“Good to see you, Amy.”
That’s something I might expect to hear when my Lyft driver picks me up, I check into my hotel or I show up for a restaurant reservation. From a driverless car? Not so much.
But that’s exactly how I was greeted each time my husband, teenage son and I took a self-driving Waymo taxi through the hilly streets of San Francisco in August. Considering it was a highlight of our eight-day trip for my 13-year-old (who would rather have been back home playing Fortnite with his friends in our basement), we used it frequently to get around.
During our first few rides, I was uneasy about the autonomous vehicles (all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs), to which my kid exasperatedly declared, “Get with the times, Mom. Get with the times.” Fair enough. The more we used them, the more natural it became. I even developed a fondness for the ride-hailing service. It was a relief not to feel judged for short rides (again, those hills!), but I did miss insider travel tips from actual human drivers.
Of course, San Francisco is far more than the autonomous vehicles owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet. We decided on the City by the Bay because of cheap Sun Country round-trip tickets (under $600 for the three of us) and a good deal at the classy Argonaut Hotel on the outskirts of touristy Fisherman’s Wharf.
The hotel was the perfect base to walk from for watching sea lions jockey for position on the floats at Pier 39, playing vintage arcade games at the Musée Mécanique (big thumbs up from the teen), trying In-N-Out Burger (parents disappointed, teen another big thumbs up) and marveling at the picturesque views from the towering SkyStar Wheel. While the wharf was fun, we spent most of our time exploring other neighborhoods. Here are four stand-out experiences worthy of a place in your San Francisco itinerary.

Alcatraz night tour
“The first thing you want to learn when you hit Alcatraz is keep your mouth shut and walk with your back to the wall,” declares the narrator on the captivating Alcatraz cellhouse self-guided-audio tour. Told from the point of view of guards and prisoners, the chilling story guides you through the infamous federal penitentiary located on an island just off the coast of San Francisco.
Active from 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz was home to big-time criminals including Al Capone, George “Machine-Gun” Kelly and Robert Stroud (aka the “Birdman of Alcatraz”). With the nighttime tour, the darkness elevates Alcatraz’s eerie vibe as visitors explore the island, the prison’s dilapidated cells, long haunting hallways, and grim dining hall. And if the weather cooperates, you’ll be treated to a stunning sunset.