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39
- Union Square
- Haight and Ashbury
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Lombard Street
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed at the Kimpton Sir Francis Drake in Times Square which was the perfect location and the neatest hotel. Unfortunately we were only there to rest our heads, but we started our day bright and early by walking to grab coffee and heading to Chinatown. I know other major cities have Chinatowns but San Francisco’s is one not to miss!
OVERALLS: Old Navy (old, similar here and here) // SHOES: Converse // BAG: Gucci // SUNGLASSES: Karen Walker ($10 dupes here)
WHAT WE DID:
We wandered from there to Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 which was the coolest scene. There were a ton of tourists and a ton of talented street performers. We ate Boudin’s famous chowder bread bowls here which were absolutely delicious, and a must-do according to me. There is a ton of people watching in this area, so if you want to avoid crowds, arrive early!
Then we took an uber back to Union Square, took photos in front of the famous SF heart art piece, and observed the shoppers from the square. If you have the time, enjoy the major retail therapy that can take place.
We then zoomed off to my friend’s wedding, stayed the night, and headed back to the city in the morning for round 2! We drove on Haight/Ashbury which was a radical and psychedelic scene and then of course headed straight for the main attraction: the Golden Gate Bridge. We lucked out with a parking spot at one of the viewpoints, and had other tourists snap our photos. Luckily the sun started coming out so Karl the Fog wasn’t hiding our bridge view, which he does quite frequently!
After some delicious pizza by the slice, we drove up to Lombard Street (FYI: the line to actually drive down the windy street is hours long), and decided to park at the bottom and walk up! It was super neat to see all the cars, motorcycles, and segways winding their way down the street. I can’t believe that people actually live on that street! Crazy!
TEE: Lush // DENIM: Topshop // SANDALS: Tory Burch // JACKET: Old Navy (similar on sale here) // BAG: Chloe // SUNGLASSES: Karen Walker ($10 dupes here)
IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME IN SF:
And that’s it folks! A quick, do-able, fun, touristy filled 24 hours (or less) in San Francisco! I’ve been to San Francisco multiple times before this, so if you have more time than we did, you have to go to:
- Alcatraz for the guided tour
- The Patio for brunch
- Twin Peaks on a sunny day for the best view
I hope you enjoyed your 3-day weekend! I was able to be in Arizona with my boyfriend which I’m so thankful for 🙂
I’m leaving to NYC for New York Fashion Week Wednesday, so be sure to follow along on Instagram @toreystreasures. I’ll be sharing everything behind the scenes and can’t wait to take you along to all the shows and parties!