California, United StatesThe City by the Bay

San Francisco

Steep hills, cable cars, fog and some of the best-loved bridges and neighborhoods in the country. It is compact, walkable and very popular, and it opens up the whole Northern California coast.

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Best months: Mar to Nov
Ideal stay: 3 to 4 days
Train: Not confirmed
Bus: Not confirmed

Photo by Kellen Riggin on Unsplash

Best months

January
February
March, a good time to go
April, a good time to go
May, a good time to go
June
July
August
September, a good time to go
October, a good time to go
November, a good time to go
December

Known as

Big city
Coastal
Arts city
Food city
Historic

Getting there

Highway / road trip
Commercial airport
Local public transit
Ferry

Train and bus

Train: Not confirmed
Bus: Not confirmed

People

873,965

in the city, 4,630,041 in the metro area

Languages

English

San Francisco sits at the tip of a peninsula with water on three sides, and the geography shapes everything. Streets climb sharply, then drop to views of the bay and the Golden Gate. Fog comes in through the gap and can cover one district while another stays sunny. The city is small, and the neighborhoods have strong identities: Victorian rows in Alamo Square, murals in the Mission, old Italian cafes in North Beach, and Chinatown's packed streets. Walking is the best way to see it, though your legs will notice the hills.

The Golden Gate Bridge can be walked or cycled, and the Presidio and Crissy Field offer good views from the south side. The ferry to Alcatraz leaves from Pier 33 and should be booked ahead. The cable cars run on three lines, and they are as much transport as attraction. Golden Gate Park holds the Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young museum and the California Academy of Sciences. The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square are the best known of the city's Victorian houses, and Lombard Street's crooked block is a short stop. Fisherman's Wharf is busy but has sea lions at Pier 39.

San Francisco is a serious food city. The Ferry Building has a farmers market and a long hall of food stalls. Dim sum is easy to find in Chinatown and the Richmond, and the Mission is known for burritos and taquerias. Sourdough bread, cioppino and Dungeness crab are local specialities. North Beach is for espresso and Italian dinners, and Hayes Valley is for polished restaurants and wine bars. For drinks, old dive bars and cocktail rooms are scattered across the city, and nearby Napa and Sonoma supply much of the wine list.

Base yourself near Union Square for the cable cars, shopping and easy transit. North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf suit people who like to walk to the waterfront. The Marina and Cow Hollow are calmer, with good access to the Presidio and the bridge. Muni buses, light rail and the historic streetcars cover the city, and BART links it to Oakland, Berkeley and the airport. Driving is slow and parking is hard, and cars left with bags in view are a common target, so keep luggage out of sight. Ferries to Sausalito and Tiburon are a pleasant alternative.

Many people expect summer to be the warm season, but it is often cool and foggy here. September and October tend to be the clearest and warmest months. Spring is green and mild, while winter is wetter but rarely cold. Pack layers whatever the month. Two days covers the headline sights, and three or four lets you add Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and a day trip. The city is expensive, so booking hotels early matters. Ferries from the Ferry Building also run to Oakland and Alameda, and the bridges are best crossed outside rush hours.

San Francisco anchors a classic loop. North across the Golden Gate lie Marin County, Muir Woods and the wine country of Napa and Sonoma. Highway 1 runs south along the coast to Monterey and Big Sur. Yosemite National Park is a long day's drive east. Amtrak trains stop across the bay in Emeryville, and a connecting bus carries passengers to the Ferry Building. It is also the end point for many west coast road trips from Seattle or Los Angeles. Redwoods at Muir Woods, the lighthouse at Point Reyes and the Marin Headlands viewpoints are all a short drive north.

Highlights

Golden Gate Bridge
The red suspension bridge you can walk or cycle across.
Alcatraz Island
The former federal prison, reached by ferry and best booked ahead.
Cable cars
Three historic lines that climb the hills from downtown.
Ferry Building
A waterfront market hall with food stalls and a farmers market.
Golden Gate Park
Gardens, museums and lakes in a huge park running toward the ocean.
Painted Ladies
A row of Victorian houses facing Alamo Square park.
Mission murals
Large wall paintings along Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley.
The Presidio
A former army base turned park, with trails and bay views.

Neighborhoods

North Beach
Italian cafes, bookshops and bars beneath Telegraph Hill.
Chinatown
Dense and busy, with bakeries, markets and herbalists.
The Mission
Murals, taquerias, bars and sunny parks.
Haight-Ashbury
The old hippie district, now vintage shops and record stores beside Golden Gate Park.
Hayes Valley
Boutiques, wine bars and restaurants near the opera and symphony.
The Marina
A waterfront district near Crissy Field and the Palace of Fine Arts.

Getting around

Walk, then use Muni buses, light rail and cable cars, with BART for the airport and the East Bay. Parking is hard, and cars left with luggage in view are often broken into.

Airport: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Parking: Hard downtown
EV charging

Where to next from San Francisco

Pick a city to see how far it is and how to get there, then add it to your route. Choose how many miles out to look, up to 200.

Show on the map Cities Listings Both

23 cities within 100 mi of San Francisco by road.

Zoom with the buttons, or hold ctrl while you scroll. Our cities are the markers; other towns on the map are for reference only.

Pick a city on the map to see how far it is and add it to a route.

All 23 cities within 100 mi, with travel times

Daly City California
about 8 mi · about 13 min by car · estimated
Berkeley California
about 12 mi · about 19 min by car · estimated
Oakland California
about 13 mi · about 21 min by car · estimated
Richmond California
about 16 mi · about 25 min by car · estimated
San Mateo California
about 20 mi · about 32 min by car · estimated
Hayward California
about 25 mi · about 40 min by car · estimated
Fremont California
about 41 mi · about 47 min by car · estimated
Sunnyvale California
about 43 mi · about 48 min by car · estimated
Vallejo California
about 31 mi · about 50 min by car · estimated
Antioch California
about 46 mi · about 52 min by car · estimated
Concord California
about 33 mi · about 53 min by car · estimated
Santa Clara California
about 47 mi · about 54 min by car · estimated
Fairfield California
about 50 mi · about 56 min by car · estimated
San Jose California
about 52 mi · about 1 h by car · estimated
Vacaville California
about 59 mi · about 1 h 7 min by car · estimated
Santa Rosa California
about 62 mi · about 1 h 10 min by car · estimated
Tracy California
about 67 mi · about 1 h 15 min by car · estimated
Santa Cruz California
about 75 mi · about 1 h 25 min by car · estimated
Stockton California
about 78 mi · about 1 h 28 min by car · estimated
Healdsburg California
about 78 mi · about 1 h 29 min by car · estimated
Elk Grove California
about 90 mi · about 1 h 42 min by car · estimated
Sacramento California
about 94 mi · about 1 h 47 min by car · estimated
Modesto California
about 98 mi · about 1 h 51 min by car · estimated

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