Neighborhood
Fisherman's Wharf
San Francisco’s classic waterfront, packed with attractions: an antique arcade, an aquarium, sourdough bakeries and hot fudge sundaes.
About Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf is the most visited and least beloved part of San Francisco, and both facts are fair. It began as a real fishing harbour worked largely by Sicilian and Genoese families, and a small fleet still lands crab here, but most of what you see is built for visitors.
The trick is knowing which three blocks matter. The sea lions, the antique arcade, the historic ships and the walk west to Aquatic Park and Ghirardelli Square are genuinely good. The souvenir shops and the sit-down seafood houses on Jefferson Street are not where locals eat.
It is foggy and windy most afternoons, even in July, and it is the easiest neighborhood in the city for young kids, because so much of it is free and outdoors.
Our neighborhood lines are based on DataSF's Analysis Neighborhoods, adjusted where visitors use a smaller area or a different name: Dogpatch and Fisherman's Wharf stand on their own, and the Richmond and the Sunset are each kept whole.
How Far Is It?
- Alcatraz ferry at Pier 330.5 mi · a 10 minute walk
- Union Square1.5 mi · 15 min by cable car
- Golden Gate Bridge3.5 mi · 12–18 min drive
- Golden Gate Park4.5 mi · 20–25 min drive
- SFO airport14 mi · 25–35 min drive
Getting here: Both Powell cable car lines end here, at Hyde and Beach and at Bay and Taylor. The F-line historic streetcar runs the length of the waterfront to the Ferry Building and the Castro. Buses 8, 19, 30 and 47. Parking is expensive, often $30–50 a day.
What to See
The Pier 39 Sea Lions
They took over the docks after the 1989 earthquake and never left. Numbers swing with the season, so check the webcam before a special trip.
Musée Mécanique
One of the largest collections of antique arcade machines anywhere. Bring quarters and set a per-kid budget.
Ghirardelli Square
An 1893 chocolate factory turned open plaza, with samples and room for kids to run.
Aquatic Park
A sheltered cove where people actually swim, with a curved pier to walk out on and a 1930s bathhouse.
Hyde Street Pier
Home of the national park’s historic ships, but the pier is closed for a rebuild and the fleet has been moved out of the city. Check the Park Service site before planning around it.
The Crab Stands on Jefferson Street
Steaming pots on the sidewalk, cracked Dungeness in season. The one Wharf tradition locals will admit to.
Things to Do
Aquarium of the Bay
Walk-through tunnels under sharks and rays from the bay itself, plus touch pools. Indoors, which matters here.
Alcatraz
Book about 90 days ahead through the official operator; it sells out. Two and a half to three hours on the island.
A Bay Cruise
An hour under the bridge and around the island, and the cheapest way onto the water.
Walk to Aquatic Park and Ghirardelli
Fifteen minutes west along the water, and the crowds thin with every block.
Ride the Cable Car up the Hill
Board at Hyde and Beach, where the line is shorter than downtown, and ride over Russian Hill.
Where to Eat
The Crab Stands, Jefferson Street
Cracked crab and a shrimp cocktail, eaten standing up. Cheaper and better than most tables behind them.
Boudin at the Wharf
Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and a bakery window where you can watch the bread being shaped.
Scoma’s
A family-run pier restaurant since 1965, and the one sit-down seafood house locals still rate. Book ahead.
In-N-Out Burger
Not local colour, but it is cheap, fast and the kids will eat it.
Ghirardelli Ice Cream
A hot fudge sundae big enough to share, in the old factory courtyard.
Upcoming in Fisherman's Wharf
Fleet Week Ship Tours
Fleet Fest
Fisherman’s Wharf Chowder Fest
San Francisco Veterans Day Parade
PIER 39 Christmas Tree Lighting
Places We Rate in Fisherman's Wharf
Aquarium of the Bay
Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf
Musée Mécanique
The Original Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop
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Read the guide →Questions People Ask About Fisherman's Wharf
Is Fisherman’s Wharf a tourist trap?
Partly. The souvenir shops and the sit-down seafood restaurants on Jefferson Street trade on the address. The sea lions, Musée Mécanique, Aquatic Park and Ghirardelli Square are genuinely good and mostly free, and everything improves as you walk west from Pier 39.
What is the best thing to do at Fisherman’s Wharf?
Watch the sea lions on K-Dock at Pier 39, which costs nothing, then spend a roll of quarters in the antique arcade at Musée Mécanique. Alcatraz ferries leave from Pier 33 nearby and need booking about ninety days ahead.
Can you visit the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier?
Not at the moment. The pier is closed for a rebuild and the ships have been moved out of the city temporarily, so check the National Park Service site before planning around them.
How do you get to Fisherman’s Wharf?
The F-line historic streetcar along the Embarcadero at the normal Muni fare, or either Powell cable car line, which end at Hyde and Beach and at Bay and Taylor. Parking garages here run thirty to fifty dollars a day.