San Francisco 1 day Itinerary on a budget: Enjoy San francisco with less than 20$
In this 1 day San Francisco itinerary you will see that the best things in San Francisco are free! Although San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the US, you can spend the day exploring it without breaking the bank (spending anywhere from $8 to $50).
Let’s dive into the ultimate 1-day San Francisco itinerary!
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1. Presidio National Park
- Cost: Free
- Time needed: 1-2 hours (although you can keep yourself entertained for a whole day here!)
- Address: 215 Lincoln Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94129
Let’s start the day by taking in some of the most beautiful views in town. At Presidio National Park, you get a privileged view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Alcatraz. This might be the best photo spot in all of San Francisco! Check out the views of the park in my San Francisco vlog featuring Presidio National Park
Presidio is not like your typical national park; it is more like a country club! They have incredible picnic and seating areas that are impeccably maintained. The park does not have a forest vibe at all; it features beautiful man-made landscape design and facilities.
The seating areas within the park are incredibly fun, and it’s easier to show them than to describe them. They are the perfect spot to rest, picnic, and people-watch!
The park also offers beach access if lying in the sand is more your vibe!
When it comes to food, Presidio has a range of restaurant options (from charming boutique restaurants to a Starbucks). For the budget traveler, the restaurant Il Parco is a good option, as they serve very thick pizza slices for about $12 and offer an incredible view.
2. Palace of Fine Arts
- Cost: Free
- Time needed: 30 minutes – 1 hour
- Address: 3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123
- Getting there: Walk (~16 minutes from Il Parco)
The Palace of Fine Arts is just a short walk away from Presidio (a 16-minute walk from the Il Parco restaurant). The building has breathtaking architecture, being what I consider the most beautiful man-made structure in the United States. It is so beautiful and well-maintained that I am amazed at how it is still free to visit!
The palace was actually built as a temporary structure, but it turned out to be so beautiful that the local community did not want to destroy it. The Palace of Fine Arts is a San Francisco gem that is absolutely worth visiting.
3. Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf
- Cost: Free
- Time needed: 2-3 hours (although I managed to spend more than 6 and only left because all the shops closed)
- Address: The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
- Getting there: From the Palace of Fine Arts, you can get to Pier 39 by:
- Driving (or ridesharing) ~15 minutes
- Taking public transport for ~30 minutes
- Walking for 1 hour
Because I was energetic, broke, and wanted to see the most of San Francisco, I chose to walk for 1 hour to what must be the most fun place in America (yes, better than Disneyland).
Pier 39 is heaven on earth! If you only have time to go to one place of this list, head to Pier 39! For starters, it has shops like:
You will be surprised to learn that the true stars of Pier 39 are not the many fun shops, but hundreds of wild sea lions!! From late summer to late spring, you can head to Pier 39’s viewing deck to get close to these beautiful creatures (for free!)
While at the viewing deck, not only can you enjoy a beautiful view of the sea lions, but also Alcatraz (tours to Alcatraz leave from Pier 39) and the bridge.
Just near Pier 39, you can walk to Fisherman’s Wharf, a region that also offers many fun shops (including a giant candy shop that sells the most amazing and disgusting candies I’ve ever seen!). Click here to check out a selection of candies you’d not believe exist!
4. San Francisco Cable Car
- Cost: $8
- Time needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how long the line is
- Address: The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
When I saw people hanging out of a historic cable car in motion, I knew I had to try it!
The San Francisco cable car system is the oldest (and last) manually operated cable car public transport system in the world. One-way tickets go for $8 and you can buy them at the station or use most digital wallets (I got mine using Apple Pay).
Riding the cable car (while hanging outside it!) is a must-have experience. While riding, you get a mini-tour from the conductor (who points out where the most stunning views are) and you can see the giant engines of the cable car in motion. I travel a lot, and riding the cable car is one of the most unique and genuine travel experiences I’ve had.
Because the cable car serves as public transport, it stops at many stations, and I recommend you get off at Chinatown to end the day with an authentic meal!
5. Chinatown
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest one in North America and the biggest one outside of Asia. It is packed with gems which I unfortunately was not able to explore myself because I lost my phone on the way (here is a funny YouTube video where you can see my struggle).
Although I didn’t get to eat there, I bet that it is the ultimate dinner spot!
Here you can check a helpful video on where to eat in Chinatown.
Planning your own San Francisco itinerary
I hope this San Francisco 1-day itinerary has proved that you don’t need to break the bank to see the best that San Francisco has to offer!
This itinerary is comprehensive and will serve well the most ambitious travelers, but if you find yourself “running behind schedule” or rushing through these amazing sights, just remember that you’re traveling to enjoy and not to stress. If you often find yourself stressed when traveling, I recommend checking out this post on how I stopped feeling overwhelmed when traveling.
