100 Things to Do in San Francisco Before You Die
Get a photo op of the city's second-most famous rock (once a poop emoji, currently an avocado) on Bernal Hill. (@missdhutch, via @7x7bayarea)

100 Things to Do in San Francisco Before You Die

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We first published this super-duper San Francisco bucket list in a print edition of 7x7 magazine back in 2012. So much has changed since then (least of all that our print mag is no more), and yet much remains constant in the City by the Bay.

In revamping this list of 100 things to do in SF for the year 2020, we found ourselves between the proverbial (Bernal Hill) rock—how many tried-and-true, been-there-done-that landmarks do we include?—and the hard place—we also want to share those locals-only spots and experiences that you won't find on any postcard.


We think we've managed it, but the city provides so many excellent and ever-changing opportunities to have fun, learn, and discover, and there are many sights and activities that were left on the cutting room floor.

If you live in San Francisco, it's easy to get lost in all that's wrong with the place during the day to day; we hope this list will remind you why we still love this city we call home. If you're a visitor, remember to keep your eyes open for those spontaneous bits that a make a place truly distinct while you're checking off landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge.

We hope you'll share your bucket list items with us on our Facebook page, or on Instagram by tagging your pics #7x7bayarea. You can also follow our IG feed for all our authentic, local adventures.



1. Eat your way through the Ferry Building Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. (Embarcadero)

2. Swing above the city and see the world's weirdest rock on Bernal Hill. (Bernal Heights)

3. Traverse the 17-mile Crosstown Trail.

4. Steal a kiss beneath the Bay Lights. (Embarcadero)

5. Take your film buff friends to Fort Point and strike your best Kim-Novak-in-Vertigo-pose. (Marina)

6. Cure your hangover with a bloody mary at Zeitgeist. (Mission)

7. Look up to see one of the world's highest works of art, at Salesforce Tower. (SoMa)

8. Walk down the middle of Market Street—without getting hit by a car. (Downtown)

9. Get your weed from one of SF's fancy dispensaries.

10. Cop a squat in one of the city's 153 public parks.

11. Brave the line at the Swan Oyster Depot. (Nob Hill)



12. Climb the ruins at Sutro Baths, then walk the labyrinth at Land's End. (Richmond)

13. Reward yourself with all the dim sum at Ton Kiang or Dragon Beaux. (Richmond)

14. Play a round at the Presidio Golf Course. (Presidio)

15. Hike on Angel Island when the spring wildflowers are in bloom.

16. Bring your costume A-game (and some running shoes) for Bay to Breakers (May 31, 2020).

17. Cheer on the Warriors at Chase Center. (Mission Bay)

18. Picnic with a view of the Painted Ladies. (Alamo Square)

19. Take the kids to Seward Street Slides. (Castro)

20. Swim on the roof at UCSF Mission Bay. (Dogpatch)

21. Get a peek of the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill. (North Beach)

22. Take a break among the redwood trees beneath the Transamerica Pyramid. (Financial District)

23. Warm up with the OG Irish coffee at The Buena Vista Cafe. (Fisherman's Wharf)

24. Crowd in (and smoke out) at Outside Lands Music Festival (Aug. 7-9, 2020). (Golden Gate Park)



25. Meditate at Grace Cathedral. (Nob Hill)

26. Channel your inner Charlie (or Veruca) at the Dandelion Chocolate Factory. (Mission)

27. Grab a beer at Magnolia Brewing (Haight, Dogpatch) or Anchor Brewing (Potrero Hill).

28. Explore the moods and microclimates of the city's distinct neighborhoods.

29. Thumb through the stacks at the annual Friends of the SF Public Library's Big Book Sale. (Fort Mason)

30. Read a sonnet in the lovely Shakespeare Garden. (Golden Gate Park)

31. Get wind-swept. (Ocean Beach)

32. Get a contact high on 4/20 at Hippie Hill. (Golden Gate Park)

33. Tour the city's best street art in the Mission, Castro, and SoMa.

34. Eat all the burritos in the Mission.



35. Let your freak flag fly at San Francisco Pride (June).

36. Skip the line at Bi-Rite Creamery and grab a swirl or a brownie sundae from the adjacent soft-serve window instead. Then, eat it before it melts in Dolores Park. (Mission)

37. Pick your poison from the world's best cocktail menu, at Trick Dog. (Mission)

38. Bike the Wiggle. (Duboce Park to the Panhandle)

39. Embrace your inner roller disco diva at Church of 8 Wheels. (Lower Haight)

40. Get book smart and boozy at Litquake's annual Lit Crawl (October). (Mission)

41. Eat Liguria Bakery's focaccia for breakfast on a bench in Washington Square Park. (North Beach)



42. Tour the Beat Museum, then pick up a copy of Howl from City Lights Books. (North Beach)

43. Take a hike—with drinks!

44. Go nude on Baker Beach. (Presidio)

45. Go vintage shopping.

46. Get some exercise on the steepest streets in town.

47. Kick it poolside at the Phoenix Hotel. (Tenderloin)

48. Sip a Blue Bottle Coffee at the roaster's original Linden Street kiosk. (Hayes Valley)

49. Hold hands along Lover's Lane and contemplate Andy Goldsworthy's Wood Line. (Presidio)



50. Climb stairways from heaven at Lincoln Park, Bernal Heights, and 16th Avenue.

51. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. (Presidio)

52. Catch a free summer concert amid the eucalyptus trees at Stern Grove. (Parkside)

53. Ogle Snøhetta's design—and the latest exhibit—at SFMOMA. (SoMa)

54. Paraglide at Fort Funston. (Lake Merced)

55. Take your dog along.

56. Let your hair down from the tower at de Young Museum. (Golden Gate Park)

57. See how Heath Ceramics are made. (Mission)

58. Find yourself somewhere over the rainbow crosswalks (Castro).

59. Sing along if you dare beneath the gilded lotus ceiling at Castro Theatre. (Castro)

60. Have drinks on the patio.



61. Nurture your soul at Conservatory of Flowers, especially during the annual events NightBloom and Botanicals and Brews. (Golden Gate Park)

62. Don your chaps for Folsom Street Fair (Sept. 27, 2020). (SoMa)

63. Mingle with creatures of the night at California Academy of Sciences' NightLife. (Golden Gate Park)

64. Celebrating something, anything, with oysters and Champagne at Zuni Cafe. (Hayes Valley)

65. Bike the Bay Bridge Trail. (SF-based cyclists can shuttle from Treasure Island.)

66. Dine at one of 71 Michelin-approved restaurants—without breaking the bank.

67. Bathe in public.

68. Catch an outdoor flick at walk-in theater Proxy, then see Burning Man art at Patricia's Green. (Hayes Valley)

69. Ground yourself in Mount Sutro Forest. (Inner Sunset)

70. Get into a groove with silent disco yoga. (Baker Beach)



71. Eat a morning bun at Tartine Bakery. (Mission, Inner Sunset)

72. Picnic in the Presidio with Off the Grid (Spring through fall). (Presidio)

73. Pick up a magazine (and one of 200+ international chocolate bars) at 20-year-old Fog City News. (SoMa)

74. Ride the Hyde Street cable car to the original Swensen's Ice Cream. (Russian Hill)

75. Roast marshmallows over a bonfire at Ocean Beach (Mar.1 through Oct. 31). (Outer Sunset)

76. Take a dip in the sprinkle pool at Museum of Ice Cream. (Union Square)

77. Get buzzed by the Blue Angels during Fleet Week. (Oct. 4-13, 2020)

78. Ride, or get stuck, in Critical Mass (last Friday of the month). (Justin Herman Plaza)

79. Go wine tasting. (Treasure Island)



80. Tune up your collection at Amoeba Music. (Upper Haight)

81. Believe in Hunky Jesus (Easter). (Dolores Park)

82. Get spooked on a night tour of Alcatraz. (Pier 33, Embarcadero)

83. Spend your spare change at Musée Méchanique. (Fisherman's Wharf)

84. Relive The Nutcraker at San Francisco Ballet. (Civic Center)

85. Support local makers at West Coast Craft (June 13-14, 2020). (Fort Mason)

86. Crack a cold one (and brink the dog) at one of our beloved dive bars.

87. Score a free concert poster after a live show at the Fillmore. (NoPa)

88. Taste the rainbow. (Chinatown)

89. Wander the Sunday Streets.



90. Go ice skating in Union Square or at Civic Center. (Nov. through Jan)

91. Eat a square slice of Golden Boy Pizza. (North Beach)

92. Exceed the two-drink minimum at Cobb's Comedy Club or the Punchline. (North Beach)

93. Blow your mind at the one-of-a-kind sound theater Audium. (Pacific Heights)

94. Dance to '80s hits on Thursday nights at Cat Club. (SoMa)

95. Catch a drag show at Oasis. (SoMa)

96. Go for the Giants game, stay for the food. (Oracle Park)

97. Get tickets to the SF Symphony's Soundbox before they sell out (Feb. 7-8, 2020). (Civic Center)

98. Prove your smarts at Edinburgh Castle's longest running trivia night, 8pm Tuesdays (while they last). (TenderNob)

99. Discover local music at Noise Pop Festival. (Feb 24. through March 1, 2020)

100. End up at The EndUp when all the other bars have closed. (SoMa)


Looking for something a little different? Break out of prison, find gold, or steal a painting at The Escape Game San Francisco (FiDi).

Thank you to our partners at The Escape Game.


This article was originally published by 7x7 in 2012 and has been updated for 2020.

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