24 hours in San Francisco: what to see

Fisherman's Wharf, the old fishermen's dock facing the bay, sets the day in motion: among Dungeness crab stalls and sea lions settled at Pier 39, it remains one of the city's most lively spots from morning onwards.

Ferries from the dock depart for Alcatraz, the ex-federal prison on an island in the middle of the bay, a visit that must be reserved days in advance given the limited capacity of the boats.

Walking westward you climb the famous curve of Lombard Street, the street with eight tight hairpins flanked by gardens, before reaching Chinatown, the oldest Chinese community in the United States, with its monumental entrance on Grant Avenue.

For lunch, Chinatown restaurants or stalls around Union Square offer plenty of choices without needing to stray from the route.

A cable car, the historic rope-driven tram still in operation, climbs to Nob Hill before continuing toward the Golden Gate Bridge, crossable on foot or by bike along its pedestrian lane.

Toward the south, the Mission District is the city's Latino quarter, known for its murals along Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley and for one of San Francisco's liveliest food scenes.

Toward evening, returning to the bay, fish restaurants around Fisherman's Wharf remain a natural choice for dinner, with views of the fog often enveloping the Golden Gate as light falls.

Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, and Chinatown explain San Francisco's harbor soul and history on their own, while the afternoon choice between Golden Gate and Mission District tells its iconic or most contemporary side.

The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, heart of 1960s hippie culture, and a trip to Sausalito across the bridge remain to explore on a second visit. Seeing the Golden Gate emerge from the fog, its red structure standing out against the gray ocean, remains the most direct image of the city.