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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 14 January, 2023
Expert travel writer: Laura Kiniry

First of all: the Golden Gate Park is not adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge. Rather, this rectangular, 1017-acre urban park lies on the city’s west side – San Francisco’s equivalent of Central Park but 20% bigger.

It’s home to some pretty stellar attractions, among them the world-class DeYoung Art Museum, the California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the Conservatory of Flowers – not to mention acre upon acre of green goodness.

You can hire bikes or rollerskates to explore, and rowboats or waterbikes from the boathouse on the northwest side to float on Stow Lake, one of the park’s loveliest spots.

California Academy of Sciences

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

One of the world’s greatest natural science museums. An aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, and four-storey rainforest – all housed in an architectural masterpiece.

Best for ages: 4+ | £35

Conservatory of Flowers interior, a giant glasshouse
Experience

Conservatory of Flowers

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

The elaborate Victorian greenhouse at the Conservatory of Flowers is the oldest building in the park, constructed in 1878 and rising 60ft (18m). Plants and flowers from around the world are housed in a variety of climate-controlled galleries, including Highland Tropics and Lowland Tropics. Closed on Mondays.

Best for ages: 8+ | £11

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De Young Museum

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

A highly regarded art collection showcasing American art from the 17th-21st centuries, as well as international contemporary art, costumes and textiles.

Best for ages: 18+ | £12

lake, trees and temples in Japanese Tea Garden
Experience

Japanese Tea Garden

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

Escape the city mayhem in the immaculate, contemplative Japanese Tea Garden, which was first developed in 1894 to showcase a traditional Japanese village for the California International Exposition (World’s Fair). An additional tea house and pavilions were built and the garden became a permanent fixture of the Golden Gate Park.

Best for ages: 13+ | £5

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Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 4+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

San Francisco’s public transit systems will get you to the park. It’ll also help you get around the recreational area that stretches almost three miles from east to west, thanks to the free shuttle service that picks up from various spots in the park daily. You can hire bikes and skates at Unlimited Biking on Haight Street on Fulton.

A number of local companies also offer guided bike tours of the park, exclusively or as part of a wider itinerary (see our recommendations).

When to do it

The park is always open, but the attractions have varying open times. Check the website before you go. Go early to enjoy the park and its attractions with fewer people. Locals love the park, and weekends bring the biggest crowds.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Golden Gate Park Segway Tour - Easy to learn then 2.5 hours of gliding fun

Golden Gate Park Segway Tour - Easy to learn then 2.5 hours of gliding fun

San Francisco

Hop on an eco-friendly Segway for a convenient tour of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park! You'll see all 1,000-plus acres of the park as you ...

$79 | Rating 4.89 / 5 [429 ratings]

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Private Segway Tour through Golden Gate Park - 3 hours with your own guide

Private Segway Tour through Golden Gate Park - 3 hours with your own guide

San Francisco

Combine the fun of touring San Francisco by Segway with the personal touch of having a private guide attentive to your group’s interests and...

$159 | Rating 4.95 / 5 [20 ratings]

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Inn at Presidio

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[4.2 miles]

An exquisite right three-story boutique property in the heart of the beautiful Presidio Park, next to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Official star rating:

Hotel Kabuki

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[5.6 miles]

East meets West at this Japantown Hotel that offers a different view of San Francisco: one more neighbourhood-oriented than touristy. Expect clean lines and cosy aesthetics, as well as free internet.

Official star rating:

Phoenix Hotel

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[6.5 miles]

Beloved for its rock-star vibe and heated pool, this great value refurbished motor-lodge attracts a loyal clientele, despite its gritty Tenderloin surrounds.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

San Francisco

California, United States of America (USA)

Beautiful bayside city with home-grown authenticity, charmingly unique neighbourhoods and excellent locally-driven food.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[5.8 miles]

One of the world’s most famous bridges – a red-hued, 1.75-mile suspension bridge that spans the Golden Gate Strait, where the Pacific Ocean meets San Francisco Bay. San Francisco’s most iconic landmark.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

Sailing on San Francisco’s harbour

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[6.5 miles]

With spectacular scenery, a breathtaking Bridge, barking sea lions, and rich maritime history, the largest estuary in the U.S. already stands-out as a fine place for a sail.

Best for ages: 8+ | £50 | 1.5-3 hours

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aerial view looking at Lombard Street and cars driving down it
Experience

Lombard Street

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[7.2 miles]

Marketers call Lombard the world’s crookedest street. True or not, the block-long lane hits eight hairpin turns – built to slow people as they drive the steep-steep street – as it snakes down Russian Hill. Instead of driving it (and sitting in traffic), you’ll have more fun walking it.

Best for ages: 6+ | Free

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Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[7.7 miles]

A hub for tourists, Fisherman’s Wharf is best known for its seafood, mainstream attractions, buskers, and sea lions who bed down on the docks of Pier 39.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

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Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Interior of Legion of Honor Museum
Experience

Legion of Honor

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[2.1 miles]

A Beaux Arts replica of Paris’ Legion of Honor Palace of all things, this art museum houses a collection of European and ancient art that spans over 6,000 years of artistic creation. The sister museum to the De Young.

Best for ages: 18+ | £10

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The Walt Disney Family Museum, operated and funded by the Walt Disney Family Foundation in Presidio Park
Experience

Walt Disney Family Museum

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[4.5 miles]

This fascinating museum is dedicated to the life and achievements of the Great Imagineer ‘Walt Disney‘. Interactive galleries feature early drawings and animation, movies, music, and a 12-foot diameter model of Disneyland. The lobby holds 248 awards Walt won during his career, including an honorary Oscar for Snow White and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Best for ages: 6+ | £20

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Long line on free Museum day to the Asian Art Museum
Experience

Asian Art Museum

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[6.6 miles]

Home to one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art on the planet, this Civic Center locale exhibits everything from future fantasy animations to Chinese jade carvings from more than 6,000 years ago.

Best for ages: 13+ | £15

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Irish Coffee drinks being made on the bar counter at the famous Buena Vista cafe where it was invented, near the Powell Hyde cable car line
Experience

Buena Vista Cafe

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)[7.4 miles]

Hailed as the U.S. home of Irish coffee. Legend has it that in 1952, the cafe’s then-owner Jack Koeppler challenged a well-known travel writer to recreate a drink he’d had at Ireland’s Shannon Airport, and this local landmark has been serving them up (in an endless line along the bar) ever since.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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