Ghirardelli is one of America's most famous chocolate brands, and "Ghirardelli Square" near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf is its spiritual home! With its nostalgic classic red brick buildings, beautiful ocean views, a dazzling array of chocolates and souvenirs, and their world-famous classic chocolate sundae, it's an absolute must-visit. Plus, it's super close to iconic San Francisco attractions like the famous cable car turnaround, an Irish coffee shop, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Musée Mécanique. It's definitely a spot worth adding to your San Francisco itinerary! In this post, let's explore all the fun and delicious things to experience at Ghirardelli Square together!

San Francisco Travel Info

★ Transport: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus｜Car Rental
★ SIM Cards: USA/Canada/Mexico SIM Card Delivery｜USA eSIM
★ Tickets: Explorer Pass｜California Academy of Sciences｜de Young Museum｜The Walt Disney Family Museum
★ Cruises: Bridge to Bridge Cruise｜Alcatraz & Golden Gate Bay Cruise｜Alcatraz Prison Tour
★ Tours: Wine Tasting Day Tour｜Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour
★ Getaways: Yosemite National Park
★ Guide: San Francisco Ultimate Travel Guide｜Target Souvenir Shopping List

Ghirardelli Square Info

★ Location: 900 North Point St E204A, San Francisco｜Google Maps
★ Hours: Daily 9am - 10pm
★ Admission: Free Entry｜Official Website

The story of Ghirardelli Square begins with Domenico Ghirardelli, an Italian immigrant and confectioner who traveled all the way to America in the 19th century. He settled in California during the height of the Gold Rush. Instead of mining for gold, he followed his passion for cocoa beans and founded the Ghirardelli chocolate brand in 1852, crafting a sweet San Francisco legend with his classic chocolates!

As the business flourished, Ghirardelli purchased a large block of land by the San Francisco waterfront in 1893. Here, he built a factory that included chocolate manufacturing, warehousing, offices, and display areas—which is today's Ghirardelli Square.

Built right beside the bay where the ocean breeze gently blows, the red brick buildings stand quietly and gracefully~

There's also a beautiful, classic fountain nestled right inside the square!

These incredibly scenic buildings are exactly where Ghirardelli chocolate used to be made~

Renowned for its red brick architecture and classic industrial vibe, Ghirardelli Square is now officially listed as a National Register of Historic Places landmark!

Walking into the red brick building, we were instantly greeted by mountains of chocolates everywhere we looked!

They also sell all sorts of San Francisco-themed souvenirs! There are so many chocolate products you can take home, and the packaging is gorgeous and high-quality. It's a hugely popular choice for souvenirs and a really fun spot for tourists to browse!

We visited just around Christmas time, so they had a lot of festive holiday ornaments for sale~

The one thing we regret not buying the most is definitely this cable car chocolate Christmas ornament! The wheels on the cable car actually move, and it comes with a few chocolates inside. It’s fun to play with, tasty to eat, and makes for a perfect keepsake~ Seriously, why on earth didn't we buy it!?

This classic red brick building also features a lovely seating area~

Time seems to slow down here. Sitting by the window, admiring the peaceful bay with a bite of a sweet hot fudge sundae, it truly makes you forget the hustle and bustle of the world for a while~

There are several spots around the square selling drinks and chocolate desserts, including some fun seasonal options to choose from!

However, if you want to see the chocolate-making process, it's only available inside one specific shop! When we visited, we ran into quite a few tourists asking which store it was. If you can't find it either, just look for the archway in the photo above—the store right behind the arch is the one you want!

On the map, it's located at spot number 5~

You have to order at the counter first before taking a seat.

The pattern on the ceiling inside totally reminds you of a giant chocolate bar!

At the very back of the store, there is an entire wall featuring a chocolate waterfall, along with a massive "G" sign! It turns out this chocolate waterfall wall is 16 feet wide and 9 feet tall, making it the largest in the United States! And that 19-foot-tall "G" is the actual giant sign that illuminated Ghirardelli Square during the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco~

The machines in the back demonstrate the chocolate-making process. The cocoa bean roaster toasts the shelled cocoa beans to bring out their unique aroma and flavor, and then a stone melanger grinds the cocoa nibs into a smooth paste~ After that, it moves on to the final stages of chocolate production.

The shop has so many chocolate-themed desserts! The absolute most famous one is their Sundae. Made with rich, handmade hot fudge, paired with vanilla ice cream and nuts, it became an instant hit when it launched and remains a must-order signature item to this day! To make sure tourists know exactly what to order, they simply named it the "World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae" 🤣

Since they proudly call it world-famous, we jumped on the bandwagon and ordered one to try! Well~ honestly, Cherry personally thinks it's just like typical American desserts—very, very sweet! 😅 If you want to try it and you don't have a massive sweet tooth, we’d recommend ordering the mini size first, and remember to pair it with a more refreshing drink!

We visited Ghirardelli Square on a weekday that happened to be rainy, so there were super few people! There wasn't even a single person lined up at the nearby cable car turnaround. We went back on a sunny day later on (see photo above), and the crowds were noticeably much larger. So, if you run out of places to go on a rainy day, eating, drinking, shopping, and enjoying the views at the chocolate square isn't a bad rainy day backup plan!

Also, the location of Ghirardelli Square is seriously fantastic! The Powell & Hyde Cable Car Turnaround is just one block away. Right across from the turnaround is a famous restaurant called "The Buena Vista". We heard their American brunch is pretty good, but they are most famous for their Irish Coffee! If you happen to be there around mealtime, why not grab a bite and a cup of their famous coffee? When planning your itinerary, you can easily pair this with nearby attractions like Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39! Alternatively, you can catch a cable car directly from the turnaround to other spots, like the winding "Lombard Street" and the "Cable Car Museum" that Cherry highly recommends! After browsing the museum, you can walk two blocks to the "Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory" and then head to a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chinatown for some must-eat San Francisco crab! For more details, check out this post 👉🏻 Riding Through History ★ Exploring the San Francisco Cable Car Museum

📌 Recommended Reading: The World's First Fortune Cookie Factory｜City Lights Bookstore: A Literary Museum

If you ever get the chance to visit San Francisco, don't forget there's a red brick square standing by the bay, drifting with the sweet scent of chocolate~ Give yourself a little time to immerse in the historical atmosphere of the red brick buildings, enjoy the beautiful ocean views, and leisurely savor a world-famous hot fudge sundae!

San Francisco Travel Info

★ Transport: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus｜Car Rental
★ SIM Cards: USA/Canada/Mexico SIM Card Delivery｜USA eSIM
★ Tickets: Explorer Pass｜California Academy of Sciences｜de Young Museum｜The Walt Disney Family Museum
★ Cruises: Bridge to Bridge Cruise｜Golden Gate Bay｜Alcatraz & Golden Gate Bay Cruise｜Alcatraz Prison Tour
★ Tours: Wine Tasting Day Tour｜Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour
★ Getaways: Yosemite National Park
★ Guide: San Francisco Ultimate Travel Guide｜Target Souvenir Shopping List

There are so many amazing attractions to explore in San Francisco! If you're interested in other spots and want to figure out the smoothest way to plan your itinerary, be sure to check out the San Francisco Ultimate Travel Guide that Cherry put together!

San Francisco Travel Articles

★ 【San Francisco Ultimate Travel Guide】35 Top Attractions ★ Map, Transport, Accommodation & Itinerary
★ 【Free SF Attractions】Riding Through History ★ Exploring the San Francisco Cable Car Museum
★ 【San Francisco Travel】Yoda Fountain & Star Wars Exhibit ★ A Hidden Gem in a Quiet Park
★ 【San Francisco Travel】The Colorful Painted Ladies ★ Classic Skyline Where History Meets Modernity
★ 【San Francisco Travel】A Half-Century of Fortune Cookie Legends ★ Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory
★ 【San Francisco Travel】City Lights Bookstore: Like a Literary Museum
★ 【San Francisco's Sky Guardian】Exploring the Unique Aesthetics of the Transamerica Pyramid
★ 【San Francisco Travel】Relive Classic Arcades ★ Exploring the Nostalgic World of Musée Mécanique
★ 【San Francisco Travel】Local Secret Spot ~ A Hidden Park in the Sky
★ 【SF Family Attraction】The Craziest Interactive Museum in the US ~ Even Adults Won't Want to Leave!
★ 【SF Family Attraction】4-in-1 Amazing Value ~ An Unimaginable Journey at the California Academy of Sciences!
★ 【SF Hidden Gem】Step into the Century-Old Japanese Tea Garden ★ Instantly Teleport to Kyoto

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