Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco

Introduction to Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf is the English name of Fisherman's Wharf. It was originally a gathering place for Italian fishermen and was built in 1978.
With the development of San Francisco's tourism industry, it has become the third most visited tourist attraction in the United States in 1989.

Fisherman's Wharf refers to a coastal area in the north of San Francisco, the most famous attraction of which is Pier 39. ~


by Mazin Omron | James Nguyen | Mark Boss

Transportation at Fisherman's Wharf

Self-driving & parking : There are few street parking spaces, and your car may be smashed; relatively reliable parking lots, such as PIER 39 Parking Garage , are $10/hour on weekdays and $12/hour on weekends. Booking in advance will be cheaper ( 20 US dollars/day on weekdays and 25 US dollars/day on weekends ). You can also use Spothero to book a parking lot that is a little further away.
Uber/Lyft : The most convenient, the destination can be set to Fisherman's Wharf Sign .
Bus : Take the tram and get off at Hyde St & Beach St or Taylor St & Bay St. You can also take the F-Line Trolley and other public transportation tools. Please Google it yourself.
Walking : Go to Lombard Street first, and then walk over

~ Fisherman's Wharf is at the number 3 in the picture. For more information about the attractions, please see the San Francisco Travel Guide ~

How to Play at Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf is not a big area, so you can spend about an hour there.
The typical way to play is: check in the sign + taste sour bread + see sea lions ( if you have a larger budget, you can also taste Dungeness crabs ). Please refer to the picture below. For specific attractions, see below.
You can stay nearby, such as: Hotel Zephyr San Francisco , Cow Hollow Inn

Is Fisherman's Wharf safe?

Fisherman's Wharf has always had good security!
Starting in August 2023, the government has aggressively sent homeless people to other parts of California or other states... So the appearance and security of downtown San Francisco have also improved significantly.

Things to do in Fisherman's Wharf

1. Seafood Stand sign,   

The sign that tourists will take pictures of - it has been several decades old, and the sign is painted with Dungeness Crab


by Michelle Oude Maatman | Juliana Uribbe


2. Boudin Bakery & Café 

Founded by French immigrants in 1849, it is famous for its chewy sourdough bread. It has more than 30 branches in California.
PS The "sour taste" of sourdough bread is the result of adding lactic acid bacteria during fermentation (ordinary bread only uses yeast), and its production history can be traced back to ancient Egypt.
Business hours: 12pm - 9pm
Yelp: 4 stars 4494 reviews +


Tourists often buy Clam Chowder ( about $16, made with clams, potatoes, onions, butter and other ingredients, a dish invented by European immigrants in the 17th century after settling on the East Coast of the United States, best for replenishing calories in cold environments )

Image from Yelp.com



3. Musée MécaniqueView  

There are more than 300 game consoles and entertainment-related machines from the last century on display. Americans will feel like they have returned to the past and will have conversations like "Grandpa/Dad was the best at playing this when he was a child." For Chinese, many students think it's creepy... But there are indeed some old arcade machines that can be played

Opening hours: 10am - 8pm
Tickets: Free, play the game consoles yourself with coins
Official website: See here
Recommended video: Playing in San Francisco, USA, Fisherman's Wharf is really lively, and there is an arcade in the Battleship Museum By the way, if you are interested in this place, you may also be interested in the animation "High Score Girls", which has the official version on B station...







4. Pier 43 Ferry Arch  

The arch you will definitely see on the way to Pier 39
Built in 1914, used to transport goods to ships, now abandoned,most beautiful at sunset


by James Lee | Yefta Albert


5. Pier 39 Sea Lions & Seafood  

For many tourists, Pier 39 is Fisherman's Wharf!
The pier is not big, and there are street performances/restaurants/souvenir shops, as well as carousels and other "attractions"
Opening hours of most shops: 10am - 8pmStreet
performance schedule: See here


Aerial video: PIER 39 SEA LIONS in 4K Drone FootageThe number of sea lions is the highest in winter and the lowest in June and July ( they go to the Channel Islands in Southern California to have babies... The ones that stay are minors and disillusioned sea lions ) by James Rathmell After the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, sea lions began to appear near Pier 39. In January 1990, a group of sea lions suddenly occupied K Dock at Pier 39. The pier manager was at a loss and consulted the nearby The Marine Mammal Center. The reply was "Don't do anything, this must be a temporary phenomenon, just bear with it and they will go away" But the number of sea lions increased, reaching 300+ in March 1990. Various media outlets reported on it. With more and more tourists, the managers of the pier were so happy that they arranged staff to provide them with food and clothing... Cold knowledge: Sea lions have external ears (seals don't); Pier 39 is mostly male sea lions; sea lions can live up to 25 years Recommended video-tour: Fisherman's Wharf Travel Notes Popular restaurants on the pier mainly sell seafood science: You must eat Dungeness Crab when you come to California ( it is produced on the west coast of North America, but the most famous in California ) The fishing season is from November to early June, and the ones bought in other seasons are all frozen. Among them, the Dungeness crab meat in December and January is the fattest and the taste is the freshest! As the fishing season ends, the crab meat will gradually become thinner~ The following restaurants have the most positive reviews, and reservations are recommended for weekends/holidays: Fog Harbor Fish House 11am - 10pm 30-50 USD per person Crab House at Pier 39 11.30am - 10pm 50-70 USD per person Pier Market Seafood Restaurant 11am - 10pm 30-50 USD per person ~ End ~ Thank you for reading, and I wish you all a happy time! *⸜( •ᴗ• )⸝*