3 hours in San Francisco

"Leaving San Francisco is like saying goodbye to an old sweetheart. You want to linger as long as possible" - Walter Cronkite

Having called New York and Mumbai my home, I never thought I would ever find any other city appealing. But boy, San Francisco stole my heart in just 3 hours. A while ago I had the opportunity of visiting San Francisco but had only couple hours to be all touristy before I had to fly back to New York. This was my first solo trip and I had so much fun exploring San Francisco in the limited hours that I had. I had done my research before hand so as to cover as many places I could and not waste time just traveling. So here's how I managed to make the most of those 3 hours in SF!

Fisherman's Wharf 

Location: Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA

This was the very first stop I made during my exploration. Fisherman’s Wharf is the northern-most point of San Francisco and one of the most touristy hotspots. It begins around Pier 33 and continues along the waterfront all the way west to Fort Mason and the famous Ghirardelli Square. 


While you are here you should definitely check out the Ghirardelli Square for Ghirardelli Chocolate, a chocolate manufacturer dating back to early 1800s which is one of the best chocolates made in the United States. Ghirardelli Square is just about a 5-7 mins walk from Fisherman's Wharf.


In the olden times the fishermen used to launch their boats and sell their catches here. Fisherman's Wharf is filled with some amazing restaurants, arcades, attractions, souvenir shops, and sightseeing ferries.

Pier 39

Location: The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133

Next stop Pier 39: This was my most favorite spots of all the places I visited in SF. The vibe and feel of this Pier is just so blissful! Once at Pier 39 you definitely want to stop and say hi to the sea lions on the K-docks. It has been their home since the early nineteens when they sought shelter here due to a huge earthquake that hit the area. You will also be greeted with a weird smell due to so many sea lions there but it's just amazing to see them fight, love and jump on each other or just sleep. I just didn't want to leave from here, I spent more time than I had planned to just watch them in their free natural habitat. There are many places to eat around here and also this beautiful carousel, which irrespective of how old you are, you would definitely enjoy it!

Lombard Street

source: Pinterest

Location : 1070 Lombard Street between Jones St and Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Just around 20 mins walk or by road for 10 mins is this Lombard Street, also known as the "crookedest" street in the world. It is a one-way block on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets with eight sharp turns. You can also take the public transport including buses and cable cars that will drop you on the top of this steep crocked street.

I love how this street looks on google maps, like a snake. This street is bordered with grand Victorian mansions. There are sidewalks on each side for pedestrians to walk up and down the crocked part. It gets steep walking up the hill to reach the crooked part from 

Columbus Avenue in North Beach but it is totally worth it! This place attracts millions of tourists each year and if you have a vehicle you would definitely love to drive down this street. 

Fun Fact : Even though it is known as the "Crookedest street in the world" but it is not even the crookedest street in San Francisco. "Technically" the crookedest street in 

San Francisco is Vermont Street, between 20th and 22nd streets on Potrereo Hill. Lombard street's curves were actually built in 1920s to increase the safety of the street as the steep grade was considered to be very dangerous, making it not only safer for pedestrians but also adding to the street's scenic appeal.

Golden Gate Bridge

Location : Golden Gate Bridge, Coastal Trail, San Francisco, CA 94129

Next and final stop : The Golden Gate Bridge. From Lombard street I took an uber to the Golden Gate Welcome center which is just a 12 min drive. I wanted to get to the Golden Gate Bridge before the sun sets and capture it's beauty before it's too dark. 

This beautiful and majestic "International-orange" colored bridge is one of the most iconic structures of San Francisco. It connects the Northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County, California. It is almost two miles long and held the record of the longest bridge until 1964, now it's the second-longest main span in the United States, after the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. 

There are many places from where you can choose to witness this majestic orange structure, due to the time crunch I chose the Welcome Center. It has a path through the park that connects to a sidewalk on the bridge for pedestrians to walk. It takes about 90 minutes to walk the entire length of the bridge. To see the city lights go up as the sun goes down I chose to walk till the halfway mark.

I cannot wait to go back and spend more time exploring more places in and around San Francisco. Specially take the public transport and cable cars that are famous in the Bay Area. I would love to hear about more places that I should definitely consider visiting during my next trip to the west coast, do leave your suggestions in the comments sections 💓