There’s a reason why people keep leaving their hearts in San Francisco. It’s a beautiful diverse city with so much to explore and enjoy- especially if you’re there with someone you love. Next time you’re out there, or if you’re nearby and have some time to kill, swing by our five favorite places in the beautiful city by the bay.

Ghirardelli Square

Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, parking is bad (heads up- San Francisco is a hard city to park in). But SF’s own Ghirardelli Square is beautiful, romantic, and a fantastic place to be.Ghirardelli Square is right on the pier overlooking the bay and offers free-WiFi (as if you need an extra reason to go). There are a few different places to eat, including Ghirardelli’s own in-house dessert shop. You can get a look at the whole Ghirardelli range, munch on some sample chocolate, and sip on a Ghirardelli hot cocoa while listening to free live music play in the square. Did we mention the insanely beautiful view? This square is a must-see.

Pier 39

Another tourist-favorite, Pier 39 is a fun spot along the water in San Francisco that you can easily spend a whole day in. There are a ton of restaurants, snack places, and neat niche shops to cruise around in. There’s a beautiful carousel at the end of the pier, and of course the sea lions. Oh, the sea lions. They’re loud, they’re smelly, and they’re absolutely fascinating. It’s a beautiful place to stroll for the day hand in hand with so much to do and see.

Boudin Bread Factory

Have you heard of the world-famous San Francisco Sourdough? It’s Boudin, and it’s totally worth it. Boudin has a few locations around the city (and even a few outside of San Francisco- there’s one in Disney’s California Adventure!) but the best location is at Fisherman’s Wharf. This location is right on the water and is a working bread factory. Skip the Union Square location for the real thing and watch your food be made. You can pick up a specialty bread (like the alligator or turtle bread above) and an amazing meal. This location offers a full restaurant with specialty seafood dishes to enjoy while you look out over the water. If you have dinner upstairs, you can get free tickets to the bread tour downstairs (which is our tourist-hack). If you fall in love, you can even sign up for specialty sourdough loaves to be delivered to your door (or someone else’s- this makes for a really unique wedding gift!).

Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts has probably the trickiest parking on our list, but is one of the most beautiful. This is a gorgeous standing example of beautiful architecture and has a swan pond within (seriously- it’s the most beautiful thing ever). If you’re really craving some romance, swing by on a Saturday afternoon. More often than not you’ll find wedding photos being taken, if not an actual wedding taking place. This writer can name several couples who got engaged here, all of which are still together (one having just celebrated their twenty fifth wedding anniversary!). Do yourself a favor and take your sweetheart here for some pictures- you won’t regret it.

California Academy of Sciences

The Academy of Science is beautiful, fun, and one of the most unique dates you can go on in San Francisco. The Academy of Science was in the last ten years renovated and become a fixture in the city. It features regular rotating exhibits but also is home to a gorgeous aquarium, butterfly habitat, and many mammal-fixated exhibits. Once a month, the Academy of Science opens its’ doors to the 21+ crowd and puts up bars and small dance areas throughout. Whether you want to learn and explore one of the most unique museums in the country or you want to do so with a margarita in hand, this is the perfect romantic spot in the city for you and your honey.