Each weekend, holiday, spring break or summer vacation, parents everywhere are faced with an eternal conundrum. The question that has been vexing us since the invention of the long weekend.
What can I do with my kids that will entertain them for the day and won’t break the bank?
San Francisco is a Gem
If you happen to live, or will be vacationing, in or around the San Francisco area, you are in luck. There are many things to see and do for families.
San Francisco is one of the best cities in the US. It has history. It has culture. There is iconic imagery almost everywhere you look. There are great open spaces to run and play. And there are enough restaurants to satisfy even the most discerning foodies.
However, all of that great stuff often comes with great prices. But, fear not!! With a little planning and creative thinking, you can easily fill up an entire day with your kids.
Visit some great parks. Check out some of the most iconic landmarks in the entire country. Have a great lunch. Do some shopping and people watching.
A family of four can see the sights, eat lunch and have some fun, unique experiences – all for less than $100!!
Plan Ahead
If you are going to plan a day in any city on a budget, especially San Francisco, you’ll need to plan ahead a little:
- Make sure your attractions of choice are open and at the times you’ll want
- If you plan to purchase tickets ahead of time, you may need time to get them delivered or printed.
- Using a deal website (like Groupon), may require a 24 hour wait before your tickets are valid. You don’t want to get to your fun spot only to find out you can’t use your tickets.
- Look for non-kitsch experiences. Fisherman’s Wharf, in particular, has a lot to offer. Just don’t waste time or money on things you can do almost anywhere else.
- Research public parking near your planned destinations if you are driving and reserve spots
- If you will be using public transportation, look into prepaid BART Clipper cards (www.clippercard.com) for discounts
- If you’ll be Uber-ing around, you can budget your estimated costs from spot to spot with their app
Spending a little time doing your research and planning will start your day off on the right foot.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Start your day at Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39.
One of the most touristy spots in the city, with lots to see and do, this area also gets very crowded. Get an early start, beat the crowds and steer clear of the kitsch (and there is a lot). If you are going to try to squeeze in a full day of activities on a budget, no time for browsing cheap souvenirs.
Beginning at Pier 39, walk to the west end where you can spots hundreds of Sea Lions basking in the sun. There is also a Sea Lion center where the kids can learn more about the creatures. It’s fascinating fun to watch them lay about, play, swim, growl and bark.
After checking out the Sea Lions, walk west about 15 minutes down the Embarcadero and Jefferson Street towards the Maritime National Park. You’ll get great views of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge along your way. The park is at the end of Jefferson Street, and offers some of the best views of Alcatraz Island in the city.
Tip:
If you need parking, there are a number of parking garages that offer early bird specials. Early bird times and prices vary, but you can find spots for $12 – $14 if you get there before 9 am. The Wharf Garage is centrally located (350 Beach St), offers a $12 day rate for those in before 9 am, and you can reserve a spot online.
Total Cost:
Sea Lion and Alcatraz viewing: Free
Ghirardelli Square
From the park, walk a few blocks south to Ghirardelli Square (yes, that Ghirardelli). On the northwest ground level corner is the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. Take a short break and indulge in one of their signature sundaes (we had the Salted Caramel). One was plenty to share – this is a break, not a meal, folks.
After plowing through the sundae, how about a little putt-putt golf? Just behind the ice cream shop inside Ghirardelli Square is SubPar Miniature Golf. I know we were looking for unique experiences, but wait… this is indoor miniature golf (good for SF weather) and each hole is themed to one of the cities iconic sights. You can putt around Alcatraz, past the Painted Ladies or down Lombard Street.
Plan on leaving the area around 11:30 to head to the next stop, Union Square.
Tip:
If you buy tickets through Groupon, read the fine print. You may have to wait at least 24 hours for your tickets to be valid, so buy ahead of time.
Total Cost:
Sundae at Ghirardelli Sundae Shop: $12.47
SubPar Miniature Golf for 4: $18.40 with a Groupon deal
Union Square
While not in the center of the city, Union Square is definitely in the heart of many of the city’s top neighborhoods. It’s home to the best shopping in the city. It’s also an easy walk to Chinatown, to the Children’s Creativity Museum or to Nob Hill.
At Union Square, take some time to sit and appreciate the city around you. The architecture, people watching and the sculptures around the square make this an inviting place to just chill for a bit.
For an unexpectedly fun family activity, head just off the square over to the Apple store. This particular location offers a fun photo class called “Photo Lab for Kids: Fun Family Portraits”. You’ll learn to use your phone (or the store will provide iPads) to take pictures and edit them in fun ways. Our class host took us outside and showed us how to pick a background and compose shots, and each of my kids got to play art director for our shoot. We then went back inside where we learned how to use the photo editing software to add our own creative touches. We really enjoyed this class. And it was free!!
Tips:
Your photos may be projected onto the store wall. If you have a young boy like I do, you might want to check his work first. It wasn’t until his was up that I realized mine had drawn a poop emoji beneath his sister. Boys. Am I right?
Check the website for classes and times. They offer a wide variety of family and kid friendly classes. The schedules change, so make sure there’s a class when you want.
Total Cost:
Kid and Family classes at Apple store: Free
People watching: Free
Shopping: Free (if you don’t buy anything)
Lunch
Around 1:30, you may want to find lunch. But where to get fueled up for the second half of the day, for a family of four, without breaking the bank? Fortunately, only a few short blocks away, is a great little taco/burrito spot called Tacorea. What it lacks in sophistication, it more than makes up for in taste and value. We had the chicken Super Burrito with everything, and it was enormous – easily enough for two to share. Plus, it comes with tater tots!
After loading up, you’ll want to burn a few of those calories. Just a short walk up a few blocks to the top of Nob Hill you’ll find Grace Cathedral. Take a few moments to appreciate the beauty of Grace Cathedral and its’ best impression of Notre Dame. The kiddos can run around or play on the playground at Huntington Park, then it’s time to head to your next destination.
Total Cost:
Lunch for 4: $40.69 (excluding tip) for 1 Super Burrito, 4 Carne Asada tacos, 3 sodas and 1 beer (Daddy felt like a beer)
Golden Gate Park
I am a huge fan of large green spaces in the middle of cities, and San Francisco has one of the best in the nation with Golden Gate Park . You can find wide open areas large enough for frisbee, football, dog runs or just picnicking and enjoying the sun. There is so much to see here, you could spend an entire day without leaving the park.
The Conservatory of Flowers, McLaren Lodge and Koret Playground on the east side, Stow Lake and its’ paddle boats in the middle, and the Bison Paddock over to the windmills of the west side all offer enough for a full day of fun.
We focused our time around the DeYoung Museum and California Academy of Sciences. These are both fantastic places to spend an afternoon, depending on what your family likes. We happened to be in the city on a beautiful, sunny spring day. This doesn’t happen often, so we kept to the outdoors and headed down past the DeYoung to the Japanese Tea Garden.
This is a stunning garden, with narrow pathways, beautifully landscaped gardens and a photo op around every corner. If you are there around Spring Break, go to see the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom. They are simply amazing. This is a fairly tiny corner of Golden Gate Park. And, yes, it can get a little crowded because of folks strolling around. However, it is definitely not one of the city’s most touristy of spots, and that’s part of what make it so special.
One of the best perks of Golden Gate Park is that there is ample free parking!
Total Cost:
Japanese Tea Garden: $27 (2 adult, 1 youth and 1 child, non-SF resident)
A Full Day Doesn’t Mean An Empty Wallet
There you have it. A full day of activities in San Francisco for $98.56. We were able to do a wide variety of activities and see most of the major sites in San Francisco, plus have lunch and sundaes. All for about the same cost as a movie with concessions for 4 in a major city.
This itinerary is just one example of the great things to see and do, and how you can spend a full day in the city. Without breaking the bank.
You, too, can make your travel budget stretch further without sacrificing fun. All it takes is a little research, creativity, some planning and a sense of adventure.
Happy exploring!
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