3 days in San Francisco, CA – family friendly locations and sights, perfect for young children.
3 days in San Francisco – it’s not nearly enough to even scratch the surface of this town. And while our list was long, and we definitely didn’t scratch everything off of it, we did manage to make our way around the city. Even at our leisurely pace, we managed to see and do quite a bit. Here is how we spent our 3 days in San Francisco.
*walk along the waterfront, discovering new things at each pier.
*visit Ghirardelli Square.
*walk through Fisherman’s Wharf.
*go to Pier 39 and see the sea lions and ride the carousel.
*get your feet wet in the bay.
*take a bus tour through the city, learning about the history of San Francisco, about the architecture, and about the food. (I highly recommend the City Sightseeing buses and doing the hop on – hop off.)
*go to Crissy Field for great views of the Golden Gate Bridge (even when it’s cold and foggy). This is a great spot to run and get your feet in the sand, as well. This was probably the highlight of San Francisco for the kids.
*go to the Ferry Building to pick up lots of fresh and delicious foods.
*drive on the Golden Gate Bridge.
*see the Painted Ladies (whatever happened to predictability? The milkman, the paperboy, the evening tv. #fullhouse)
*take in a baseball game. You can see the Giants and the A’s – we went for the Giants!
There are about a million and a half other things you can do in San Francisco, and while I felt like I needed to see it all while we were there, looking back, I think we did a pretty good job and didn’t kill ourselves trying to get too much in. I think we did pretty good for taking it fairly easy!
Can’t wait for the next time!
michelle says
woo hoo!!! yes! get your toosh back out here soon! I want to go eat with you!!!!! oh yeah, and play tourist. love you!!!!!
Jennifer says
I need to go back. Both times I’ve been to San Francisco, it has been incredibly cold and rainy or foggy. But I did enjoy warming up with clam chowder in a bread bowl at Pier 39!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
I could spend weeks in San Francisco and still not see everything in the city. You visited some really great spots and it makes me want to go back soon!
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
San Fran has been on my travel bucket list for a while now! And visting Ghirardelli Square is one of the first spots I plan to hit up because CHOCOLATE, lol. ) Looks like you all had a fabulous time there!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Ahhh we were in San Francisco in February and your post brought back all of our great memories!! Love these photos of your children – so much joy!
Christina @ Christina's Cucina says
I love San Francisco and usually go there at least once a year. There truly are so many things to do, you’d have to go for a year to put a dent into the list! Great shots! Looks like your family had a fab time.
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Talk about all the highlights of San Francisco!! What a great trip, and your little one on the carousel, adorable!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome that you were able to do all those things, sounds like such a fun trip! We were there a few weeks ago but only stopped in San Francisco for a day. We managed to pack in a boat tour, grab some food, see the Painted Ladies, Lombard St. and take a city bus tour. We were amazed at how well our kids did on the over 2-hour long bus tour (ages 3 and 5) but it did become challenging at the end 🙂 The bus tour was great because it enabled us to see and learn a lot without having to fight all the traffic!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
I’ve always wanted to go to San Francisco (and seeing the painted ladies is second on my list…only after trying a bowl of local chowder in a bread bowl). I love these photos, they have such a dreamy quality. And relaxing is key for family fun in my book!
Aida Mollenkamp says
It sounds like you guys had an amazing time! Oh how I miss SF!
Amy says
Thanks for sharing this. This is my hometown….even saw the building I lived in, in one of the pictures. I miss it there. Beautiful, fabulous, city!
Jennifer Cox says
Visiting Muir Woods, the Cable Car Museum, and the Exploratorium (http://www.exploratorium.edu/) are always highlights for our family if you need some ideas for your next visit. 🙂
Deborah says
Putting these on the list! We considered Muir Woods, but we headed up through the redwoods after our time in San Francisco, so we decided to skip it this time. I think I need a trip back asap, though!
shelly (cookies and cups) says
I desperately want to visit San Francisco….my 12 year old and I have been talking about it for about a year now! I have to make it happen!!