What shall I say? There is no way you can visit San Francisco and ignore that big red bridge that spans across the bay. If you are lucky enough to sit on the right side of the plane, your first view of the Golden Gate Bridge will be as you approach San Francisco airport. But even if not (we didn’t, as we were sat on the left) as you manoeuvre around town, you will end up viewing the Golden Gate Bridge at various times of the day. But where to find the perfect viewing spot for Golden Gate Bridge to snap that iconic photo for the perfect Instagram feed? Well good thing we’ve spent an entire week walking the length and width of San Francisco hunting down those perfect viewing spots for Golden Gate Bridge.

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:   Crissy Fields

If you decide to walk or cycle from the Fisherman’s Wharf area to the Golden Gate Bridge, you will come through Crissy Fields. And whilst the park offers a pleasant walk, it also offers some rather pretty views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:  Fort Point and nearby viewpoints

At the end of Crissy Field and just before you start the ascent to the bridge, you’ll get to Fort Point. Perfect for those iconic Golden Gate Bridge shots, as you are down by the water with the bridge majestic above you.

As you walk up to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, you will come past a few more viewpoints, so halt and take a look (and snap a picture).

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:  Land’s End Trail

As we walked the Land’s End Trail from Sutro Baths to Eagle’s Point, we enjoyed magnificent views of the Golden Gate Bridge, from the top of the cliffs and through trees. If you feel very sporty, you could also go down to Mile Rock Beach for more views of the Bridge from low down over the water.

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:  H. Dana Bower Rest Area (Sausalito)

As you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, you will reach the H. Dana Bower Rest Area to the right of the street, giving you a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from across the bay.

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:  Battery Spencer

And if you feel like some more uphill cycling, head to the other side of the street (there is a subway leading across) and up the hill to the left of the bridge. From Battery Spencer you will get a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco in the background. Well worth the uphill trip (saying that, only Mr T cycled up there, not me).

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:  from the water

After our bike tour across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito and Tiburon, we headed back to San Francisco by ferry. Allowing us to also view the Golden Gate Bridge from the water.

Perfect Viewing Spot for Golden Gate Bridge:  Municipal Pier

As the sun set during our last night in San Francisco, we headed to the Municipal Pier to enjoy the sun setting across the bay and to snap some last iconic shots of Golden Gate Bridge.

Here you have it, my photographic guide to the perfect viewing spots for Golden Gate Bridge. But it is not just about the perfect viewing spot, as weather, season and light will vary, the same view can look dramatically different. I must say, I felt almost cheated that for the entire week, we didn’t have fog once. So, I was totally missing out on the iconic ‘Golden Gate Bridge hidden in the fog’ shot. Another reason to come back, I guess.

Tell me, which is your favourite view of the Golden Gate Bridge?