There are, of course, some very famous attractions that you shouldn’t pass up, even if you’re an off-the-beaten path traveler. Although these are on every tourist “hit list,” they shouldn’t be confused with “tourist traps.”

Here are five popular activities in San Francisco, with tips on how to best navigate the tourist masses:

1. Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the city’s (and world’s!) most iconic landmarks. There are many ways to experience the Golden Gate Bridge, from walking or bicycling across to simply taking a photo from various spots around town.

My favorite spot to take in the bridge is on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge at the Marin Headlands. Here you’ll find several great scenic overlooks that make for some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and San Francisco.

Alcatraz at night. Photo: Domesticat

2. Alcatraz

On a warm, clear afternoon, Alcatraz can get pretty crowded with tourists. However, for a more intimate experience and smaller crowds, take the ferry over to Alcatraz for the special night tour, which take you to places not on the daytime tour. On a clear evening, Alcatraz offers a beautiful view of the sun setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

3. A ride on a cable car

If you don’t want to be shoulder to shoulder with tourists, I recommend riding a cable car first thing in the morning before they get packed. While San Francisco’s cable cars are popular with tourists, even locals use them for getting up and over the city’s steepest hills.

After your ride, enjoy a free visit to the Cable Car Museum, which takes guests on a behind-the-scenes look at how cable cars work. However, whatever you do, don’t call them “trolleys!”

4. Chinatown

If you’ve been to Chinatown in New York City, this might not be on your “to-do” list. However, San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America and the largest Chinatown outside of Asia.

Picnic with the Painted Ladies. Photo: SJL

Come to the neighborhood with an empty stomach and plan on restaurant hopping to sample some of the city’s dim sum. Afterward, head over to Golden Gate Fortune Cookies to see how the cookies are made.

5. The “Painted Ladies”

Constructed during the 1890s, the strip of brightly painted Victorian homes known as the “Painted Ladies” is located across the street from Alamo Park and is known as “Postcard Row” (given its immense popularity).

Alamo Park is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon. After getting your photo snapped with the “Ladies,” pick up a sandwich nearby (there are several shops on Divisadero and Haight Street), and enjoy a picnic in the park.

Also in our guide: If you’re planning a trip to the city, be sure to check out our reviews of cheap hotels in San Francisco. Our editors have visited and inspected budget hotels in the center of San Francisco, many of which are within walking distance of these attractions (well, except Alcatraz…).

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While San Francisco may be one of the most expensive cities to visit in the U.S., it certainly doesn’t have to be. Whether it’s eating street food or enjoying an afternoon at one of San Francisco’s many great public parks, there are plenty of things to do for cheap, and even free. While some of these activities are outdoors and only available during the summer months, many are year-round.

Here are 10 of the best free things to do in San Francisco throughout the year:

Sutro Baths

The Sutro Baths, the city’s version of ruins, are one of the most interesting landmarks in San Francisco. Formerly a large swimming complex along the rocky cliffs of the Pacific Ocean, the complex burned down in the mid-1960s, leaving the remains that stand today. This is an intriguing landmark, which offers one of the best views in San Francisco. It’s also the trailhead for the Lands End hiking trail.

Golden Gate Park

Few parks in the U.S. can rival San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. While it has the same shape of New York City’s Central Park, it’s nearly 25% larger. The park features museums, large and open green spaces, and paths for walking and bicycling. The park is convenient to the Haight and Inner Sunset districts, which have great dining and nightlife.

Tour of Anchor Brewing

Anchor is one of the most well-known breweries on the west coast, calling San Francisco home. It’s one of the few breweries that offers a free tour, culminating in a tasting session of Anchor beers. However, you’ll need to book your reservation weeks in advance (months in advance if you want to go on a Friday).

Free museum days

San Francisco features some great museums, including the California Academy of Sciences and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. While many of San Francisco’s museums aren’t free, they have free museum days, which are typically one day per month during the middle of the week. This is also when the museums are often the least crowded.

Cable Car Museum

In San Francisco, cable cars are truly part of the city’s culture. And when you see the hills of San Francisco, you’ll see why; you’ll be thankful for a cable car ride up those steep streets. The Cable Car Museum offers visitors a behind-the-cable look at this fascinating method of transportation.

Shakespeare in the Park

You’ll have to be visiting San Francisco during the summer months to take part in the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Free Shakespeare in the Park. Each summer brings a new weekend afternoon and evening show. Bring a blanket and picnic and make a day of it. The plays take part at a couple of different locations in and around the bay area, but I recommend the Presidio location.

San Francisco Mime Troupe

Don’t worry, we’re not talking about any old mime performing on a street corner. The San Francisco Mime Troupe has been putting on a shows for years. Scheduled performances take place around San Francisco during the summer months, including Dolores Park in the Mission, Glen Park, and Washington Square Park.

San Francisco Maritime National Historic Site

The San Francisco Maritime National Historic Site is located near Fisherman’s Wharf, offers a chance to get close to several types of boats, including tugboats, ferries, and schooners. Self-guided tours of the boats are available for a nominal fee. Visiting the Site also allows for some great photo ops, since it has views of downtown San Francisco, Ghirardelli Square, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

Sea lions of Pier 39

Pier 39‘s sea lions are celebrities in San Francisco. You may have to wiggle and squirm your way past other tourists at Fisherman’s Wharf to see them, but this is a great chance to see some local marine life. You can almost always find the sea lions at the dock at Pier 39; simply follow their smell.

Fort Point

Located on the southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point offers one of the best views of the bridge. While the Golden Gate Bridge is the main attraction, Fort Point also offers great views of the city. The historic site maintains normal business hours Thursday through Monday. Both guided and self-guided tours are available free of charge.

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However, sometimes the weather may turn so sour that you’ll need to plan for an “inside” day. The following are some of the best things to do in San Francisco when the weather makes a turn for the worst.

1. California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive
Web site

If you get stuck in the rain at Golden Gate Park, this is the best place to spend the rest of your day. The California Academy of Sciences is a multi-faceted museum, one that can be easy to get lost in for the entire day. Not just a natural history museum, it also features an aquarium and planetarium.

If you’re visiting on Thursdays, stick around for the museum’s weekly nightlife, which includes snacks and adult beverages to enjoy while taking in all of its great offerings.

2. Ferry Building Marketplace
1 Ferry Building
Web site

The San Francisco Ferry Building is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the bay area. Dating back over 100 years, the Ferry Building stands today as an indoor market featuring some of the best food that San Francisco has to offer. Plan on going with an empty stomach, as you’ll want to follow the smells coming out of some of the different shops.

This also makes a good stop after lunch for enjoying premium chocolates from Recchiuti Confections or fresh coffee from Blue Bottle.

3. Ghirardelli Square
900 N Point St.
Web site

Just look for the big Ghirardelli sign near Fisherman’s Wharf to find this landmark. The square has a long history that dates back over 100 years as the headquarters for Ghirardelli chocolate. The indoor market features nearly 50 boutique shops and restaurants. If nothing else, let loose with an ice cream cone or some Ghirardelli chocolates.

4. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
151 3rd Street
Web site

Since San Francisco is one of the most creative destinations in the world, it should come as no surprise to see the Museum of Modern Art on this list. Unlike most art museums, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is devoted exclusively to contemporary art. The collection includes over 25,000 different works of art, including paintings, photographs, statues and multimedia.

In between exhibits, enjoy a coffee served by one of San Francisco’s most popular coffee companies: Blue Bottle.

5. San Francisco Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason Street
Web site

A trip to San Francisco really isn’t complete without a cable car ride. However, before jumping on, learn a little more about their history and significance by visiting the San Francisco Cable Car Museum. The museum features exhibits that include cable cars that date back over 100 years. And did we mention it’s free?

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It is not the first time that a European city has deployed a cable car to speed travelers over a river. The Kölner Seilbahn has been whisking passengers across the Rhine for over half a century, along the way affording magnificent views of Cologne’s fine Gothic cathedral.

But a cable car is a first for London, giving visitors to the city another option for crossing the river. Though, of course, they are already spoiled for choice. London has its landmark bridges, plus tunnels and ferries aplenty, so–while we wait for the cable car to be completed–we have been taking a look at London’s top five river crossings.

1. The London Millennium Footbridge

This is the perfect link between St. Paul’s cathedral and the growing cluster of attractions on the south bank of the river: Tate Modern, Bankside Gallery and the Globe Theatre. The footbridge, which opened in 2002, is airy, light and elegant.

2. The Albert Bridge

Compared to the youthful Millennium Footbridge, the Albert Bridge is a real veteran of the river. Opened in 1873, the bridge connects Chelsea with Battersea Park. It looks for all the world like a suspension bridge, though it fact it is not. It just oozes Victorian grace and is a great spot to linger at night. Traffic is always light. Just now, the bridge is closed for refurbishment, but this prettiest of London bridges will reopen later in 2011.

3. Greenwich Foot Tunnel

This is a decidedly oddball way to cross the Thames. Near the preserved Cutty Sark ship on the Greenwich riverfront is a brick building with a glass dome that many visitors mistake for public toilets. Actually it is the entrance to a foot tunnel under the Thames that opened in 1902. The northern end of the tunnel is in Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs, from where there are super views back across the river to Greenwich. And just in case you are wondering, the Isle of Dogs is not an island at all.

4. The Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Ferry

This is the only one of our top five river crossings that you have to pay to use. The ferry connects the Hilton Docklands Hotel (on the south bank of the river) with Canary Wharf. The boat shuttles to and fro between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on weekdays. At weekends, it starts at 9 a.m. We think this little ferry hop is at its spring and summer best late afternoon or early evening, when the sun to the west really shows off Canary Wharf architecture at its most dazzling.

5. The Woolwich Free Ferry

Free, just as the name says! Operating day-in, day-out since 1889, the Woolwich Free Ferry is a London institution. Services run from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The Woolwich Free Ferry carries vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

Your favorite Thames crossing?

If you have thoughts on your favorite Thames river crossing, be it by tunnel, ferry or bridge, why not share them here? Within Greater London alone, there are more than 50 options from which the traveler can choose.

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