We Had 48 Hours in San Francisco. Here's What We'd Actually Do Again
We landed in San Francisco on a Saturday morning after pulling an all-nighter. No sleep, overpacked bags, and a passport scare that had us turning around on the freeway 20 minutes from home. By the time we touched down, we had exactly two days before our flight to Tokyo.
Here's what we figured out.
Where We Stayed (and Why It Mattered)
We chose the Kemp Alton at Fisherman's Wharf and it turned out to be a smart call. The touristy location felt like a drawback at first, but it put us within walking distance of almost everything. Happy hour from 5 to 6 with actual good drink options. A bring-a-plant-to-your-room situation that we genuinely loved.
If you're in San Francisco for only 48 hours, proximity is everything. Don't get a deal across the city and spend your time in transit.
The Move That Changed Our Whole First Day: Brunch at Drink and Board
We were running on fumes and needed a real meal fast. A short walk from the hotel, we found what turned out to be the best meal of the whole trip. An American breakfast with a slight Asian twist. The kind of spot that makes you nervous you peaked too early. We did.
When a restaurant hits that hard on day one, everything after it has to compete.
The lesson: Don't overthink your first meal. Walk toward wherever you see people eating.
Ghirardelli Square: Worth It, But Go for One Thing
We walked to Ghirardelli Square because you're supposed to. What we'd tell you is this: skip the full box and just get one specialty chocolate. We went for the dark chocolate lava cake and the raspberry. Both under $3 each, both worth it.
The Dubai chocolate sold out before we got there, which apparently happens constantly. Go early if that's your target.
This whole area, including the waterfront, is a good walk. The views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate from the beach area caught us off guard. We sat there longer than we planned.
The Waymo Situation
Yes, we took a Waymo. No, we don't regret it.
$14 for a short ride, no driver, car refused to move until we buckled up. Christian wanted to sit up front. We chose the full backseat chauffeur experience instead. The car correctly navigated traffic, stopped for pedestrians, and got us there without incident.
Uber would have been $10. But you're in San Francisco and Waymos exist here. The experience is worth the extra $4 once.
Home Plate for Brunch on Day Two
This one required a little more intention to find, but it was the right call. We sat in a booth with an outlet, which mattered because we had footage to upload. The meatlover's omelette, the potato pancakes, and a latte. Solid.
Skip it if you need fast wifi. Go if you want a real neighborhood breakfast before a big travel day.
What We Skipped (and Whether We Regret It)
Alcatraz: We saw it from the beach. The views from the waterfront are genuinely good. The ticket price to actually go required more planning than we had, and honestly, seeing it from the shore was enough for a 48-hour stop.
Cable cars: We asked about the lines, got pointed to the sign above our heads by someone who answers that question 20 times a day, and decided we had enough to do. Worth it if you have a full day. Not essential for 48 hours.
Golden Gate Bridge: We saw it from Marina Green and from the waterfront. If you want to walk across it, plan a half day and go to Sausalito after. We didn't have that time.
What we'd do differently: get a non-refundable reservation somewhere to force ourselves off the couch after the nap we definitely took.
The Honest Budget Breakdown
San Francisco's touristy areas are genuinely expensive. We leaned on a $75 Amex Platinum Lululemon credit for the leggings purchase, which helped offset a day that was otherwise heavy on food spending.
For two days in the Fisherman's Wharf area, budget more than you think on meals. The brunch spots and dinner spots we liked were not cheap. We found one dinner spot for under $25 per person by asking Claude to find something non-chain, within a 20-minute walk, that felt like San Francisco. It worked. The seafood risotto and the clam chowder were the right answer.
For cheaper eats, In-N-Out exists here and it's still In-N-Out. We ended our last night there. No notes.
The Real Lesson From This Trip
We were overtired, underpacked (and overpacked, somehow), and working through repacking logistics before a year in Asia. We didn't see everything. We weren't trying to.
We had a great brunch, walked along the water, took a driverless car for fun, mailed postcards, got work done from a coffee shop, and found a genuinely good dinner because we asked the right question.
48 hours in San Francisco doesn't have to mean cramming in every landmark. It can mean actually experiencing the city a little, resting enough to be functional, and knowing which three or four things are worth your time.
For us, it was the waterfront, the food, and the Waymo.
Planning a longer stop in a city you've never been? Read our post on how we decide where to go next — and how long to stay.
Christian & Rachel
Life With Rachel and Christian