Alert
Close

Last chance! Play brain games for a chance to win $25,000. Enter the Brain Health Sweepstakes

AARP Membership: Just $16 a Year

Highlights

Open

Grocery Coupon Center

Powered by Coupons.com. Access to grocery coupons

Bad consumer experience?

Submit a complaint to AARP's consumer advocate

Geek Squad

Exclusive offers for members

Technical Icon

Spanish Preferred?

Visit aarp.org/espanol

Start a Business

Find the resources you need to start
or grow your own business

San Francisco

  • Zoom
  • Print
  • Comments
  • Bookmark
  • Recommend
San Francisco, CA

— Frommers

San Francisco's reputation as a rollicking city where almost anything goes dates back to the boom-or-bust days of the California gold rush. It's always been this way: This city is so beautiful, exciting, diverse, and cosmopolitan that you can always find something new to see and do no matter if it's your first or fiftieth visit. Oh, and bring a warm jacket: Bob Hope once remarked that San Francisco is the city of four seasons -- every day.

Things to Do
Consistently ranked as America's Favorite City, San Francisco never ceases to entertain. Enjoy the cool blast of salty air as you stroll across the Golden Gate. Stuff yourself with dim sum in Chinatown. Browse the secondhand shops along Haight Street. Recite poetry in a North Beach coffeehouse. Stroll Ocean Beach, skate through Golden Gate Park, ride the cable cars to Fisherman's Wharf, tour a Victorian mansion, explore Alcatraz Island, go to a Giants ball game -- the list is endless.

Shopping
Oh baby, start polishing that credit card. Some of our favorites include strolling the hip boutiques in Hayes Valley, gourmet delicacies at the Ferry Building Marketplace, the wow factor of Union Square and Westfield San Francisco Centre, real vinyl at Amoeba Records on Haight Street, and the weird-to-wonderful shopping bazaar that is Chinatown.

Nightlife & Entertainment
It's true: San Francisco sells more theater tickets per capita than any major city in America. We love to watch our recycled Broadway musicals at the A.C.T. and transgender tragedies at Theatre Rhinoceros. The San Francisco Symphony, Opera, and Ballet are three great reasons to dress up. Sunday's are a Drag (show) at Harry Denton's Starlight Room, while anything goes down at the Endup. Maceo Parker's playing at Yoshi's, Stanton Moore is at the Boom Boom Room, and Tainted Love is sold out at Bimbo's 365 Club. Let's end the night with a Golden Gate Martini at Top of the Mark.

Restaurants & Dining
With more than 3,500 restaurants in San Francisco, you could eat at a different restaurant every night for 10 years and still not visit them all. Try Afghan, Burmese, Cambodian, Cajun, Moroccan, Persian, Ethiopian -- or better yet, follow the street food craze at roaminghunger.com/sf in search of Sam's Chowdermobile, Chairman Bao, and Waffle Mania food trucks.

Topic Alerts

You can get weekly email alerts on the topics below. Just click “Follow.”

Manage Alerts

Processing

Please wait...

progress bar, please wait
  • Zoom
  • Print
  • Comments
  • Bookmark
  • Recommend

Tell Us WhatYou Think

Please leave your comment below.

You must be signed in to comment.

Sign In | Register

More comments »

Select a Destination

Las Vegas                      New Orleans

Chicago                Washington, DC

Phoenix                         Orlando

Miami                             Dallas

Seattle                           Chicago

Bora Bora                     Easter Islands

Fire Island                    Galapagos Islands 

Santorini                      Martha's Vineyard

San Juan                      Virgin Islands

Capri                             French Polynesia

Grand Canyon                 Badlands

Algonquin                        Yellowstone

Yorkshire Dales                Kruger 

Gettysburg                       Glacier Bay

Walt Disney World           Flinders Ranges

DISCOUNTS & BENEFITS

From companies that meet the high standards of service and quality set by AARP.

train couple on train, grand canyon railway

Members get 25% off of rail packages & 15% off train tickets on Grand Canyon Railway.

exterior shot of a British Airways jet flying over a body of water

Members save up to $400 on round-trip tickets on British Airways. Restrictions apply.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Members save up to 20% off the best available rate at nearly 7,000 Wyndham hotels.

Member Benefits

Members receive exclusive member benefits & affect social change. Join Today

Community

lake louise

Vacation Photos

Ah, vacation! Get ideas for your next getaway, or just enjoy a mental escape, browse Community photos. View

cruising

Cruising Tips

Rank top cruising destinations, from Nova Scotia to the Mexican Riviera. Discuss