Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39

Fisherman's Wharf is San Francisco's best-known waterfront district, stretching along the northern Embarcadero in California from Pier 39 toward Ghirardelli Square. Pier 39, at the Embarcadero and Beach Street, is the main draw, a two-level pier of shops, restaurants, street performers and attractions that opened in 1978. The district began as the base of the city's Italian fishing fleet, and a few working boats and crab stands still line Jefferson Street, giving the area a touch of authenticity beneath the tourist trade.

The most distinctive sight is the colony of California sea lions on the floating K-Dock, just west of the pier. The animals first hauled out there after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and have stayed since. Numbers vary by season, with the largest groups usually present from late fall through spring, and viewing is free from the pier's west side. The Aquarium of the Bay, a carousel, a magic shop and arcades add paid diversions, while the pier's upper deck offers views toward Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Food is a major part of the visit. Visitors can eat Dungeness crab from sidewalk stands, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from the bakeries around Jefferson Street and seafood at the restaurants on the pier. Nearby, the Hyde Street Pier and the Maritime National Historical Park show historic ships, and the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines end close by. A visit typically takes two to three hours, longer with an aquarium or boat trip.

Crowds are heaviest on summer weekends and holidays, when the pier and Jefferson Street become congested and restaurant waits grow. Weekday mornings are calmer, and the sea lions are active throughout the day. The area is a convenient jumping-off point for Alcatraz ferries and Bay cruises, though some travelers regard the commercial atmosphere as touristy and prefer to pair it with a quieter stop elsewhere in the city.