Hotels near Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39

Fisherman's Wharf is the busy heart of the northern waterfront, where the city's fishing fleet still ties up beside seafood stalls selling Dungeness crab and clam chowder in sourdough bowls. Its best-loved sight is the colony of barking sea lions that have hauled out on the docks of Pier 39 since 1989, free to watch from the boardwalk.

The wharf is unashamedly touristy, but it is also the launch point for bay cruises and the Alcatraz ferry, and it links to the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier and the wartime submarine USS Pampanito. The sourdough bakeries and street performers keep it lively all day.

Pro Tip: Watch the sea lions from the K-Dock viewing area at Pier 39, busiest and noisiest in winter. Eat where the locals do, away from the main drag, and use the wharf as your base for the Alcatraz ferry and a bay cruise on the same visit.