Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl · CC BY 2.53 Days in San Francisco with Kids
Three days in San Francisco at kid pace: cable cars and the sea lions of Pier 39, a full day in Golden Gate Park with the California Academy of Sciences, and the bridge, the beach, and Crissy Field. Fortune cookies in Chinatown, sourdough at the Wharf, hot chocolate by the water. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel — pick a pace, budget, and style and it reshuffles the days.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
6 stops · 6 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
3 days
Each day takes one part of San Francisco, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
The Marina outpost of the local fast-casual chain — all-natural burgers, veggie options, garlic fries, shakes at budget prices. Mini Burger $9, Super Burger $12.
The 1860s chocolate factory turned plaza of shops, with the original Ghirardelli ice cream shop still serving the hot fudge sundaes. Landmark history, sugar payoff — an easy win with kids.
Waterfront pier with shops and restaurants, but kids come for the sea lions barking on the K-Dock floats. Visit in daylight when the colony is hauled out in force.
- The free Sea Lion Center on the second level has naturalists answering questions daily.
Beloved Marina fast-casual spot for chef-created salads and sandwiches from local, organic ingredients, with a heated patio. Generous portions, open daily 11am-8pm.
The original chocolate shop at Ghirardelli Square — sundaes, shakes, hot fudge, chocolate bars at the waterfront landmark. Open daily 9am-10pm, weekends to 11pm.
- The Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience is the Square's flagship shop — hot fudge sundaes in the 1860s factory complex.
Value-minded boutique inn on Lombard Street, renovated in 2025, with guaranteed free self-parking — rare on Lombard — and a cooked-to-order breakfast.
The quick-service cafe inside the California Academy of Sciences — sandwiches, salads, burgers. Refuel between the rainforest and the planetarium without leaving the museum.
The world's largest natural-history museum under one green roof — aquarium, four-story living rainforest, and planetarium, all inside Golden Gate Park. One ticket covers everything. The penguins feed on a daily schedule.
- Planetarium passes are free but first-come — scan the lobby QR code on arrival to reserve a showtime.
- Academy Cafe is inside the museum — refuel between the rainforest and the planetarium without leaving the building.
America's oldest public Japanese garden — moon bridge, koi ponds, pagodas, and a tea house serving matcha and green-tea cheesecake on an open-air patio. A calm lunch stop between museums.
- Free 9-10am every Mon/Wed/Fri, and free anytime for SF residents.
Family-run Mediterranean counter across from the Botanical Garden — generous, cheap gyros, falafel, kebab plates, daily 10:30am-9:30pm. The easy lunch after a park morning.
Closer: A16, 3 min out of your way
Stay put: ~23 min by taxi back from the Japanese Tea Garden tonight, 16 min walk to the Palace of Fine Arts in the morning.
Worth the trip
The landmark vegetarian institution since 1979, under the Zen Center, in Fort Mason with Golden Gate and Marin Headlands views. Outdoor heated pavilion; bring a jacket for the wind.
Closer: A16, right on your way
A 1915 exposition rotunda and colonnades on a lagoon, with swans and one of the city's most photographed facades. Let the kids run the lawn; the columns do the rest.
A 100-acre waterfront park with a beach, the Golden Gate Promenade, and front-row bridge views. Torpedo Wharf at the west end is a working crabbing and fishing pier kids love to watch.
- The Palace and Crissy Field are waterfront neighbors — colonnades and swans, then the beach and the Golden Gate Promenade toward the bridge.
Michelin Bib Gourmand southern Italian cooking in the Marina — wood oven-fired Neapolitan pizza and a deep southern Italian wine list. Dinner reservations a must.
Stay put: 20 min walk back from Crissy Field tonight, 16 min walk to the Palace of Fine Arts in the morning.
Where to stay in San Francisco
Ranked for family travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Cow Hollow Inn & Suites
Value-minded boutique inn on Lombard Street, renovated in 2025, with guaranteed free self-parking — rare on Lombard — and a cooked-to-order breakfast.
Hotel Del Sol
Retro-chic 1950s motor lodge in the Marina with palm trees, an 82-degree heated saltwater pool, hammocks, free continental breakfast, and complimentary bikes. The pool sells it for kids.
HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel
Hostelling International's downtown hostel with dorms and private rooms, a full guest kitchen, and free WiFi — a 5-minute walk from Union Square. Dorm beds from around $42 in low season.
Flights to San Francisco
Fly into SFO (SFO)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Getting around San Francisco
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
SFMTA's Muni — buses, light-rail Metro, historic streetcars, and the cable cars — covers the whole city. BART is the regional rail to the airport and the East Bay.
- Muni (bus, Metro, cable cars, streetcars)
SFMTA's city-wide system: buses, light-rail Metro, F-line streetcars, and the famous cable cars. 1/3/7-day Visitor Passports ($15/$35/$47) include cable cars.
Tip: Buy passes in the MuniMobile app — cheaper than paper, and you can hold several tickets on one phone.
- BART (airport & East Bay)
The regional rail to SFO, Oakland, and Berkeley. Fares are distance-based — tag on and off with a Clipper card.
Tip: BART to SFO beats rideshare on price and on traffic.
Rideshare
Uber and Lyft are everywhere (Lyft is headquartered here) — usually the fastest SFO option besides BART, and the easy answer for late nights.
Bikes
Docked share bikes across the Bay Area — the e-bikes make the hills disappear.
- Lyft Bike (Bay Wheels)
The Bay Area's docked share system — thousands of pedal and e-bikes across 500+ stations in five cities including SF. Unlock in the Lyft app.
Tip: E-bikes flatten SF's hills — worth the small surcharge.
Taxis
Street taxis are rarer than they used to be; the Flywheel app hails regular cabs when you want a metered ride.
Keep exploring
More itineraries for this trip.
- Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl · CC BY 2.53 days
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