The tourist-thronged northern waterfront — Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39's sea lions, the Alcatraz ferries — beside the atmospheric old Italian quarter of North Beach with its cafés, bookshops and Coit Tower on the hill. Central and lively (if touristy at the wharf), with the best of old and new SF; a fun, walkable base by the bay.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
$450–800
typical per night in United States
You pay for the postcode
One of the pricier addresses in San Francisco.
Where it sits
The circle is Fisherman's Wharf & North Beach and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Ride a cable car17 min walk1.4 km
- Chinatown18 min walk1.5 km
- The Ferry Building Marketplace26 min walk2.2 km
- The Palace of Fine Arts9 min taxi3.0 km
- The Painted Ladies & Alamo Square11 min taxi3.7 km
- The Golden Gate Bridge17 min taxi5.8 km
- The Mission murals & a burrito18 min taxi6.0 km
- Golden Gate Park22 min taxi7.5 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 2.Alcatraz — The notorious island prison in the bay — a ferry from the wharf to 'the Rock', where an outstanding audio tour (narrated by former guards and inmates) walks you through the cell blocks that held Al Capone, with the city glittering tantalisingly across the water. Atmospheric and gripping; book weeks ahead, as it sells out.
- 4.Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39 — The classic tourist waterfront — Pier 39's boardwalk of shops and stalls, the barking colony of sea lions basking on the docks, street performers, and views to Alcatraz and the bridge. Touristy and kitsch, but fun; come for the sea lions, a bread-bowl of chowder, and the ferries and bike routes that set off along the bay.
- 8.Lombard Street — 'The crookedest street in the world' — a steep block of Russian Hill that switchbacks down eight sharp hairpin bends through banked flowerbeds, with a fine view of Coit Tower and the bay from the top. Touristy and always busy, but a fun quick stop; walk down the steps beside it, and combine it with North Beach.
- 11.Coit Tower & North Beach — A slender Art Deco tower atop Telegraph Hill — climb it (or the flower-lined Filbert Steps, past the wild parrots) for a 360° view over the city and bay, and admire the 1930s WPA murals inside. At its foot lies North Beach, the old Italian and Beat quarter of espresso bars and the storied City Lights bookstore; a lovely half-day.
- 15.Clam chowder & sourdough — The classic San Francisco bite — creamy clam chowder served in a hollowed-out loaf of the city's famous tangy sourdough, best on the wharf with the sea lions barking nearby. Beyond it, the city eats brilliantly: Dungeness crab, cioppino seafood stew, and world-class dim sum, Mexican and farm-to-table. Grab a bread bowl, then explore.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Fisherman's Wharf & North Beach; flights via Google Flights.