Everything You Need to See in San Francisco

Since I’ve been living in Cali for a few months I’m on a mission to get the most out of my experience here. We’ve been doing lots of fun weekend trips around the area and finally made it up to San Francisco. The area had been on my list for awhile so I was psyched to finally explore the city. San Francisco is lively, charming and full of character, so makes for a perfect weekend getaway. Plus it’s super photogenic! From the sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge to the charming rows of Victorian Houses everything is just begging to be shot for the gram! One of my travel resolutions is to find the balance between creating content and enjoying the moments when travelling, so I spent my San Francisco weekend capturing content and having a blast!

Here are my picks for the most Instagram friendly places to stop at on a quick trip to San Francisco

The Cable Cars

The cable cars are incredibly cute and a great way to get around town. If you find them parked along California Street you can get some great photos before they start moving.

The Golden Gate Bridge

No trip to San Francisco is complete without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s truly a stunner, and if you can catch it at sunset even better. The famous Kirby Cove swing has been cut down, but you can see great views of the bridge from the area, as well as from Fort Point or the Golden Gate Overlook.

The Ferry Building

The Ferry Building has a great view (if you can see it through the fog!), plus plenty of adorable shops and an outdoor market. Snap some pics then save your energy for shopping and sampling.

And I didn’t make it, but honorary mentions go to the “painted ladies” row houses that are famous for Full House, the Mosaic Stairs, and the Pink House. Plus you absolutely have to make it up to Napa Valley for a day trip! There are hundreds of vineyards, tasting rooms and shops in the downtown area that are begging to be explored. If you have a car and can designate a driver, do it yourself and explore at your leisure! And you can take the scenic route back to see some of the redwoods. That’s what we did, but that was my day off from shooting so I didn’t get any good pics, because balance! If no one wants to drive or you don’t have a rental car there are plenty of tour companies that provide full service.

Let me know how you like San Fran, and whatever else is on your California Travel Bucket List! Domestic travel will only get more popular this year, so spend some time planning fun weekend trips that don’t require a passport.

If you want to speed up your content creation or just give your friends a break from taking your pics, I highly recommend booking a quick shoot with a local photographer. I found the talent I used for this trip and Palm Springs on Snappr and am obsessed! In a one-hour shoot we were able to bang out multiple looks and locations, and you get your photos within 48 hours. I also like AirBnB Experiences for finding fun, unique things to do, and you can often find photoshoots listed. It’s safer and easier to book via a platform if you don’t have connections in the area, and the prices are way more favorable. More about how I get great travel photos here!