The Best of San Francisco — From Downtown to the Golden Gate: All must See Landmarks & Viewpoints
Places: 21 POIsDistance: 26.92 miDuration: 1h:34m
Tour #2631
About this English self-guided 1h:34m driving tour in San Francisco
Welcome to San Francisco, a city that’s as iconic as it is unpredictable — where every hill hides a story, every neighborhood has its own rhythm, and every view seems ready for a postcard.
We’ll begin our journey at the Bay Bridge, the grand eastern gateway into the city, and wind our way through the places that have made San Francisco famous around the world — from the Ferry Building and the Embarcadero to the gleaming Transamerica Pyramid in the Financial District.
We’ll pass under the colorful Dragon Gate into Chinatown, one of the oldest and most vibrant in America, before rolling into North Beach, home to Italian cafés, Washington Square Park, and the twin spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church.
From there, we’ll climb toward Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill for sweeping skyline views, then head down to the waterfront for a taste of classic San Francisco — Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and the clang of the Hyde Street Cable Car.
We’ll swing by Ghirardelli Square and Lombard Street, the “crookedest street in the world,” before heading west to explore the city’s grander spaces — the Palace of Fine Arts, the charming Walt Disney Family Museum, and the tree-lined streets near the University of San Francisco and The Panhandle.
Then it’s up to Twin Peaks for one of the best panoramas you’ll find anywhere — followed by a scenic drive through Golden Gate Park, a green oasis that stretches nearly to the Pacific.
Finally, we’ll make our way through the Presidio, where the city’s history meets nature, and end our tour at the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge — and the North Vista Point, where San Francisco unfolds beneath you like a dream.
So buckle up, enjoy the ride, and get ready to experience The City by the Bay — from the bridges to the hills, the fog to the sunshine, and all the magic in between.
Out over the water on your right, you’ll see the Bay Bridge, one of the most impressive engineering feats on the West Coast. It connects San Francisco to Oakland and the rest of the East Bay, carrying hundreds of thousands of commuters every day.
The official name is the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, but locals just call it “the Bay Bridge.” It actually consists of two major spans — one from San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island, and another from the island to Oakland.
When it opened in 1936, it was the longest bridge in the world and cost $77 million — a massive sum back then. It even opened just six months before its flashier neighbor, the Golden Gate Bridge.
The bridge has survived earthquakes, retrofits, and redesigns, including the new eastern span completed in 2013 — a sleek, white suspension bridge built to withstand anything California can throw at it.
And here’s something you might not expect: the Bay Bridge has its own light show. Since 2013, over 25,000 LED lights have danced across its cables every night in a shimmering art installation called The Bay Lights — visible from miles away.
Place #2
Distance: 0.94mi
496 San Francisco Bay Trail, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
The Ferry Building & Embarcadero
On your right is the Ferry Building, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Standing proudly at the edge of the bay since 1898, its clock tower has greeted visitors arriving by ferry for more than a century. Back before bridges, this was the gateway to San Francisco — bustling with travelers, sailors, and merchants from all over the world.
Today, the Ferry Building has traded cargo crates for artisanal food stalls and farmers’ markets, filled with the smells of fresh bread, coffee, and local cheese. Inside, you’ll find some of the best bites in the Bay — from oysters to handmade chocolate.
The road you’re on, the Embarcadero, curves gracefully along the waterfront and was once lined with busy shipping piers. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the city tore down the old freeway that blocked these views, giving San Francisco its waterfront back.
Tour itinerary stops | Additional places you'll see on this self-guided tour
Place 1The Bay Bridge
Place 2The Ferry Building & Embarcadero
Place 3Transamerica Pyramid & Financial District
Place 4Chinatown Dragon Gate & Grant Avenue
Place 5Washington Square Park
Place 6North Beach & Saints Peter and Paul Church
Place 7Coit Tower & Telegraph Hill
Place 8Fisherman’s Wharf & Pier 39
Place 9Hyde Street Cable Car
Place 10Ghirardelli Square & Maritime National Historical Park
Place 11Lombard Street — The Crookedest Street in the World
Place 12Fun Facts About San Francisco
Place 13Palace of Fine Arts
Place 14The Walt Disney Family Museum
Place 15University of San Francisco (USF)
Place 16The Panhandle
Place 17Welcome to Twin Peaks
Place 18Welcome to Golden Gate Park
Place 19The Presidio — Gateway to the Golden Gate Bridge
Place 20The Golden Gate Bridge
Place 21Golden Gate Bridge North Vista Point & Farewell
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Walk at your own pace.
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Take the tour in your preferred language.
Start, stop and continue the tour whenever you want.
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What's included?
A self-guided audio tour taken via the UCPlaces app [Android / iOS (iPhone) / Apple CarPlay].
Tour route map and in-app GPS navigation (via the UCPlaces app).
Audio stories for places visited during the tour.
Apple CarPlay connection (for iOS users); for a seamless driving tour experience.
What's NOT included?
Earphones (highly recommended).
Smartphone.
Any kind of transportation (including tickets and passes).