27 Fun Things to Do in San Francisco for Young Adults (and the Young at Heart)

Looking for awesome, fun things to do in San Francisco for young adults (or the young at heart)? No worries, I’m here to help!

No matter how far I go around the world, San Francisco is near and dear to my heart. I actually grew up in the city right below, Daly City, before my family and I moved to Sacramento. I’ve spent much time in San Francisco throughout my childhood, especially on school field trips. I also tagged along with my sister and cousins for shopping and eating in Union Square, along with the occasional Pier 39 visit.

Now, Cecilio and I return to San Francisco every chance we get for short weekend getaways and romantic dates. We’ve done so much in this city but we still always find a new activity we haven’t tried or an attraction we haven’t visited!

San Francisco is one of the most fun cities to visit in the US; with cosmopolitan districts for shopping and nightlife, a diverse food scene (there are Michelin-star restaurants AND delicious, budget-friendly street food), beaches, endless arts and culture spots, and stunning nature. It’s hard to get bored here!

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Things to do in San Francisco for Young Adults

1. Visit Pier 39

No matter how touristy and cheesy it may seem, no trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting Pier 39 at least once. Located in Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 is one of San Francisco’s most visited attractions, with shops, restaurants, cafes, and dessert spots. It’s set right along the Bay overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

Don’t forget to check out the sea lions that hang out on the docks. While they are there all year round, you’ll see hundreds of them (up to almost 700!) from late July to mid-May.

For a bite to eat, I recommend getting a clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Boudin Bakery. It’s cheaper than all of the sit-down restaurants in Pier 39, and the sourdough clam chowder was originally invented in Boudin’s Wharf location!

And for dessert? Either order a bucket of freshly cooked and hot mini-donuts at Trish’s Mini Donuts!

2. Have some delicious desserts at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience

Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, you’ve got to go to the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience in Ghirardelli Square!

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience is a large gift shop filled with gifts, chocolate bars and squares, baking ingredients, and hot cocoa mixes. It’s also an ice cream bar that serves signature hot fudge sundaes, ice cream in waffle cones, and banana splits.

They also serve hot cocoa all year round, but it’s perfect during the winter months, especially during the holidays (you’ve got to get the peppermint hot cocoa!).

3. Ride the Cable Car

The cable car is one of San Francisco’s most iconic attractions and modes of transportation. Riding it is an exhilarating experience. It’s semi-open air, and you need to hold on to the handles.

The cable car also takes you to the highest points of the city. In case you didn’t know, San Francisco is HILLY; before you know it, your legs will tire out from constantly walking uphill. Not only does the cable car provide a fun, unique experience for tourists, it’s a practical way to get around the city.

A single-ride ticket to ride on the cable car costs $8. If you want to ride it multiple times and use it all day, you can purchase a 1-day visitor passport, which costs $13.

You can purchase cable car tickets in person near the station lines or in advance online by downloading the MuniMobile or Clipper Card apps.

4. Eat and shop for vintage goods at Haight-Ashbury

Once a popular hangout area for hippies in the 1960s, Haight-Ashbury remains an edgy neighborhood lined with vintage clothing shops, bars, coffee shops, and underrated restaurants.

If you’re into vinyl records and music, check out Amoeba Music, the world’s largest independent record store! The whole store is filled with new and used records, CDs, VHS tapes, and books. Near the cashier, you can also get stickers, magnets, patches, and other merchandise.

For lunch (and some bomb tacos) on Haight Street, head over to Street Taco. They serve delicious tacos and burritos with fillings such as carne asada, chorizo, pollo (chicken), pescado (fish), carnitas, veggies, and nopales (cactus). Their chips and salsa are pretty bomb, and the chips are freshly made and hot.

5. Picnic at Mission Dolores Park

On a rare, sunny day in San Francisco, nothing is better than having a picnic at the hilly, grassy Mission Dolores Park overlooking the skyscrapers (and it’s a super fun, budget-friendly activity). All you need is a blanket, a basket for snacks and sandwiches from the nearby minimart, and some drinks!

If you’re more of the active type, you’ll be happy to find that Mission Dolores Park has other facilities like six tennis courts, a basketball court, a soccer field, a playground for kids, and a dog park!

6. Bike, walk, or drive through Golden Gate Bridge

Did you even go to San Francisco without crossing or seeing the Golden Gate Bridge?!

The best way to experience the Golden Gate Bridge in all its glory is through biking or driving through it.

You can either rent a bike or go on a guided bike tour if you’re not comfortable or familiar with navigating the city.

Here are some bike tours that take you through the Golden Gate Bridge:

• Golden Gate Bridge Guided Bicycle or E-Bike Tour from San Francisco to Sausalito
• San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito Guided Bike Tour

To get those awesome, Instagram-worthy photos with the Golden Gate Bridge as your backdrop, drive through the bridge and park at the H. Dana Bowers Rest Area & Vista Point (it’s also a camping area!). You can also trek down to the Moore Road Pier for a better angle of the bridge.

7. Go on a cruise under and through the Golden Gate Bridge

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge is such a unique experience that it deserves its own mention. And you get a completely different angle of the bridge!

There are so many cruise tours that go through the Golden Gate Bridge at different times of the day; if you’re a morning person, you’ll enjoy a brunch cruise! Or if you want to watch the sunset and taking stunning photos during Golden Hour, you’ve got to take an evening cruise!

Golden Gate Bridge cruises to take:

• Straight to the Gate Access: San Francisco Bay Sunset Cruise
• San Francisco Bay Cruise
• San Francisco Premier Brunch Cruise
• San Francisco Premier Dinner Dance Cruise

8. Eat and shop your way through the Ferry Building Marketplace

If you’re looking for a slightly more authentic experience than Pier 39, I highly suggest a stop at the Ferry Building Marketplace along the Embarcadero! While there are still a lot of tourists (especially on Saturdays), it’s nowhere near as crowded or cheesy. The food choices are so much better (and affordable!). There are benches outside the building where you can hang out, overlooking the Bay Bridge.

My favorite place to shop in the Ferry Building Marketplace is Fog City Flea Trading Post, where they sell clothes, bags, jewelry, art, home decor, and stationary designed by local Bay Area creatives. It’s not cheap, but I feel good when I buy something I want there because I’m supporting fellow artists (Art is not a lucrative path, and I want to show support in any way I can).

There is also a farmers market open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am–2 pm, and Saturdays from 8 am–2 pm.

To get a taste of the Ferry Building Marketplace and Farmers Market, you can book this food tour and sample delicious, local goods like honey, cheese, bread, organic produce, and sweets.

Here are some of my favorite places to eat at the Ferry Building Marketplace:

• El Porteño Empanadas: I’ve never been to Argentina to try their delicious empanadas, but I’ll say this is the next best thing! The line to get these empanadas is pretty long but worth it. I love the carne empanada, which consists of organic grass-fed beef, stuffed olives, hard-boiled eggs, and raisins (don’t knock it til you try it).
• Humphry Slocombe: This is a popular, bougie ice cream shop with unique flavors like rosé, Tahitian vanilla, Vietnamese iced coffee, lavender, and pina colada. Cecilio and I love going here, and tasting each others’ flavors!
• Señor Sisig: This casual Filipino/Mexican-fusion eatery used to only serve in food trucks before they settled in a few brick-and-mortar shops. Now they are in the Ferry Building Marketplace! Sisig is a Filipino chopped sizzling pork belly seasoned with spices, onion, and calamansi (lime). Señor Sisig serves delicious sisig tacos, burritos, loaded fries, and nachos. Chase it down with some beer or Ube cocktails!
• Red Bay Coffee: This gorgeous, black-owned coffee shop has stunning, earthy decor and even better coffee. I love their Vietnamese iced coffee!

9. Go to a Giants game

Even if you’re not a big baseball fan, going to a Giants game is an experience. The Oracle Park is known as one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in the MLB, overlooking the water and the Bay Bridge. There are also some fun photo spots like a cable car inside the stadium!

Oracle Park also has fantastic food options, serving garlic fries, crab sourdough sandwiches, Mission Street style tacos, lumpia, shrimp po boy chowder sandwiches, Impossible burgers, and Ghirardelli hot fudge sundaes.

There are also hot dog carts outside the stadium that smell oh-so-delicious!

10. Stroll and explore Golden Gate Park

You could spend all day exploring Golden Gate Park, and not hit up all the attractions. But that’s okay, because you can pick 2–3 things you really want to do and explore in-depth. At 1,017 acres, Golden Gate Park is the West Coast version of NYC’s Central Park (and much larger too! Central Park is only 843 acres).

Visiting Golden Gate Park is as cheap or as expensive as you make it. You can have a breezy picnic on the grass with snacks and drinks, or stroll through the fresh blooms at the Conservatory of Flowers. I bet you didn’t know that there was a Bison Paddock in the park; yes, a pen for bison!

If you can’t go to Japan anytime soon, you can experience the next best thing—the Japanese Tea Garden, in Golden Gate Park. There’s a pagoda, mini forest and path, koi pond, tea house, and gift shop.

The tea house serves different kinds of tea along with small Japanese dishes such as chicken karaage, udon noodles, miso soup, matcha cheesecake, and mochi ice cream.

General admission to the Japanese Tea Garden is $18 on the weekends and $15 on the weekdays.

Another fun activity in Golden Gate Park? You can rent a boat on Stow Lake from $26–$32!

11. Visit Ocean Beach

If you’re coming to San Francisco to swim on the beaches, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. The waters are cold and super strong (but it’s perfect for surfers!). And it can get foggy. But on the rare sunny day, it’s a perfect time to have a nice, romantic stroll (or jog), or picnic. At night during nice weather, some people even have bonfires!

Ocean Beach stretches 3.5 miles along the coastline. The best time to visit is from Fall to early Spring. You might get lucky with 70° weather, though it’s pretty uncommon.

12. Hike Land’s End

Land’s End is one of San Francisco’s most popular hiking trails with a 3.4-mile loop, and it’s right above Ocean Beach. It’s an easy-moderate hike, with the steep hills adding a bit of a challenge. Be prepared to sweat and get slightly out of breath!

Thankfully, there are a ton of benches and rest stops for when you need to take a break. Hiking the trail is so worth it once you get gorgeous views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Lands End is also a super dog-friendly trail (we saw a lot of them, but our dogs are too naughty to go there).

Also, you don’t have to hike to fully enjoy the trail; I saw some artists painting stunning landscapes of the ocean and plants!

13. Eat and explore North Beach (Little Italy)

North Beach is a popular neighborhood and ethnic enclave with a high Italian population, making it known as Little Italy. You know what that means? Loads of amazing Italian restaurants, cafes, and gelaterias! From hole-in-the-wall pizzerias to fine-dining seafood restaurants, North Beach is a foodie’s ultimate haven.

For a fun place to eat with mouth-watering meals, I recommend Piazza Pellegrini. They have a cozy outdoor patio with fairy lights. You order your food and drinks at the cable car counter.

They serve fresh antipasti, pizza, pasta, and other classic Italian entrees; their Frutti di Mare (seafood pasta with mussels, clams, pawns, fish, and white wine sauce) is fantastic!

In North Beach, you can also chill and catch sun rays at Washington Square, a grassy park bordered by restaurants, cafes, shops, and the Saints Peter and Paul Church.

Wanna try the best of San Francisco’s Italian eats? Book one of the North Beach food tours below!

• Little Italy and North Beach Walking Tour
• North Beach: Pizza & Pub Crawl Experience
• North Beach Food & History Walking Tour – Small Group
• North Beach Food Tasting and Cultural Walking Tour

14. Rummage around City Lights Bookstore

I love skimming the pages of different books, whether I buy them or not. If you’re the same way, you’re going to love City Lights Bookstore, located between North Beach and Chinatown. Similar to Powell’s Books in Portland, City Lights is much smaller but is the first all-paperback bookstore in the US. Now, they sell hardcover and paperback books featuring authors from a variety of publishing houses.

Walk through this three-story bookstore, and you’ll find books of different genres such as fiction, poetry, spirituality, art, politics, and history.

I’ll admit that some of my favorite parts about bookstores are the gifts and knickknacks near the cash register, like stationery, notebooks, cards, shirts, and bags. City Lights Bookstore has all of those, with San Francisco-themed designs.

15. Tour the City in a VW bus

Want to experience San Francisco like a ’60s or ’70s hippie? Ride the colorful Volkswagen Bus for a 2-hour sightseeing tour, starting at Pier 39 with stops in Chinatown, North Beach, Mission, Castro, and of course, the Golden Gate Bridge (where you can take as many photos as you’d like).

Your tour guide will also pass by houses of former (and late) rock legends like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Grateful Dead while listening to classic rock hits from the ’60s.

If it’s your first time in San Francisco, consider going on this unique tour; no walking or biking required, you can just sit back, relax, and let your guide drive you to the city’s most iconic attractions (with a retro twist!). This tour is also perfect for those who only have 1 or 2 days in San Francisco or have a long layover.

16. Window shop and eat in Union Square

Lined with department stores, luxurious boutiques, and higher end restaurants, exploring Union Square is certainly not one of the most budget-friendly things to do in San Francisco for young adults. But many shops have promo offers and trunk sales, helping you snag something you’ve been eyeing for months (or years).

Union Square during the holidays is so magical, with the 83-foot-tall Christmas tree, adorned with over 1,100 ornaments and 33,000 LED lights. Right next to the tree, there’s a large ice skating rink too! You can also visit the Westin St. Francis Hotel to marvel at the 12-foot-high rotating sugar castle.

17. Picnic at Baker Beach

A sunny day in San Francisco is the perfect time to go to Baker Beach, where the Bay meets the Pacific Ocean! While there isn’t much around the beach and it’s kind of a trek to get to, the upclose views of the Golden Gate Bridge make it worth it. Unlike Ocean Beach, Baker Beach is usually pretty warm, making it perfect for picnics and sunbathing.

18. Check out Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world

You’ll never find another street as unique as Lombard Street! Dubbed the “crookedest street in the world”, Lombard Street is a hilly, steep, neighborhood block with 8 hairpin turns. Drivers cannot go more than 5 mph!

Both sides of the street have wide sidewalks with staircases since it attracts up to 17,000 visitors per day (and around 2 million per year!)

It’s hard to drive and park near Lombard Street, so I suggest either getting an Uber/Lyft or taking the Powell/Hyde cable car line, which will drop you off there.

19. Visit SFMoMA

SFMoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is a fun museum with works from modern and contemporary artists like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Wayne Thiebaud, and Henri Matisse.

There are also some cool Instagram photo spots and murals on different floors, and food on the 1st, 2nd, and 5th floors!

Admission is $30 for adults, making it on the pricey side, but it’s free to visit every first Thursday of the month. You will need to reserve your free tickets in advance here.

If you purchase the San Francisco CityPASS or the Go City All Inclusive Pass, admission to SFMoMA is included along with multiple attractions.

20. Eat, shop, and stroll through Japantown

If you aren’t able to travel to Japan in the future, you can experience the next best thing in San Francisco’s Japantown.

Stroll through Japan Center Malls where you can find unique Japanese gifts and goods and K-beauty products. There are some arcades with claw machines, similar to the ones in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area.

Cecilio and I love walking around Kinokuniya, the 2-story bookstore featuring manga, books about art, Japan travel guides, origami, stationery, and gifts. If you’re looking for cheap goods, you’ve got to visit Daiso!

In the mall, there are also different eateries, like a takoyaki stand, various sushi and ramen restaurants, and ice cream bars.

Right next to the mall, you’ll see the 5-tier Peace Pagoda, gifted by San Francisco’s sister city, Osaka.

Across the street from the mall, there are even more sushi and ramen bars. Cecilio and I recently had ramen at Hinoyeda in Japantown; the bowls were delicious, and the bathrooms had bidets and warmed toilet seats, similar to how the bathrooms are in Japan.

21. Grab drinks at the rooftop bars

The views of San Francisco are stunning, from glittering skyscrapers at night to the oceans and bay. Because of that, there are a handful of gorgeous rooftop bars where you can get some drinks and bites to eat while enjoying the sights.

Here are two rooftop bars in San Francisco I recommend:

The View Lounge

This bar is located on the 39th floor in the San Francisco Marriot Marquis hotel in SoMA (South of Market), with floor-to-ceiling windows and 360° views of the Ferry Building Marketplace and Bay Bridge on one side and Downtown San Francisco on the other. The interiors are art-decor-inspired with pops of emerald green.

The View Lounge offers an extensive drink menu, including specialty cocktails (including mocktails for those who don’t drink), liquor, beer, and wine. I ordered the Espress Yourself (an espresso martini) while 2 of my friends ordered Ruby Summer (a mocktail with lychee, lemon juice, and San Pellegrino blood orange drink).

They also have delicious shareable bites. My friends and I ordered a charcuterie board featuring local cheese from Point Reyes, cold cuts of meat, fried fruit, and crackers. We also ordered these insanely delicious chicken adobo tacos, topped with pineapple salsa, guacamole, and pickled onions.

Top of the Mark

Top of the Mark is another popular bar located on the 19th floor of the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill, one of the highest points of the city.

Like The View Lounge, Top of the Mark offers a robust selection of drinks, such as crafted cocktails (and another delicious espresso martini), wine (reds/whites/rosé/champagne), beer, straight liquor, and mocktails.

Food-wise, you have your pick of delicious bites like caviar, charcuterie board, rib sliders, duck quesadillas, and flatbreads.

22. Visit the California Academy of Sciences (even for nightlife!)

California Academy of Sciences is one of San Francisco’s most unique attractions since it’s an aquarium, a museum, a planetarium, and an indoor rainforest rolled into one building.

Their aquarium is much bigger and better than the aquarium next to Pier 39, housing over 60,000 live animals from 1,000 different species. These include penguins, turtles, variations of fish, alligators, and starfish.

The indoor rainforest is around 90 feet high, spanning 4 stories. There is a diversity of plants and animals from the Brazilian rainforests to the trees from the West Indies. You’ll see exotic species such as butterflies, frogs, and birds.

While the California Academy of Sciences is usually considered the perfect spot for families with small children, young adults can have fun in a child-free setting! Every Thursday from 6–10 pm, it turns into a nightclub, with dim lighting (with glow-in-the-dark ambiance!), drinks flowing from the bar, and live music. You can still see all the animals too!

You’ll still be able to see the animals during the nightlife hours. There is also a Planetarium show during nightlife, but it’s not included in the ticket, and an extra $5 for viewing.

General admission to California Academy of Sciences is normally around $40–$50+, but you can save money by purchasing the San Francisco CityPASS or the Go City All Inclusive Pass, which includes admission along with admission to multiple attractions in and around the city.

23. Hike Lover’s Lane and Ecology Trail

Located in the Presidio, Lover’s Lane is an oasis away from the skyscrapers, traffic jams, and loud noises. You’ll forget that you’re in one of the biggest cities in the US, surrounded by cypress and eucalyptus trees. The trail is only 0.6 miles long, making hiking easy for most people.

Further up Lover’s Lane, you’ll come across Ecology Trail, one of San Francisco’s many hidden gems. It’s steeper than Lover’s Lane, taking about 30–50 minutes to trek. Once you get up the peak, you’ll get sweeping views of the city, and a much easier trek downhill!

24. Try delicious dim sum at Chinatown

Chinatown in San Francisco is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. Its history starts in the early 1850s as Chinese immigrants settled in North America.

Today, Chinatown is a popular neighborhood and attraction for tourists. It’s lined with delicious eateries, tea bars, shops, art, and markets. Red lanterns are hung across the streets from the buildings. Be sure. to take a photo of Dragon’s Gate, the entrance to Chinatown with its teal pagodas, red lanterns, and bronze dragon sculptures on top.

And of course, no trip to Chinatown would be complete without tasting all of the delicious Chinese food and dim sum.

Want to try the best of Chinatown but don’t know where to begin? Consider taking a food tour around the area!

• Chinatown Culinary Walking Tour
• San Francisco Chinatown Food Tour
• Chinatown: Tea & Dim Sum Food Tour

25. Take the ferry to Alcatraz Island

Step into one of the most notorious prisons in the US, located on Alcatraz Island, 15 minutes away from Pier 39 via ferry. Originally, it started as a lighthouse and a military fort, before turning into a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. The prison housed high-profile murderers, gangsters, and robbers like Al Capone.

Prisoners tried to escape by swimming back to the city, and while it wasn’t completely impossible, it was difficult due to the strong currents and the water’s frigid temperatures. There have been 36 prisoners who attempted to escape, but they either got caught alive, drowned, went missing, or got shot to death.

Today, Alcatraz is a popular attraction in San Francisco, as visitors can walk inside the prison, take a peek inside the cells, and see what everyday life was like for convicts.

You can either visit only Alcatraz Island with an audio guide or go on a combined guided tour with other attractions:

• Inside Alcatraz Tour Including Fisherman’s Wharf Lunch Credit
• Official Alcatraz Island Prison Tour and San Francisco Bay Cruise
• Alcatraz with Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour

26. Take a day trip to Sausalito and Muir Woods

Sausalito is a quiet, charming town on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. You can get there by going on a ferry (I recommend downloading the SF Bay Ferry app to purchase tickets) or driving through the bridge if you have a car.

There are so many fantastic restaurants (especially seafood restaurants) in Sausalito, along with wineries, art galleries, hiking, and biking trails. There is a nice pier across the street from downtown where you can sit and catch views of San Francisco.

Sausalito has a more intimate but luxurious vibe compared to San Francisco. I actually recommend staying overnight in Sausalito or Mill Valley if you’re worried about your car getting broken into, you don’t want to pay for parking, or if the thought of searching for a parking space in a narrow curb or expensive parking lot sends shivers down your spine.

Along with spending a day in Sausalito, you can even drive up to Muir Woods for more hiking. Get ready to marvel at Muir Woods’ trees, some of the oldest trees in the world!

For extra convenience and relaxation, you can book a guided tour to Sausalito and Muir Woods with stops around San Francisco and a cruise along the Bay!

27. Taste the famous burritos on Mission District

While California is known for bomb Mexican food, some of the best burritos come from San Francisco’s Mission District. The Mission District is known for its dense Latino population, and the high number of Mexican restaurants and taquerias reflect that. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other types of cuisines in the neighborhood!

Mission District is also a hip, artsy neighborhood with murals all around (making it the perfect spot for young adults). So there’s your chance for some photo opps, some souvenirs to remember for your SF trip 😉

Not sure where to find the perfect Mission style burrito? Go on a guided food tour, where you get a chance to sample some of the best ones, along with other dishes! You’ll get a chance to see the murals painted by local artists as well.

• San Francisco Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
• Mission: Street Art & Food Tour in San Francisco
• Mission District Food Tour: Appetizers, Entrée and Dessert

Wrapping up the Best Things to do in San Francisco for Young Adults

San Francisco is such a unique city in which there is so much to offer for everyones’ interests. Whether you like shopping and nightlife, basking in nature, or trying the most delicious foods, you’ll find it all here! It’s a city that families with young children, couples, and people in their 20s and 30s can enjoy.

Just be prepared for chilly weather and bring a light sweater, and wear comfortable shoes, as you will be walking up some steep hills.

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Hannah Padilla

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Hannah is a travel writer, graphic designer, and the founder/editor of Hannah on Horizon. She is based in Sacramento, California, living with her husband and two adorable dogs. She shares tips on how to experience luxury travel on any budget, and how to maximize time at each trip or destination, no matter what your budget or amount of vacation time at work. She enjoys making you feel like you have visited each destination with her through her storytelling and informative writing style.