20 best things to do in the Bay Area

A lush, 1,017-acre greenbelt that teems with nature, recreation and cutting-edge museums, Golden Gate Park is San Francisco’s satisfying answer to NYC’s Central Park, but even bigger. Stretching over 50 blocks, the park encompasses picnic grounds, lakes and cultural hubs such as the Japanese Tea Garden, the California Academy of Sciences, de Young art museum, and the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. Every August, the park serves as a venue for the mega music-and-food fest Outside Lands. Note that the most common accessory isn’t a picnic basket but a fleece jacket, as this section of the city is often chillier than expected.

Founded in 1935, SFMOMA is an ever-evolving museum that is still the best place to enjoy modern and contemporary art in the Bay Area. Highlights among the seven floors include the largest living wall in the country, a collection of time-based media artworks and rotating exhibits of renowned artists like Kara Walker, Zanele Muholi and Yayoi Kusama.

There’s a reason many visitors take the trip out to Alcatraz, the famous prison island that features in so many films. It’s got a powerful history, both from its days as an active prison and from the 1969 American Indian Occupation of the island (extant graffiti still reminds visitors of that important 19 months). And the ferry ride out to the island, included in your National Park Service ticket price, lets you experience the city, bridge and waters from a breezy vantage point. Each year the Escape from Alcatraz triathalon tests the notion that escapees could’ve made it.

Chinatown is a visually striking destination brimming with lantern-strung streets, colorful buildings and delicious snacks. Needless to say, this vibrant neighborhood is a joy to wander. Stray from touristy Grant Street to explore side streets and narrow alleyways where you can poke your head into a joss paper shop to marvel at paper replicas of material goods burned at funerals. For snacks, choose from an assortment of takeaway dim sum at Good Mong Kok Bakery. While daytime bustles with vivid colors, nighttime is aglow with vintage neon signs and lively nightlife. Experience it via a pub crawl covering Cold Drinks, Moongate Lounge, Li Po, and Buddha Lounge.

Discover more things to do in Chinatown 

Mount Tamalpais (fondly nicknamed Mount Tam) is a 25,000-acre, nature-filled state park offering exceptional trails, breathtaking vistas and a few hidden surprises. Put simply, the 2,571-foot behemoth is a wonderful outdoor playground. To sample the diverse landscape, follow the Matt Davis trail to Stinson Beach and return via the forested Steep Ravine Trail. You can also marvel at a thundering seasonal waterfall along the namesake Cascade Falls trail and survey the entire Bay Area from the East Peak Visitors Center. Wake up early to hike to a pancake breakfast and sweeping views of the region at the remote West Point Inn, which is only accessible by bike or on foot. The pancake breakfast happens on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the second Sunday of each month from July to October.

Within walking distance of each other in Oakland’s Uptown district you’ll find two exquisitely restored movie palaces, the 1931 Paramount Theatre and the 1928 Fox Theater. Today, the Paramount hosts the symphony and the ballet (and you can take a daytime tour on selected Saturdays), while the Fox is a live music venue which narrowly escaped the wrecking ball. Have a cocktail at the Den, a bar inside the Fox that’s only open to ticket holders an hour before the show. Both theaters boast interiors that dazzle the eye.

Take advtantage of one of many bike rental shops (like San Francisco Bicycle Rental) that can get you geared up to pedal across the Golden Gate Bridge into the quaint coastal town of Sausalito. (Don’t worry: If you’re exhausted, you can return via a ferry ride across San Francisco Bay.) The popular, paved bike route serves as a greatest hits of Bay Area landmarks. Along the way, you’ll pass famed destinations such as the Palace of Fine Arts and Crissy Field. Stop for a seaside lunch in Sausalito before enjoying a scenic ferry ride to San Francisco’s Ferry Building, passing Alcatraz Island as you do.

Dedicated in 1908 to “the father of the national parks,” John Muir, this redwood forest is located just north of San Francisco in Marin. The old-growth coastal redwoods make an easy day trip from the city and will make you feel tiny and peaceful as you walk among the giants. The park attracts more than one million visitors a year, and so parking reservations are required.

There are so many wineries along winding roads and tucked into beautifully vine-covered hillsides that you may feel like the city is far away… but it’s only an hour’s drive. Napa has more name recognition, but Sonoma’s a more rustic and low-key destination that tends to not be as crowded. A few standouts in the Napa region: Hess Persson Estates with an incredible art gallery, Castello di Amorosa which is possibly more famous for its Tucscan castle than its wines and V. Sattui with a wonderful deli for picnicking. Favorites in Sonoma: Three Sticks Wines where you taste in a historic adobe (quirky fact: their Castenada wines are bottled in whiskey bottles), the stone-walled Pangloss Cellars, the French-styled Domaine Carneros making méthode traditionelle sparkling wines and Buena Vista Winery, the 1857 winery founded by a Hungarian count.

Looking for a waterfront dining experience? Look no further than the Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina in Tiburon, a quaint town on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge that checks all the boxes: coastal vibes, delicious food, solid cocktails and sweeping views of the city, Alcatraz and the bay. San Francisco–based celebrity chef and icon Michael Mina helms the 12,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant. The menu stays true to its locale, honoring Bay Area ingredients. Don’t miss the mouthwatering tuna tartare (mixed with Asian pear, pine nuts and a habanero sesame oil) or the impeccable jalapeno lobster toast. Want to make the whole affair even more memorable? Book a ferry here from the city.

Mountain View Cemetery, a historic, park-like property that offers sweeping views of the region, also serves as the final resting spot for a litany of Bay Area luminaries. A brochure will lead you to the graves of famed architect Bernard Maybeck, Civil War veterans and even “Trader” Vic Bergeron, the inventor of the Mai Tai. Don’t miss Millionaire’s Row with apartment-sized mausoleums for former moguls like Southern Pacific Railroad founder Charles Crocker. For bonus points, wander the exquisite indoor-outdoor Chapel of the Chimes designed by Julia Morgan, the famed architect of Hearst Castle, who is also interred at Mountain View.

Port Costa is unique, an atmospheric, time-warp village with modern and retro delights along the shores of the Carquinez Strait. Brunch at the Bull Valley Roadhouse, shop vintage-inspired paper artwork at the Theatre of Dreams and drink with a (stuffed) polar bear at the cavernous, bric-a-brac-adorned Warehouse Cafe. If you like an ominous vibe, some say Port Costa is the most haunted place in the state.

Alice Waters established this beautiful farm-to-table restaurant (and basically the entire culinary movement) in Berkeley in 1971, and Chez Panisse still offers elegant fare that incorporates simplicity. (Once, our dessert was simply a pear because it couldn’t be improved upon). You can eat in the upscale main restaurant or choose the café upstairs for a less expensive option. Either way, you’ll want to make a reservation. Choose a date a month in the future and go online at 9am for your best chance (tables aren’t open further out than a month, alas).

Berkeley is notorious for a reason (or two). Home to the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s and the site of many other social justice protests throughout the years, it stands as a symbol of progressive idealism. It is also home to the oldest school in the University of California system. Spend a day walking the lovely campus, which runs up against the downtown area, packed with quirky shops, local restaurants and theaters. 

No matter your oenophile status, this drivable series of small farms and producers lets visitors sample the bounty—and stunning beauty—of Sonoma County. Get ready to swap staid winery tasting rooms for an inspiring countryside of picturesque properties dishing up epicurean delights. Highlights include goat cheese at Redwood Hill Farm, pasture-raised meats and eggs at Tara Firma Farms and organic craft cider in the garden at Horse & Plow. Visit during spring when Sonoma’s verdant hills rival Ireland or during fall when apple picking and pumpkin patches abound.

While the area surrounding the Russian River has blossomed into a renowned wine region, its namesake river shouldn’t be overlooked. Pack a cooler and paddle the gentle current through lush surroundings, pausing to dip into swimming holes and picnic along its banks. The staff at River’s Edge will set you up for a serene paddle along the bucolic Russian River, shuttling you to the put-in point, where you can lazily drift back to your starting point.

Harley Farms is a quaint farm with adorable goats and delicious cheeses. On undeveloped coastal land south of Half Moon Bay, Harley Farms immerses visitors in pastoral beauty while offering samples of their just-made chèvre and an assortment of other dairy products. Bring a picnic basket and linger on the farm’s scenic grounds.

Cavallo Point is a modern daytime spa that offers exceptional body treatments in a stunning indoor-outdoor facility in a peaceful setting within the Marin Headlands. Spend a day soaking in the outdoor meditation pool, sipping tea around the fireplace and lounging amidst natural surroundings. After your treatment, double down on the relaxation with a cocktail at the resort’s bar overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

The sleek home of the Golden State Warriors, Chase Center in San Francisco isn’t only a chance to see the former world champs play ball, since the arena is a popular spot for major touring acts of all genres. Plus, you’ll eat and drink well with food from local faves such as Bakesale Betty and Tony G’s Slice House Pizza.

At the Marshall Store, you’ll feel transported to New England at this charming seafood shack dishing up local crustaceans and mollusks on the banks of Tomales Bay. A line forms early for a simple menu of local oysters—don’t miss the BBQ oysters with chorizo butter—with a side of buttery garlic bread. Grab a bottle of rosé from the cold case and head to the communal tables lining the oyster shell-dotted shoreline.