Drive Lombard Street
Eight tight hairpin turns down a hydrangea-lined block — the 'crookedest street in the world' — with Alcatraz framed at the bottom of the descent.
The inside local's take
The switchbacks were carved into a 27% grade in 1922 to make the hill drivable. In peak summer the queue to descend can stretch two blocks up Hyde Street.
For a photograph without a car in it, walk down the pedestrian stairs on either side — the flower beds are prettiest from April to October.
Bonus: Vermont Street on Potrero Hill is actually steeper and twistier, with almost no crowds. Locals argue it's the real 'crookedest' street.
More things to do
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Ride the Powell-Hyde Cable Car
The world's last manually operated cable car system. Hang from the running board as you clang over Nob Hill and plunge down toward Ghirardelli Square.
Watch Sea Lions at Pier 39
The rowdy California sea lion colony has ruled K-Dock since 1990. Free viewing platforms, hundreds of barking residents, and sourdough shops steps away.
Hike the Marin Headlands
Cross the bridge and climb Battery Spencer or Hawk Hill for the most iconic Golden Gate photograph on Earth — city, span, and Pacific in one frame.