Start the day at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, a large urban park that offers numerous attractions for families. Visit the California Academy of Sciences which is home to an aquarium, planetarium and natural history museum. Next up is the De Young Museum followed by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Take a stroll through the Japanese Tea Garden and let the kids run around the Koret Children's Quarter playground.
Visit Alcatraz Island first thing in the morning. Located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, it was once a prison and is now a National Park. Take a self-guided audio tour of the prison and learn about its infamous history. Next, take a ferry to Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf. Explore the wharf, grab lunch at one of the seafood restaurants, and finish off the day at Aquarium of the Bay, where you can see over 20,000 marine animals.
If you have more time, consider adding a visit to Exploratorium, located at Pier 15. For those with less time, skip the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and spend more time at the California Academy of Sciences and De Young Museum. Additionally, it's important to book your Alcatraz Island tickets in advance, as they sell out quickly.