The best way to see San Francisco is on foot – hills be damned. Long strolls will let you fully appreciate the city’s nuances, quirks and endless appeal.
We’ve compiled five long walks that will take you into the historic heart of the city and explore some of its most diverse neighborhoods. Even in the center of the city, you can expect encounters with nature while enjoying the fabulous views that are part of the city’s lore. You’ll even get up close and personal with some of the city’s top icons. Whether you have two hours or most of a day, one of these walks will suit you. Along the way, you’ll discover opportunities for good food and drink, as well as shops like none you’ll find elsewhere.
1. Chinatown and North Beach
Best for essential San Francisco
1.5 miles one-way, 3 hours, moderate
This itinerary starts in Chinatown at Portsmouth Square, the neighborhood’s unofficial living room. The square is graced by the Goddess of Democracy, a bronze replica of the statue that Tiananmen Square protesters made in 1989.
Stop in at the Chinese Historical Society of America, dedicated to the experiences of Chinese immigrants to the USA during the gold rush, construction of the transcontinental railroad and the decades that followed, with virulent racism a steady backdrop. Meander north on the busy, shop-lined streets, watching for the 41 historic alleyways packed into Chinatown’s 22 blocks. Don’t miss Waverly Place and its historic clinker-brick buildings and flag-festooned temple balconies.
Cut over to Columbus Ave and the heart of San Francisco’s Beat culture at Jack Kerouac Alley. Take note of the words of Chinese poet Li Po embedded in the alley: “In the company of friends, there is never enough wine.” And indeed, in the 1950s, Kerouac, Arthur Miller and other literary icons used to raise a few at the neighboring bar Vesuvio. Nearby is legendary City Lights Books, one of America’s best bookshops.
Continue up Columbus through the heart of North Beach, which still has discernible Italian roots. At lushly planted Washington Square, you’ll spot parrots in the treetops and octogenarians in tai chi tiger stances on the lawn.
Next, head up steep, residential Greenwich St to Coit Tower – and the best views in the city. The exclamation point on San Francisco’s skyline, this stark, white art deco structure is…
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