The inside local's take
Completed in 1898, the Ferry Building was the busiest transit terminal in the world outside London until the Bay Bridge opened in 1936.
Its Saturday farmers market (8am–2pm) is arguably the best on the West Coast — Hog Island oysters, Cowgirl Creamery cheese, and pastries from Frog Hollow.
Time your visit for a Golden Gate Ferry ride across the bay to Sausalito — 30 minutes each way with an unmatched skyline view.
More landmarks
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Golden Gate Bridge
The 1.7-mile International Orange span opened in 1937 and still steals every San Francisco skyline. Walk it from Battery East for the classic view.
Alcatraz Island
The federal penitentiary that held Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Ferries leave Pier 33; the cellhouse audio tour is one of America's finest.
Painted Ladies of Alamo Square
The famous row of pastel Victorians on Steiner Street, with the downtown skyline framed perfectly behind them from the park's east lawn.