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We had to build game-time prep into our San Francisco trip, and I was a little baffled by it. We’re going to a basketball game. Couldn’t we spend that hour finding a good flat white and a slab of cake somewhere instead?
No. This was Savannah’s dream.
When I first surprised her with tickets, she screamed, dropped to the floor, and rolled around in tears at our dining room table. So I gave up the coffee idea, went back to our shabby little hotel room, and waited the better part of an hour while she got herself ready for a WNBA game at the Chase Center.
14-year-old Savannah and I rolled into the city that day off five days on the Majestic Mountain Loop, legs still tired from the Sierra Nevada. San Francisco after all that granite and pine felt loud and bright and full of people. This is not our first time visiting San Francisco. It’s the fourth time for me and Savannah visited for five days when she was seven. We’ve now experienced San Francisco as a solo traveler, couples’ travelers, with younger kids, and now with teens. I can confirm that it’s a pretty great city to take a teen.
Every place on this list is somewhere we’ve been with our own teen, or somewhere I’d happily send yours. I’ve kept it to what actually lands with this age group, the stuff Savannah cared about and the things Kalyra loved back when she was a teen too. Some we did on this trip. Some we’ve done on the many visits before it. I’ll tell you which is which as we go.
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A WNBA game at the Chase Center was the reason we were in San Francisco. Savannah is a die-hard WNBA fan, and the Dallas Wings were playing the Golden State Valkyries at the Chase Center in Mission Bay. The women on the court were brilliant, but so was everything around them.
Dancers and games and giveaways through every timeout, glitter and color in the crowd, the local crowd roaring for the Valkyries and a fair scattering of Wings jerseys dotted through it. Savannah wore her player jersey. I wore a shirt that said, “I’m in my Dallas Wings era.” We committed.
Getting there is easy. Buses and the Metro both run to the arena, and with an event ticket the ride is free. Right on the complex, Thrive City has outdoor space and somewhere to eat before tip-off. We found a burger joint with gluten-free buns, reasonable prices, community-style tables, and a gluten-free beer on tap that made me very happy.
A WNBA game is a brilliant teen night out. The tickets can be more affordable than the men’s game, the atmosphere is warm and family-friendly, and women’s sport is having a moment your teen will want to be part of. There’s a whole story behind our night here, from an Aussie player who stopped to talk to us to the seats we upgraded on a whim. I’m giving that its own post soon, so keep an eye out for our full guide to seeing a game at the Chase Center.
Because we clearly hadn’t walked enough in the Sierra Nevada (?), we decided to walk from Fisherman’s Wharf all the way around to the Golden Gate Bridge. Savannah grumbled at the start. Then the clouds began to clear, the bridge came into focus, and she came around.
We popped into Ghirardelli Square first so she could taste the chocolate at its original home. We grabbed a couple to go. The raspberry dark chocolate is mine.
The path runs along the marina, and we stopped at Equator Coffee to fuel up. Then the Palace of Fine Arts, which was on Savannah’s list after she found it on TikTok, forgetting we’d photographed her there as a kid. It’s a slice of ancient Rome dropped into San Francisco. Get your shots from across the pond, then wander in under the rotunda.
We carried on past Crissy Field, out onto the pier for the bridge views, and up toward the fort. This was the one window on our whole trip where the clouds pulled back and the bridge stood there in full red. We took far too many photos and regretted none of them.
At the end, the Roundhouse Cafe. It’s round, as promised, with windows giving you the full sweep of the bridge. We’d walked about 4.5 miles by then, so we sat with an Equator coffee and watched the clouds roll back in over the water. The photo I caught of Savannah there, with the bridge out the window, is one of her favorites.
You don’t have to walk back. Buses run from the bridge to wherever you’re headed. And if your teen has more in the tank than mine did, the trail keeps going to Baker Beach and Lands End out to the Sutro Baths. On earlier trips, Craig and I have rented bikes and ridden across the bridge to Sausalito for a picnic, then caught the ferry home. I tried to sell Savannah on it. She said no. Your teen might say yes. I’d rate it as a top thing to do with teens in SF. Here are various bike rentals, including ebikes, which we never had the option for!
Right by the bridge is the Presidio, an old army base turned parkland that we’ve loved on past trips. On summer Sundays there are food trucks and community gatherings on the lawn, and it’s a lovely spot to spread out for a picnic.
There’s more here for teens than you’d expect. Tucked into the woods are Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptures, and tracking them down feels like a treasure hunt (Woodline is my favorite). There’s a hidden Yoda statue at the Letterman Digital Arts Center, home to Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. And for Disney fans, the Walt Disney Family Museum tells the story of how one persistent, creative man built a whole world, through interactive exhibits that pull you right in. I came away moved by how many times he failed before it worked.
I’ve rounded those up along with more of the city’s quieter finds, including colorful mosaic tile steps made for the photos your teen will want in our hidden gems in San Francisco post, and there’s plenty more in our full Presidio guide.
Savannah wanted the sea lions, so we hopped out at Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf for a bit. The seals don’t need long. A few minutes of watching them snooze, slide off into the water, and bark at each other, and you’ve had the experience.
The shops right there are made for teens. I’d braced for tourist-trap prices and was pleasantly surprised. Savannah grabbed a San Francisco hoodie, which we needed more than expected. It was much chillier than we’d realized coming off 90-degree Yosemite. We picked up a t-shirt for Craig too.
While you’re here, Umbrella Alley is a community art space packed with murals and interactive photo spots, and it’s very much a teen’s kind of stop. We missed it this time. You may also want the famous clam chowder bread bowl from Boudin Bakery.
The driverless cars were a novelty when we visited, so I’m putting them on the list as a San Francisco attraction for teens in their own right. You’ll spot them everywhere, white Jaguars with a spinning sensor on the roof. Savannah begged me to get in one. I love trying new things, so I said yes.
It was a lot of fun. Easy to use, priced like an Uber, no tipping. A little unnerving at first to sit in a car with no one driving. We laughed and shrieked our way from the Painted Ladies down to Fisherman’s Wharf, and the car took the turns with ease, stuck to the speed limit, let us pick the music, and didn’t make small talk. At one point it read a car that looked parked, understood it wasn’t, and smoothly went around. Very impressive.
We did it once more because Savannah wanted to ride up front. I’m still not sure how I feel about driverless cars and what they mean for jobs down the line. As a one-off with your teen, it’s a memory. I’d still rather walk or take the bus most of the time.
Savannah is a Full House kid, so the Painted Ladies were non-negotiable. We walked there from our hotel, through a few different neighborhoods, and stopped at Ritual Coffee on the way for a cup in their little outdoor seating area.
There isn’t much to do at the Painted Ladies beyond photograph that famous row of townhomes, and that’s fine. Go early and you’ll have them to yourself. We’ve been here around lunchtime before, when the park across from them fills up with people picnicking, which is lovely in its own right.
I’d assumed a 14-year-old would be over science museums. Savannah asked to go. I’m so glad she did, because I loved it, and it’s a museum that works for any age.
It’s split into the earth’s different environments, and the rainforest section feels like an actual rainforest, high humidity, parrots overhead, butterflies drifting past your head as you climb the canopy. The aquarium has stingrays, coral, and every kind of fish. We’d been hoping to see the Pacific octopus, especially after reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and watching the film together, but it was tucked away that day. The penguin feeding is a highlight, and I loved the connection to the conservation work the Academy does with penguins in South Africa, a beach I’ve actually sat on.
Savannah’s favorite was Vivid, a new exhibit we walked into with no idea what it was. You step into rooms where the walls and ceilings become ecosystems, ultra high-definition projections, soundscapes, even scents. It’s sensory and beautiful, and it stopped her in her tracks.
Prices are steep, so it’s worth it if your teen is the kind who’ll happily sink a few hours in. The Go City tourist pass takes the sting off admission. There’s a planetarium too. We couldn’t line up a show time, but I’d build one in if you can. When you’re done, walk across the parking lot to the de Young Museum and ride up to the viewing room. It’s free, a little hazy through the glass, and the view over the park and the city is worth the elevator.
You can buy your ticket in advance here, which is a lot cheaper than what we paid upon arrival!!
You’re already in Golden Gate Park at the Academy, so give it some time. It’s big, with sculptures and botanical gardens threaded through it, and on an earlier trip we rented bikes to cover more of it (see here for bike rentals). You can even spot the resident bison.
Craig and I have done the Japanese Tea Garden here, and the afternoon tea is exactly the kind of thing my teens would love. There’s an entry fee, so weigh the interest against the budget. If a picnic is more your speed, the park is made for it.
We walked through the park to Haight-Ashbury, home of the 60s and 70s hippies, and a place I’ve always liked. It’s where Kalyra bought her first pair of Doc Martens as a teen. If your teen is into thrift stores, vintage racks, colorful buildings, murals, and a slightly alternative feel, this is their corner of the city.
It’s a good lunch stop too. We ate at Hippie Thai, where I had a Pad Thai I’d put up against some of the best Thai I’ve eaten in a long while. San Francisco is a serious food city, and I knew Haight would deliver something authentic.
A couple of streets from Haight is a quieter find: Buena Vista Park. After five days of hiking, we groaned at how steep the short climb to the top is. It’s worth every step. The views over the city are beautiful, and on a clear day you’ll catch the red of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. We got lucky and did.
From there, walk a few blocks to Third Wheel Coffee on the corner. Excellent coffee, and a good place to land after the hill.
On our first evening, after dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Peruvian spot, we wandered past the hearts in Union Square for a couple of photos, then through the gate into Chinatown. It was quiet at that hour, so Savannah didn’t get the full bustle of it, but it was a lovely walk all the same. We’ve brought both girls here on earlier trips and they’ve always enjoyed it.
In the daytime, there’s more. The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Ross Alley has been making cookies by hand since 1962, and you can watch the fortunes go in, sample a few, and buy a box. Ross Alley itself has real history, from the Tong Wars to scenes in Karate Kid II. Up on Waverly Place, the Tin How Temple is one of the oldest Chinese temples still running in the country.
On the edge of Chinatown, where it meets North Beach, is Jack Kerouac Alley, with murals worth a look and City Lights Booksellers on the Italian side. Savannah is an avid reader, so we went in. It’s the most famous bookstore in the city, tied to Kerouac and the Beat writers who used to drink at Vesuvio Cafe across the alley. If your teen loves books, they’ll love it here.
This one stayed on Savannah’s list and, somehow, we never checked it off. She loved hanging off the side of one as a kid, and I think riding those hills as a teen would be an even bigger buzz. There are three lines now, the Powell-Mason, the Powell-Hyde, and the California Street line. Do the Powell-Hyde from the wharf up to Union Square for the classic ride.
Savannah wanted to go back to Alcatraz, but we’d done it before and ran out of time this trip. It’s one of the best things to do in San Francisco. Kalyra surprised me by how much she got into it, and both girls came away full of questions, about the two men who escaped and where they might have ended up, about the fact that the guards’ children lived on the island and loved it. Walking into those cells and feeling what the prisoners felt is unnerving, and Savannah was a little freaked out. A good, quiet lesson in staying on the right side of the law. Book well ahead, it sells out.
Book your Alcatraz tickets in advance. Here are options. I love the look of the night tour. Adding it for next San Fransico trip!
I really wanted to get Savannah up Coit Tower, and she was keen, but by the end of the trip she was spent. It has one of the prettiest panoramas in the city, a full 360 that had me thinking of Greece the last time I stood up there. It’s $10 to ride to the top, and worth it for views that reach the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and Angel Island. Don’t skip the murals downstairs, painted during the Depression. It sits on the edge of the North Beach Italian quarter, so pair it with lunch there.
Walking through Fisherman’s Wharf, we passed the 3D Museum of Illusions and both got a hit of memory from doing it years ago. Savannah lit up talking about it and wanted to go again. Put it on the list. Your teen gets a stack of fun photos and some clever art in the same stop.
Savannah brought up the GoCars more than once, and I kicked myself for not planning them in. They’re the little yellow two-seaters that scoot around the city on a guided route you can follow or ignore. It’s a fun way to see the sights, and teens love them. If time allows, hire one for longer and take the routes out through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park.
Check whether your car or travel insurance covers excess for a motorbike, which is how GoCars are classed. It can be an included attraction on the Go City tourist pass. OR rent them in advance here.
If your teen hasn’t stood among redwoods before and you’ve got the time, drive out to Muir Woods National Monument. It’s a green world under the tallest trees you’ll see, and you can take it all in on an easy 2-mile loop in a couple of hours. Book your parking slot online before you go, you can’t get in without one, and an America the Beautiful national parks pass covers your entry. If you don’t have a car, it is probably
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