Lombard Street (Crooked Street)
The famously crooked one-block switchback descent lined with hydrangeas.
The call
Worth it if you care about the visual experience.
Why
- 01
A genuinely charming, flower-bordered zigzag down a steep hill — fun to walk down once.
Our read - 02
The catch: it's a five-minute photo stop that's mobbed in summer, the line of cars waiting to drive it is long, and residents are visibly over the crowds.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
This is your first trip to San Francisco
Shoot from the bottom at Leavenworth, walk up the side stairs, go early — then drop into North Beach below.
You care about the visual experience
For beauty & photography, Lombard Street (Crooked Street) delivers.
Think twice if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, weigh it — Lombard Street (Crooked Street) isn't cheap for what it is.
You only have one day
Lombard Street (Crooked Street) is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
You are traveling with kids
With kids, it depends on the day.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, it depends on the day.
Plan it well
- Cost
- Free
- Timing
- Early morning to beat the crowds and car queue.
- Allow
- 20–30 min
- Accessibility
- Pedestrian stairs flank the curves; the steep grade is hard for wheelchairs and strollers.
- Getting there
- Top of Russian Hill; the Powell-Hyde cable car stops at the crest, or walk up from North Beach.