For couples · San Francisco · United States
Romantic things to do in San Francisco
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alexwennerberg, CC0
Quick answer
San Francisco's romance comes from its views: the bridge at sunset, the city lights from Twin Peaks and candlelit dinners in North Beach. Add a cable-car ride, a ferry across the bay and a night in the wine country. Couples tend to stay in North Beach.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 2
- Area for couples
- North Beach
- Best months
- April–May
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Battery Spencer
Drive or cycle across the bridge to the Marin Headlands viewpoint, where the north tower frames the city skyline at dusk.
2.Ferry to Sausalito
Take an afternoon ferry across the bay, have dinner by the water and ride back as the city lights come on.
3.North Beach dinner
Book an Italian dinner in North Beach, then walk up Telegraph Hill to see the lights from below Coit Tower.
4.Twin Peaks at night
Watch the grid of city lights spread out below the summit, with the Bay Bridge glowing in the distance.
5.Wine-country weekend
Spend a night in Napa or Sonoma for tastings, spa time and dinner at a vineyard restaurant.
6.Lands End at sunset
Walk the cliff trail through the cypress trees to the Sutro Baths ruins as the sun sinks into the Pacific.
Sights couples love
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Architecture · Marina
Palace of Fine Arts
Combine it with a walk along Crissy Field towards the Golden Gate Bridge, about 3 km away.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Couples
- Photo spot
- History
Viewpoint · Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Go on a clear evening for sunset and the city lights; it gets cold and windy, so bring a jacket.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, nightlife and culture
North Beach
North Beach is San Francisco's old Italian quarter, with espresso bars and trattorias along Columbus Avenue and Grant Avenue, Washington Square and City Lights Bookstore, the landmark of the Beat writers. Coit Tower and the Filbert Steps are up the hill, and Chinatown and the Financial District are a short walk away.
- Good
- Walk to Chinatown, the Wharf and downtown; Cafés, bars and Italian restaurants; Strong character and history
- Watch out
- Few large hotels; Steep hills; Strip clubs along Broadway
- Nearby
- Washington Square, City Lights Bookstore, Coit Tower, Chinatown
Romantic day trips
- Sausalito (About 30 minutes by ferry) — This hillside waterfront town across the Golden Gate has galleries, waterfront restaurants and a colony of colourful houseboats.
- Napa Valley (About 1–1.5 hours by car) — Napa Valley has hundreds of wineries along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, with Yountville, St Helena and Calistoga for lunch.
- Monterey and Carmel (About 2.5 hours by car) — Monterey's Cannery Row leads to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, with sea otters and a towering kelp forest tank, and the coast continues to Carmel-by-the-Sea and its white-sand beach.
- Point Reyes National Seashore (About 1.5 hours by car) — Windswept beaches, the clifftop Point Reyes Lighthouse, a tule elk reserve and oyster farms on Tomales Bay make Point Reyes a wild contrast to the city.
- Yosemite National Park (About 4 hours by car) — Yosemite Valley's granite walls — El Capitan and Half Dome — and its waterfalls, fullest in late spring, make a long but possible day trip; a night or two is far better.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Clam chowder in a bread bowl, Dungeness crab and Cioppino. Tap water is free and good; ask for it if it is not brought automatically.
Questions travellers ask
+Is San Francisco romantic?
San Francisco's romance comes from its views: the bridge at sunset, the city lights from Twin Peaks and candlelit dinners in North Beach. Add a cable-car ride, a ferry across the bay and a night in the wine country.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in San Francisco?
Sunset at Battery Spencer: Drive or cycle across the bridge to the Marin Headlands viewpoint, where the north tower frames the city skyline at dusk.
+Where should couples stay in San Francisco?
North Beach: Italian cafés, Beat Generation bookshops and Telegraph Hill.