Happy Monday! As you may have seen on my recent Napa blog post or on Instagram, we went to San Francisco in the spring. Most of our trip was spent in Napa, but we had to fly in to San Francisco to get to Napa, and we knew we wanted to experience San Fran before we headed home. San Francisco is truly a beautiful place and I wish we had a little longer on our visit. Jake and I both were blown away with the beauty and would love to make a trip back.Transportation: We rented a car to drive to Napa and then kept it during our San Francisco stay. To go to places far from our hotel, like the airport and The Golden Gate Bridge, we drove the rental car. We mostly Ubered to close places because it was hard to find parking.
Where To Stay: We stayed at the Hilton Union Square. It was nothing fancy, but it was in a great prime location. Next time, I would love to try out an Airbnb.
Length of Stay: We stayed about 32 hours and it was a rushed trip. We did get most of what we wanted to do done, but there was definitely more on our list. Next time I would want at least a full weekend. Also, I want to visit Sausalito and actually go to Alcatraz Island.
Tips:
- You can see a lot on the trolley cars in a short amount of time. Places like Lombard Street, China Town, Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman’s Wharf are all right by the trolley tracks. The waiting line at the trolley stations can be really long and slow moving, however. We waited about an hour in Union Square to get on one and also saw a long line at Ghirardelli Square. I do not recommend doing that! I noticed people would jump on at different stops along the way after the main station, so if you look up the different trolley routes and can find a stop at a road along the way between stations, I recommend that.
- Everything is so steep in San Fransisco, so I recommend good walking shoes. My legs were so sore the next day.
- San Fransisco can be very chilly, especially by the bay. I suggest packing a jacket
Day 1:
1st Stop: See the Golden Gate Bridge at Crissy Field: 
We did this as we were coming into San Francisco from Napa. There are benches around and we just sat and enjoyed the gorgeous view. If you’re a runner, have a dog to walk or a biker this also has tons of sidewalks, so this would be a perfect place for that. There are also many other parks, but this one was recommended to us.
We did this as we were coming into San Francisco from Napa. There are benches around and we just sat and enjoyed the gorgeous view. If you’re a runner, have a dog to walk or a biker this also has tons of sidewalks, so this would be a perfect place for that. There are also many other parks, but this one was recommended to us.2nd Stop: See Lombard Street: 
After checking into our hotel we stopped at Lombard Street. This very steep road is San Francisco’s most crooked street. You can drive down it, but we Ubered there. The wait to drive down was also crazy. I recommend walking to the top because the view is incredible.
After checking into our hotel we stopped at Lombard Street. This very steep road is San Francisco’s most crooked street. You can drive down it, but we Ubered there. The wait to drive down was also crazy. I recommend walking to the top because the view is incredible.3rd Stop: Ghirardelli Square: 
We had lunch there and then had ice cream at the Ghirardelli store. We loved to getting to sample chocolates, too. Another fun thing about this area is you can see Alcatraz Island in the background.
We had lunch there and then had ice cream at the Ghirardelli store. We loved to getting to sample chocolates, too. Another fun thing about this area is you can see Alcatraz Island in the background.4th Stop: Pier 39: 
It’s a really touristy area, which we didn’t love. But we definitely enjoyed watching the sea lions on the pier. We could’ve stayed for hours watching them play and fight. There are a lot of restaurants there as well (mostly chains, which we typically avoid when traveling). We did grab a drink on the second story of a restaurant on the pier and it had a beautiful view. You can see Alcatraz Island from there too.
It’s a really touristy area, which we didn’t love. But we definitely enjoyed watching the sea lions on the pier. We could’ve stayed for hours watching them play and fight. There are a lot of restaurants there as well (mostly chains, which we typically avoid when traveling). We did grab a drink on the second story of a restaurant on the pier and it had a beautiful view. You can see Alcatraz Island from there too.Stop 5: Dinner At The Ferry Building: I highly recommend checking The Ferry Building out. This is such a fun spot with a variety of places to try. We ate at The Slanted Door and really enjoyed it. For a quick bite, I recommend Gott’s Roadside. They had one in Napa and we loved it. Reservations can be hard to get in San Francisco if you don’t plan ahead. We decided to opt for no reservations, since we had limited time. We figured somewhere in The Ferry Building would have an open spot and thankfully they did.
Stop 5: Drinks at Top Of The Mark: I knew we wanted to go to a rooftop bar, so I asked around. Top Of The Mark kept coming up as a recommendation. It features a gorgeous view of the city.
Day 2:
1st Stop: Tartine Manufactory: This restaurant kept getting recommended over and over again. We both had the Porchetta Fried Egg Sandwich and it didn’t disappoint. We also grabbed some bakery items to go.
2nd Stop: Trolley Ride: 
We took the trolley ride from Union Square. I don’t recommend taking it from there, since we waited an hour.
We took the trolley ride from Union Square. I don’t recommend taking it from there, since we waited an hour.3rd Visit The Painted Ladies: 
Our final stop before heading to the airport was visiting “The Painted Ladies,” where Full House was filmed. It was neat to see where a huge part of my childhood was filmed. The surrounding areas are a little run down, so if you’re not a Full House fan it’s definitely skippable.
Our final stop before heading to the airport was visiting “The Painted Ladies,” where Full House was filmed. It was neat to see where a huge part of my childhood was filmed. The surrounding areas are a little run down, so if you’re not a Full House fan it’s definitely skippable.Other Recommendations We Didn’t Get To Try:
- Buena Vista Cafe for Irish Coffee
- State Bird Provisions
P.S. Thank you to my wonderful in-laws who just went to San Francisco for asking me what we did because it motivated me to FINALLY get this post together.
Shop My Look:
San Fran is such a fun city!! So glad you got to experience it on your trip! 😀
Katherine | http://www.oneswainkycouple.com
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It really is! I’m sooo glad too. I want to take a trip back
I love the two outfits you wore, you look so nice!!
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Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️
Wow! You managed to see a lot in your short amount of time there. That’s awesome! I really regret not seeing The Painted Ladies during my time there. I’ll just have to go back one day. 🙂 Great post!
Author
We really did! I was so worried we wouldn’t get most of our list done and we did. Unlike NYC, you can do a lot in a short time in San Fran. You will have to go back one day. The Painted Ladies were really cool, but it wasn’t the nicest part of town.
Obsessing over your flowy pants! So cute. I was in San Fran a few years ago just for two days like this and I wish I would’ve read something like this before I went because I didn’t do much! ha I will definitely keep this in mind for my next trip 🙂
Author
Thank you so much! They were so breezy, but perfect for the chilly weather. I plan to wear them in the fall too. You’ll have to go back. It is such a unique and gorgeous place.
What a lovely trip! I have not been to SF for years, although I live only a few hours away. Love the idea of the Ferry Building, I have heard very good things from there.
Author
It really was a nice trip! You’ll have to visit again. The Ferry Building was a fun place, since they had so many options.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! I can’t wait visit next summer.
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We really did! Have so much fun there. It is gorgeous.
I’m LOVING those black pants you’re wearing! I don’t think we are going to make it to San Fran this year like we had originally planned (opting for Oregon instead) but I so want to visit one day. It looks gorgeous and I bet the cool weather was refreshing!
Author
Thank you so much, Amanda! Oregon will be amazing. I cannot wait to see your posts on Oregon it’s on my travel list. It looks gorgeous. Yes, it was so nice to have cool weather in the hot summer.
Well I’m super excited for all this info because my hubs and I are going next summer! We are mostly doing San Fran and doing 1 day in Napa!! These are all great tips.
Author
Ahhh how fun! You’ll have a blast. We did both Napa and San Fran and loved them both. We mostly did Napa, but next time I want more time in San Fran too.
I would love to go see San Francisco sometime. Your dress with the jean jacket is super cute. I am trying to wear more dresses.
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You should! It was so beautiful. Aww thank you so much. Dresses are so comfy for me.
Such a fun 32 hours Courtney! I would love to see San Fran someday too, the Golden gate view looks amazing, Lombard street is a must see too. The painted ladies are very cute ! I love your dress in this photo . Thank you for giving me such good tips , hugs, Terri xo.
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It really was! We had such a blast. You should go visit. It is so gorgeous and has nice weather.