Southwest® flights to San Francisco starting at $37

While there’s no gold rush pushing young entrepreneurs westward anymore, the lure of tech startup life and Summer of Love nostalgia still pull travelers to San Francisco. With a winning combination of city living and quick access to the beauties of nature, San Francisco brims with history, charm, and plenty of sights to see. When you deplane at San Francisco International Airport, just hop on the BART and get on your way to your accommodations to drop off those bags before immersing yourself in the city.

The Golden Gate Bridge is the iconic symbol of San Francisco. An Art Deco wonder, this suspension bridge towers over the Golden Gate, the mile-wide strait that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific. Its famous shade of orange was originally red—and lead-based. It’s now an orange known as “international orange,” and maintenance for keeping its color in tip-top shape occurs year-round. You’ll want to carve some time out of your visit to the City by the Bay to visit this engineering marvel. There’s plenty to explore inside of the larger Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including Alcatraz Island. This was once home to some of the most notorious criminals in America while it was the site of Alcatraz State Penitentiary, including Chicago gangster Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. The island is perhaps best known for being the locale of one of the most infamous prison breaks on the books. Take a tour of the ol’ big house, if incarceration tourism is your jam.