10 Best Viewpoints in San Francisco

Twin Peaks is one of the tallest viewpoints in San Francisco. It’s located in a residential neighbourhood close to the city and is free to access. The whole area is a popular spot for hiking, dog walking, and enjoying the sweeping views.

You can drive up to the summit to see many of San Francisco’s most famous landmarks in one panoramic frame with the Pacific Ocean in the background. It’s an extremely popular vantage point, even at night. Dress appropriately because it gets chilly. 

Coit Tower is a looming feature rising above the trees in Pioneer Park. It’s 210 ft tall, which is hardly sky scraping, but allows for a surprisingly unobstructed panoramic view of San Francisco city skyline and out into the Bay. This landmark was built in memory of firemen who died in the line of duty, and the design resembles a fire hose. 

Don’t miss the murals painted by famous artists on the ground floor of the tower. They portray everyday scenes from the early 20th century.

Located at Battery Park West, the Golden Gate Overlook is one of the most convenient viewpoints in San Fran because you can catch the PresidiGo Shuttle system free of charge from many spots in the city and it will drop you right next to the viewpoint. The view itself is almost parallel with the bridge, rather than the side-on perspective from most other popular spots.

Hawk Hill is a Golden Gate National Recreation Area, offering amazing views of San Francisco’s most famous bridge, along with Lands End and Ocean Beach – as long as the visibility is good enough. 

The drive is fairly easy, but traffic can be intense on weekends. Every autumn, this is a good spot to see hawks and raptors on their migration south. It’s also popular for hiking and bike riding. There are no shops, so bring a few supplies with you and be prepared for brisk winds.

The infamous island prison, Alcatraz, is a 15-minute ferry ride from San Francisco. Also nicknamed The Rock, Alcatraz is now a museum with many features to see. Several stops around the island provide you with breathtaking views. There are several trails around the island, with many places to stop and get panoramic shots of San Francisco from across the Bay. 

Lands End Park is a popular recreational spot on the northwest corner of San Francisco. There are miles of coastal paths and walking trails to enjoy, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and several shipwrecks dating back hundreds of years. A popular spot for families is the Lands End Labyrinth – a fun puzzle marked out in stones just next to Mile Rock Beach. The trails can be quite steep though, so you’ll need a moderate level of fitness and decent footwear. Stop for lunch or refreshing drink at the legendary Cliff House restaurant at the end of the walking trail. 

Bernal Heights Park is a hilltop expanse of grass and trees rising out of the western suburbs. It’s a great spot to watch a sunrise in San Francisco. The view from Bernal Heights is similar to the more famous Twin Peaks, but without all the crowds. You get a beautiful panorama of the sprawling suburbs in the foreground before the skyscrapers of the Financial District and the Pacific Ocean beyond. 

This view has been immortalised in movies, TV shows, picture postcards and even souvenir plates. The juxtaposition of the row of pretty Victorian and Edwardian timber houses in the foreground, with the towering modern skyscrapers behind, represents the mix of old and new in San Francisco in one panoramic frame. Alamo Square is easy to find, just a few miles from the Financial District and Fisherman’s Wharf. 

Battery Spencer is the place to head to for capturing that iconic photo of the Golden Gate Bridge stretching into San Francisco. It’s a view you’ve probably seen dozens of times before. The high-cliff viewpoint makes for jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, plus Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, and Fort Baker Bridge.

Once you’ve snapped photos to your heart’s content, be sure to walk around the battery. You can explore inside the old abandoned military fort and see where the soldiers lived and defended San Francisco Bay from 1896 to 1942.

Point Bonita Lighthouse is perched on a rocky outcrop on the north side of the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It offers breathtaking views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. Reaching the lighthouse requires a half-mile walk along a steep trail through a rock-cut tunnel and then over a suspension bridge.

The tunnel is only open Sundays and Mondays from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm. If you’re unable to plan a trip on those days, you can still see the lighthouse and enjoy all the views from above the headlands.