15 Instagrammable Tours And Spots In San Francisco, California - Updated 2024

Sumit
Sumit 
Updated
| 7 min read

San Francisco is popularly known for its Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and Victorian houses. It is located in northern California and is surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. No other city is as picture-perfect as this destination. Decked with street art, Clarion Alley is always ready for vibrant pictures to highlight your Instagram feed. Pose to click the best of your shots in front of the flower garden on Alcatraz, which will brighten the background on your Instagram clicks. Foodies of Instagram will love a visit to the streets of Japantown, which is the center of cultural shops and restaurants. Colorful ice-cream shots on an Instagram story will calm your sweet tooth even if you are not physically present. Unwind at Baker Beach to create an Instagram story on filtered pictures of the soft sand, waves of the Bay and the Golden Gate visible from here. With so many places to visit in San Francisco, here are some of the most Instagrammable tours and spots in the city.

1. San Francisco sunset photography tour (from USD 350.0)

A half-day Sunset Photography Tour is a great way to enjoy live camera moments while admiring the beautiful skyline. You’ll get to visit the visually interesting locations and capture treasured memories for your Instagram feed. The photographer guide is very helpful and gives you immense time to click the best at the wonderful scenic locations. The tour offers you great opportunity to give your best shot at Marin Headlands or Baker Beach from where you can take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. Other popular Instagram photo destinations are the Palace of Fine Arts – Lighted, Treasure Island – San Francisco Skyline & Bay Bridge, Painted Ladies and Telegraph Hill.

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San Francisco Sunset Photography Tour

Duration: 3 hours

27 reviews

2. San Francisco photography day tour (from USD 320.0)

Enjoy a four-hour San Francisco photography day tour for a chance to learn about the professional tricks from the photographer guide, and click an Instagram-worthy shot. A comfortable journey in a Land Rover with a small group takes you to the most iconic spots. You can pose to give your best shot at the Coit Tower, North Beach Italian neighborhood, Lombard Street, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pacific Heights mansions, Lyon Street steps, the Presidio, or Fort Point. Keep your cameras ready to capture the moments at Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks, or the Palace of Fine Arts.

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San Francisco Photography Day Tour

Duration: 3 hours

3 reviews

3. San Francisco sunrise photography tour (from USD 35.0)

The Sunrise Photography Tour is a four-hour affair and, just like the name suggests, get ready to click the best shots of sunrise on your camera before the crowd takes over the place. The photographer guide helps you throughout the journey to bring out the hidden secrets of the beaches and landscapes through your lens. The stunning spots include many beautiful places like the Palace of Fine Arts, Slacker Hill, Hawk Hill, or Baker Beach. You will get a chance to visit the Point Bonita lighthouse, which is situated at the San Francisco Bay entrance. Climb up the stairs to get a clear picture of the mesmerizing landscape when the sun rises from the east.

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San Francisco Sunrise Photography Tour

Duration: 3 hours

12 reviews

4. Downtown and Embarcadero private walking tour (from USD 106.0)

This tour is perfect as it offers a special private walking tour of some great spots of San Fransisco. Not only will you explore back alleys, but you’ll get to visit a rooftop garden. You’ll get to hear the city’s story of many fortunes made and lost from an experienced guide, while you click perfect shots of the Transamerica Pyramid for your Instagram feed. The tour takes you through the Ferry Building, where they can create perfect food stories for Instagram. This tour lasts for about two hours.

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Downtown and Embarcadero Private Walking Tour

Duration: 2 hours

5. Private walking tour of Chinatown and North Beach (from USD 106.0)

Take a walk down the lanes of Chinatown and North Beach and acquire some historical knowledge of these two photogenic districts. This private tour of two-hours will take you on a leisure walk from the Dragon’s Gate in Chinatown to Washington Square in North Beach. Your professional guide will help you take home cherished photographs of the famous eateries as well as cultural and historical landmarks. Pay a visit to the Fortune Cookie Factory or witness the street performances to create a perfect story on the Instagram page. Click a photo in front of the lantern-lit Grant Street with your friend or pose with a book at the City Light bookstore. Unwind with a cup of coffee at one of the famous cafes in San Francisco’s Little Italy tour.

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Private San Francisco Walking Tour of Chinatown and North Beach

Duration: 2 hours

3 reviews

6. Art and architecture walking tour of Union Square and Chinatown (from USD 35.0)

Step out for a lifetime experience in this 2.5-hour walking tour of Chinatown and Union Square. Immerse yourself in the city’s oldest streets of Chinatown while you gain knowledge about the amazing history behind it. You can also opt for a cable car tour where you can take moving snapshots of the Union Square’s Clift Hotel, luxury boutiques and architectural buildings. If you are a history lover, the story of Chinese immigration and the cultural knowledge of San Francisco will entertain you. You can also look for Feng Shui symbols while you take a stroll down the alleyways, tea shops, markets, bakeries and herbalists.

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San Francisco Union Square and Chinatown Art and Architecture

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

20 reviews

7. Coastal Marin Headlands hike from San Francisco (from USD 84.0)

coastal marin headlands hike from san francisco
Source: www.viator.com

Ready for a hiking trip? Trekking for six hours to reach the Golden Gate on the Marin Headlands is a worthy story that will inspire your Instagram feed. You can take a walk through the hills of this coastline and click picture-postcard shots of the San Francisco Bay and the Rodeo Beach. Head to the Point Bonita Lighthouse, from where you can take mesmerizing snaps of the beautiful Pacific Ocean. You can also stop at the Marine Mammal Center, where you can learn about the rescue and rehabilitation process of injured mammals and also click close-up pictures of seals and sea lions.

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Coastal Marin Headlands Hike from San Francisco

Duration: 6 hours

1 review

8. Alcatraz and ferry building food tour (from USD 174.0)

Enjoy a Ferry Building Food Tour with a food expert and end your trip after paying a visit to Alcatraz. The tour starts at Ferry Building’s main entrance and continues for an hour-long stroll across various restaurants. You can taste the yummy chocolates from Recchiuti or calm your sweet tooth with the seasonal fruit tarts from Frog Hollow. The other relishing delicacies include cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, Vietnamese spring rolls and lots more. Take some beautiful shots of the Bay Bridge or Golden Gate Bridge while you ride the ferry to Alcatraz. On landing, take a look around the National Park, which is previously known to be a federal prison.

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San Francisco Ferry Building Food Tour and Alcatraz Admission

Duration: 1 to 4 hours

151 reviews

9. Golden Gate Park segway tour (from USD 89.0)

If you opt for a Segway tour of the beautiful Golden Gate Park, while passing by many attractive hot spots, this is the best way to explore it. Leave all your tensions behind while you create a video of the Japanese Tea Gardens, or the de Young Museum, or the California Academy of Sciences for your Instagram travel diaries. The tour lasts for two and a half hours and you can gain immense knowledge, from your private guide, about the hidden gems and history of this park. The tour also allows you to catch a glimpse of the Shakespeare Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers, Stow Lake, and the lawn bowling courts.

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San Francisco Golden Gate Park 2.5-Hour Segway Tour

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

483 reviews

10. Walking tour of San Francisco Financial District (from USD 35.0)

Travel back in time by visiting the Financial District of San Francisco, which was formerly known as the Barbary Coast of California. Enjoy the tales of buried ships, Wild West saloons and fortune hunters from your tour guide. The walking tour starts at Union Square, and it will take you past the modern skyscrapers to the Bank of America Plaza on the streets of California. Tourists will also be taken along the infamous Barbary Coast and their 2.5-hour long trip will end at the Palace Hotel on Market Street, where you can visit a café for some hot tea at your own expense.

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San Francisco Financial District Architecture Walking Tour

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

27 reviews

The following content is contributed by Anne Sewell, Trip101 Writer

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11. Japantown

Japantown (Nihonmachi) is a historical district in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. This is the place to enjoy genuine sushi, shabu-shabu, and ramen in the local restaurants. There is also a variety of kitsch gift and souvenir shops, specialty grocery stores, Asian day spas, and karaoke bars. Take the perfect selfie to share with your friends at the five-tiered Peace Pagoda in a plaza in Japantown, a place where many community events are held, including the iconic Cherry Blossom Festival.

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San Francisco Food Tour: A Taste of Japantown

Duration: 3 hours

15 reviews

12. Mount Davidson

Mount Davidson, San Francisco
Source: Pexels

Take a selfie with a panoramic view of the city on Mount Davidson in San Francisco. At a height of 927 feet (283 meters), it is the highest natural point in the city. Mount Davidson is close to the center of the city and is a great walking or hiking spot. Head up the hill from the park gate and walk or drive around the mountain. There is also a cross located right on the top, known as the Mount Davidson Cross.

Mount Davidson

Address: 39 Dalewood Way, San Francisco, California, USA

Website: Mount Davidson

Opening hours: 6am - 10pm

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13. Sutro Baths (from USD 59.0)

Sutro Baths used to be a privately owned public swimming pool complex, located in the Lands End area of western San Francisco. The complex was constructed in 1896 and it is close to the Sutro Heights Park, Seal Rocks, and Cliff House. Before the saltwater baths closed in 1966, it had become an ice-skating rink. There was a fire at the complex in June 1966 which led to its closure. Now it makes an interesting spot to take Instagram images to share with friends and followers.

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Golden Gate Bridge, Sutro Baths, Cliff House Walking Tour

Duration: 4 hours

10 reviews

14. City Hall (from USD 75.0)

city hall

Built of granite and steel and housing white marble interiors, the City Hall is a Beaux-Arts monument to San Francisco’s City Beautiful movement, which formed part of the American Renaissance between the 1880s and 1917. It was built after the original City Hall was destroyed during the great earthquake and fire on April 18, 1906. It is possible to get married here and then take the perfect image to share on Instagram.

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San Francisco: Union Square Cable Car City Tour

Duration: 3 hour

7 reviews

15. Lombard Street (from USD 54.0)

Lombard Street is popular with tourists for its steep, one-block section of road which has eight hairpin turns. This is dubbed as being the “most crooked street in the world.” The street runs east to west from The Presidio to The Embarcadero and has featured in many chase scenes at the movies, including “What’s Up Doc?” and “Good Neighbor Sam.” Take images from the top of the steep hill for best effect!

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Coit Tower, Lombard Street, North Beach SF Urban Hiking Tour

Duration: 3 hours

11 reviews

Have fun on your visit to San Francisco

Enjoy sharing your images with friends and followers on social media while visiting these Instagrammable places in San Francisco, California, USA.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
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Sumit lived in the UK for 10 years and experienced the hustle and bustle of the urban life. However, the serene Scottish country side is where his heart lies. He is still unable to understand Welsh...Read more

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