This map is designed to help you get oriented to San Francisco. To give a sense of scale, it’s about 7 miles from the Cliff House to the Third and Townsend near the baseball park.

It’s also worth noticing that the airport isn’t on the map. It’s actually about 15 miles south of town, which is a 30-minute drive during busy traffic hours.

Most Popular Tourist Areas

The vast majority of San Francisco visitors never get out of a small part of the city, staying in an area that’s about one-tenth of San Francisco’s total size. Those areas include:

1. Union Square: One of San Francisco’s oldest city parks and the center for shopping and old, elegant hotels.
2. Chinatown: A small area about two by three blocks, filled with souvenir shops, Chinese markets, and restaurants. You can see some interesting sights, but only if you know how to find them.
3. North Beach: It’s known as Little Italy and was once the center of beatnik culture in San Francisco. Today, it’s a good place for a meal and a stroll to the top of Telegraph Hill to see Coit Tower.
4. Waterfront, Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf: From the Bay Bridge to Fisherman’s Wharf is about 3 miles if you walk it all. Along the way, you’ll see the Ferry Building Marketplace, the Pier 39 shopping complex, sunning sea lions and Fisherman’s Wharf.
5. Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field, and Fort Point: At the foot of the famous bridge is a less-famous but interesting old Civil War-era fort — and the walk from the Marina to the bridge through Crissy Field is one of the state’s best urban hikes.
6. The Presidio: Near the Golden Gate Bridge, this former military base is home to the Walt Disney Family Museum and the site of a summertime food truck festival called the Presidio Picnic.
7. Cliff House, Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park: The most exciting things to see on the west side of San Francisco are a beach, an oceanfront restaurant, and the city’s largest park. Go to Ocean Beach to watch the waves, see the surfers and maybe fly a kite, but don’t expect to go swimming. Find out what you need to know about Ocean Beach. The Cliff House nearby has good views. Close to the beach is Golden Gate Park, a 1,000-acre park with dozens of things to see and do, which are all laid out for you in the Golden Gate Park Visitor Guide.
8. You may have heard of Haight-Ashbury from the days of the Summer of Love. Like most things dating from the 1960s, it’s not what it used to be, but you may enjoy exploring its shops and thinking about those hippie days.
9. The Castro is San Francisco’s best-known gay neighborhood, but it’s fun for everyone, especially if you like going to the movies in beautiful old movie palaces like the Castro Theater.
10. San Francisco’s Mission District draws lots of visitors, especially at night. You can explore the Dolores and Valencia area or check out the “inner” Mission around 16th and Valencia Streets.
11. Fillmore Street and Japantown are right next to each other. Go to the Fillmore neighborhood to see a little of the San Francisco lifestyle. It’s a fun neighborhood street lined with lots of local shops and restaurants. Japantown is so close that you should stop by there, too — at least for a few minutes.
12. Other fun neighborhoods to explore include Noe Valley (which is adjacent to The Castro), The Marina (near the Golden Gate Bridge), Hayes Valley and Potrero Hill.