Where to Propose in San Francisco
San Francisco, affectionately known as everybody’s favourite city, is the perfect place for a proposal getaway. With amazing scenery, both natural and manmade, fabulous food, and a rich mix of cultures that give the city a unique vibrancy, there’s no better place to pop the question.
The climate is the only thing to be wary of in San Francisco. It is also known as Fog City, and with good reason. The mild climate makes it a superb choice for a winter proposal, but in the summer your views may get a little foggy.
When you’re looking for the ideal place to propose you could choose one of the many vantage points offering a spectacular view of the bay area or Golden Gate Bridge, or you could choose one of the city’s excellent parks. You might want an indoor back up plan just in case that famous fog is accompanied by high winds or rain.
Proposing With a View of the Bay
When you mention San Francisco to most people, the image that springs to mind is the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the suspension bridge that joins San Francisco and Marin County where San Francisco Bay meets the endless Pacific. Proposing on the Golden Gate Bridge may not be all that original but the deep emotions that this beautiful structure can evoke make it a very popular choice.
If you’d rather not walk out onto the bridge itself due to fog, wind or traffic, there are numerous places in San Francisco where you can propose with a view of the bridge and the bay area. Fort Point is a great spot on the south side of the bridge at the entrance to the bay, or the top of Coit Tower, a well-known art deco monument on Telegraph Hill gives a more spectacular view.
If you’re happy to drive a little out of town for your proposal location, the Labyrinth at Lands End is a mystical and dramatic place with a fabulous view of the Golden Gate across the water. On the other side of the bridge, the Marin Headlands afford a fantastic view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco, and there are plenty of secluded places to pop the question including Muir Beach and Hawk Hill.
Park Proposals in San Francisco
The Golden Gate Park is definitely worth a visit during your stay and has plenty of locations for a romantic proposal. Established in the nineteenth century, the park now houses the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, Strawberry Hill, and the Shakespeare Garden, all of which would be excellent places to propose.
Other parks in and around San Francisco include Buena Vista Park, a wooded hill in the centre of the city, which has a particularly good view from ‘The Window’ lookout on the western side. You could also check out Grand View Park, also known as Turtle Hill, a small hill in the sunset district of San Francisco. Sutro Heights Park is a beautiful public garden located right on the Pacific coast overlooking Cliff House and Seal Rocks, and it has a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge as well as the vast expanse of ocean.
Indoor Proposals in San Francisco
San Francisco is known for its unpredictable weather, so having a few ideas for indoor proposal locations or at least places where you can find some shelter is probably a good idea. The Fine Art Museum of San Francisco, which includes the Legion of Honour is a beautiful setting in Lincoln Park, and has extra significance as the plaza formed the western end of the Lincoln Highway, the first road across America. In the Golden Gate Park, the DeYoung Museum and the Academy of Science are both fascinating places to while away a few hours and find a cosy proposal spot.
For something 100% San Francisco, why not propose on board one of the historic clanking cable cars as it jolts and judders up and down the city hills. This would work particularly well if your girlfriend is hanging onto you for dear life! Of course if the weather is bad enough to keep you inside you can always propose over dinner, or at your hotel. San Francisco has plenty of great hotels and restaurants to choose from.