san francisco travel guide

Happy Monday y’all! I apologize it has taken me so long to get this travel guide up for y’all, but better late than never shall we! Last month, Tyler & I traveled to the west coast for a weekend of wine tasting with some friends– see more of that weekend here! Since neither of us had ever been to northern California, we decided to spend a few days in San Francisco and I am SO glad we did. We explored, played tourist, ate too much & walked until we dropped. Read more for where we stayed, ate, played & more!

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Where to Stay

Kimpton Buchanan*

When researching for this trip, we were pretty much clueless on what area of the city we wanted to stay in, but one area that seemed in close proximity & walking distance to a handful of other areas was Japantown. When I stumbled upon the Kimpton Buchanan I was sold! We’ve stayed at Kimpton properties in the past and have always had the best experiences. Our time at the Buchanan was no different. The rooms were sleek & clean, and we had the nicest little patio with a view. We loved the property, and were able to walk to a ton of different restaurants, stores, sights, etc.

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Where to Eat:

Tratto

Sarah from Sassy Red Lipstick recommended this Italian spot (along with so many other amazing spots– thanks, Sarah!). We had our first dinner here and it was amazing! The pasta was so delicious & the atmosphere was great.

Native Co

After a our morning at the Museum of Ice Cream we needed a quick healthy pick me up! It was a cute place to grab a fresh lunch! I don’t know if I would go out of my way to eat here if I was in SF again, but we were in a rush & it got the job done.

Smitten Ice Cream

I guess we didn’t get our ice cream fix at the Museum of Ice Cream, because the last night of our trip we stopped in Smitten for a sweet treat. This churned to order ice cream was SO good. I highly recommend the cookie dough with pretzels & chocolate chips flavor! Their location on California St was within walking distance of our hotel.

The Jane

This little cafe was included in My Style Vita’s San Francisco Travel Guide & was drying to go for breakfast one morning. It was the perfect way to start our first day, we loved it. We went to the location on Filmore because we could walk from our hotel. It is a tiny space, and was crowded on a Sunday, so keep that in mind when visiting.

5A5 Steakhouse

The mister loves him a good steakhouse, and this one did not disappoint! The steaks were amazing and the sides were delicious too. It was a great place to do a nicer dinner. We highly recommend!

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Media Noche

Okay, so I totally wanted to go here for a cute Instagram shot. I mean look at that adorable tile floor?! Sadly their flamingos were painted over when we were there 😔 The food made it worth it too tough. We opted to grab our lunch to go because it was such a gorgeous day! So we made the walk from here to Dolores Park for a little picnic. The cuban sandwich was delicious!

The Dorian

Dinner on our last night was at The Dorian & it was delicious!! We were starving when got there, so we ordered all of the food– the pretzel, steam buns, chicken sliders, brussels sprouts & the burger. It was all SO good. The atmosphere was awesome too. Oh and their brunch looks amazing. Next time we visit, their brunch is definitely on my to do list. Plus, if I go for brunch then I would have better lighting for a photo in front of their lip wall 😉

Wrecking Ball

Pineapple wallpaper? Enough said! This cute little (no seriously, it is very small with little seating) coffee shop was a great place to grab a pick me up.

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse

I mean, who doesn’t love instaworthy pastries?! An obligatory picture with the “I Got Baked In San Francisco” neon sign was a must for me and an excuse to indulge in the donuts & cruffins. Except that we got there & the sign was broken! But it was well worth a visit. The sweet treats were so yummy. We went around 9am on Tuesday morning, and the line wasn’t bad at all, but I’ve definitely heard that the tiny bakehouse’s line can get veryyy long. P.s. Get the Churro Croissant!

Bar Bocce

Ah, we loved this place so much. After riding our bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge, we ventured into the little town of Sausalito. We popped into Bar Bocce for lunch, and were just smitten with this place. The restaurant overlooks the water, and was just so cool! The pizza & beer was much needed after our bike ride. If the weather is nice, you have to sit outside!

Flores

Another Jessica recommendation, and I was so sad because I didn’t think we were going to have time to squeeze in a meal here. After a full morning we were roaming Union St, our feet were starting to get tired y’all. So when we stumbled upon happy hour at Flores, we indulged in some margaritas al fresco. It doesn’t take much make me happy, margaritas on a patio with Tyler does the trick 😉 We were saving up for dinner, so we didn’t actually eat there, but I would definitely recommend a happy hour visit!

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What to do:

The Museum of Ice Cream

OMGGGG! Y’all! If you can get your hands on tickets you must visit MOIC! I was like a kid in a candy store! I had been stalking the MOIC site once I saw they were coming to SF, and it just so happened that they opened the day before we were supposed to visit! It was meant to be. The MOIC experience lived up to all of my expectations & more. It was so fun, Tyler & I were like kids in a candy store!

 

 

Alcatraz

This was one thing Tyler really wanted to do, and I honestly wasn’t that excited about it at first. But I am so glad we went! The whole experience was really interesting, and I would definitely recommend doing the guided tour via headsets when you get there (it isn’t an additional cost). If you’re interested, I would definitely recommend booking a few weeks out, as tickets sell out quickly.

Walk!

This is one of my favorite things to do with Tyler when we travel to a new city. I personally don’t feel like I can get a good feel for a city without walking around. It allows you to take in all the neighborhoods & you’re bound to stumble upon stores & restaurants you otherwise would not have. But beware, because the hills in SF are no joke! There were a few that just about did us in!

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Bike the Golden Gate Bridge

This was on the top of my SF to do list. We saved this for our last day in the city, and it was so much fun! We loved every bit of it. We rented our bike through Blazing Saddles & they made it super easy from start to finish. Logistically I was a little intimidated, but once we rented the bikes (we rented from the Hyde St. location), the staff explained how to get on the bridge, how to then venture to Sausalito & then take the ferry back into San Francisco. It was easy peasy y’all. The views were incredible, and it was probably our favorite day of the trip.

Visit Sausalito

We loved our bike ride experience even more because of Sausalito. This little town is so charming & just downright cute! We loved our meal at Bar Bocce too. The only thing was we wished we would have had more time in Sausalito. Our Alcatraz tour was scheduled for later that day, so we had to hurry back in order to make the ferry for the tour.

Check out Lombard Street

The most crooked street lives up to its name. It’s a tourist trap, but the views & pretty blooms make up for it!

See the painted ladies

We ventured to Alamo Park on our first day to see these iconic homes. Honestly, I was expecting a little more, but it was neat to see nonetheless!

Spend some time in Dolores Park

Like I mentioned before, Tyler & I enjoyed a little picnic in this park. We loved spending the afternoon here after a couple busy days. The views are incredible too!

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Linda Street

Looking for the adorable, colorful homes? This street has them all! We just so happened to stumble upon this street when we were walking from Media Noche to Dolores Park. There are so many Instagram opportunities on this street 😉

Stroll Down Union Street

This street has so many cute shops, cafes, coffee shops & more. My favs– Morning Lavender, Wrecking Ball Coffee, Flores!

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What to pack

Comfy Clothes:

If you’re into playing tourist like us, then you want to be comfy! A cute pair of leggings, cozy sweater, go to tees & your favorite pair of jeans are all must when traveling in the fall. You can wear them several different ways throughout your trip too!

Comfy Shoes:

As I mentioned before, you’ll want to wear these throughout the day! Whether that’s flat booties, flats or sneakers. Make sure they’re broken in & can get you through a day of walking! These white sneakers were life savers on our first day.

Jeans + Sweater:

This classic combo is always a go to of mine when traveling in the fall. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the weather, but we ended up having the most amazing weather. Jeans & a sweater was my go to for dinner.

light weight jackets:

Layers are key when traveling, especially when you’re out and about all day. A lightweight jacket will come in handy in the mornings & at night.

a crossbody bag:

Free hands are the way to go. You don’t want to be juggling your phone, bag, shopping bags, etc.

a light scarf:

Another easy way to layer throughout the day. It can double as a wrap over a dress or top as well!

A Camera:

For more people, your trusty iPhone will work great. I always carry this Canon with me when I travel. The video component is really great on this camera as well if you like to document your trips via video.

Portable Charger:

Often we were on the go from morning to night, and if you’re on your phone a lot it can do some damage to your phone battery!

And that’s a wrap y’all! Thanks so much for reading! It was a trip of a lifetime & we can’t wait to go back! If you have any SF favorites, leave them in the comments! xoxo!

*We received a free night at Kimpton Buchanan in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.