8 San Francisco Photo Spots to see in a Weekend

Are you heading to San Francisco for a weekend? Here are the 8 San Francisco photo spots to see on a 2 or 3-day trip!

One of my highlights last summer was my three-day trip to San Francisco. We had so much fun exploring the city and taking photos. There is so much to see in San Francisco, but I wanted to highlight eight spots that you could check out in San Francisco over a weekend.

If you’re heading to San Francisco this year and looking for Instagram-worthy spots in San Francisco, this blog post is for you.

Here are 8 San Francisco photo spots to see on a long weekend:

1. The Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach

Address: Baker Beach, San Francisco CA

While there are many spots to see the Golden Gate Bridge around the city, one of my favorite spots to see the bridge was from Baker Beach. While there is a parking lot at this beach, it was pretty full when we visited (we took a Lyft from our hotel).

2. Son and Garden

Address: 700 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

If you’re looking for a cute lunch spot in San Francisco, stop by Son and Garden. They have three locations: San Francisco, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto. We visited the Son in Garden in San Francisco. I recommend making reservations ahead of time on Open Table.

This restaurant is decorated so beautifully, and the food and drink presentation were also excellent.

3. The Painted Ladies

Address: Steiner St & Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94117

One of the most iconic landmarks in San Francisco is the Painted Ladies. The Painted Ladies is genuinely one of the best photo spots in San Francisco.

The Painted Ladies are Edwardian and Victorian houses in Alamo Square Park. The Painted Ladies is on Steiner Street and known as “Postcard Row.”

4. Greetings from San Francisco Mural in Umbrella Alley

Address: 757 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Suppose you’re looking for an Instagrammable spot to take a photo in San Francisco. In that case, I recommend checking out the Greetings from San Francisco mural in Umbrella Alley. Umbrella Alley is on Fisherman’s Wharf. The Greetings from San Francisco Mural was created in 2019 by Maxfield Bala.

There is no entrance fee to enter Umbrella Alley. Still, there is a recommended $5 donation per guest to support the artist. You can also make a direct donation using CashApp to alleyartists or on Venmo using: alley-artists.

5. Umbrella Alley

Address: 757 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94109

There are seven murals in Umbrella Alley. One of my favorites was the “I left my heart in San Francisco” installment!

6. Three Gems by James Turrell

Address: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118

Three Gems was commissioned for the de Young Museum reopening in 2005. Turrell created a “skyspace” that features a view of the sky altered with LED lights. Viewers can sit on the circular stone bench inside to see the skyspace. This exhibit is outside the de Young Museum.  

7. San Francisco City Hall

Address: 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102

The original San Francisco City Hall was destroyed in the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906. Arthur Brown Jr. designed a new city hall in 1913 in preparation for the World’s Fair of 1915. San Francisco City Hall is open to the public.

Maddy suggested we stop by San Francisco City Hall to take a few photos. We loved the grand staircase and the dome inside. It was breathtaking inside.

8. The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus

Address: 150 Stockton St Level Four, San Francisco, CA 94108

Suppose you’re looking for a beautiful place for lunch or afternoon tea. In that case, I recommend checking out the Rotunda inside Neiman Marcus. Maddy and I got dressed up in Selkie dresses for a fancy lunch. We didn’t know that afternoon tea was only available Thursday-Saturday at 3 pm and 3:45 pm. If our schedule in San Francisco had worked out, we would have booked an afternoon tea session! I recommend booking a reservation on Open Table ahead of time.

After eating lunch, we decided to take a few photos on other floors of Neiman Marcus to highlight the Rotunda’s beautiful ceiling. The Rotunda was a great dining experience and one of the best photo spots in San Francisco we visited that weekend.

Thank you for reading 8 San Francisco Photo Spots to see in a weekend!

What other San Francisco photography spots do you recommend checking out?

For more photo spots in other cities, I recommend checking out:

30 Most Instagrammable Places in Paris

10 Eiffel Tower Photo Spots for Your First Time in Paris

15 Most Instagrammable Places in San Diego

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Emma

Photos: @madcrayy