San Francisco is located in northern California and is on a peninsula that is surrounded by both the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. San Francisco sees 17 million visitors each year in its 49 square miles. The city is a great one for exploring, and first time visitors and even people who have lived there their entire life will always have new things to do and see. Here are some things to do when you visit.

Walk Across the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate is a real site to see. Driving across it is one thing, but you can also take on the option of walking across it which will provide you plenty of photo opps. The Golden Gate is the most photographed bridge in the world and from the east walkway you can see the towers of the bridge, the Marin headlands, tons of ocean, and the skyline of the city.

Visit the Ferry Building

The Ferry Building hosts a marketplace three days a week where you can shop for all kinds of food and drink from 75 regional farmers. Think fruits and vegetables, cheese, wine, coffee, meat, bread, chocolate, jam, and flowers.

Ride the Cable Cars

The cable cars are iconic and San Francisco and they are also a pretty great way to get around since you can hop on and hop off with open air views while you ride. The cable cars were originally built to handle transportation before cars were available because the horses couldn’t handle going up and down the steep streets.

Go For a Picnic

Picnicking in the Presidio never gets old. From April through October there is actually a Sunday event called Off the Grid where food vendors come in and guests can enjoy live music and games on the park lawn. And then on Thursday nights there is another event where there are food and cocktails available at a “campout” style night.

Tour Alcatraz

Alcatraz was once a maximum security prison out on the rock where it’s nice and isolated. It housed prisoners such as Al Capone. The tours will give you some interesting insight into the history of the prison and the people who were once there.

Check Out Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is another fun spot for taking photos and even grabbing a drink or a meal. Fisherman’s Wharf takes up the northern waterfront area of  San Francisco and the surrounding neighborhood. The area got its name from the Italian immigrant fisherman using the area in the 1800’s. The area was redeveloped into a tourist spot in the 1970’s and 1980’s, but it’s still used as a fishing spot as well. Fisherman’s Wharf has all of the following attractions: Pier 39, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.