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Things to Do Near San Francisco’s Union Square

Kim Orlando

Updated

February 26, 2025

Cable car turn around spot near Hilton Union Square San Francisco. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

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Union Square has a LOT to offer and where you stay matters—especially for women travelers who prioritize safety and convenience. Union Square has faced challenges, but change is underway. With revitalization efforts bringing improved safety and new businesses, the area is regaining its energy. I stayed at the Hilton Union Square which offered a central, reliable base for experiencing the best of San Francisco.

Michelin-Rated Dining at Kin Khao (5-Min Walk)

Colorful Khao Yum at Kin Khao Thai restaurant in San Francisco. Photo Credit: Kim Orlando

My daughter, husband and I were guests at Kin Khao, located in Hilton’s boutique sister hotel Parc 55. Chef Pim Techamuanvivit is building a Michelin-starred legacy, with both of her restaurants earning at least one star. Kin Khao serves inventive, flavorful dishes that go beyond the typical pad thai.

Our food adventure kicked off with Thai-inspired cocktails—the Tom Yum 2.0 (not the soup!) and the Siam Sipper, a bourbon-based drink that hit just the right balance without being too sweet. From there, we dove into a Thai meal unlike anything I’ve had before. The chef’s mission to go beyond the usual peanut sauce led to standout dishes like delicata squash with chili jam, peanuts, and coconut, and Greng Hed, a rich yellow curry with crispy fried mushrooms that delivered pure comfort. My Italian husband, always on the lookout for pasta, was more than satisfied with the Yaowaraj Noodle. We wrapped things up with a decadent dessert of caramelized bananas and puffed rice.

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The Ferry Building & Embarcadero (10-Min Uber or e-Bike Ride)

Sunday Farmer’s market at the Ferry Building San Francisco. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

A two-hour electric bike rental (included in your resort fee) is a fun way to head down to the Embarcadero and Ferry Building Marketplace, where you’ll find local vendors, artisan foods, and waterfront views. It took my daughter and me about 20 minutes to walk down to the Ferry Building for the Farmers Market—totally worth it. Inside and out, the place was buzzing with fresh flowers, local produce, and some amazing food vendors. Roli Roti was barely keeping up with the demand for their fat porchetta sandwich

Gluten-free sourdough waffles a la mode, topped with apple pecan vegan ice cream at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Photo Credit: Kim Orlando

Our pick? Flora. They serve gluten-free sourdough waffles topped with dairy-free apple strudel gelato for just $9.

Chinatown (10-Min Walk)

Duck S__ Oolong tea at Vital Tea Room in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Photo credit: Kim Orlando

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America, packed with history, great food, and unique shopping. Our list:

Sushi Boat Restaurant – where sushi is served in little boats that float around the sushi bar. Each boat has a design that correlates to a price. A regular menu is also available but it’s not as much fun!
Dick Lee Pastry Shop for pastries and small bites. Constantly smiling and laughing, Dick Lee serves samples and makes recommendations. The menu is inexpensive menu so we tried everything!
Vital Tea Leaf Tea for tea tasting and knowledge. The staff knows tea. We sampled at least 7 different types of green, oolong and black teas and walked away with a ¼ lb of Blue Tea (that’s not really tea, it’s cucumber leaves but you will have to find out for yourself). It’s a fun and healthy way to spend 30 minutes.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is always a favorite for fresh-made fortune cookies right off the press.
OP Therapy Academy (Clay Street) – best 30 minute $36 back massage evah! There is no website for it but there are lots of 5 star ratings on Yelp. I’ll add my own 5 stars soon. Clothes stay on, lights are off and my lower back has never felt better. My daughter I both said we would do this again and again.

Shopping in Union Square (5-Min Walk)

From high-end designer stores to local boutiques, Union Square is San Francisco’s shopping hub. Saks Fifth Avenue (open by appointment only), Neiman Marcus, and other luxury retailers are still going strong, with Patek Philippe and Rolex debuting new stores and Max Mara and Chanel expanding their footprints. While Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s have closed, Macy’s remains open, along with flagship locations for major brands like Nike, Apple, and Tiffany & Co.

Theaters & Live Entertainment in Union Square

For a night out, Union Square is the spot for top Broadway shows, concerts, and live performances at iconic venues like the Golden Gate Theatre, Curran Theatre, and Orpheum Theatre. Outdoor concerts are happening this spring and summer—many where you can bring a picnic and enjoy drinks in an open-carry setting.

Kim Orlando

Kim Orlando, founder of SheBuysTravel, is a lifelong traveler, an entrepreneur and a sought-after social media and marketing consultant. She has made hundreds of appearances on TV and in digital and print media, sharing advice and tips built on decades of travel experiences. Hailing from the hills of Kentucky and taking her story to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, Kim built an online platform, the original TravelingMom, that has reached millions of moms and empowered them to explore the world with their families. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel. Kim has been featured on “News Nation,” “Today,” “Good Morning America” and on numerous satellite media tours. She has contributed travel guidance to outlets including The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and more. (Read more about Kim’s media appearances here) Her travel mantra is simple: All travel counts. “You don’t have to go far. Leaving your home is travel,” Kim says. “Wherever you go, even just to the next town over, you can learn something new, see someone and something you haven’t seen before. “It’s good for the brain and good for the soul.” An epiphany in early parenthood started Kim on the journey that led to SheBuysTravel. She’d been a fan of a newsletter for women travelers, and she saw an opportunity. “I thought something like that for moms could be extraordinarily helpful,” she said. “I was traveling for work, traveling for fun, and I was looking for support.” That seed grew into the award-winning website TravelingMom, created as a resource for traveling families of all stripes. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel, with an expanded mission to serve women travelers at any stage of life. Millions of readers have visited the site for trip planning help, travel secrets, destination information and gear recommendations. What sets SheBuysTravel’s content apart, Kim says, is its foundation in real-world experience. “Our writers and editors have actually gone out there and done this stuff,” she says. “They’ve booked the flights, tried the tour, tested travel clothing, visited that new hot spot to see if it’s worth the hype. It’s all real.” Memorable Adventures A 2022 tour Kim guided to Bhutan was a particularly standout experience. “Bhutan sounds so exotic, of course,” she said. “But the part where my heart just glows and warms is thinking of the people we met – amazing women doing amazing things in Bhutan.” Their ranks included a former police officer whose ventures into food science helped mitigate food insecurity for residents of Bhutan’s highlands. Top Tips Planning for travel can be daunting, Kim acknowledges. “I always say: Go anyway. No trip is going to be perfect. There’s always going to be something you didn’t expect, something that doesn’t go the way you pictured or planned it. And that something is what’s going to make it a great trip.” And on a practical note: “Go early! Getting to the airport or hitting the road just an hour earlier relieves so much stress.” Kim’s Background Kim, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, holds degrees in finance and entrepreneurship and has deep experience in developing and running businesses. Her previous work includes developing and running communications workshops and overseeing document management for corporations. SheBuysTravel hits a sweet spot where Kim’s two loves of travel and entrepreneurship meet. “The longer I work in this field, I only want to do more,” she says. “I find the travel world so exciting – not just the trips, but the whole online world of travel. There are still so many opportunities.” The World Awaits “The ‘best trip ever’ probably won’t be the same for an empty-nester or mom of three versus a single woman celebrating a bachelorette party with her friends,” Kim says. “We want to keep it real for traveling women, no matter what their age, life stage, where they came from or where they’re going. “We want to inspire women to travel in any shape or form.” In her free time, Kim enjoys visiting her adult kids, creating trips and traveling with her BFFs to explore the world. Her most recent adventures can be found on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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