With its imposing 245-foot (75-meter) clock tower, the Ferry Building is the San Francisco waterfront’s crown jewel. And it’s not just a waiting room for Bay Area ferry commuters—it’s a thriving marketplace with dozens of artisan producers in its vaulted food hall serving everything from hand-churned ice cream and local honey to Blue Bottle coffee and Acme Bread Company’s famous sourdough. Always-packed restaurants—including Gott's Roadside, Hog Island Oyster Company, and the Slanted Door—call the Ferry Building home, and the farmers market offers wildly fresh produce, meat, seafood, and prepared eats three days a week. Walk along the esplanade for great views of the Bay Bridge.
Many city tours—such as combo tours including Alcatraz—start or end at this iconic spot on the Embarcadero, while food tours of the Ferry Building and the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market explore the property in-depth. Hop-on hop-off tours stop here as well. If you have more time, catch a ferry boat from the Ferry Building to Sausalito or arrive via private yacht charter from Napa.