Select accommodations in the Sunset District to be close to San Francisco’s sightseeing, dining and cultural opportunities without staying in the heart of the city. Long considered the city’s suburban outlier and known in the 19th century as the Outside Lands, the Sunset District has major attractions including parks, museums and a zoo.

Make Golden Gate Park your first stop. This area is now the country’s largest urban park and a top sightseeing attraction in the Sunset area. Beyond this famous park, the neighborhood brims with nature, from the verdant eucalyptus forest of Mt. Sutro to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Head to the shores of Lake Merced and you might glimpse local dragon boat crews practicing on the water. Take an urban hike to 16th Avenue and Moraga to climb the 163 tiled steps, an outdoor mosaic art project led by local artists. Enjoy a nature walk through the eucalyptus and redwood trees in peaceful Pine Lake Park. Circle back to Ocean Beach for glorious sunset viewing and surf watching.

Visit the Sunset District’s top museums. Find everything from a very large all-digital planetarium and a four-story rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences. American artworks from the 17th to 21st centuries, as well as art from Central and South America, the Pacific and Africa, are featured at the de Young Museum. For a full itinerary in the neighborhood, include the San Francisco Botanical Garden and San Francisco Zoo in your plans.

Travel to the Sunset District via the Muni Metro system, ride-sharing service or driving. Residential streets follow a grid pattern between the Outer and Inner Sunset neighborhoods, all the way to the Great Highway at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Come explore San Francisco’s little suburban secret.