Take a Scenic Ride Up the Slopes of Russian Hill

Riding the clang-clang cable cars up and down San Francisco’s signature hills is a mandatory entry on any visitor’s list of must-dos. While some folks wait in long lines to board the antique trolleys, savvy riders know it’s relatively easy to catch a ride on the north end of town, especially if you ride the Hyde Street line instead of the better-known Powell Street line. From Ghirardelli Square , Hyde Street cable cars make an astonishingly steep climb up Russian Hill, passing by the top of the famously crooked stretch of Lombard Street before tracing the tree-lined streets of Russian and Nob Hills and then rolling back down to Union Square. (Tip: A block or two after Lombard can be a good place to hop on, because so many of passengers hop off to snap photos of cars zigzagging their way down Lombard.)

If you’re wondering how these historic contraptions work, jump off at Washington and Mason to check out the free Cable Car Museum , including a peek at the giant cables that power the cars.