•• San Francisco Bucket List ••
Rowboats on Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park ✓
Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito ✓
Take the ferry together from Sausalito —> San Francisco ✓
See the Full House house ✓
See the Blue Angels fly during Fleet Week ✓
Nike Women’s Half Marathon ✓
Giants Half Marathon ✓
San Francisco Marathon ✓
Thai cooking class with Sunshine ✓
Sail in the bay ✓
Ice skate in Union Square at Christmastime ✓
Kiss on top of Twin Peaks summit ✓
Get fresh-baked foccacia at Liguria Bakery in Little Italy ✓
de Young Museum ✓
Run along the Embarcadero ✓
See the Boudin Sourdough Factory + Museum ✓
Try the famous 18 swedish pancakes at Sear’s restaurant in Union Square ✓
Get Bob’s donuts in the middle of the night ✓
Visit the SF Yacht Club ✓
Dinner at the top of Union Square ✓
Eat Golden Gate Bakery egg tarts in Chinatown ✓
Cable Car Museum ✓
Take a trolley ride ✓
Hike lands end out to the sutro baths ✓
Cross the Drum Bridge at the Japanese Tea Garden ✓
Learn about the Coit Tower murals ✓
Tacos in the Mission ✓
See Coit Tower and City Hall lit up orange in October ✓
Run the Lyon Street Steps ✓
California Academy of Sciences ✓
Try every sample at the Ferry Building (& farmers market) ✓
Twirl & Dip ice cream truck ✓
Slide down the Seward Street Slides ✓
Go to the San Francisco Ballet ✓
Play tennis in Golden Gate Park ✓
Try pie shakes ✓
Have french toast at Mama’s ✓
Clam chowder on the Wharf
Spot the sea lions on the Wharf ✓
Visit Baker Beach ✓
Ride the St. Francis Hotel glass elevators to the top in Union Square ✓
Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown ✓
See the bison in Golden Gate Park ✓
Batteries to Bluffs trail ✓
Presidio Promenade ✓
Spend a sunny day at Dolores Park with Bi-rite ice cream in hand ✓
Giants game ✓
See the giant Fairmont gingerbread house at Christmastime
Have a morning bun at Tartine + a cruffin at Mr. Holmes ✓✓
Climb the mosaic steps at Grand View Park ✓
Visit Ocean Beach and The Cliff House ✓
Alcatraz at night ✓
Walt Disney Museum ✓
Exploratorium ✓
See a show at Castro Theater ✓
Off the Grid food truck market (a Señor Sisig burrito is a must ✓
Eat dim sum in Chinatown ✓
Mt. Davidson: SF’s highest point ✓
Do the Barbary Coast trail walking tour ✓
Billy Goat Hill tree swing ✓
Browse the famous City Lights Bookstore ✓
Mile Rock Beach ✓
Have an ice cream sundae (or hot chocolate on a cold day) at Ghirardelli ✓
Run in //or at least spectate Bay to Breakers ✓
Drive down Lombard Street ✓
Wave organ at Fisherman’s Wharf ✓
Filbert steps…and all of these steps ✓
Seafood at Swan Oyster Depot ✓
Art classes on the Embarcadero ✓
SF opera, Ballet, & Symphony ✓✓✓
Spot a parrot on Telegraph Hill ✓
Go to movie night at the Top of the Mark ✓
Sourdough class at Boudin Bakery ✓
Fillmore Street Jazz Festival ✓
Bike to Tiburon ✓
Afternoon tea at the Rotunda … and The Palace ✓
Rent the little yellow gocars for a day ✓
Visit SF MoMA ✓
Still to do…
Marine mammal center
Picnic at the Palace of Fine Arts
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
Bonfire on Ocean Beach
Midnight Rollers in SanFrancisco
Miwok Trail
See a concert at The Fillmore
Lands End labyrinth
Drive the 49-mile drive
Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival ✓
Muir woods ✓
Monterey ✓
Carmel-by-the-Sea ✓
17-Mile drive ✓
California State Capitol in Sacramento ✓
Napa/Sonoma ✓
Facebook HQ ✓
Go whale watching in the Monterey Bay, + Monterey Bay Aquarium ✓
Downtown Sunnyvale & Mountain view ✓
Hike in Rancho San Antonio Preserve ✓
Capitola ✓
Vasona Park ✓
S’mores at the Ritz in Half Moon Bay (you don’t have to be a guest!) ✓
Russian River ✓
Lake Merritt ✓
Ride the oldest wooden roller coaster in the world in Santa Cruz ✓
Hidden Villa on Rhus Ridge Road ✓
Lake Anza and Lake Temescal ✓
Hike the Stanford Dish ✓
Summer concert at Saratoga Mountain Winery ✓
Cal game ✓
Downtown Redwood City ✓
Cañada Road bike path ✓
Woodside ✓
Goat Hill Farm ✓
Downtown Menlo Park ✓
Berry picking at Swanton ✓
Visit Sebastopol and pick blackberries + Gravenstein apples ✓
Brunch at Howard’s in Occidental ✓
Eat lunch at Alice’s restaurant in La Honda ✓
Still to do…
Alameda Island sand castle contest
Cowell Ranch Beach
Parkside Aquatic Park
Tour the TESLA factory in Fremont
Castle Rock State Park
Alamere Falls
Burlingame
See the lights on Eucalyptus Street in San Carlos during the holidays
Emeryville horse races
A’s game
Niners game
Warriors game
Eating tour through Berkeley’s “gourmet ghetto”
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
Oakland Zoo
Run the wharf to wharf 10K in Santa Cruz/Capitola in July
Point Reyes
Climb to the top of Hoover Tower at Stanford
See the monarch butterflies at Natural Bridges State Park
Eat at Zachary’s Pizza in Oakland
Ride horses on the beach at Seahorse ranch in Half Moon Bay
Hiller Aviation Museum
Hot air balloon ride in Napa
Safari West in Santa Rosa
Felton Covered Bridge Park (tallest in U.S.A.!)
Sharks hockey game
See the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
Horseback riding at Garrod Farms in Saratoga
Horse races at Golden Gate Fields
Eat at Barbara’s Fishtrap at Pillar Point Harbor
Filoli Gardens
Tidepools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Ardenwood Historical Farm
Paddleboard / feed the ducks at Shoreline Park
Humboldt/ Redwoods
Goat Farm in Pescadero
Bean Hollow Beach
The Inkwells swimming hole
Henry W. Coe State Park
Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey
Chabot Space and Science Center
Watercourse Way Bath House Spa
Stevens Creek County Parks
Go ziplining in the Santa Cruz mountains
Begonia Festival in Capitola
Children’s Discovery Museum
Agaccio Farms
Hike Mt. Diablo
Eat at Nepenthe in Big Sur
See a movie and have dinner doing it at Rialto
Moffett Field Historical Society
Backpack the Lost Coast
Arroyo Seco river float
We’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful place with so much to do.
We’ve done a lot in the time we’ve lived here, but there is still so
much to see & do. We can’t wait to check more items off this list!
**See our guide to San Francisco here**
xo
'bay area bucket list' has 60 comments
October 28, 2013 @ 3:28 pm Brittany
I love this list and can’t wait to read more about the things you’ve done! I also love that hockey made the list! The Sharks are really good, so you’ll definitely have a good time. WOO!
October 28, 2013 @ 3:31 pm emi
good to know… it seems like everyone here is obsessed, so we have to go see what it’s all about!
October 28, 2013 @ 7:23 pm Kirsten Wiemer
i’ll probably have to use this list for our list haha. except that we haven’t done anything so its all a to do list haha. but there really are so many awesome things to do here.
October 29, 2013 @ 2:57 am emi
let’s do some together!
October 28, 2013 @ 9:28 pm Treasure Tromp
california academy of sciences is one of my favorite places! take me with you to the A’s game / come visit me when I’m visiting my family in Sonoma :)
October 28, 2013 @ 9:41 pm emi
ummm yes to both! your fam lives in sonoma, love that. we would be bffs i think! xo
October 30, 2013 @ 12:48 am Katie
I love this list! I live in Sacramento so it gives me lots of good ideas for dates with my guy or when I am traveling in the Bay Area for work. You should check out Apple Hill going towards Tahoe in the Fall :)
October 30, 2013 @ 2:22 am emi
love that! we are close! :)
we will put apple hill on the list..sounds amazing.
xo
October 30, 2013 @ 12:49 am smitzerland
Go take a number and wait for the best ice cream ever at Mitchell’s ice cream in San Francisco! When I think of home I think of Mitchell’s cantaloupe ice cream :) it’s a family owned stand alone old fashioned soda fountain type of place. You also have to go to a pride parade in the city at least once, run bay to breakers, hit hometown days in San Carlos, and check out the dolphin club at fisherman’s wharf, so much history there.
October 30, 2013 @ 12:50 am smitzerland
Go take a number and wait for the best ice cream ever at Mitchell’s ice cream in San Francisco! When I think of home I think of Mitchell’s cantaloupe ice cream :) it’s a family owned stand alone old fashioned soda fountain type of place. You also have to go to a pride parade in the city at least once, run bay to breakers, hit hometown days in San Carlos, and check out the dolphin club at fisherman’s wharf, so much history there.
October 30, 2013 @ 2:22 am emi
best tips! we will have to try them all!
October 30, 2013 @ 3:34 pm MarieL
Definitely going to have to do some of these with my family we’ve lived here our whole lives and haven’t done some of these yet. You must go to the cliff house!
October 30, 2013 @ 4:20 pm emi
i know– sometimes we don’t do things in the very place we live!! so we are excited to see more. glad to know you recommend the cliff house! xoxo
October 30, 2013 @ 4:02 pm [email protected] Nest
Wow! Having been born and raised in the Bay Area…and still living here…I am completely impressed with your lists and all that you have accomplished! Glad to see hike Mt. Diablo is on there…afterward lunch/dinner in downtown Danville is a must!
October 30, 2013 @ 4:19 pm emi
good to know! will do, thanks!
October 31, 2013 @ 5:34 am Gabrielle Bizzarro
Love all of these, makes me miss home!
– Ride the elevator to the top floor at the St. Francis Hotel in Union (walk right in like you own the place, straight back, elevators are to the left… breath taking view)
– See the lights on Eucalyptus Street in San Carlos during the holidays
– Eat lunch at Alice’s Restaurant in La Honda
– Boating on The Delta
– Stanford University
– Downtown Half Moon Bay
– Stay at the Madonna Inn on highway 101
– Thrift shop on Haight Street
– Participate in a protest
– Seahorse ranch in Half Moon Bay, ride horses down the beach
– HIller Aviation Museum
October 31, 2013 @ 1:56 pm emi
okay LOVE all of your suggestions! you just made me so excited to try these new great things you added! xoxo
October 31, 2013 @ 3:50 pm Sara
Love you’re bucket list. I’m from the east bay and still haven’t made it to alcatraz, lol.(lived here my whole life) I think it’s awesome you guys are doing this. Just wanted to give you a suggestion, you should try the Nightlife at the Academy of Sciences, usually everything thursday they have a theme with food and drinks, i’ve never been but heard it’s awesome(not sure if i saw it on your list) http://www.calacademy.org/events/nightlife/
Also for the berkeley(emeryville) horse races you should go on Sundays, it’s $1 sundays, hot dogs & beer it’s fun! (if you didn’t know already)
Enjoy you’re time here, I love it!
November 4, 2013 @ 8:08 pm emi
thanks for letting us know about those two things!!
October 31, 2013 @ 6:06 pm Patty Fletcher
Have you been to Fioli Garden in Woodside area? It’s beautiful. They have different events there too for the different seasons. Check it out.
November 4, 2013 @ 8:08 pm emi
we haven’t! i will add it to the list, thanks!
October 31, 2013 @ 7:27 pm Maggie Reardon
I visited the bay area for the first time a month or so ago and loved it! We pushed so much into our 3 days there but loved every minute of it!
nineteenmays.blogspot.com
November 2, 2013 @ 8:51 am Gagan Agarwal
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November 3, 2013 @ 3:27 am Sarah
You should add the Wave Organ and the Musée Mécanique at Fisherman’s Wharf. ;)
November 4, 2013 @ 8:07 pm emi
never heard of either! we’ll add them to the list- thanks!
November 3, 2013 @ 3:37 pm Lori
San Francisco city guides has a lot of free walking tours. I’m not from the bay area, but I love to visit! We take a few tours every time we come. Also – go to a musical! I saw both Wicked and Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco and they were wonderful!
November 4, 2013 @ 8:07 pm emi
thanks for reminding me, i want to try some of those walking tours! xo
November 4, 2013 @ 4:08 am Becky LeDuc
I had lived in the Bay Area until I was 21. I had no idea there was so much I missed out on. Thank you for the list. I will be doing these myself.
November 4, 2013 @ 4:09 am Becky LeDuc
I had lived in the Bay Area until I was 21. I had no idea there was so much I missed out on. Thank you for the list. I will be doing these myself.
November 4, 2013 @ 8:07 pm emi
love that! let us know of any others!
November 5, 2013 @ 5:53 am Andrea Seabrands
Livermore wineries, calastoga, capitola, wine train ;) love your list!!
November 5, 2013 @ 5:54 am Andrea Seabrands
Livermore wineries, calastoga, capitola, wine train ;) love your list!!
November 5, 2013 @ 10:33 pm Brooke Evans
Here’s our list! It’s all Oakland stuff with a little bit of Berkeley thrown in. Something that’s not on our list but that should be: Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley. It’s fantastic.
http://evansdirigibles-inc.blogspot.com/2013/07/dedicated-to-oakland.html
November 5, 2013 @ 10:53 pm Brooke Evans
This comment has been removed by the author.
November 5, 2013 @ 10:53 pm Brooke Evans
Oh! And if you are into running (as I’m guessing from the half marathons on here), there’s a Ragnar in Napa every year too. This year’s just happened, but if you will still be here in a year, it’s pretty cool. Awesome post! :)
November 7, 2013 @ 11:45 pm Emily
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in the summer. They roll back the prices to $1 per ride on Monday and Tuesday nights June-August. Make sure to ride the Giant Dipper. Hakone Gardens in Saratoga…a lovely Japanese garden on the hill overlooking the whole South Bay. Go to a summer evening concert at the Saratoga Mountain Winery. Kayak at Moss Landing and see the marine life in Elkhorn Slough. Eat deep fried artichokes at The Giant Artichoke in Castroville. Run the Wharf to Wharf 10K in Santa Cruz/Capitola in July. Ride the Roaring Camp train from Felton into Santa Cruz. Their ghost train in the fall is the best! See the monarch butterflies at the wintering grounds at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz. Go tide pooling while you’re there. Eat cheese blintzes at The Little Swiss Cafe in Carmel Village. Have coffee in the clubhouse at Pebble Beach. Go whale watching in the Monterey Bay. Eat ice cream at Marianne’s on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. Best peppermint ice cream in the world! Go horseback riding at Garrod Farms in Saratoga. Tour the NUMI plant (Toyota). You’ll be able to follow a car from start to finish on the assembly line. Tour the Jelly Belly factory. Go to the observatory on top of Mt. Hamilton. I was born and raised in the Santa Cruz area. So much to see and do! I love coming home to visit.
November 8, 2013 @ 5:48 am emi
haha okay this is amazing. thank you so much! can’t wait to add all of these! xo
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December 11, 2013 @ 6:25 pm Jaime Creager
Steam Trains at Tildon Park!
December 12, 2013 @ 6:39 am Gagan Agarwal
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January 7, 2014 @ 8:56 am Katherine Mathis
This is such a great list! I see the de Young on the “still to do list”…that is a must asap!! haha The art collections within the museum are beautiful, the building itself is beautiful, the grounds (a public golf course) are beautiful, and there are some AMAZING trails right on the cliffs. My all-time favorite place in SF.
January 7, 2014 @ 3:19 pm emi
so funny that you said that, we just finally visited it saturday! LOVED it…and the view from the tower–wow! XO
January 8, 2014 @ 11:34 am Gagan Agarwal
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January 22, 2014 @ 8:31 am Amy R
I saw Beach Blankey Babylon when I was there a few years ago with friends. It was sooo good. Def worth it.
February 4, 2014 @ 6:10 am Catherine
I live down south of you just a little bit and I wanted to add in just a few… Esalen in Big Sur… Great place to stay, or the yurts (or human nest!) at treebones is also great. AND, while you are in Big Sur, you’ve got to try Deetjen’s for breakfast or lunch. My favorite place to eat… Ever! Enjoy :)
February 4, 2014 @ 6:48 pm emi
love these! right up our alley :)
thanks so much!
March 26, 2014 @ 9:36 pm JENNA
best kept secret in the Bay Area: the hippy tree in Tiburon
May 20, 2014 @ 3:33 pm emi
i need to check that out now!!!
May 19, 2014 @ 11:01 pm Kelsey
Are you mormon?! You seem like it.. (: I mean that as a good thing!!
May 20, 2014 @ 3:32 pm emi
haha — yes!
August 5, 2014 @ 3:11 am mrsnpiol
Wow, I have lived here my whole life (minus a few years in Hawaii) & have yet to do many of these things!! Thanks for the great list!! Looks like my boys and I have to start checking some of these off our list :)) I would also add Yosemite!!
August 5, 2014 @ 3:26 pm emi
so glad!!! i need to update it soon, thanks for the yosemite suggestion! love that place. xoxo
October 20, 2014 @ 12:05 pm Marina Von
I really enjoyed reading your article! I used to live 3 years in San Francisco and eventhough I could cross off a lot from my bucket list, I still haven’t done everything I wanted to do! :D Keep enjoying your time in SF. I wish I could still live there too. I really miss the city! <3
October 30, 2014 @ 9:08 am Dennis Fletcher
Marinelli Tour!
August 31, 2015 @ 2:44 pm Bay Area Bucket List | The Adventurous Educator
[…] I stole most of this list from http://www.welltraveledwife.com/2013/10/bay-area-bucket-list.html Since I am most likely moving from the bay area soon-ish, I thought I would revise her list and […]
October 1, 2015 @ 12:31 pm 228 Bucket Lists. 10,000 Things To Do Before You Die.
[…] BAY AREA Bucket List | The Well Traveled Wife […]
October 8, 2015 @ 10:39 am Courtney
If you into backpacking don’t forget the Skyline-to-Sea trail in the South Bay!!
http://www.redwoodhikes.com/BigBasin/S-to-S.html