Travel guide · United States
San Francisco travel guide
Cable cars, steep hills and the Golden Gate Bridge in summer fog
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
San Francisco packs steep hills, Victorian houses and bay views onto a peninsula roughly 11 km across. Most sights are reachable by cable car, Muni streetcar or on foot: the Golden Gate Bridge and the Presidio in the north-west, Fisherman's Wharf and the Alcatraz ferries on the waterfront, Chinatown and North Beach downtown, and the murals and taquerias of the Mission. Pack layers — summer fog makes the city cooler than most visitors expect. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are April–May and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- Best time to visit
- April–May and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- SFO, OAK, SJC
- Mid-range daily budget
- $270–$450 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Cable cars and Summer fog
Why visit San Francisco
- The Golden Gate Bridge can be walked or cycled end to end, with views of the skyline, Alcatraz and the Marin Headlands.
- Cable cars, steep hills and rows of Victorian houses turn simply getting around into sightseeing.
- Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park's museums and the Exploratorium add depth beyond the postcard views.
- Food is a highlight: Mission burritos, sourdough, Dungeness crab, dim sum and the Ferry Building's farmers market.
- Muir Woods, Sausalito, Napa Valley and the Monterey coast are all within day-trip range.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
Landmark · Presidio
Golden Gate Bridge
Opened in 1937, the 2.7 km suspension bridge in its International Orange paint spans the Golden Gate strait.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
Historic site · San Francisco Bay
Alcatraz Island
The former federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island held prisoners such as Al Capone between 1934 and 1963.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- After dark
Experience · Nob Hill
Cable cars and the Cable Car Museum
Running since 1873, San Francisco's cable cars are the last manually operated cable-car system in the world.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Kids
- Views
- History
Waterfront · Fisherman's Wharf
Pier 39 and the sea lions
Pier 39 is a busy pier of shops, restaurants and street performers, but the real draw is the sea lions that haul out on the floating docks beside it, a colony that settled here after the 1989 earthquake.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
Street · Russian Hill
Lombard Street
One block of Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth twists through eight hairpin bends lined with flower beds, earning its 'crookedest street' nickname.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Photo spot
- Views
Architecture · Alamo Square
Painted Ladies and Alamo Square
The row of pastel Victorian houses on Steiner Street, framed against the downtown skyline from Alamo Square park, is one of the most photographed views in the city.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Where to stay
Union Square is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and solo travellers
Union Square
Department stores, theatres and the Powell Street cable car turnaround
$$$ · Best for families and first-timers
Fisherman's Wharf
Sea lions, chowder in bread bowls and the ferry piers on the northern waterfront
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, nightlife and culture
North Beach
Italian cafés, Beat Generation bookshops and Telegraph Hill
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury and quiet stays
Nob Hill
Grand hotels, Grace Cathedral and cable cars on California Street
What to eat
Full San Francisco food guide.
- Mission burrito — An oversized flour tortilla steamed soft and stuffed with rice, beans, meat, salsa and often cheese, sour cream and guacamole, then wrapped in foil.
- Sourdough bread — San Francisco's tangy sourdough dates back to the Gold Rush; Boudin Bakery, founded in 1849, still bakes from a mother dough it has kept alive for generations.
- Clam chowder in a bread bowl — Creamy New England-style clam chowder served in a hollowed-out sourdough loaf is the classic Fisherman's Wharf lunch on a cold, foggy day.
- Dungeness crab — The sweet local crab is served cracked and cold with butter or sauce, or roasted with garlic, often alongside the buttery garlic noodles of the city's Vietnamese restaurants.
- Cioppino — A tomato-and-wine seafood stew of crab, clams, mussels, prawns and fish, created by Italian fishermen in North Beach in the late 19th century.
- Dim sum — Tea houses serve dumplings, rice-noodle rolls, barbecue pork buns and egg tarts, sometimes from trolleys, as a mid-morning meal shared at round tables.
When to go
The best time to visit San Francisco is September to October, when the summer fog usually clears and the city has its warmest, sunniest weather. April and May are also pleasant and quieter. Summer (June to August) is the busiest season but often cool, grey and windy, while winter brings rain, green hills and lower hotel prices.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | December–February | Cool and wet with clear days between storms, green hills, Lunar New Year and some of the lowest hotel rates of the year. |
| Spring | March–May | Mild, drier days, wildflowers on the headlands and blossom in the parks, with fog starting to return by late May. |
| Summer | June–August | Peak crowds and prices but often cool, foggy and windy, especially near the ocean; the Mission and the East Bay are sunnier. |
| Autumn | September–November | Usually the warmest, clearest weather of the year in September and October, with Fleet Week and free festivals, before rain returns in November. |
Getting there and around
San Francisco International (SFO) is about 21 km south of downtown. BART trains run from the international terminal to Powell Street and other downtown stations in about 30 minutes; taxis and rideshares take 25–45 minutes. Oakland airport is linked to BART by an automated shuttle train, and San José suits travellers heading to Silicon Valley.
San Francisco is compact but very hilly. Muni runs the buses, light-rail Metro lines, historic F-line streetcars and cable cars, while BART connects downtown with the Mission, the airport, Oakland and Berkeley. Walking is rewarding if you plan routes around the steepest hills.
Plan your days
Three days covers the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, a cable-car ride, Chinatown and North Beach, and Golden Gate Park. Four or five days adds the Mission, Lands End and a day trip to Muir Woods and Sausalito or the Napa Valley.
Practical information
- Currency
- USD
- Language
- English, Spanish and Chinese
- Plugs
- Type A and B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is excellent to drink; much of it comes from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares, and a few dollars per bag for porters.
Car break-ins are very common, especially at viewpoints and tourist car parks, so leave nothing at all in a parked car. Some downtown areas, notably the Tenderloin and parts of SoMa and Market Street, have visible drug use and can feel unsettled. Ocean beaches have cold water and strong rip currents, so swimming is not advised.
Flights to San Francisco
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in San Francisco?
Three days covers the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, a cable-car ride, Chinatown and North Beach, and Golden Gate Park. Four or five days adds the Mission, Lands End and a day trip to Muir Woods and Sausalito or the Napa Valley. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit San Francisco?
The best time to visit San Francisco is September to October, when the summer fog usually clears and the city has its warmest, sunniest weather. April and May are also pleasant and quieter. Summer (June to August) is the busiest season but often cool, grey and windy, while winter brings rain, green hills and lower hotel prices.
+What is San Francisco known for?
Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Cable cars, Summer fog, Sourdough bread, Mission burritos and Victorian houses. The Golden Gate Bridge can be walked or cycled end to end, with views of the skyline, Alcatraz and the Marin Headlands.
+Is San Francisco expensive?
San Francisco is very expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $270–$450 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in San Francisco?
No: parking is expensive, car break-ins are common and transit covers the city. Rent a car only for day trips to Napa, Monterey, Point Reyes or Yosemite.