Long Weekend San Francisco Vacation Recap

Those looking to spend time in San Francisco, California will want to check out this recap of our long weekend exploring this Pacific Coast city. Discover what which cable car lines I recommend, the e-bike company we used to bike over the Golden State Bridge and where we had delicious meals by the bay area waterfront.

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This trip took place July 2024 as we attended a family wedding in San Francisco as a group of 5. (Four 40 year olds and one 71 year old). Like many of my travel destination recaps, this one is a bit of a stretch in locations since we visited both San Francisco and the local town of Sausalito, which is right over the Golden Gate Bridge. Scroll below to discover where we stayed, where we ate and what we did in San Francisco.

Where We Stayed In San Francisco

Stanford Court in Nob Hill – This was the hotel recommended by the wedding party and turned out to be a great choice. Our queen size bedroom wasn’t super spacious, with only one bedroom/tv space and small bathroom (no closet or desk space), but it was perfect for just the 2 of us. This Nob Hill section of town felt more safe than other parts of the city we walked through, but it isn’t without its set of hills! We enjoyed a few meals here in the downstairs restaurant so I have no complaints about this location.

Where We Ate And Drank In San Francisco

Lapisara Eatery – This cute breakfast/brunch café was just a few short (but hilly) walks from our hotel and we enjoyed it so much we went back 2 days in a row for breakfast! I loved both my “perfect pancake” order one day and the “farmer’s classic” eggs.
Taco Cantina at Fisherman’s Wharf – This location served as a great stop when walking around Fisherman’s Wharf where we had margaritas, chips and guac out on the porch. If you like a chunky avocado in your guac, this stop is for you!
Swiss Louis at Fisherman’s Wharf – My husband and I enjoyed a dinner for two (chicken parm and ceaser salad) our last night in the city. As people who live in a huge Italian food area of the country at home, I’d have to say this was only just OK. Nothing bad or wrong but felt very “chain” style of Italian.

San Francisco Brewing Company in Ghirardelli Square – We enjoyed some adult beverages in the large outdoor picnic table out back.
In and Out Burger – This was our first stop in San Fran since my brother in law loves this chain and there are none in our neck of the woods. Burgers and salty fries were enjoyed by all.
Standard Court Hotel in Nob Hill – If you weren’t staying here, I’d doubt you’d choose to eat at a random hotel, but I wanted to make sure to document our yummy dinner (margarita pizza) and filling breakfast here for those who do choose to stay.

The Spinnaker in Sausalito – Beautiful views and delicious food in a pretty setting, what more could you ask for? We sat outside on the porch with a glass railing where we watched sail boats, kayaks and pelicans float on by.
The Joinery in Sausalito – After a long bike ride over the Golden Gate bridge, we spotted this beer hall and rotisserie restaurant right on the waterfront. I had a burger a fries which was delicious.

What We Did In San Francisco

Bike over the Golden Gate Bridge – One morning we rented e-bikes and biked on Mason Street along the coastline, up and over the Golden Gate bridge, down to the cute coastal town of Sausalito. This was all our first E-bike experience (including my 71 year old father in law) and I can confirm it was easy to pick up and understand within a few minutes. I DEFINITELY recommend going the e-bike approach vs standard bikes as there a few hills that the e-bike was necessary (in our opinion).

Ride a cable car – This was on my to do list as a historical element of the city, but honestly not the most economical or fastest mode of transportation to see the sites. We took the Powell/Mason line down from our hotel to the Union Station stop as the end of the line. We then watched it get manually turned around and got back on line for another ride. (this was an additional ticket purchase!) Before purchasing tickets, I’d recommend getting on towards one end and taking it to the other to get the most of your trip. Going FROM Union Station TO the Fisherman’s Wharf district was a fun and nice ride as you got to experience going up and down hills and get to a final destination. It’s interesting to watch the engineer(?) switch gears as you ride.

Walk around Fisherman’s Wharf – While this is a famous area of San Francisco, it was all our least favorite as it was so touristy and crowded. The highlight was obviously the sea lions on pier 39 and a few places we had food. There are lots of food chains but some local, souvenir shops and activity places. This is also where you can find the Ferris Wheel which is $18 but we didn’t take a ride.

Ride the Ferry Boat from Sausalito – Since we had the wedding to get to the day we rode our e-bikes to Sausalito, we decided to return a second day to spend some time walking around that adorable coastal town. We took an uber there but caught the Blue and Gold ferry to take back over to San Francisco. You CAN take your bike on it as they stack them all on the bottom level. The ferry is very windy/cold if you choose to sit in the outdoor space so make sure to have a jacket.
Walked down and watched Lombard Street – While not much of a sight, this small section of the street is nicknamed “the crookedest street in the world” as it includes 8 hairpin turns. You can walk alongside the crazy street and watch cars navigate down it’s turns.

More Tips

Download the uber app! There are many transportation options to get around San Francisco but we most often took an Uber so make sure to download the app before visiting. You can also choose to take a Waymo (driverless car!) which is a different app but cost wise seemed similar to uber pricing after you tip the driver.
Wear comfortable shoes! The hills of San Francisco are no joke and you will experience many of them in your short walks around the area.
Bring layers! We went in July where it was mostly t-shirt with light jacket weather except one day we were even cold with sweatshirts on.