San Francisco in a Short Stay: Golden Gate, Fisherman's Wharf, Cable Cars and Alcatraz

We spent two nights in San Francisco at the end of September 2025 – Kristine, her mum Inge and me – at the start of a longer road trip. In reality that gave us about one full day, plus a few hours on either side. And some of that time went on something we hadn't planned for at all.

This isn't a "best things to do in San Francisco" list. It's what we actually managed to do, what we thought of it, and what we'd do differently with more time.

The short version

San Francisco didn't disappoint us – our time there was just too short. Our favourites were the Golden Gate Bridge before sunrise, the cable cars and the atmosphere around Fisherman's Wharf. Alcatraz was fine but smaller than I'd expected; the boat trip back in the dark was the best part. If you can, give the city at least one more full day than we did.

A missing suitcase and no contact lenses

We arrived in San Francisco after the long flight to the US – but one of our checked bags didn't. It was mine, and in it were my contact lenses. I wear −4.5, so this wasn't a small inconvenience, and I needed that bag back before we picked up the rental car and set off on the road trip.

The frustrating part: I had an AirTag in the bag and could see that it had actually arrived on the plane. I just couldn't get it handed over.

So I spent a good part of our time trying to find contact lenses or a pair of glasses. That turned out to be much harder than I'd expected. In the US you need a valid prescription to buy contact lenses, so you can't just walk into a shop and pick up a pair – and getting glasses sorted quickly wasn't easy either.

It's not the most exciting part of the story, but it's an honest one, and it's a big reason we saw less of the city than we'd hoped.

Our tip

Pack a spare pair of contact lenses or glasses in your hand luggage – especially if you're travelling to the US, where you can't easily buy lenses without a prescription.

The Golden Gate Bridge before sunrise

One of the best things I did in San Francisco, I did on my own. On our first morning I got up a little after 4am, took an Uber out to Golden Gate Overlook and walked down to Marshall's Beach in the dark to photograph the bridge lit up over the water – with a rising tide that nearly caught me out on the way back.

The Golden Gate Bridge lit up at night seen from Marshall's Beach, with golden light reflecting on the wet sand — Marshall's Beach before sunrise.

That morning has its own article: Golden Gate Bridge Before Sunrise: A Walk to Marshall's Beach in the Dark. By 6:30 I was back for breakfast with Kristine and Inge.

Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39

After breakfast we went down to Fisherman's Wharf and walked around the harbour and Pier 39. This was an area we really liked: lots of life by the water, restaurants, shops, boats and people everywhere. Touristy, yes – but with a good, relaxed atmosphere.

The round Fisherman's Wharf of San Francisco sign with a crab, and a red double-decker sightseeing bus passing — The classic Fisherman's Wharf sign.

The sea lions at Pier 39

We also went to see the famous California sea lions on the floating docks at Pier 39. On our day, though, there weren't many – just a few, not the docks packed with sea lions you may have seen in photos.

That's simply how it was when we visited. The number of sea lions varies a lot with the season, the food supply and migration: according to Pier 39, the count hit an all-time record of over 2,100 in May–June 2024. So you might be much luckier than us.

The floating wooden docks at Pier 39 with the Pier 39 sea lion sign, mostly empty, and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance — The sea lion docks at Pier 39 – quiet on our day, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

It didn't spoil anything for us. It was the harbour itself and the atmosphere around Fisherman's Wharf we enjoyed most.

Riding the cable cars

The cable cars were one of the things we enjoyed most in San Francisco. It's not just transport – it's an experience in itself. Hanging on to an open cable car as it climbs and drops down those incredibly steep streets gives you the city in a completely different way.

Kristine laughing as she holds on to the outside of a San Francisco cable car on a steep street, with the Transamerica Pyramid in the distance — Kristine on the cable car, with the Transamerica Pyramid at the bottom of the hill.

A single ride cost $9 per adult when we were there in September 2025 – the SFMTA raised it from $8 on 1 July 2025. Fares change, so check the current price. We'd definitely recommend it.

Chinatown

We also walked around Chinatown, with its red lanterns strung across the streets, souvenir shops and tea shops.

Kristine walking along a busy Chinatown street with red lanterns, shop signs and traffic — Kristine in Chinatown.

It was interesting to see, but honestly, it didn't grab us in the same way as Fisherman's Wharf or the cable cars. That's just our personal taste – we preferred the harbour atmosphere and the ride through the hills.

The Alcatraz Night Tour

In the evening we went on the Alcatraz Night Tour, which we'd booked through the official site (Alcatraz City Cruises). We paid about $60 per person, which matches the official Night Tour price of $59.65 including fees and taxes.

There were a lot of people. It's one of the city's biggest attractions, so don't expect to have the island to yourself.

Kristine and Inge seen from behind on the boat, looking out at Alcatraz Island lit up at dusk — Kristine and Inge on the way out to the island.

Alcatraz Island with its lighthouse and cellhouse lit up at dusk, with orange reflections in the water — Arriving at Alcatraz as it got dark.

Inside the prison

On the island you get an audio guide and walk around on your own. I liked that – you're not marched around in a big group, you move at your own pace and listen to the story as you go.

The long cellhouse corridor at Alcatraz with two tiers of barred cells on each side — The long corridor between the cell blocks.

Kristine smiling with her arms crossed inside a small Alcatraz cell, photographed through the bars — Kristine trying out a cell.

But Alcatraz was smaller than I'd expected. You see the long corridors with the cells and some other parts of the prison, but I'd imagined there would be more to see and more access to different areas. I didn't feel we really got behind the scenes, and there were several things I'd expected to get close to that we didn't.

So I left with a slightly disappointed feeling. That doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it – it's still a good experience, and if you're in San Francisco it can easily be worth the trip. But I wouldn't travel to San Francisco mainly for Alcatraz.

An old guard tower by the Alcatraz dock at night, with the lights of the bay shore across the dark water — The guard tower above the dock, after dark.

The best part: the boat back in the dark

If you do go, we think the Night Tour is a good choice – mainly because of the boat trip. On the way back it was dark, and seeing San Francisco's skyline lit up from the water was one of the things we liked best about the whole evening.

San Francisco's skyline lit up at night seen from the ferry, with the wake of the boat in the foreground — The San Francisco skyline from the ferry on the way back.

The American flag flapping at the stern of the ferry, with Alcatraz lit up behind in the dark — Leaving Alcatraz behind.

Night selfie on the ferry deck with the American flag blowing behind — Windy on the back deck.

The next morning: electric scooters

We didn't have a full day the next day. We had to pick up the rental car to start the road trip, and I also had to go out to the airport because of my missing bag.

But in the morning we managed a ride around the city on electric scooters – a great way to see San Francisco. You really feel the city's hills and terrain. It was fun and a little challenging, and we'd definitely recommend it.

Selfie of Kristine with Inge and me on electric scooters by the water, with Alcatraz in the background — Kristine, Inge and me on scooters by the bay – with Alcatraz behind.

Back to the airport

After the scooters, it was off to the airport. A lot of that day went on waiting for my bag, which was stressful with the road trip about to start and my AirTag still telling me the suitcase was there. It took something away from our last hours in San Francisco – but that's travel, not the city's fault.

From San Francisco the road trip took us on to Sequoia National Park.

What we loved – and what we missed

Our favourites:

The Golden Gate Bridge and Marshall's Beach early in the morning
Riding the cable cars through the steep streets
The atmosphere around Fisherman's Wharf
The boat to and from Alcatraz – especially the trip back in the dark
The electric scooter ride through the city

Alcatraz was fine but didn't quite live up to my expectations. Chinatown was interesting to see, but not where we got most excited.

And then there's everything we didn't get to. Between the short stay, the missing bag and the hunt for contact lenses, we only saw a small part of the city.

Our verdict

San Francisco is a city where I really wish we'd had more time. It felt like we'd only just started to get to know it before we had to move on. It wasn't the city that disappointed us – quite the opposite. It was the time that was too short.

If you're planning a trip, I'd personally give it at least one more full day than we had – two if you want to see the city properly.

A mix of some really good experiences, a bit of stress over a missing suitcase, and the feeling that there was a lot more San Francisco left to see. Which is a pretty good reason to go back.

Where we stayed

We stayed two nights, 29 September to 1 October 2025, at the San Remo Hotel in North Beach, booked through Hotels.com. It's a simple hotel, a bit worn but otherwise fine, with a good location in the city. We paid DKK 4,186 in total for two rooms, two nights and three adults. Prices change, so check current rates.

Practical information

When we went	29 September – 1 October 2025 (two nights, about one full day)
We stayed	San Remo Hotel, North Beach – booked via Hotels.com
Cable car	$9 per single ride per adult in September 2025 (SFMTA, from 1 July 2025)
Alcatraz Night Tour	Booked via Alcatraz City Cruises; we paid about $60 per person (official price $59.65 incl. fees and taxes)
Pier 39 sea lions	Numbers vary with season, food and migration – only a few when we visited
Getting around	Uber, cable cars, electric scooters and on foot
Our tip	Keep spare contact lenses or glasses in your hand luggage

Prices and details from SFMTA, Alcatraz City Cruises and Pier 39. They can change – check before you go.