Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is full of life.
Is Fisherman’s Wharf worth visiting?
Yes — once, early in the day, and for a morning rather than a whole day.
It is the most touristed stretch of San Francisco and it knows it. The souvenir shops and the chain restaurants along the main drag are skippable. What is genuinely worth your time is the water: the sea lions, the boats, the bay opening out towards Alcatraz and the Golden Gate.
- How long you need: two to three hours is plenty, unless you are taking a bay cruise or the Alcatraz ferry, in which case allow half a day
- Best time to go: early morning. We walked down on a chilly, sunny winter morning and had the place almost to ourselves
- Worth doing: the sea lions at Pier 39, a bay cruise under the Golden Gate, the Pier 43 Ferry Arch, sourdough from a proper bakery
- Skip: the souvenir shops, and eating at the first place with a picture menu
- With children: the sea lions and the boats do most of the work. My daughter loved watching the street performers.
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- Is Fisherman’s Wharf worth visiting?
- Is Fisherman’s Wharf the same as Pier 39?
- What Fisherman’s Wharf is like early in the morning
- Street performers and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
- The steep streets, the GoCars and the food stalls
- Things To Do At Pier 39
- Sea Lions at Pier 39
- Cruising underneath the Golden Gate Bridge
- Where to stay near Fisherman’s Wharf
- Fisherman’s Wharf: quick answers
- Similar Articles from Travel Realizations
- Travel Realizations
Is Fisherman’s Wharf the same as Pier 39?
No, and this trips up almost everyone. Fisherman’s Wharf is the neighbourhood; Pier 39 is one attraction inside it.
Pier 39 is the shopping and entertainment pier where the sea lions haul out. The wharf itself runs along the waterfront around it, taking in the working boats, the piers, the bakeries and the ferry terminals.
So you do not choose between them. You walk the wharf and Pier 39 is one of the stops.
Lovely smells of seafood all over the street, people from different parts of the world, different shops for various souvenirs, cute Sea Lions, large ships, wonderful white birds, cable cars (manually operated) and of course the seaside generates energetic vibes in abundance, making the Fisherman’s Wharf a happening and enchanting place to relax, to mix with the crowd and to enjoy.
What Fisherman’s Wharf is like early in the morning
We started for the Fisherman’s Wharf in an early chilly, but sunny winter morning. People were friendly and welcoming.
Shared some couple of good morning wishes while walking towards the Fisherman’s Wharf and on the way, took a cup of hot coffee in a cafe and watched how the morning slowly unfolded itself to a charming day.
Street performers and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
We started walking again along the seaside and saw various performances. I especially remember a boy performing on Michael Jackson’s songs. I must acknowledge his talent.
His movements along with the music poured in some extra energy and we went towards the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
We saw a beautiful ship there. The place is famously known as Hyde St. Pier.
The steep streets, the GoCars and the food stalls
I was astonished to see the long and steep road on the opposite side of the park. I have never seen such a steep road!
Some of the visitors were hiring small cars to explore the city and it was lovely watching those cars.
They are GoCars — roofless three-wheelers that seat two, top out at 35 miles per hour, and talk to you as you drive. The GPS knows where you are and narrates each landmark as you reach it, and you can park wherever you like and it picks up again the moment you move off.
Pickup is on Beach Street, a few minutes’ walk from the wharf, and the price is per car rather than per person, from $99, which is what makes it reasonable for two.
They hold two people only, so it is not the answer for a whole family, and it is not recommended if you have back trouble. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability and prices for the GoCar tour
There were roadside food stalls in plenty. We couldn’t resist the smell from those stalls and enjoyed a plate of tasty fried prawns.
It was fun watching those enormous white and brown colored birds, walking on the streets and flying in their own rhythm.
One person was playing a lovely tune (Probably South American music) and we were silently enjoying the atmosphere.
Things To Do At Pier 39
Some of my favorites Pier 39 attractions are:
- Aquarium of the Bay
- The Sea Lion Center
- The 7D Experience
- Musical Stairs
- The San Francisco 2 Story Carousel
- Street Performers and Musicians
Sea Lions at Pier 39
After satisfying our taste buds we went to see the Sea Lions. We saw them playing and enjoying the sunshine.
I have not seen Sea Lions before. It was lovely to watch those playful, carefree and adorable Sea Lions. Loved watching them.
Cruising underneath the Golden Gate Bridge
Next, we took a cruise which was full of incredible vistas all around. Cruising underneath the Golden Gate bridge was yet another lovely experience. I would definitely write about it one day.
If you want to do the same stretch of water, the hour-long bay cruise leaves from Pier 43½ — the Red and White Fleet dock at the corner of Taylor Street and the Embarcadero, a few steps from the ferry arch in the photo above.
It runs under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz with recorded narration, which is how you see the bridge and the island in an hour instead of giving up a day to either. From about $39 a person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check dates and prices for the one-hour bay cruise
After the one hour cruise, we were hungry and had a delicious seafood dish. Indeed a wonderful day with beautiful memories. Thank you San Francisco, Thank you Fisherman’s Wharf !!
Where to stay near Fisherman’s Wharf
This is the one real argument for sleeping at the wharf rather than downtown. If the whole trick is to be out on the pier before the crowds arrive, a ten-minute walk beats a cable car queue. Three that put you inside it:
- Argonaut Hotel — in the 1907 Haslett Warehouse at Hyde and Jefferson, and the only hotel inside the boundary of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The park’s visitor centre is on its ground floor, so you are sleeping above the exhibits. AAA Four Diamond for more than twenty years, and priced accordingly.
- Hotel Zoe Fisherman’s Wharf — smaller and quieter, set a block back from the waterfront, which on this particular street is a feature rather than a compromise.
- Hotel Zephyr — right on the water by Pier 39, built out of recycled cargo containers and salvaged nautical pieces, with a courtyard full of games. The one to choose if you have children with you.
The argument against is simple enough. This is the most touristed corner of San Francisco and the room rates know it. For a longer stay, North Beach or downtown will put you closer to everything else.
Fisherman’s Wharf: quick answers
What is Fisherman’s Wharf famous for? The sea lions, the seafood, the sourdough, and the views across the bay to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. It began as the working heart of the city’s fishing fleet, and some of those boats still tie up here.
How much time do you need? Two to three hours to walk it properly. Half a day if you are adding a cruise or the Alcatraz ferry.
When should I go? Early. By late morning in summer the crowds are thick. A clear winter morning is the version of the wharf worth remembering.
Is it walkable from the rest of the city? Yes, and the cable car and the F-line streetcar both run down to it, which is half the fun of getting there.
Is it safe? It is one of the busiest and most visited parts of San Francisco, and daytime crowds are heavy. Take the usual city precautions, and do not leave anything visible in a parked car — that is the one warning worth taking seriously anywhere in San Francisco.
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Travel Realizations
Fisherman’s Wharf has a reputation, and a good deal of it is earned. By the middle of the day it is souvenir shops and queues and people standing still in the middle of the pavement holding maps.
But we walked down on a cold, bright winter morning, before any of that had woken up. A man was playing something South American on a street corner and we stopped and listened.
The boats were still tied up. The sea lions, the first I had ever seen, were barking on the docks with almost nobody watching but us.
That is the realization I took home with me. The wharf is not really a place you either like or dislike. It is a place that depends entirely on the hour you choose to meet it.
So go early. Let it be a working waterfront for an hour before it turns back into an attraction.
Have you been to Fisherman’s Wharf? Did you love it, or do you avoid it?
Leave a comment below if you have any questions, or DM me on Instagram @travelrealizations.
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