Season guide · San Francisco · United States
San Francisco in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daniel Lu ( User:dllu ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Mild, drier days, wildflowers on the headlands and blossom in the parks, with fog starting to return by late May. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 16 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 9°C (48°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 16
- Sea
- 12°C (54°F) to 13°C (55°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 17°C (63°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 9 | 11.8 h | 3/5 |
| April | 18°C (64°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 5 | 13.1 h | 3/5 |
| May | 19°C (66°F) | 11°C (52°F) | 2 | 14.2 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 18°C (64°F) against a yearly 19°C (66°F), and 16 of the year's roughly 59 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- March: St Patrick's Day parade (around 17 March)
- April: Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown (usually April)
- April: San Francisco International Film Festival (usually April)
- May: Bay to Breakers — costumed footrace across the city (usually the third Sunday of May)
- May: Carnaval San Francisco in the Mission (usually Memorial Day weekend)
Good choices for spring
Museum · Embarcadero
Exploratorium
Book the Tactile Dome in advance; it is a separate ticket and slots are limited.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- After dark
Gallery · SoMa
SFMOMA
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, expanded in 2016 with a rippled white extension, is one of the largest modern-art museums in the United States, with works by Warhol, Rothko, Kahlo and Richter and a strong photography collection.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Experience · Fisherman's Wharf
Musée Mécanique
Get a handful of quarters from the change machines and try the hand-cranked moving-picture viewers.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · Golden Gate Park
California Academy of Sciences
Under a living roof planted with native wildflowers, the Academy combines an aquarium with a Philippine coral reef, a four-storey rainforest dome with free-flying butterflies, the Morrison Planetarium, African penguins and a natural history museum.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Museum · Golden Gate Park
de Young Museum
Even without a museum ticket, ride up the free observation tower for a 360-degree view over the park and the Pacific.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Views
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Day trips in spring
- 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.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit San Francisco?
Yes: April–May are among the best months. Mild, drier days, wildflowers on the headlands and blossom in the parks, with fog starting to return by late May.
+What is the weather like in San Francisco in spring?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F), with about 16 rainy days over the season.