When you are from a city that is an all-time tourist attraction, be prepared to show your non-Bay Area friends a good time in San Francisco! From the food to the shopping to the culture and history, you will be able to show your friends an amazing time and let them know why you are from the best city on earth!

Here is my list of go-to activities in San Francisco:

1. Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States and it is considered to be one of the most photographed things on Earth! Tourists can walk, drive, and bike across the infamous bridge. The Golden Gate was built in 1937 and it connects the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. The Golden Gate is also the tallest bridge in the United States. Lastly, the bridge is considered an orange vermilion hue called international orange, this color complements the natural surroundings and enhances the bridge's visibility in the fog.

The Bay Bridge is another tourist attraction as it lights up at night and can be viewed from multiple locations! One great place to see the Bay Bridge is the restaurant, EPIC Steak. EPIC Steak has phenomenal meals and an amazing view of San Francisco!

2. Museums

There are many famous museums in San Francisco including the SFMOMA, the Exploratorium, the Museum of Ice Cream, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the California Academy of Sciences.

The Museum of Ice Cream is one of the current trendy tourist attractions in San Francisco! There are three other locations: Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. As they are pop up museums, the San Francisco museum closes in May 2018.

3. Cable Cars

The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last manually operated cable car system. The 23 lines were established between 1873 and 1890 and only three lines remain. Two of the three lines run through Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf. The third line runs along California Street. Cable Cars have 7 million annual passengers mainly consisting of tourists!

4. Alcatraz

Alcatraz is one of the most iconic spots to visit when in San Francisco as it has a great deal of history. The Alcatraz Island is home to an abandoned federal prison, the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast, early military fortifications, and a military prison (1868). The Island is open to tours and it typically takes 15 minutes by ferry ride from Pier 33 to get there. The federal prison lasted from 1934 to 1963 and it was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons. Alcatraz housed 1,576 of America's most ruthless criminals. Criminals such as Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, and Frank Morris. Of the 14 escape attempts during the 29 years of the prison's existence, the most successful was the "Escape from Alcatraz" by Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin in June 1962, a year before the prison closed.

5. Union Square

Union Square is a public plaza located in the heart of downtown San Francisco. There is central shopping, hotels, and the theater district that surrounds the plaza for several blocks. Tourists most commonly come to Union Square to go shopping and eat food!

6. Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf is a very popular tourist attraction in San Francisco. The area consists of Ghirardelli Square to Pier 35. The area is most popularly known for Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, and the abundance of fresh seafood from stands to restaurants! Pier 39 is known for its shopping, food, candy stores, video arcades, the Aquarium of the Bay, and the California sea lions. You can also see the Golden Gate, the Bay Bridge, Angel Island, and Alcatraz from here!

Ghirardelli Square is another common tourist attraction in Fisherman's Wharf! There are countless shops, restaurants, Ghirardelli Chocolate, and a five-star hotel in this square. In 1893, Domenico Ghirardelli purchased the entire city block to make the headquarters of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. The square still stands today as a National Register of Historic Places thanks to two San Franciscans named William M. Roth and Lurline Matson Roth. The mother and son saved the square from being replaced with an apartment building.

7. AT&T Park

AT&T Park is the home of the San Francisco Giants. The Giants played at AT&T Park since 2000 and have won three World Series here. The ballpark is along the San Francisco Bay and a portion of the stadium is named McCovey Cove in honor of the former player, Willie McCovey.

The ballpark is also famously known for its Coke bottle slide and glove! Outside the stadium, the park has six statues, five of which are in honor of SF Giants all-time great players. There are also 24 palm trees in honor of Willie Mays, who was number 24. AT&T Park is a must-see for all sports fans as the ballpark is considered one of the most beautiful parks in the MLB!

8. Food

San Francisco has some of the best food in the world! Tourists are often attracted to the uniqueness, quality, and fresh taste of all the fine dining and desert places throughout San Francisco. There is an abundance of seafood, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and more in the city. You are also able to get high-quality acai and juices all throughout the city. Nightlife is included when finding the best bite to eat as many bars are located near restaurants or serve their own food.

The Mission, the Marina, Financial District, North Beach, and SoMa are all known for their fantastic restaurants, deserts, and nightlife. Finding a great place to eat is not hard when you're in San Francisco!

9. Chinatown

Chinatown in San Francisco, CA is the oldest in North America and the largest Chinese enclave outside of Asia. Chinatown was established in 1848 and it has been highly influential in the history and culture of the Chinese immigrants in North America. More tourists visit Chinatown annually than the Golden Gate Bridge therefore it is a great place to visit!

10. War Memorial Opera House

The War Memorial Opera House is a very popular tourist attraction that people from all over the world come to see. It is also across the street from San Francisco City Hall. The War Memorial Opera House has been the home to the San Francisco Opera since 1932. The Opera House is even mentioned in popular culture as Edward and Vivian of Pretty Woman fly on a private jet to the San Francisco Opera House from Los Angeles to see La Traviata.

11. Lombard Street

Lombard Street is an east-west street in San Francisco that is famous for its steep one-block street with eight turns. Lombard Street is considered one of the "crookedest streets in the world" and it is a very popular tourist attraction. It attracts two million visitors a year!

12. The Painted Ladies

The Painted Ladies are Victorian and Edwardian styled homes in San Francisco. These houses were built between 1849 and 1915 and were painted in bright colors. The most popular row is on 710–720 Steiner Street across from Alamo Square Park. This particular block appears in the media frequently including 70 movies, TV programs, and ads, including the opening credits of Full House and Fuller House.

13. Haight-Ashbury

The Haight-Ashbury District is known for its hippie culture especially in the 1960s. The 1960s hippie movement in the Haight attracted teens and adults all over America. Activities in this area were almost reported daily. The community at the time was based on counterculture ideals, drugs, and music. San Francisco bands like the Grateful Dead were a big part of the psychedelic music movement. The members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Janis Joplin all lived close to the Haight-Ashbury intersection and knew many in the community.

In the 1980s, the Haight became the scene of San Francisco Comedy. A small coffee house, known as The Other Café became a full-time comedy club that helped launch the careers of Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, and Dana Carvey. Tourists tend to visit Amoeba Music, Ben & Jerry's, the Grateful Dead house, the Red Victorian hotel, Coffee Shops, Thrift Shops, and much more when in The Haight! Don't forget to take a picture of The Haight-Ashbury sign!