Acquerello

San Francisco’s Curran Theater has been transformed into a wild wizarding world that now hosts one of the most acclaimed plays in history: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The two-part drama is the eighth adventure in the Harry Potter saga and the first to be presented on stage.

Since its July 2016 opening at London’s Palace Theatre, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has garnered 25 major U.S. trophies, including six Tony Awards, and 24 major U.K. awards including nine Olivier Awards.

In Cursed Child, Harry Potter fans will see many familiar and beloved names mixed in with a new generation of characters. The story unfolds 19 years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel in J.K. Rowling’s literary series. Grown-up versions of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger send their kids off to study at their alma mater, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry, now a harried employee at the Ministry of Magic, tries to downplay his rock-star wizard status as his adolescent son, Albus, squirms under his father’s shadow and struggles to fit in at Hogwarts. When Albus gets mixed up in a time-travel scheme gone awry, all wizarding hell breaks loose. Spells are cast, curses are inflicted, and wand battles send people and objects flying through the air.

Jack Thorne wrote the Cursed Child script based on a story written in collaboration with director John Tiffany and novelist J.K. Rowling. Because of the play’s epic length—more than five hours of running time—it’s split into two parts. Audience members buy separate tickets for Parts One and Two, which can be seen in the same day or on separate days. 

Tickets are on sale for San Francisco’s production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child through June 20, 2020 at HarryPotterOnStage.com and in-person at the Curran Theater box office. Prices range from $59-199. A limited number of discounted tickets are available by lottery through the Friday Forty program at TodayTix.com or the TodayTix app. The play is suitable for ages 10 and up.

The Palace of Fine Arts is an extravagant neoclassical icon—a faux palace surrounded by an idyllic pond, its reflective surface graced by snow-white swans. It’s one of San Francisco’s most popular spots for wedding photos and has appeared in countless fashion layouts and Instagram shots.

The Romanesque structure was designed by architect Bernard R. Maybeck for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, a world’s fair that celebrated the Panama Canal’s opening—and gave San Francisco a chance to shine after its devastating 1906 earthquake. The Palace’s domed rotunda, filled with more than 12,000 works of art, was one of dozens of monuments, temples, and pavilions constructed for the nine-month-long expo.

When the grand affair ended, all structures except the Palace were destroyed. San Franciscans couldn’t bear to tear down their glorious tribute to the arts, but since it was built to be temporary—made from plaster, wood, and burlap—the structure slowly crumbled. In the early 1960s, a wealthy philanthropist donated money to save the decaying ruins by recasting them in more enduring concrete. Today’s Palace duplicates the original, with a soaring colonnade and bas-relief urns, domed ceiling with allegorical paintings, and Corinthian columns topped with female figures draped in togas, their weeping faces turned away to symbolize “the melancholy of life without art.” The Palace’s 1,000-seat theater, added in 1970, hosts cultural events, live performances, film festivals, and theater productions year-round.

Marvel at this Beaux-Arts wonder, then head over to the woodsy parklands at the next-door Presidio, which served as an Army post until 1994 and is now a National Park. Ride the free shuttle bus or just use your feet—24 miles of trails lead to scenic overlooks, many showcasing the glorious Golden Gate Bridge.

In a city full of must-see architecture, the Presidio Officer’s Club is a gem. With adobe walls dating back to 1776, it’s San Francisco’s second-oldest building and houses a history museum and Arguello Restaurant, a bistro run by award-winning chef Traci Des Jardins. Nearby, visit the Walt Disney Family Museum or let the kids burn off energy at House of Air, a trampoline park in an aircraft hangar. View the public art at Tides Converge, a nonprofit workspace with two community galleries. Down the hall, Café RX serves authentic Latin American pupusas and tamales, or if it’s not yet noon, Sessions at the Presidio nails the perfect outdoor-patio brunch with its cardamom beignets, avocado toast, and Belgian pancakes.

Cala

San Francisco prides itself on its Mexican food, so when chef Gabriela Cámara moved from Mexico City to open Cala in 2015, it was both a show of confidence and a nod of respect. The celebrated chef behind Mexico City’s legendary Contramar, Cámara opened her first American restaurant in a warehouse-like former sound studio just off the main commercial thoroughfare in Hayes Valley. The restaurant’s abundant greenery—creeping kangaroo vines and a statuesque fiddle-leaf fig tree—makes guests feel as if they are dining on a patio somewhere decidedly more tropical than San Francisco. Cámara’s food uses ingredients familiar to Mexican food devotees, but she prepares them in unexpected ways, to extraordinary results. She serves a whole fire-roasted sweet potato, for example, with a stack of warm, house-made tortillas and a scoop of salsa negra—an extra-rich mole infused with bone marrow. Pro tip: Do not miss the trout tostadas with chipotle, avocado, and fried leeks. One order probably won’t be enough, so put in for two as soon as you sit down.

Lazy Bear

Chef David Barzelay wants to invite you to a dinner party. As with most successful social engagements, the host graciously introduces himself at the door, promptly offers guests a glass of punch, and encourages them to mingle with the 39 other lucky souls who were able to nab a spot at this nightly foodie fete. Lazy Bear is another player in the “don’t call it a restaurant” game: instead of taking reservations, 40 tickets are up for grabs for each event (there are two per night), and diners are treated more like party guests in a home than customers. But what makes Barzelay’s concept so innovative—and enjoyable—is the laid-back vibe. Two long communal tables fill the dining room, and as at the wedding of old friends, guests get up between courses to chat with each other or peek into the surrounding open kitchen. It’s an appropriate graduation for a chef who developed a cult following with his roving underground pop-ups. And beyond the conviviality, there’s the food, which is the real life of the party—and the reason Lazy Bear nabbed a Michelin star in 2016. There’s no menu, and Barzelay himself describes the inventive dishes—such as dry-aged squab with blueberries, chanterelle mushrooms, and sumac—to diners.

Liholiho Yacht Club

If you’ve never tried Spam, the canned cooked meat product, Liholiho Yacht Club is the place to finally take the plunge. Ask your server for the Spam musubi, slices of grilled Spam set atop a ball of sticky rice and wrapped in nori. Chef Ravi Kapur’s dishes are a playful mash-up of fresh California cuisine and the culinary traditions of his native Hawaii. To experience the full range of what the restaurant offers, order the Ohana table tasting menu, which features such favorites as duck liver toast with jalapeño and pickled pineapple alongside continent-hopping dishes like Cornish game hen katsu, with Japanese curry and daikon kimchi. And don’t forget the international language of cocktails—Liholiho’s bar program has made ordering all those fun island-themed concoctions a delicious proposition. One sip of the Pineapple Dance, made with plantation pineapple rum, Cynar, and freshly squeezed pineapple and lemon juices, and you may be inspired to do a little hula in your bar stool.

Eight Tables by George Chen

In China, the most exclusive way to enjoy a meal isn’t at an upscale restaurant. Shifan tsui, which translates to “private chateau cuisine,” is the practice of inviting small groups of guests to enjoy elaborate meals prepared by personal chefs. This is the concept behind Eight Tables, the distinctive dining experience located—both literally and metaphorically—at the very top of China Live, the ambitious culinary and cultural destination by restaurant mogul George Chen. While anyone can wander into China Live, access to Eight Tables is spectacularly guarded. Guests are met at a metal gate on Vallejo Street then whisked away (occasionally by rickshaw) to a private elevator that opens to a room set with eight tables. Waiters wear three-piece Ralph Lauren suits and blue Hermes ties, and the procession of the meal’s 10 courses is only matched in pomp and circumstance by the mad-scientist cocktails from the bar. The gin-based Lily Pond features “forest water,” made by juicing sour grasses into cucumber water. It is served in a delicate white bowl with a single nasturtium floating on top. The tasting menu changes regularly, but such decadent ingredients as caviar, lobster, and foie gras are regular fixtures.

Al's Place

As far as culinary origin stories go, it’s hard to beat Aaron London’s. As a rebellious teenager in Sonoma, he taught himself to cook in his family’s home kitchen. Flash forward a decade and he’s at the helm of his own pioneering restaurant—one that was named the best in the country in 2015 by Bon Appétit. Fruits and vegetables take center stage at Al’s Place, but London’s approach expands on the California cuisine of previous generations. Instead of preparing ingredients simply to stand on their own, London takes them through their paces. The fries, for example, take four days to prepare, while the season’s freshest offerings show up in unexpected ways: peach mayonnaise accompanies perfectly tender asparagus spears. But while London is known for being meticulous, the vibe of the dining room is laid back. Staff dress casually in a style befitting the neighborhood (plenty of kitchen-appropriate clogs and sleeves of tattoos) and are friendly, knowledgeable, and free of pretension. Pro tip: Show up early and join the loyalists and super fans who wait in two lines—one for those with reservations, one for walk-in guests—and then find out for yourself what a four-day fry tastes like.

Tartine Manufactory

In 2002, pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt and her husband, bread baker Chad Robertson, opened Tartine Bakery in San Francisco’s Mission District. Ever since, crowds of locals and tourists have lined up outside the artisanal bakery for country bread, morning buns, and croque monsieurs. In 2016, the couple expanded by opening Tartine Manufactory—a coffee shop, bakery, restaurant, and bar rolled into one—in a light-filled corner of the massive Heath Ceramics building. The Los Angeles–based design studio Commune collaborated with San Francisco architect Charles Hemminger to build out the 5,000-square-foot space, and the aesthetic is equal parts modern Scandinavian, rustic Japanese, and sunny Californian. All day long, the casual Manufactory turns out ingredient-first dishes: for breakfast, coddled eggs served with trout roe, horseradish, za’atar, and grilled bread; for dinner, California halibut crudo with kiwi, leeks, puffed rice, mint, and cilantro. The wine list includes a mix of local producers plus notable varietals from France, Italy, and Germany. The food presentation is as attractive and innovative as the space, and Prueitt and Robertson see the restaurant as a natural extension of their close collaborations with local farmers, artists, other chefs, and winemakers.

The Progress

Husband-and-wife team Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski first gained recognition for State Bird Provisions, a game-changing, dim-sum-meets-California-cuisine restaurant that was supposed to be a temporary stand-in while they worked to open their larger space a few doors down. The couple picked up a prestigious James Beard Award for that effort. So if State Bird was their warm-up, it’s no surprise that their follow-up act, The Progress, has been a wild success. The space wows at first sight with its barrel ceiling and curved walls wrapped in simple wood slats. The Progress is three years old but has something new to offer on each visit, from the food (grilled Monterey abalone served with a butter flavored with ramps, yuzu, and seaweed) to the rotating works by local artists on the walls. Brioza and Krasinski recently changed the format from a prix fixe menu of family-style dishes to an à la carte experience, which is better for the casual, lively atmosphere. Plus, now you don’t have to share your pork and kimchi ravioli.

In Partnership with Afar.

Health Ceramics

If you eat in enough casually cool restaurants in California today, you’ll notice some familiar aesthetic tropes: potted succulents in the corner, watermelon radishes on the menu, and Heath Ceramics plates on the table. Heath has an unparalleled California heritage: Potter Edith Heath founded the company in 1948 and opened a factory in Sausalito in 1959 that’s still going strong. The company designs, manufactures, and sells highly functional goods for the home, most notably tableware and tile. The couple that now owns Heath—Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic—have brought it into the modern era, in part by staying true to the brand’s craft roots. Today, they sell directly to customers from this Mission Creek location, at a small outpost in the Ferry Building, and in the original Sausalito store. At the Mission Creek complex—the building was once an industrial laundry—shoppers can view the factory floor and see how tile is shaped and fired in the massive kilns. The glazed platters and bowls for sale—in such classic Heath colors as moonstone (blue), persimmon, and French grey—make for great gifts and classic San Francisco souvenirs. Don’t miss the Heath newsstand in the front of the building, which sells a vast selection of international magazines.

City Lights Books

Camp out in the basement of this North Beach institution, the Beat’s former clubhouse, and try to think of a time when scandal came in the form of a book of poetry. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and the obscenity trial that followed put this three-story independent bookstore and publishing house on the map. More than 60 years later, the shelves are better organized and smoking has been banned on the premises, but the spirit remains the same. Readings, lectures, and meetings are still held four or five nights a week in the poetry room, and the publishing arm of City Lights still puts out about a dozen titles a year. And don’t forget about the books. From lesser-known independent titles to collectors’ editions, City Lights has it all. Limited-edition signed copies of Van Morrison’s lyric book Lit Up Inside were a recent hot ticket, selling for $100 and some old-school deal making: The shop wouldn’t take orders online—Van fans had to place their order over the telephone or come into the shop. Talk about revolutionary.

Lost Coast Outfitters

Fly fishing may not be top of mind while walking through San Francisco’s Financial District, but fantasies of casting in crystal clear rivers and commencing the day around a campfire are sure to materialize once you step inside Lost Coast Outfitters. The upscale sporting goods store specializes in top-of-the-line fly fishing gear, but shop owner George Revel has an eye for provisions that tug at the inner outdoorsman in all of us, such as indestructible Yeti coolers, leather-trimmed duffle bags from Filson, and classic Simms flannels in timeless red-and-black check. The grand historic Beaux Arts building only adds to the appeal, as does the 300-plus-bottle whiskey collection hidden behind a wall of waders and waterproof booties. Pro tip: Inquire about joining the exclusive Tin Cup Society to gain access to speakers, casting clinics, expeditions, and curated gear packages.

Freda Salvador

There are a few contemporary boutique brands poised to put San Francisco on the fashion map. Freda Salvador shoes have become the “it” footwear for a subset of effortlessly cool creative women. Editors and designers can be spotted sporting the brand’s modestly heeled modern loafers, mules, boots, and sandals, which come in gorgeous colored leathers and satins. The shoes are all designed in Freda Salvador’s Sausalito studio by cofounders Megan Papay and Cristina Palomo-Nelson, and fabricated in a tiny family-run factory in Elda, Spain. Quality is paramount, as is wearability, but it’s the styles that have truly set the brand apart. The San Francisco flagship on Fillmore Street attracts a ladylike version of the obsessed sneakerhead—Freda fetishists who collect new styles like playing cards.

Cuyana

“Fewer, better things” is this fashion brand’s motto, and you will be tempted to toss out everything in your closet once you run your fingers over Cuyana’s silk striped tees, poplin button-downs, leather bags, and simple cashmere crewneck sweaters. These luxury basics are all crafted by artisans around the globe and are timeless in design—Cuyana truly intends for its pieces to last a lifetime. Its retail space may be located in the heart of bustling Union Square, but its second-floor location, accessed via elevator, is easy to miss. Once upstairs, customers get a glimpse of what a life with less could look like—the space was designed by Lauren Nelson Design to look more like a stylish live-work loft than a store, with Eames chairs and floating wood shelves sparsely styled with impeccable objects. A few choice items hang on each clothing rack—a literal representation of the brand’s “lean closet” philosophy. Cuyana will even help customers get started: With each purchase there is the option to receive a reusable bag to fill with items “that aren’t helping you live your most beautiful life.” Drop it in the mail with the included prepaid shipping label and your items will be donated to women in need through the nonprofit organization H.E.A.R.T.

In Partnership with Afar.

Pacific Cocktail Haven

It’s almost as if Kevin Diedrich is hiding in plain sight. The expert barman used to command the bars at BDK, Jasper’s, and Burritt Room before opening up Pacific Cocktail Haven, his own tiki-inspired bar near Union Square, which serves up reasonably priced cocktails to locals and tourists alike. Add to that the low-key interiors, and you might think he’s out to prove that all that really matters are the drinks. And his drinks really matter. Cocktail connoisseurs slip in to Pacific Cocktail Haven alongside disoriented tourists, ask Diedrich to mix them something special, and head to the quiet back room, away from the glow of neon above the bar. And they know that if they see Diedrich duck out from behind the bar, he’s probably heading to the basement for three different freezers of specialty styles of ice, including spears, shavings, and custom branded Pacific Cocktail Haven rocks. The latter show up in drinks like the Miso Old-Fashioned, a mix of miso-butter-infused Bacardi rum, Pommeau, and bitters. In the know or not, everyone gets the good stuff here. Showy bowls of punch like the Pimm’s Explosion may be crowd-pleasers, but with Pimm’s No. 1, Beefeater, ginger beer, fresh strawberries, cucumber, and mint, what’s not to love?

Bar Agricole

Is Bar Agricole the best bar in the city? It’s certainly in the top five, based on the groundbreaking cocktail program developed by bartender and owner Thad Vogler; the award-winning architecture and interior design by local favorite Aidlin Darling; and a daring menu centered around produce from nearby organic and biodynamic farms. Vogler used to bartend in Tokyo, and his obsession with Japanese precision shows. You’ll see influences of that in the hand-cut ice cubes he uses, and in Agricole’s glassware and aprons (all from Japan). The bar stocks a limited selection of 20 or 30 spirits, almost all small batch, and with a special focus on rum. Come for drinks, come for dinner, or come for brunch: the midday menu highlights include ricotta doughnuts with quince marmalade and a chicory salad with fuyu persimmon and house-made vinegar. Pro tips: In winter, book the private dining room (nicknamed the Grotto) for a seated, though still laid-back, dinner for up to 32 people; for an outdoor event, Bar Agricole’s covered and heated patio is perfect for larger, more casual groups. For lessons in liquor, check out the private spirits tastings that Vogler offers through IfOnly.

The Riddler

With the rise of the craft cocktail, sometimes it can feel as if the bubbles have been left behind, which is what makes the Riddler such an effervescent addition to the San Francisco scene. It’s a wine bar with a laser focus, offering more than 100 champagnes by the bottle and dozens of sparkling wines by the glass. The vibe is posh and playful inside the charming Hayes Valley building, which dates back to the 1800s. The ceilings were gold-leafed by the artist Caroline Lizarragara and the back bar is lined with vintage champagne buckets and glassware, including Zalto Burgundy stems and hand-cut Belarusian crystal coupes. Oh yes, and caviar. The menu is overflowing with it, from a generous scoop atop the signature tater tot waffles to an indulgent serving of Kaluga Hybrid on house-made potato chips with crème fraîche and chives.

True Laurel

If chef David Barzelay’s Michelin-starred restaurant Lazy Bear is the dinner party, True Laurel is the after-party. Barzelay opened this cocktail bar just a few blocks from Lazy Bear, and while it’s touted as a drinking establishment, it’s hard to ignore the stellar food disguised as bar bites. And unlike Lazy Bear, which requires a hard-to-come-by ticket to get in, to score a spot at True Laurel, simply walk through the door. Barzelay teamed up with spirits-whisperer Nicolas Torres to oversee the bar program, and the cocktails go head-to-head with the food. Original, exotic concoctions such as the A-Dilla, which marries aquavit with makrut lime leaf, coconut, passion fruit, pomegranate, and dill, is just as complex and satisfying as the hen-of-the-wood mushrooms with a sour cream–allium dip. And while the entire experience is currently still first come, first served, keep an eye on the bar’s eerily analog website (or better yet, follow it on Barzelay’s preferred medium, Twitter) to find out when the eight-seat cocktail tasting bar, which is sure to be stocked with rare bottles, will start taking reservations.

Sightglass

San Franciscans take their coffee seriously. Very seriously. The authenticity and provenance of beans matter to customers, and as a result, third-wave coffee companies abound here. Sightglass is one of the best independently owned and operated roasters. Brothers Justin and Jerad Morrison helped reinvent and redefine the city’s café scene when they opened their flagship SoMA brick-and-mortar coffee shop in 2011, adding lots of warm wood and matte Carrera marble to a warehouse space. Come for perfect cortados, pour-overs, and kouign-amann pastries, and watch the roasting process in the open space. Buy beans to bring home: Its single-origin offerings from Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Colombia all stand out. Sightglass also sells an assortment of brew-it-at-home coffee accoutrements, from Japanese wood-handled kettles to chlorine-free filters. Don’t miss the affogato bar on the second level. Pro tip: True coffee geeks should call ahead to see about hour-long cupping classes (think winetasting for coffee). Sightglass also has shops on Divisadero Street, in the SFMOMA, at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market, and in the Mission District.

San Francisco Proper Hotel

The San Francisco Proper Hotel is the hottest new hotel in town. The reason why? International grande dame of maximalism, designer Kelly Wearstler, revamped a down-and-out tourist hotel deep in the heart of the city, and established the Proper as a magnet for trendsetting visitors and locals. When guests arrive at the 131-room hotel and step inside the flatiron building, they’re treated to Wearstler’s signature pattern-on-pattern aesthetic. In the ground floor lobby, Wearstler sets the mood with salon-style seating areas using richly reupholstered vintage furnishings and Cubism-inspired paintings. Michael Adams, formerly of Central Kitchen, oversees the hotel’s main restaurant, Villon. And while the Proper isn’t the place for those looking for a Zen retreat, it is the place to order a Fifi the Flea cocktail (Tequila Ocho Plata, Ancho Reyes, Ancho Reyes Verde, grapefruit, honey, vanilla, lime, smoked salt) at Charmaine’s, the stylish rooftop bar. Between the fire pits and the bird’s-eye view of Market Street all the way to the bay, it’s no wonder the Proper has become the destination to see and be seen.

Liholiho Yacht Club

If you’ve never tried Spam, the canned cooked meat product, Liholiho Yacht Club is the place to finally take the plunge. Ask your server for the Spam musubi, slices of grilled Spam set atop a ball of sticky rice and wrapped in nori. Chef Ravi Kapur’s dishes are a playful mash-up of fresh California cuisine and the culinary traditions of his native Hawaii. To experience the full range of what the restaurant offers, order the Ohana table tasting menu, which features such favorites as duck liver toast with jalapeño and pickled pineapple alongside continent-hopping dishes like Cornish game hen katsu, with Japanese curry and daikon kimchi. And don’t forget the international language of cocktails—Liholiho’s bar program has made ordering all those fun island-themed concoctions a delicious proposition. One sip of the Pineapple Dance, made with plantation pineapple rum, Cynar, and freshly squeezed pineapple and lemon juices, and you may be inspired to do a little hula in your bar stool.

Tartine Manufactory

In 2002, pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt and her husband, bread baker Chad Robertson, opened Tartine Bakery in San Francisco’s Mission District. Ever since, crowds of locals and tourists have lined up outside the artisanal bakery for country bread, morning buns, and croque monsieurs. In 2016, the couple expanded by opening Tartine Manufactory—a coffee shop, bakery, restaurant, and bar rolled into one—in a light-filled corner of the massive Heath Ceramics building. The Los Angeles–based design studio Commune collaborated with San Francisco architect Charles Hemminger to build out the 5,000-square-foot space, and the aesthetic is equal parts modern Scandinavian, rustic Japanese, and sunny Californian. All day long, the casual Manufactory turns out ingredient-first dishes: for breakfast, coddled eggs served with trout roe, horseradish, za’atar, and grilled bread; for dinner, California halibut crudo with kiwi, leeks, puffed rice, mint, and cilantro. The wine list includes a mix of local producers plus notable varietals from France, Italy, and Germany. The food presentation is as attractive and innovative as the space, and Prueitt and Robertson see the restaurant as a natural extension of their close collaborations with local farmers, artists, other chefs, and winemakers.

In Partnership with Afar.

San Francisco’s cable cars, a.k.a. streetcars, aren’t just an entertaining way to sightsee around this up-and-down city; they really function as public transit too. Hanging onto the outside (yes, the outside) of one of these clanging trolleys, chugging through Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and other city neighborhoods—well, it doesn’t get much more San Francisco than this. Just count how many package- and computer-toting locals climb on and hop off as you ride. In summer, lines can get long at the turnaround at Powell and Market Streets, especially for the Powell-Mason Cable Car line. This can provide a good opportunity to see cars arriving and getting turned around on the massive turntable, but if you want a shorter wait, you can get just as good a ride on the quieter Powell-Hyde Cable Car line, or you can board a car at any of the en-route stops.

For a fascinating look at how the historic cars have crisscrossed the city since 1873, visit the free Cable Car Museum, where you can see three antique cars from the 1870s and gain an understanding of how the cables that power the cars actually work. 

Fares are available as a single-ride ticket ($7), or via 1-, 3-, and 7-day passes. Single-ride (one-way) fares must be paid in advance of boarding at the terminus. Fares may be paid on-board to the conductor at all other stops. You can also purchase fares via the free MuniMobile app; the cable car lines start operating at 7:00 a.m. and close at 10:30 p.m., Monday through Sunday. A downloadable map of the cable car routes is available on the Market Street Railway site.  

Insider tip: Transfers from buses or metro lines are not accepted on the cable cars.

The stately brick buildings in San Francisco’s impressive 1895 Ghirardelli Square, the original site of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory (previously a woolen mill), are now the home of a stylish collection of shops and restaurants, plus the luxe Fairmont Heritage Place hotel. One of the most pleasant places to stroll and shop in the city, it also has the distinction of being the first successful adaptive reuse project of its kind in the country.

Wind through passageways and across plazas to visit an assortment of boutiques and gift shops, or relax with bay views from a selection of restaurants such as the Cheese School of San Francisco, a café, cheese shop, and cheese school; The Pub BBQ, McCormick & Kuleto’s Seafood & Steaks, and Pico Latin Street Food. Before you go, check out the square’s calendar of upcoming events.

If you have kids with you, you probably have one destination in mind more than any other: the original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. The line can be out the door but don’t worry—it moves fast. Soon you’ll be facing the staggering menu of sundae choices: Will it be the family-size “Earthquake”? (Eight scoops, eight toppings, bananas, whipped cream, almonds, chocolate chips, and cherries.) Or maybe have a “Gold Rush” (vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and peanut butter throughout). Afterward, get in a round of mini golf at Subpar Miniature Golf, where the holes all feature miniature San Francisco landmarks.

The square’s business hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day; there is a parking garage on Larkin St. between North Point and Beach St.

There’s no lack of transportation options in San Francisco, but it’s important to plan ahead and pick the best route for your destination. Downtown, North Beach, and Fisherman’s Wharf are easily walkable. The city’s local MUNI buses, trolleys, and streetcars travel citywide, and are an economical and safe way to get around—just know you may need to wait a bit at your stop.

Here’s a look at all the ways to get around San Francisco:

Underground BART System

The underground BART metro system is a great way to travel within and beyond San Francisco, with routes  south to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and east to Oakland, Berkeley, Pleasanton, and other communities. 

Bus System

San Francisco’s MUNI bus system is extensive and economical. Tip: If you plan to use public transportation, consider getting a CityPASS; it allows three days of unlimited Muni bus and cable car rides, plus admission to the California Academy of Sciences, a Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure, Aquarium of the Bay, and either SFMoMA or The Exploratorium

Cable Cars

Clanging cable cars are always fun, but have a fairly limited system—best if you want to travel between the waterfront and Union Square. A downloadable map of the cable car routes is available on the Market Street Railway site. Fares are payable per trip, or via a 1-, 3-, or 7-day pass, or a CityPASS (see above).

Streetcars

The “F Market and Wharves” historic streetcar, which runs along the Embarcadero, is a popular tourist route, with stops for Fisherman’s Wharf (at Embarcadero and Stockton), the Ferry Building (at Market and 4th Street), and for Oracle Park (home of the Major League’s Giants baseball team) at Don Chee Way and Steuart Street. A downloadable map of the F-line and E-line streetcar routes is available on the Market Street Railway site.

Bike Share

For do-it-yourself exploring, try one of the innovative and inexpensive bike systems available like Ford GoBike. Sign up for a low-cost 24-hour or 3-day membership, or a single ride. Then use your Clipper Card or the Ford GoBike mobile app to unlock a bike at the nearest station (scattered all over the Bay area, from San Francisco to East Bay to San Jose), and return it to any station. Healthy, inexpensive, car-free—not bad.

Taxis and Rideshares

Taxis are concentrated downtown and of course rideshares are available everywhere; while they can often be the fastest way to get around, fares can quickly add up.

Train

Caltrain connects San Francisco with San Jose and points in between, and heads as far south as Gilroy.

Ferry

To travel north to Marin County, hop aboard a Golden Gate Transit ferry to ride to Sausalito, or a Blue and Gold Fleet ferry to Tiburon.

Guided Tours

Guided tours are another fun way to explore without having to drive. Some tours use traditional vans or buses, while others employ more unusual modes of transport. Climb aboard a vintage fire engine to explore the city with San Francisco Fire Engine Tours, and even cross the Golden Gate Bridge. You will definitely notice the stares and smiles.

Insider tips: A reloadable Clipper card, available at transit ticket offices and many Whole Foods Market and Walgreens stores, is a convenient way to pay your fares on all major Bay Area transit systems. You can find a searchable map of the various cable car, metro, and bus lines on the San Francisco Mass Transit Association (SFMTA) site.