Best time to visit san francisco
San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in California, thanks to its vibrant atmosphere, cheerful life. It is one of the most recurring settings for numerous films and series known around the world.
In this guide, I will show you the best time to travel to San Francisco and the climate of each of its seasons so that you can decide when to travel to the big city.
Content summary
1 When to go to San Francisco
1.1 Travel seasons
1.2 The worst time to travel to San Francisco
2 The weather in San Francisco
3 Tips for traveling to San Francisco
3.1 Flights to San Francisco
When to go to San Francisco
Without a doubt, one of the most recommended times to go to San Francisco is in the entire period between March and September, especially the months of April and May.
The temperature is pleasant, so it allows you to enjoy the city excellently, good weather invites you to walk through its streets and discover all its most special corners.
Travel seasons
The high season to travel to San Francisco coincides with the summer months, from June to August. Summers in the city are not excessively hot, and it is an excellent time to visit San Francisco, having a maximum of 20ºC.
When there are more tourists in the city, prices are higher, and it is more difficult to find accommodation. I recommend you bring something warm; nights in San Francisco tend to drop temperatures due to the winds and fog formed by altering the ambient temperature.
The average season to visit San Francisco is in the spring months; it offers a temperate climate that allows knowing the city’s main tourist attractions in the open air without suffocating heat. Bright colors fill the city’s streets, the prices are slightly lower, although plane tickets maintain their worth.
The low season to travel to San Francisco is associated with December, January, and February, with the minimum temperature of 9ºC. Despite being winter, the cold is not extreme thanks to its proximity to the Pacific, maintaining a moderate climate. The worst are the strong winds with frequent rainfall that occur in these months.
The prices are meager, and the plane tickets suffer a slight decrease.
The worst time to travel to San Francisco
The worst time to visit San Francisco of the year is in the low season, especially January. Because it is when the cold accentuates, there is a greater probability of rainfall than in the rest of the year, and strong winds hit the city with force.
It causes that it is not pleasant to walk through its streets many days, having to shelter most of the time in its monuments.
When is the best time to visit San Francisco?
When is the best time to visit San Francisco? Here is information to help you make a decision:
- The best months for good weather in San Francisco are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November.
- On average, the warmest months are June, July, August, September, and October.
- San Francisco has dry spells in April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.
- The coldest months are January, February, and December.
Weather and climate in San Francisco
The climate in the city is temperate; it does not vary much between the different seasons of the year; it characterizes by a Mediterranean climate, mild and fresh throughout the year.
With dry summers and humid winters, the climate is ideal as it does not suffer from suffocating heat in the summer months or severe cold in the winter months.
- Between January and March, the weather is correct. At dusk, the average temperature is 12 ° C, and, in March, five days of rain are expected.
- Between April and July, the weather is splendid. The temperature rises to 23 ° C, and it rains about 2mm every month.
- Between August and September, the weather is perfect. At noon, it is 23 ° C on average, and it rains in September about 3mm.
- Between October and November, the weather is good. On average, it is 11 ° C in the morning, and you can expect to have 15mm of rainfall/month during this period.
- In December the weather is not good, but it is still good. For example, 14 ° C is the maximum temperature in December, and it rains about 25mm every month.
Tips for traveling to San Francisco
You must know what documentation you need to travel to San Francisco.
If you are Spanish, it is necessary to have a valid ID and Passport, in addition to a document known as ESTA, an electronic authorization that you can fill out online before entering the country, which you will request once you land there.
Flights to San Francisco
The best way to travel from Spain is to get to the San Francisco airport; it is the second most important California.
Thanks to this, there are many direct flights from Spain, some low-cost companies operate there, and there are a large number of schedules.
20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN SAN FRANCISCO
In this post, we will tell you about 20 things to see and do in San Francisco, a beautiful Californian city that, with its famous bridge, is one of the destinations that has surprised and excited us the most in the United States. The reasons are various: hippie neighborhoods full of art, wooden houses, each of a different color, a jetty where a community of lazy sea lions lives, and so much more.
Content that you will find
The best things to see in San Francisco
1. Alcatráz, the most famous prison in the world
2. Haight Ashbury, the hippie neighborhood of San Francisco
3. Painted Ladies
4. Golden Gate, one of the best things to see in San Francisco
5. Golden Gate Park
6. California Academy of Sciences
7. Go cycling to Sausalito, one of the best things to do in San Francisco
8. Union Square
9. Coit Tower
10. Chinatown neighborhood, a must-see in San Francisco
11. Pier 39
12. Baker Beach
13. Cable car
14. Castro, the Chueca de San Fransisco
15. Mission neighborhood
16. Free tour of San Francisco
17. Gastronomy of San Francisco
18. San Francisco Bay Cruise
19. Dolores Park
20. Lombard Street
More things to do in San Francisco
Excursions from San Francisco
Useful information
Where to sleep in San Francisco?
How to get to San Francisco from the airport?
How to get around San Francisco?
Where to eat in San Francisco?
How to save on tickets?
The best things to see in San Francisco
Alcatráz, the most famous prison in the world, is one of the most famous (and feared) prisons: Alcatraz! Today it is no longer operational and works as a museum, although it still maintains that load of history and legend that you will notice when walking through its corridors surrounded by cells.
Haight Ashbury, the hippie neighborhood of San Francisco
One of the things we liked to visit the most in San Francisco was Haight Ashbury, the hippie neighborhood full of vintage and psychedelic clothing stores, cool little bars, bohemian air, and houses that will make you want to ask for a loan from the bank.
Some of the most famous houses in the area are Janis Joplin’s (it’s pink!) At 635 Ashbury St. or Jimmy Hendrix’s at 1524 Haight St.
Painted Ladies
Another of the best things to see and do in San Francisco is to go to Alamo Square, where you can also see (and spy on) the most famous houses in the city: the Painted Ladies, some Victorian homes with a sea of beautiful (and expensive).
Golden Gate, one of the best things to see in San Francisco
Fall in love at first sight with the Golden Gate, San Francisco’s most recognized icon, and promise her everlasting love on each subsequent date. To enjoy one of the best views of the San Francisco Bridge, we advise you to go to the Fort Point viewpoint, for us the best 🙂
Golden Gate Park
If you are looking for a place to surround yourself with green, you have to go to Golden Gate Park, a vast park with great views that offers many activities (Botanical Garden, Japanese Garden, or Huntington Falls).
California Academy of Sciences
Without leaving the park, you can also cultivate yourself a bit at the California Academy of Sciences, which has a planetarium, natural history museum, aquarium (although after visiting Atlanta, we DO NOT recommend it), and even a Tropical Rainforest!
Go cycling to Sausalito, one of the best things to do in San Francisco.
Rent a bike and pedal to the pretty town of Sausalito, through the Golden Gate, and back by boat to the Wharf. The prices are not low, although here we leave you a little trick: you can find good deals on the Groupon website (up to 50%) or sign up for a tour on two wheels. Without a doubt, this is one of the best things to see and do in San Francisco with children: they will blow your mind.
Union Square
Shop, stroll or eat ice cream in Union Square, San Francisco’s liveliest area, with tons of luxury stores, department stores, and all kinds of entertainment businesses. By the way, here do not miss a visit to the Apple Store (or stop climbing the most expensive ladder in the world. it cost 1 million dollars 0_O).
Coit Tower
Do you want to see San Francisco at 360º? Go up to the Coit Tower: from its viewpoint, you will have a great panoramic view of the city.
Chinatown neighborhood, a must-see in San Francisco
Wander through Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the world (outside of Asia, of course). Here you can entertain yourself for hours, although the essential thing is binge on dumplings in one of its many restaurants.
Of course, do not forget to pass through the Chinese door that welcomes you to the neighborhood. It locates at the corner of Grant Avenue and Bush Street.
Pier 39
Walkthrough Pier 39 is one of the most visited points in the city, a pier full of restaurants (of course, Bubba Gump isn’t missing) and awash with an atmosphere all day and all night.
Here you will also meet the most excellent (if somewhat lazy) inhabitants of San Francisco: a colony of sea lions that spend the day sunbathing (if it is sunny) and posing for tourists. They are as lovely as stinky XD.
Baker Beach
Go to Baker Beach, the water may be too cold for a dip (it is), but the views of the Golden Gate from there are amazing.
Cable car
One of the city’s icons is the cable car, a curious team operating since 1873! He is handsome but not cheap: a single ticket costs $ 7! Will you want to go up? With the $ 7 saved, we ate a burrito XD.
Castro, the Chueca de San Fransisco
Castro is the place where the claims in favor of the rights of homosexuals began, where was shouted the world for the first time that love is love. If you are lucky enough to be in San Francisco at the end of June, you will enjoy Gay Pride, one of the world’s most beautiful, colorful, and fun.
Mission neighborhood
The neighborhood with the most Latin atmosphere in the city is Mission District, where street art alternates with Mexican restaurants and many atmospheres.
Free tour of San Francisco
New: from 2022, you can already hire a free tour of San Francisco (yes!). Signing up is free, although it is always advisable to leave a good tip to the guide at the end 🙂
The gastronomy of San Francisco
Try a clam chowder at one of the many restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf. It shouldn’t cost more than $ 7-8, and it’s delicious. Do you know what it is? It is a potato and clam soup served in a round bread that doubles as a bowl and can eat!
Another delicatessen to try, and above all free, are the Ghirardelli chocolates 🙂 and, of course, you cannot stop having a beer (or two) in one of the many craft breweries in the city. Try the Anchor beer * _ * how delicious!
San Francisco Bay Cruise
To top off a perfect trip, take a cruise through the famous San Francisco Bay for a completely different view of the city that you will remember forever. And if budget is not a problem for you, take a helicopter tour! It has to be a pass-sa-da.
Dolores Park
Enjoy one of the best views of the city from Dolores Park for us. It is another of the best things to see in San Francisco: the panoramic view from there is unforgettable.
Lombard Street
Freak out with the steep curves of Lombard Street, possibly the most iconic street in San Francisco, with its mythical hairpin bends, its winding route, its flowers, and its cars waiting for their turn to go down it.
More things to do in San Francisco
- Go upstairs. We know it is not a plan that seems attractive but trusts us, the stairs full of tiles on 16th Avenue are a step!
- If you want to live an unforgettable experience (or make a very, very handsome gift), fly over the bay: San Francisco from a bird’s eye view has to be excellent.
- Take a little time to relax in Washington Square.
- Get to know the Mission of San Francisco, the oldest building in the city, founded in 1776 by Spanish missionaries.
- Tour the Financial District; many of the most famous technology company offices such as Twitter and Linkedin are located.
- Visit North Beach, the Italian neighborhood. When we went, there was a very handsome festival although we are sure that it is always a lively place, full of places where you can have a drink or go for a walk.
- In North Beach, there is a beautiful little shop full of maps and vintage prints: Schein and Schein. If you like the roll, it locates at 1435 Grant Ave.
- And don’t forget to enjoy the best sunset from Twin Peaks Park.
Excursions from San Francisco
There are a few getaways from San Francisco; these are our favorites:
- Take a tour to see Napa Valley and Sonoma, some of the most famous wine regions in the world. And drink wine, of course! You can do it in Spanish!
- Stroll among the giant redwoods of Muir Woods. If you don’t have a car to do it yourself, you can sign up for a tour like this.
- Visit Silicon Valley. Here the most famous offices are those of Google and Facebook. A paradise for every self-respecting nerd. Here we leave you a post from Anuevayork with a lovely geek route.
- If after visiting San Francisco you have some time, rent a car and go on a beautiful route along the West Coast, soon we will begin to tell you about ours 🙂
- And if you don’t have time, you can consider taking a tour to Yosemite to get to know one of the most beautiful parks in the United States. We recommend doing it for free and with more time, but if it is impossible, then this option is not bad 🙂
So far, our recommendations of things to see and do in San Francisco. Do you know others? Have we forgotten a must-see to visit?
Useful information
Where to sleep in San Francisco?
Here we tell you which are the best areas to stay in San Francisco, and we give you a few exciting options.
We stayed at HI SF Downtown, in a quadruple room (we traveled with Ire and Santi, Rober’s sister and her boyfriend). We liked the place a lot: it is next to Union Square, surrounded by shops and restaurants. There are charming standard rooms; they serve complimentary breakfast (we miss the bagels with cheese!) And they organize fun, free tours that we recommend you do. We did the one in Mission where they took us to tour the neighborhood (and also with a beer stop and a piece of a burrito!).
The second time we visited the city, we did it in a 100-year-old house * _ * How? Through the Home exchange platform. We spent ten days in the city, and we discovered it from a more “local” rather than touristy side. The truth is that it was a very excellent experience and I hope we can enjoy it again in the future.
Best time to visit san francisco
How to get to San Francisco from the airport?
The best thing is to catch the BART (SF subway). It passes every 15 minutes and takes half an hour to get to the center. The ticket costs $ 8.95. Also, arrive by Uber, super common in the United States. You can make an account with this invitation and get a discount of up to € 20 on your first race. The price from the airport to downtown San Francisco is around $ 25-30.
How to get around San Francisco?
We, being 4, have almost always moved by Uber. The truth is that it was cheaper. Another day we take the tourist bus that runs through the main points of the city.
The subway is not very cheap: the single ticket costs $ 2.75, so calculate well which route to take and if you want to save the most walk!
Where to eat in San Francisco?
We have prepared an excellent article with eight restaurants to eat in San Francisco, but if you only have one day, eat clam chowder in the Pier 39 area!
Short on time but want to see as much as possible?
If you are only going to be one or two days in the city and you want to make the most of your visit, the excellent idea is to take a complete tour, which will take you to know the city’s main attractions. For example, it also includes a visit to Alcatraz (it is a must).
How to save on tickets?
If you plan to enter many places where you can charge entry, it may be worth it to get one of the tourist passes, which include access to different attractions in San Francisco; take a look at these:
- Go San Francisco Card
- San Francisco Explorer Pass
- San Francisco City Pass