We adore San Francisco! Since we are a few hours away by car we make it a point to visit a few times each year! While the city can sometimes be shrouded in dense fog and chilly weather, we’ve consistently been greeted with delightful conditions, and our January trip was no exception. We lucked out with the most lovely days full of warm sunshine.
Despite recent challenges tarnishing San Francisco’s reputation, we weren’t deterred but remained cautious. By being mindful of safeguarding our belongings and avoiding certain areas, we found our weekend in the city to be absolutely splendid. Here’s our itinerary and tips for exploring San Francisco with a young child.
Location!
Where you stay matters greatly in this city! Many visitors end up staying in Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf due to the amount of hotel options and price range. While Fishman’s Wharf is generally pretty safe, it’s also usually congested and touristy. I do not advise staying in Union Square and the surrounding area as it’s not walkable due to safety issues.
Instead, I would recommend staying in Japantown. This area is extremely walkable with many restaurant options, parks, and public transportation surrounding it. We specifically stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Enso, though there are several other nice options in the area. The hotel itself was lovely and had secured underground parking which I do recommend using.
Another area that we have stayed in and loved was Chinatown. This neighborhood is also very walkable, safe, and central to many other areas. We stayed at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District, an affordable and nice option. But if your budget allows, there are several high-end hotels in this area, like the gorgeous Ritz Carlton.
It’s not advised to park your car on the street as car break-ins are unfortunately extremely common.
If you’re bringing a car, I recommend parking it and using public transportation, ride-sharing, or walking!
If your child uses a stroller, I highly recommend bringing it. It saved us on so many occasions. You will get a workout walking the hilly streets of San Francisco, so be prepared for that with good walking shoes.
What to do?
We had quite the list and checked off much of it, in part due to our central location!
Ride the cable cars!
The cable cars are an absolute must! It’s such a unique experience. There are 3 lines, with two running from the Union Square area to Fisherman’s Wharf and the 3rd running from the Ferry Building up to Van Ness Ave, the “California Line”
The end of the California Line is a 15-minute walk from Japantown. While hilly, it’s totally doable even with a stroller, and strollers are permitted on cable cars.
We liked the California Line because it wasn’t busy at all. There was no line for it, unlike the other two. We rode down to the Embaracadero to walk around there, but just the trip was an experience in itself for our little one. He would have happily ridden it down and back with no stops in between. A ride in each direction is about 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you could ride the cable car to the Mason stop and walk 2 blocks to the Cable Car Museum! We plan on doing this next time.
Visit San Francisco’s Amazing Playgrounds!
We happened to be visiting on a sunny warmish weekend in January and we walked everywhere, admiring San Franciso’s quintessential architecture, which to me is an event in itself. We stopped at 4 playgrounds on our walks and I have even more saved to visit next time. Each one that we visited was unique, clean, well-kept, and most importantly FUN for my toddler. Parents love these interesting playscapes too!
Here is a list of the ones we visited:
Raymond Kimbell Playground (Japantown)
Margaret S. Hayward Playground (Filmore/Hayes Valley)
Outpost Playground (Precidio)
Playground | Washington Square (North Beach)
Joe DiMaggio Playground (North Beach)
Don’t skip the world-class museums!
There are so many museums and spaces geared toward children in San Francisco, however, some are more focused on young children and toddlers and others are more focused on older children and teens.
In our opinion, the best museum for toddlers is the Bay Area Discovery Museum which is just on the other side of the bay from San Francisco. You’ll cross the iconic beautiful Golden Gate Bridge to get there, another experience in itself. Parking is plentiful and safe and as an added bonus, you can stop in the cute town of Sausalito on your way back to the city for snacks.
If you’d like to stay in the city, these museums are incredible as well:
California Academy of Sciences – in Golden Gate Park, there are areas designed for children of all ages
The Exploratorium – close to the Ferry Building, best for children over 5
The Children’s Creativity Museum – in SoMA, with another awesome playground in the same complex, for children 2-12
The Walt Disney Family Museum – in the Presidio, not necessarily a children-focused museum but great for all Disney fans
Where to Eat?
The amount of incredible and diverse food in the city is one of the reasons we love to visit so much. With plentiful options around every corner, I am only scratching the surface of suggestions. We took our toddler to all of these restaurants and didn’t feel out of place. For dinner, however, I recommend going as soon as the restaurant opens so that there will be fewer people, less noise, and fewer chances that you’ll disturb the other diners.
Flour and Water Pizzeria – North Beach
Noren Izakaya – North Beach
Toscano Brothers- North Beach
Hog Island Oyster Co – Ferry Building
Dumpling Home – Hayes Valley
Kibatsu- Sushi – Hayes Valley
Pasta Supply Co – Richmond
Hinodeya Ramen – Japantown
Bakeries:
Jane. the Bakery
The Mill
Tartine Bakery
Neighborhoods to Walk and Ones to Avoid
One of our favorite things to do in the city is admire the unique architecture and quaintness of San Francisco’s unique neighborhoods.
Hayes Valley – This small neighborhood has lots of shopping, yummy food, and small parks for relaxing and people watching. We walked to it from Japantown and stopped by Margaret S. Hayward Playground on the way.
North Beach – North Beach is San Francisco’s Little Italy. All the best pizza and pasta can be found here. Some of SF’s most extreme hills can be found around North Beach so be mindful of walking directions. We rode the cable cars here and also parked. North Beach has beautiful views and several nice playgrounds.
The Presidio – The Presidio is a large park with big beautiful homes, stunning views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, and a massive network of woodland walking trails and awesome playgrounds like the Outpost Playground. Andy Goldsworthy’s Wood Line is not to be missed!
We avoided these areas either out of extra precaution with our toddler or because there wasn’t much for us to do or see there.
-Tenderloin
-Mid Market
-Union Square
Heading Home
Let me know if you have any questions or know of a kid friendly spot I missed! This guide is just scratching the surface of all the amazing things to do in San Franciso! From the interactive exhibits at the Exploratorium to the open spaces of Golden Gate Park, there is no shortage of activities that cater to young children. Just remember to plan ahead and stay in an area that works best for traveling with toddlers.
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