Ghirardelli Square

Listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, Ghirardelli Square is home to a selection of upscale stores, restaurants, a brewery, and wine-tasting room. However, the staple of the square is the Original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. On sunny days, the plaza bustles with people sprawled around the fountain and on benches, taking in the scene. Most hop-on hop-off San Francisco tours include a stop at or near Ghirardelli Square; a Segway tour is another popular way to see it.

• The line at the ice cream and chocolate shop can be out the door, so be prepared to wait if you go on a busy day.

• If you’re driving, metered street parking is available in the neighborhood, or you can enter the parking garage from Larkin Street.

• Wear comfortable shoes, as there’s a good chance you’ll be walking several blocks or more to your car.

• Ghirardelli Square is accessible to wheelchair users; enter via Beach Street or Larkin Street, but beware the steep hills of the latter.

Ghirardelli Square is located between Polk, North Point, Beach, and Larkin streets, just a few blocks west of Fisherman’s Wharf. City buses 19, 30, and 47 stop next to the square, while the Powell–Hyde cable car turnaround at Hyde and Beach streets is one block away.

The square itself is open every day from late morning to late evening, though the hours of restaurants and shops vary. Festivals and outdoor movie screenings are held throughout the year; particularly popular is the annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival, which typically takes place the second weekend of September. If you’re visiting during the holidays, go at night to enjoy the lights of the Christmas tree.

Once you have your chocolate fix, don’t leave the area without popping across the street to explore Aquatic Park on the waterfront of San Francisco Bay. You can admire views of Alcatraz Island, watch bold locals swimming in the water, or visit the art deco Maritime Museum.

San Francisco’s popular Ghirardelli Square is where the old Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory once thrived. Now the area is a retail square filled with shops and eateries, and many visitors come to see the large Ghirardelli sign and clock tower and visit the Original Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop.

Ghirardelli Square is open daily, typically from 9am until 10pm, but keep in mind that some of the shops or eateries may not be open during those hours every day. It’s best to check the opening hours of the shops you want to visit, so you don’t miss out.

You can do a lot of shopping at Ghirardelli Square, and the area also has a miniature golf course. The most popular thing to do at Ghirardelli Square is to visit the ice cream and chocolate shop to sample an ice-cream cone or to shop for chocolate to take home.

Yes, there’s parking available at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square. You can enter the main parking garage for Ghirardelli Square on Larkin Street between North Point and Beach Street or on Beach Street between Larkin and Polk streets. The parking garage is pricey; check the square’s website for discount parking offers.

No, you can’t take a tour of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory as the original building in San Francisco no longer houses a factory. However, you can grab chocolate and ice cream at the Original Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop, which has been operating since 1966.

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is across Beach Street from Ghirardelli Square and features the Maritime Museum and historic ships at Hyde Street Pier. For more activities, visit Pier 39 and all of its attractions, such as the Aquarium of the Bay, about a 15-minute walk away.