Affordable places to visit in San Francisco

After working hard in school, many students need a break, and a day trip is the perfect way to forgot about your worries and have a fun time. San Francisco, a popular tourist destination and only around an hour away from here, is a great choice.

Even if you are on a budget, there are still many affordable places to shop or visit, and if you spend your money wisely, you can experience the city for the mere price of $15.

To get to the city, the easiest option would be driving yourself or getting a ride from a friend or parent. My parents dropped me off when I went to San Francisco last summer since I did not have my license at the time.

If you don’t have your license and your parents aren’t willing to drive you, you can always take CalTrain, about an hour and a half ride costing $5.25 for youth and $10.50 for adults.

Heading to the city’s most prominent attraction, I first visited the Golden Gate Bridge. You can either drive over the bridge for a $6 toll or walk. If you opt out of driving across and simply want to take pictures, Baker Beach or Fort Point are perfect locations for a full view of the bridge.

After the  lengthy drive, you may be hungry for a snack, as I was. I recommend trying the custard tarts at the Golden Gate cafe, which is only a 3-minute drive from the bridge. The delicious tarts melt in your mouth and are only $2.50 each.

Next, visit the Cable Car Museum, which is a 17 minute drive from the Golden Gate Cafe. Even if you are not normally a museum person, it is an important part of the city’s history and experience. If you are interested in learning about cars and technology, this is a great opportunity to learn how the cable car system works. The best part is that visiting the museum is completely free. You also only need to save 20 to 30 minutes to spend at this museum because it is fairly small.

After watching YouTuber Emma Chamberlain’s review on shops in San Francisco, I really wanted to visit Home Cafe coffee shop because they have birthday cake lattes for $5. While this coffee is on the expensive side, it lived up to the hype because the latte art is beautiful and the latte itself has the perfect level of sweetness.

Visiting these four locations makes for an enjoyable day and it only costs $13.50, not including transportation. You will get perfect pictures for Instagram, enjoy tasty snacks and drinks at cafes, and learn about the history of one of the oldest cities in the Bay.