North Beach and Telegraph Hill

North Beach sits in the hollow between Telegraph Hill and Russian Hill, just north of Chinatown. Italian immigrants made it their neighborhood in the late 1800s. In the 1950s the Beat writers made it famous. Today Columbus Avenue still has old espresso bars, delis and family restaurants alongside newer places, while the steep streets above lead to Coit Tower and some of the best views in the city.

It pairs well with Chinatown next door and Fisherman's Wharf below. Our San Francisco day trip guide puts it at lunchtime in a full day. This page covers North Beach in more depth.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By Caltrain and Muni

Ride Caltrain to 4th and King, 39 minutes on a weekday express and about 50 on a local. The three-zone adult fare is $8.50 through 2026 and $9.00 from January 1, 2027. Then choose:

• T Third Muni Metro from the same station to Chinatown-Rose Pak station at Stockton and Washington. Walk north on Stockton or Grant about five minutes to Broadway, the edge of North Beach.
• 30 Stockton bus from Townsend and 4th streets. It runs through Chinatown and up Columbus Avenue past Washington Square. This is the one-seat ride.
• 39 Coit bus to reach Coit Tower from Washington Square or Fisherman's Wharf without the climb.
• Powell-Mason cable car from Powell and Market runs along Mason Street on the west side of North Beach, $9 a ride.

Regular Muni fares are $2.85 with Clipper or contactless. Riders 18 and under ride free. See the SFMTA fares page. Allow about an hour and a quarter from Palo Alto.

By car

Take US 101 north and follow signs toward the Financial District or Bay Bridge, then head up Columbus Avenue. The drive is about 35 miles. The city's North Beach Garage at 735 Vallejo Street is open around the clock and listed rates of $5 an hour in late 2026. Street parking is metered and scarce. Do not try to drive to the top of Telegraph Hill on a weekend. The road to the Coit Tower lot backs up and the lot is tiny.

What to see

Coit Tower

The slender concrete tower on Telegraph Hill was finished in 1933 with money left to the city by Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Inside the base are murals painted in 1934 by artists working for the Public Works of Art Project, showing California life during the Depression. Some panels were so controversial in the year of the waterfront strike that the tower stayed padlocked for months. An elevator climbs to an observation deck with views of both bridges, Alcatraz and downtown.

San Francisco Rec and Park lists these details:

Tickets are sold in the gift shop until an hour before closing. The elevator is nearly 90 years old and sometimes out of service, which means climbing 13 flights. Listen for the wild parrots in the trees of Pioneer Park around the tower.

Washington Square and Saints Peter and Paul

The grassy square at Columbus and Filbert is the neighborhood's front lawn. Early mornings bring tai chi groups. On its north side, the white twin spires of Saints Peter and Paul Church rise over the square.

City Lights and Beat history

City Lights at 261 Columbus Avenue opened in 1953 and published Allen Ginsberg's "Howl." It lists daily hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The poetry room upstairs is a fine place to sit. Jack Kerouac Alley runs beside it. The Beat Museum on Broadway is closed for an earthquake retrofit, with reopening expected sometime in 2027. Its team runs the new Counterculture Museum in the Haight in the meantime. See our Haight-Ashbury guide.

The Filbert Steps

The wooden stairway down the steep east face of Telegraph Hill from Coit Tower to Sansome Street passes cottages and gardens planted by neighbors. It is the best way down the hill and leads to the Embarcadero near Levi's Plaza.

A walking route

About 2 miles with one big climb. Allow three hours.

1. Broadway and Columbus. Start at City Lights and Jack Kerouac Alley.
2. Columbus Avenue. Walk north past cafes and delis to Washington Square.
3. Washington Square. See the church, then pick up a snack.
4. Telegraph Hill. Climb Filbert Street east, or ride the 39 Coit from the square.
5. Coit Tower. The murals and the elevator to the top.
6. Filbert Steps. Walk down the stairway to Sansome Street.
7. The Embarcadero. Turn south toward the Ferry Building or north toward Fisherman's Wharf.

Where to eat

• Caffe Trieste at 601 Vallejo Street has been pouring espresso to writers and regulars since the 1950s. It lists daily hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Tony's Pizza Napoletana at 1570 Stockton Street, by Washington Square, serves several regional pizza styles. It lists opening at noon daily, with last seating at 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday.
• Molinari Delicatessen at 373 Columbus Avenue has made Italian salami since 1896. Order a sandwich to take to Washington Square. Lines are long at lunch and hours are limited, so check before you go.
• Coit Tower Cafe at the top of the hill is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for drinks and snacks.

For a guided tasting through the delis and bakeries, you can book a North Beach food tour.

What it costs

Walking the neighborhood, Washington Square and the Filbert Steps is free, as are the Coit Tower murals on the ground floor. Round-trip Caltrain fare for one adult is $17 in late 2026 plus about $6 for Muni. The Coit Tower elevator is $11 for a nonresident adult. A slice and coffee can come in under $15. Dinner at a sit-down Italian restaurant runs $40 to $80 a person. Prices change, so treat these as estimates.

Safety and car break-ins

• Car break-ins are common around Coit Tower and on side streets. If you drive, use the garage, move bags to the trunk before arriving and leave nothing visible.
• Broadway at night has a cluster of strip clubs and bars. It is busy and usually fine but rowdy on weekend nights. Columbus Avenue and the streets north of it are calmer.
• Wear good shoes. Telegraph Hill is steep and the Filbert Steps are uneven and can be slick when damp.
• Step aside on the stairs for residents carrying groceries. People live along the steps, so keep voices down.

A sample half day and full day

Half day

1. 9 a.m. Caltrain from Palo Alto.
2. 10:15 a.m. 30 Stockton to Washington Square. Coffee at Caffe Trieste.
3. 11 a.m. 39 Coit up to the tower and the elevator.
4. 12:30 p.m. Down the Filbert Steps, then lunch back on Columbus.
5. 2 p.m. T Third from Chinatown-Rose Pak to the train.

Full day

Start in Chinatown in the morning, cross Broadway for lunch in North Beach, climb Coit Tower in the afternoon and walk down to the waterfront for sunset over the bay. For a show or a long dinner, compare hotels near North Beach and take the morning train home.

Frequently asked questions