10 Free things to do in San Francisco
San Francisco is a popular tourist destination known for its cool summers, landmarks, steep rolling hills and extensive architecture. There are many ways to find entertainment in this exotic place but what if I list 10 free things to do on your trip in San Francisco? You can also visit here for more flight information if you are visiting from Hong Kong!
- Discover the Golden Gate Park
The Golden Gate park covers more than 1000 acres of land. This park includes many attractions like the California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Botanical Gardens, Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill, De Young Museum, Ocean Beach and the Rose Garden. The California Academy of Sciences is considered as the gem of the Golden Gate park. Here you can watch butterflies in the four story rainforest and various species of fish in the Steinhart Aquarium. There is also a planetarium where you can experience what it’s like to be in an earthquake. Conservatory of Flowers is where you can find four different galleries with distinct climates and plants. The Japanese Tea Garden will allow you to learn a lot regarding the historic structure of this beautiful garden while enjoying a relaxing walk around. Botanical Gardens is home to more than 50,000 rare types of plants form around the world. In the Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill, you can spend time running, hiking or riding a boat in the lake. You can also relax in the Chinese pavilion or take a dip in the Huntington falls. De Young Museum is filled with over 25,000 art works from all around the world. The Ocean Beach is a four-mile stretch of beach where you can spend time surfing. You can also find the official Golden Gate Park Visitor Center here. Rose Garden is the place for all those rose lovers, there are different varieties of vibrant roses in bloom all year around.
2. Observe Sea Lions at the Pier 39
Pier 39 is a shopping complex located at the edge of the Fisherman’s Wharf. There are restaurants, video arcades, virtual 3D rides and many more fun activities to do here. The presence of the sea lions make this place popular among families with kids.
3. Visit a Free Museum
San Francisco has many museums that are free or regularly offer free hours like the Cable Car Museum, the San Francisco Maritime Park, the Musée Mécanique and the Wells Fargo History Museum.
4. Watch the Bay Lights
The Golden Gate bridge is lit up at night until dawn with over 25,000 LEDs. You can get a nice view from Land’s End, Coit Tower, Fisherman’s Wharf or Alcatraz Island from here while watching the Bay Lights.
5. Enjoy a Free Treat Ghirardelli Square
The Ghirardelli chocolate store was once a very famous chocolate factory which has been replaced by a large shopping center. However, you can still find the original Ghirardelli ice cream and chocolate store here. They offer free chocolate to the visitors!
6. Visit the Fortune Cookie Factory
The Fortune Cookie Factory provides free tours for visitors to see how their cookies are made, they also offer you free samples at the end of the tour.
7. Go for a hike
Ridge Trail is a fantastic place where the majority of people go for hiking and of course, it is free! The place is very scenic and it is a 550-mile planned trail, when it is completed it will connect over 70 parks and open spaces. It links the highest points of San Francisco together; the views will be panoramic. Some are on the point that this place has a risk of hiking, as the number of people visiting are high and it has a possibility of high accidents. This is true, on the other hand the place is 99 percent non hazardous and the remaining 10 per cent might be pretty risky due to the excessive crowd. However, the government had announced that up to now no accidents were recorded and for the upcoming years they will be fully responsible to make it more and more secure. The hike to the Coit Memorial Tower is also popular as a look out point to many notable sites in San Francisco. Twin Peaks offers a view unlike any other in the city. You can experience a perfectly painted picture of the Bay and everything built around it.
8. Drive Down Lombard Street
This one-way road is full of twists and turns and is one of the most unique roads in San Francisco. It is lined up with bushes and flowers and has a very pleasant view.
9. Catch a Flick/Watch a Movie
The great city of SF offers a golden offer to see movies free of charge in Summer. This is such a one of a kind opportunity for the people to enjoy their summer vacations without any money battles.
10. Explore San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco City Hall is the seat of government in San Francisco City. The building you see today is a replacement to the original one destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. It was built in 1915 by the same architect who designed the Coit Tower of the city. It is a Beaux-Arts monument that is also used as a wedding destination in San Francisco. You can explore the city halls’ Doric columns and the marble floors while admiring the great architectural styles.