4 Must-See San Francisco Neighborhoods & Districts During Your Vacation

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, perhaps more than any other city in the United States, encapsulates the country's history as a melting pot. From the city's inception as a Mexican mission through the Summer of Love, and into its current standing as a hub of innovation, San Francisco's unique neighborhoods have been home to some of the most prominent cultural movements in the nation's history. The romantic notions of a San Francisco trip continue to draw visitors from all over the globe. By exploring these San Francisco districts, you can get a sense about what life in the city is like.

Chinatown

Chinese enclaves can be found the world over from Lima to Melbourne, but San Francisco's Chinatown district is in a league of its own. The first of its kind in North America and the largest outside of Asia, Chinatown tells the story of the first steadfast Chinese immigrants who arrived in the city in 1848. The early years proved challenging as the newly arrived Chinese faced harsh backlash from Americans. Yet, through it all they were able to preserve their cherished culture, which continues to thrive today. Once you pass through the famed Gateway Arch in this San Francisco neighborhood, you immediately find yourself immersed in a world filled with the rich aromas drifting out from the myriad markets and restaurants with charming lanterns and banners fluttering overhead.

The Mission

As it exists today, the City by the Bay can trace its heritage back to The Mission. San Francisco's oldest neighborhood derives its name from the city's oldest structure, the Mission Dolores. This 18th-century basilica stands as a testament to The Mission's long-standing history as a Latino community. Much of the district's other edifices and alleyways serve as outdoor galleries that are adorned with murals featuring political, social, and cultural themes. Best seen on foot, this San Francisco district can be easy to work up an appetite while taking in these spectacular works of art. An easy remedy for this is a stop into one of The Mission's many markets and restaurants that bring the delicious flavors of Latin America to life.

The Castro

With rainbow banners lining the streets and bookstores, cafés, restaurants, and shops that cater to the LGBT community, The Castro is a San Francisco neighborhood as proud as its residents. Some watershed moments of the gay rights movement have their roots in The Castro. The neighborhood remains one of the city's most authentic with energy from the district palpable 24/7. During the day, residents and visitors alike frequent the chic bistros and boutiques along Castro Street. But the district really comes to life at night when the bars, clubs, and restaurants fill up and patrons revel in a place where anyone — men and women, young and old, gay and straight — can feel at home.

The Haight

Few corners anywhere on Earth evoke such rich images as Haight and Ashbury. When the counterculture movement swept the nation in the 1960s, this became a place where people of all colors, creeds, and orientations could come together to embrace their differences in peace and love. Gorgeous Victorian homes that once served as venues for The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane line the streets of what's still one of the city's most vivacious neighborhoods. While much of the flower power that energized The Haight neighborhood has moved on, a San Francisco trip of a different sort remains as there are still plenty of eclectic finds waiting to be uncovered.

These are just a few of the wonderful San Francisco districts to explore during while in the city during a Princess Cruise. Don't be afraid to blaze your own trails while you explore the rest of San Francisco's diverse neighborhoods.