Cable Car End

The cable car turnaround at Taylor and Bay is where most families start or end their ride on San Francisco's iconic cable cars, and it's worth planning around. The turntable here is a free show — operators manually push the 15,000-pound car around on a wooden platform, and kids (especially the train-obsessed crowd) will stand and watch for 20 minutes straight.

The ride itself is $8 per person each way. Kids 4 and under ride free if they sit on a lap, which is a solid deal. A family of four with older kids is looking at $32 for a one-way trip, or $64 round trip — not cheap, but it's one of those San Francisco things you kind of have to do once.

There are two lines that stop here: Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason. Take Powell-Hyde if you can. The descent down Hyde Street toward Aquatic Park has views of Alcatraz, the bay, and Lombard Street that genuinely make you gasp. Powell-Mason is fine but the views aren't as dramatic.

The biggest mistake families make is waiting in the turnaround line at Powell and Market (the other end). That line can stretch 45 minutes to over an hour on summer weekends. Instead, walk a few blocks up the route and board at a mid-line stop — you'll usually get on the next car. The trade-off is you might have to stand, but kids think that's the best part anyway.

Strollers are a hassle on cable cars. You can bring one but you'll need to fold it and hold it while managing kids on a moving, open-sided vehicle. If your kids can walk, leave the stroller at the hotel.

The area around this stop is prime for a full morning or afternoon. Ghirardelli Square is a 5-minute walk for ice cream. The Maritime Museum and Hyde Street Pier are free and right there. Aquatic Park's small beach lets kids burn energy after the ride.

One thing nobody tells you: the cable car museum at Mason and Washington is free and shows the actual underground cables that pull every car in the city. It's a 10-minute detour and kids who loved the ride go absolutely wild seeing how it all works underneath.