The San Francisco Ferry Building is a great jumping-off spot for a day in the City. If you’re staying outside SF, you can easily arrive and return by ferry, freeing you from the stress of San Francisco parking. And even if you’re staying in San Francisco, the ferry terminal is a great place to start your day. It provides all the important accommodations: bathrooms, food, drinks and somewhere to sit down.
Organizing a visit to San Francisco around the Ferry Building puts you bang in the middle of a beautiful area, with great Bay views, restaurants and famous sights within walking or public transit distance.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I could earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Your one-day itinerary starting and ending at the San Francisco Ferry Building
Because you’ll likely be arriving in San Francisco by ferry, you’ll be seeing the sights by walking and public transit. For that reason, this one-day itinerary doesn’t try to cover the entire city of San Francisco. I’d recommend taking another day, if your schedule allows, to see some of the city’s other areas by car.
Even though San Francisco is a compact city, just 7 miles long and 7 miles wide, it has distinct zones for tourism. Since we’re starting this day trip at the San Francisco Ferry Building, we’ll stick to the city’s eastern and northern section. This includes the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach and Telegraph Hill. This San Francisco itinerary won’t include the western area of the city, such as Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park or Haight/Ashbury.
While it’s possible to see the entire city of San Francisco from the Ferry Building, it would make for a long and rushed day. So put on a good pair of walking shoes, grab a sunhat and a jacket, and get ready for a fun day trip to San Francisco!
Flexibility: For most legs of this one-day San Francisco itinerary, you can choose to walk or take public transit. Using transit for the longer stretches when I recommend it, you’ll be walking 3.5 to 4 miles on this itinerary. But if you want to walk less, you could ride more and walk under a mile total. If you walked all legs, by the end of the day you’ll have walked about six miles!
If you plan to take public transit for all legs, consider buying a One-Day Vistitor Passport from Muni for $15.
Getting to San Francisco by ferry
Which ferry you take to San Francisco depends, of course, on where you’re coming from. At the San Francisco Bay Ferry web site, you’ll find timetables for boats from the East Bay — Alameda and Oakland — as well as farther afield, such as Vallejo and Richmond. To get to the SF Ferry Building from Marin, consult the website of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District. That site has schedules for ferries from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon.
Wherever you board, taking a ferry is an amazing way to start your San Francisco adventure. The terminals where you wait for the ferry are scenic. The crew is nice. You can buy a snack or a coffee on board (although I personally prefer to wait until I get to the ferry building for my coffee). And if you go on a weekday, you can get a feel for what it would be like to commute this way.
Go up to the top of the ferry for the best view and to catch those sea breezes. Look for pelicans and container ships. If you’re coming from the East Bay, you’ll pass right under the Bay Bridge. Wave at the people stuck in traffic!
1. Peruse the San Francisco Ferry Building
As you head into port, the city will be arrayed out before you, beckoning. But don’t rush right past the ferry building! This historic and hospitible spot is the first stop on your day trip itinerary.
Before you go inside, turn around and look back out at the Bay from whence you came. Then head toweard the long, low building, punctuated by the famous clock tower. It’s time to fortify yourself for your day with coffee and breakfast. Lucky for you, the Ferry Building — which once housed ticket counters — is full of restaurants and gourmet shops.
The first tables and chairs you’ll probably see as you walk from the ferry is Grande Creperie. That’s a fine place to start. Their coffee is good, and the savory crepe I had there on my last visit was exquisite. For a more affordable morning bite, visit the Acme Bread Company, where you can get a pastry or even just a roll of bread.
If you just want coffee, you have a few good options. From the length of the line, the most popular coffee place at the Ferry Building is Blue Bottle. Personally, I find their light roast too sour. I prefer the lattes at Epicurian Trader, a little food shop with an espresso bar in front.
If you visit the Ferry Building on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, you’ll have even more food options, because those are the days when the Farmer’s Market operates.
Before you leave the Ferry Building, you can make sure your water bottle is full and use the bathroom. There are restrooms at each end of the building. One is next to the creperie, and the other is next to Blue Bottle.
2. Stroll down the Embarcadero
Walking distance: 1.2 miles, about half an hour
Transit alternative: Take the historic F trolley from right in front of the Ferry Building to the Fisherman’s Wharf stop.
As you walk down this broad sidewalk along the bayfront, it’s hard to believe that this big, beautiful open area used to be blighted by the elevated Embarcadero Freeway. But the freeway was damaged in the 1989 earthquake, and razed in 1991.
Today, you can watch the historic streetcars take tourists up and down the busy street. Take in the view of Coit Tower, at the top of Telegraph Hill. Catch peek-a-boo views of the Bay and Treasure Island in between historic pier bulidings, which are numbered, starting at the Ferry Building.
After walking about 10 minutes, you’ll come to Pier 15, which houses the Exploratoreum, a kids’ museum that often has a free activity or exhibit out on the sidewalk. Another 10 minutes, you’ll be at Pier 27, the cruise terminal. Check if there’s a ship in port.
Pier 33 is the jumping off point for trips to Alcatraz. I would highly recommend visiting this prison-turned National Park site, but I’m not including it in today’s one-day San Francisco itinerary. For one thing, you’ll need to book your tickets in advance, especially in summer. For another, you’ll want to devote half a day to Alcatraz alone, and once you’re done walking through the tour there, you might not have enough energy for walking all over San Francisco.
3. Visit the sea lions at Pier 39
You’ve now arrived at the height of San Francisco tourist traps: Pier 39. Some people might call this entertainment- and shopping-crammed pier “Fisherman’s Wharf” — but technically the wharf is our next stop.
Don’t wade into the hordes of tourists visiting the pearl store and Bubba Gumps. Instead, walk almost all the way past Pier 39, and walk along the walkway on its outer edge, between the buildings and the water. Walk almost all the way to the end of the pier, and unless it’s June, you’ll probably hear them before you see them: the sea lions.
Grab a spot on one of the benches — or if it’s crowded, you’ll probably have to stand to get a good view. These brutes are endlessly entertaining. The size of large pigs or small cows, they cuddle peacefully together on their floating piers, then erupt into endless rounds of fighting where they knock one another into the water.
Take a look at the informational signs around here, too. You’ll learn, for instance, how to distinguish sea lions from seals.
4. Get a donut on Pier 39
Don’t worry, we’re not going to skip this tourism mecca altogether. Once you’ve visited the sea lions, you can turn your attention to the shops on the pier. If you need to use a restroom, there’s one directly upstairs from you. If you want souveniers, there are some cute shops here. I like the Christmas tree ornament store.
There are many restaurants on Pier 39, but I usually gravitate to just one food stand: Trish’s Mini Donuts. It’s fun to watch the machine pump out doughnuts while you wait for a bucket of the warm, sugary treats! I’m the kind of person who can’t enjoy a doughnut without coffee, so I usually grab one from the Biscoff Coffee Corner across the way. However, I noticed that there is a new coffee place way at the end of the pier called the Artly Cafe, where a “barista bot” while make your latte for you. I’ll check it out next time.
5. Visit Fisherman’s Wharf proper
Walking distance: About half a mile, or 20 minutes.
Leave Pier 39 and keep walking along the bay. Now you’re in the most famous tourism area of San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf. While a lot of locals avoid this area like the plague, I personally find the Wharf charming. Would I advise people make it their only stop in San Francisco? Of course not!
But there’s plenty to enjoy here. Look out at Alcatraz. Check out the old Pier 43 Ferry Arch, where train cars from the East and North Bay were once unloaded from ferries. Check out the USS Pampanito, a WWII submarine (it’s not open for tours at the moment). And of course, admire the Golden Gate bridge.
Then go to one of the most whimsical and fun sights in San Francisco: The Musée Mécanique. This collection of old-time games and other entertainments is set up to take quarters. For a few bucks you can get your fortune told, watch someone get their head chopped off, play pinball and arm wrestle a robot. And entrance is free!
6. See the actual, real fishing boats
The funny thing about visiting Fisherman’s Wharf? Even though the part that most people see just for show, there really are active fishing boats docked here.
Here’s how to see them:
The Musée Mécanique is on Pier 45. After you exit the museum, turn right and continue walking along the Embarcadero. This area looks more like a working waterfront than a tourist attraction. The road dead-ends in the Fisherman’s and Seaman’s Memorial Chapel. Take a quiet moment to appreciate this quirky but somber little building. (You can peek in through the glass front doors.)
Then walk up and down the wooden docks, looking at the fishing boats. This is the true Fisherman’s Wharf, right here.
7. Eat lunch if you’re hungry
Depending on your timing, you might find yourself looking for food on the Wharf. A lot of the restaurants are overpriced tourist traps, of course. But there are good options:
Best: Scoma’s. If you don’t mind dropping $100 or more, look for this San Francisco classic on its own small dock, right after the Musée Mécanique. Professional waiters, great views and delicious fresh seafood. Mwah!
Most fun: The walk-up counters under the big sign reading “No. 9 Fisherman’s Grotto” serve up seafood that is not bad for the price, considering you’re at a major tourist destination. It feels like the equivalent of lining up at Nathan’s on Coney Island. My go-to order is a crab salad sandwich and a beer, served in a paper bag of course. Just across the street, near the water, you’ll find a few tables and benches to sit down and eat.
Good for kids: So your kids won’t touch a shrimp cocktail and you don’t want to plunk down $25 for a burger and fries at one of the tourist trap restaurants all around? Boudin Bakery will sell you a bowl of macaroni and cheese for $14. Or just buy them a loaf of sourdough and call it a day! They also have big windows so you can watch the bread being made.
8. Take the cable car to the best ice cream in San Francisco
Walking distance: 0.3 miles, about 5 minutes.
If you choose to walk to Bi-Rite instead of taking the cable car, that would add an extra mile of walking.
A trip to SF isn’t complete without a ride on an iconic red cable car! You can board one by walking a couple of blocks to the Powell & Hyde turntable. It’s located at the corner of Beach Street and Hyde Street. (By the way, you can get a famous Irish coffee from The Buena Vista, right across the street.)
Cable car tickets
Unfortunately, the City of San Francisco knows what it has in the cable cars, so instead of a regular public transit fare, they charge $8 ($9 after July 1, 2025) to ride one. You can’t pay on board. Either buy your ticket at the transit kiosk right by the turnaround, or download the Muni Mobile or Clipper Card apps on your phone.
For today’s day trip, you should buy the “One Day Visitor Passport” for $14 ($15 after July 1, 2025). Cable cars don’t come with transfers, so this pass will allow you to hop onto the cable car a second time without paying the $8 fare again. Make sure you don’t buy the cheaper “Muni Day Pass” — it doesn’t include cable cars.
Riding the cable car
On busy days, some people swear by bypassing the line at the cable car turnaround and walking to the first stop, North Point Street, or even the next one. If there are a lot of people lined up at the turnaround, this tactic could help you avoid waiting for two or more cars to fill up before you can board. This gambit comes with a risk, though! Since the car will be full leaving the turnaround, the driver might not stop to pick you up at these mid-line stops.
Climb aboard, hold onto a bar, and enjoy a look at everyday life in residential San Francisco neighborhood Russian Hill as you roll up and down Hyde Street. You’ll ride right past the famous switchbacks of “crookedest street,” Lombard.
When you get to the Green Street stop, thank your brakeman, hop off, and walk two blocks to Polk Street. Here you’ll find Bi-Rite, a local market that also happens to sell ice cream. Food & Wine is just one of the many authorities to proclaim Bi-Rite one of the best ice cream joints in the United States.
9. Take the cable car to Chinatown
Walking distance: 0.6 miles.
If you choose to walk all the way instead of taking the cable car, 0.9 miles.
Walk back to Hyde Street to the Broadway cable car stop, and board it going the same direction you were going originally. After the car swings left on Washington, get off at Powell Street. Walk two blocks in the direction the cable car was going (East) and you’ll get to Grant Ave., Chinatown’s main street.
Turn left and walk along Grant, taking in the Chinese souvenir shops and other businesses. If you were looking for affordable souvenirs, this is where to buy them. You may be able to find the same sweatshirt or trinket you saw on the Wharf in one of these shops for much less.
If you want a snack, stop at Golden Gate Bakery for an egg tart or a sesame seed ball.
Just before you hit Broadway, you’ll see little Jack Kerouac Alley branching off to your right. Follow it to …
10. Visit North Beach
If I had to choose just one, I’d pick this historically Italian neighborhood over Fisherman’s Wharf. Old school and charming, North Beach has great food and drinks, but even more important, it has a historic bookstore.
But before you do all that, take a moment to enjoy the alley. Take in the colorful mural on the wall and the writers’ words imprinted in the sidewalk. When you emerge from the alley onto Columbus Alley, a left turn will take you to City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, famous as a meeting place for the Beats and as puglisher of Alan Ginsberg’s poem Howl.
Or, take a right from the alley and end up at Vesuvio Cafe, another gathering place for the beats. Within Vesuvio’s art-spangled walls, you can sip a drink and imagine that you’re part of the original bohemian movement of the early 1950s. The place allegedly hasn’t changed since then.
I know I shared a few suggestions for lunch already, but the truth is I’m hoping you stuck to snacks so far in your tour. Because I think you should eat lunch in North Beach. One great option is to walk a block up Columbus to Molinari Delicatessan, where you can order a delicious made-to-order sandwich. If I was there right now, I’d order the Eggplant Parmigiano ($16). (People also rave about the $13 eggplant sandwich at Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe.)
Take your sandwich and walk two more blocks up Columbus to Washington Square, where you can sit on the grass or on a bench and eat while people watching. You have a nice view of St. Peter and Paul church.
If you’d prefer a sit-down restaurant, get some pizza at Tony’s or Flour & Water.
After lunch, on a nice day you can drowse in the son on the grass in Washington Square. Then revive yourself with an espresso at Caffe Trieste, yet another hallowed location of the Beats. If you have room for dessert, Butter & Crumble is supposed to be an amazing patisserie. (It’s on my list for my next visit!)
If you’re a real fan of Jack Kerouac and the rest of the Beats, check out the Beats Museum, open Thursday-Sunday ($8).
11. Walk to Coit Tower via the Filbert Street Steps
Walking distance: From Cafe Trieste, you’re a 0.3 mile, about 10-minute walk to the bottom of the Filbert Stairs. The walk up the stairs is only about 0.1 mile.
Transit alternative: Take the 39 bus from Union and Stockton right to the base of Coit Tower, skipping the stairs.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,” this is where you can see — and hear — the famous birds. This stairway takes you through a leafy enclave, past the front doors of iron-thighed residents, to Coit Tower.
I find it worthwhile to pay to enter Coit Tower, where you can walk — or maybe take the elevator, if it’s working — up to the top. The inside is decorated with restored WPA murals, and there are guides that can fill you in on the history of the 1933 landmark. And the view from the top is great. Last time we went, there was a cruise ship in port, and it was fun to watch the ant-like people streaming toward the huge ship with their luggage.
12. Walk and take the historic F trolley back to the San Francisco Ferry Building
Walking distance: 0.4 miles, about 10 minutes, to get to the F stop on The Embarcadero.
If you choose to walk all the way instead, it’s 0.9 miles, about 25 minutes.
If you get yourself back to the San Francisco Ferry Building with time to spare, you can enjoy the retail shops before you board. I love the Book Passage bookstore. The Fog City Flea Trading Post is really fun because it has unique items made by many different artists. And if you need any luxury food items — think gifts — like Dandelion Chocolate and Miette Patisserie. I shopped for my kids’ Easter baskets at the Ferry Building this year and went a teensy bit overboard.
Since you’ll be too tired to cook dinner when you get back to your lodging, after all that walking, you could also use this time to pick up some luxurious ingredients, like mushrooms from Far West Funghi, a bottle of wine, some bread and cheese and charcuterie.
13. Relax and enjoy a refreshment on the ferry home
My husband used to take the ferry home from work daily. One day I boarded the ferry along with him for a day in the City with the kids. Imagine my surprise when the bartender greeted him like an old friend! Little did I know he was regularly indulging in a cocktail or beer on his evening commute.
But once I tried it, I dropped the judgment. There’s nothing quite like sitting on the upper deck, watching birds over the water, and sipping a cold one. The ferry bars don’t have an amazing variety of liquors in stock, but they have a little beer, a little wine and a few cocktail options. Good enough!
And that was your walking and public transport San Francisco day!
There you have it, a full day tour starting and ending at the San Francisco Ferry Building — no car required. In this itinerary, you hit some of the most iconic and essential SF neighborhoods — the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach and Chinatown. You also saw a few major landmarks like Alcatraz, Pier 39, the cable cars and Coit Tower.
Next time you have a day in the City, make sure to get out to Ocean Beach, the Sutro Baths, Golden Gate Park, Haight Street and other parts west! And yet another City day is required to check out the Mission District and Mission Dolores. Come back soon!