Quite possibly the world’s most famous bridge, this California icon connects San Francisco to Marin County. Come at lunchtime in summer to snap the definitive photo of the bridge’s art deco towers looming out of the summer fog. The surrounding National Park is a playground for walkers and cyclists.

With regular boat transfers from Pier 33, visiting Alcatraz is easy – it was escaping that used to be the hard part! Tours of the former prison island include the chance to peek inside the cells that once housed such notorious inmates as Al Capone.

The city’s nostalgic streetcars, its cable cars, are an enduring symbol of San Francisco. They have been rumbling steadily and unhurriedly over the hills of the city since1873. There are three lines to choose from: the Powell Hyde line (for the best views), the Powell Mason line (for taking in the city’s historical sights) and the California Street line (to visit the city’s historically interesting neighborhoods). At the Cable Car Museum, you can discover exactly how the underground steel cable system works.

The best views over San Francisco are not from the skyscrapers of the Financial District, but from this historic art deco tower at the top of Telegraph Hill. From the viewing deck, a clear day offers views across the entire peninsula, from the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz.

Before the great earthquake of 1906, colorful, gingerbread-style houses could be found throughout San Francisco. Only very few of these buildings survived the earthquake, among them, this row of Victorian houses across from Alamo Square Park, which is a very popular photo subject today.

San Francisco’s favourite green space, the Golden Gate Park sprawls inland from Ocean Beach. Here you’ll find such San Francisco icons as the Botanical Gardens, the Japanese Tea Garden, the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Fine Art Museum.

Billed as the world’s most crooked street, Lombard Street completes eight hairpin turns in the space of one city block. Ride here on the Powell-Hyde cable car, admire the views, then zig-zag downhill to North Beach.

The museum opened in 1935 and began investing early on in film and installation art, new art forms back then. The museum, which was recently in the course of a large-scale renovation project, exhibits works by artists from all over the world, including Gerhard Richter, Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol. It’s a good idea to plan a whole afternoon to take in all seven floors of the museum.

It’s hard to say who does more to entertain the crowds at Pier 39 – the street performers or the sea lions. Tourists come in droves to shop, eat, enjoy thrill rides, admire views over the bay, and see hundreds of dozing sea lions sunning themselves on the boardwalks.

America’s biggest Chinatown is a bustling piece of Asia transplanted to the California coast. Wander streets lined with herbalists, acupuncture shops, Taoist temples and a profusion of Chinese restaurants with roast ducks hanging in the windows. For a bona fide San Francisco spectacle, visit during Chinese New Year.

The tiny island of Alcatraz lies roughly two kilometers offshore from San Francisco, but the city has always been out of reach for the inmates of the legendary high-security prison – there is no record of a single successful attempt to escape. The reasons for this are the strong current and low temperature of the North Pacific waters and the sharks that inhabit them. A visit to Alcatraz is a highlight for tourists these days, so the ferry services between the mainland and the island are frequent. For a particularly vivid impression of the prison, pick up the audio guide on which you can hear original recordings of former inmates relating their personal reminiscences accentuated by the sound of cell doors slamming shut and bunches of keys rattling – the tour of the prison wings is a journey back in time. Alcatraz Cruises serves The Rock daily between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Boats depart from Pier 33 in Fisherman’s Wharf. But make sure to arrive as early as possible in the morning, as the trips are soon sold out.

On the first Sunday of every month, antiques fans take the Oakland ferry from Pier 41 (sanfranciscobayferry.com)  and alight a good 30 minutes later on Alameda Island. Their destination: the best flea market far and wide, which is held there. Treasures of every kind with all kinds of backstories: vintage stuff, antiques and clothes. The items on sale must be at least 20 years old, a point on which the organizers are very strict. The choice is huge, the location terrific, with a great view of the city. Be wary with European designer items, though, as they are especially popular in California and often a little overpriced as a result.

Back in 2013, many sail sportsmen dreamed of sailing in the America’s Cup race in der San Francisco Bay. That dream can still be realized – if a little late: The USA 76, a genuine racing yacht, regularly sets sail from Pier 39 for a 2.5-hour tour of the official 2013 America’s Cup course along with 40 other boats. Of course, participants don’t sit idly by, watching the crew – it’s all hands on deck when this sleek boat glides beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, its sail billowing. A sailing certificate is not required, but seaworthiness is.

Nature fans certainly get their money’s worth in San Francisco. On the Oceanic Society’s whale-watching trips to the Farallon Islands 25 sea miles away, visitors can observe humpback whales, blue whales, sea lions, seals, dolphins, and many species of seabirds. Nonprofit tours offer the somewhat rarer opportunity to see a turtle or a white shark. The fact that the fare for the eight-hour trip with knowledgeable and helpful scientists on board contributes to marine conservation additionally makes it an ethically sound pleasure.

Even if you’re not totally seaworthy, you should enjoy the city’s skyline from the water. The ferry crossing to Sausalito takes just half an hour, which is plenty of time to take in great views of downtown San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you want to see the buildings close up, take a bicycle across with you and then take the pretty route from the harbor in Sausalito across the Golden Gate Bridge back to the city. Others will enjoy the vacation atmosphere of the small island and take a tour of Heath Ceramics  (heathceramics.com), which produces top-class tableware in a wide range of colors.

This kayak tour is also suitable for beginners. After a professional introduction, even they are trusted to handle the double kayaks safely. A trip across the Bay from Sausalito, visiting the seals basking in the harbor basin and a houseboat community, provides an insight into the laid-back lifestyle of both humans and animals in California. After sundown, with the full moon rising over Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline, romance is definitely in the air.

On July 4, San Francisco goes crazy: Independence Day celebrations are euphoric here. The undisputed climax of festivities here is the traditional firework display. To avoid the masses and still make sure you get the best view of the spectacle, take a boat trip. A particularly stylish way to experience the pyrotechnic extravaganza is cruising off the coast on board a private, chartered yacht with a glass of champagne in your hand.

This restaurant is located inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. And just as the SFMOMA collects artworks, so head chef Corey Lee collects the menu ideas of the best cooks in the world and delights in recreating them in great detail for his guests. In 2016, the New York Times referred to the In Situ as “the most original new restaurant“; the Michelin Guide recently awarded it a star.

This restaurant was established in 1886, and that apparently makes it the USA’s oldest Italian restaurant. It serves classic northern Italian fare. There’s an extra room that can be booked for larger parties.

This modern restaurant with an American menu occupies a former warehouse building in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The extensive daily brunch offering makes a nice extra.

This restaurant with its Californian-Italian cuisine in North Beach is a veritable paradise for garlic fans. Every dish on the menu contains a generous helping of garlic. The restaurant even has its own gift shop where every item is in some way related to the garlic theme.

There are several Boudin Bakeries in San Francisco and each one is a good address for sourdough rolls and clam chowder. In the flagship store on Jefferson Street, you can even go on a Bakery Museum Tour and watch the bakers at work.

The USA’s most popular stand-up comedians perform here. In addition to the show, guests can enjoy snacks here, and are full meals and drinks can also be purchased. Take a look at the current program on the club website (cobbscomedy.com).

A pirate’s lair of a bar in Hayes Valley, with rigging hanging from the rafters and a menu of 550 brands of rum.

The Comstock Saloon is an address with a history. A bar has existed on this spot since 1907. The current iteration – a Wild West saloon with drinks, snacks and live music – opened in 2010.

This former record shop in the Mission District serves Pinot, Riesling and other select wines, as well as oysters and deviled eggs (spicy stuffed eggs served cold). The kitchen is open till 11 p.m. – a rarity in San Francisco.

Delicious bar bites and cocktails with real flair pull in the crowds at this modernist mansion of a bar in the trendy SoMa district.