San Francisco, California

No visit to San Francisco is complete without a stop at the bustling Union Square. The cultural and shopping hub of the city is a great place to spend your day. From art galleries, theaters and music venues to salons, spas, department stores, luxury boutiques and eateries, there's always something happening around here.

A festival marketplace with 13 bay-view restaurants, dozens of fun attractions and over 110 stores, many one-of-a kind. Bling Things (jewelry), Alpaca Fashion (sweaters), the Cable Car Store (collectibles), Field of Dreams (sports and celebrity gift store), Houdini Magic, and Puppets on the Pier. If you can’t find it here, you can’t find it anywhere.

Since 1953, City Lights has been a prominent San Francisco landmark embodying the 50-year history of the Beat Generation. It specializes in arts, world literature, and progressive politics. If you are a book lover, you must check out this place, which happens to be the first ever all-paperback bookstore in the U.S.

Eclectic Chinatown invites shoppers into this bustling maze of streets and alleys that brims with small shops jam-packed with mahogany furniture, carved statues, exotic gifts, green and rose scented black teas. Don’t miss the Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley.

The opulent San Francisco Center offers a variety of shops — more than 200 — as well as many eateries and a movie theater. Here you will find from the large and popular American chain stores such as American Eagle, Footlocker and Victoria’s Secret to high-end stores like Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Rolex.

Built in 1907 as the Del Monte Peach Canning Factory, The Cannery is a vibrant waterfront marketplace. The historic brick warehouse includes three levels of unique shops, galleries, restaurants and winding walkways. In the center is an inviting courtyard boasting several cozy outdoor cafes surrounded by 130-year-old olive trees. Live music and a variety of events entertain visitors.

Adults and kids alike will enjoy browsing through the shelves at this puzzle store, where puzzles, brain teasers and games for all age groups are on sale.

Since 1852, Ghirardelli Square has housed the oldest continuously operating chocolate manufacturer in the country. To attract crowds, it has added more than fifty premium shops, galleries, restaurants and a hotel. A large open-air plaza is a great place to relax during the weekend or after work.

A tiny fortune cookie factory in the Chinatown district where visitors have a chance to observe the fortune cookie-making process. You also get to taste these crispy treats as part of a free tour.

This quirky little store sells items very much out of the ordinary. From taxidermy paraphernalia to carnivorous plants, plus an eclectic array of home decor, candles and soaps. This place is a must-visit when shopping in San Francisco — even if it's just to see a taxidermy unicorn head on display (and for sale!)

As the name of the store suggests, everything here revolves around candy, but taffy in particular is the true star of the show. The enticing display of the candy in giant barrels makes it difficult to leave without a bag full of candy in your hands.