San Francisco

Best time to visit San Francisco

The best time to visit San Francisco depends on what you're looking for in your trip. Here's a breakdown of the pros and cons of each season:

Summer is the warmest and driest time of year in San Francisco. It's a great time to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and picnicking in Golden Gate Park. However, it's also the most crowded and expensive time to visit. 

Autumn is considered the shoulder season in San Francisco, with comfortable temperatures, fewer crowds, and lower hotel rates. The weather is usually sunny and dry, with occasional fog. This is a great time to visit if you want to enjoy all that San Francisco has to offer without the summer crowds.

Winter is the wettest time of year in San Francisco. It's also the least crowded time to visit. If you don't mind the rain, you can find some great deals on hotels and flights during the winter months. 

Spring is a beautiful time to visit San Francisco, with wildflowers in bloom and mild temperatures. However, it can also be a bit rainy.

Ultimately, the best time to visit San Francisco is whenever works best for you!

Discover San Francisco

Surrounded by the rugged Pacific coast, fascinating Silicon Valley and bountiful open roads, San Francisco is the perfect launch pad for your road trip around California, whether that be the incomparable beauty of Yosemite National Park, the lush vineyards of Sonoma and Napa Valley and the popular coastal towns and scenic views along the Pacific Coast.

As one of America’s most charming cities, there is a lot to love about San Francisco. Immerse yourself into the urban buzz of the city, taking in the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, charming cable cars, the intriguing former prison on Alcatraz Island, and bustling Fisherman’s Wharf and its array of restaurants, souvenir shops and chatty sea lions! Stroll around the city’s vibrant neighbourhoods including colourful Chinatown, sophisticated Nob Hill, hip Haight Ashbury and the shops and theatres of Union Square. San Francisco is unique and exciting and is not to be missed!

Things to do in San Francisco

The Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco’s most iconic attraction, the most famous bridge in the world manages to impress even the most experienced travellers with its stunning 1.7-mile span. A pedestrian walkway allows the crossing on foot or you can hire a bike and cycle across. Day and sunset cruises that sail across San Francisco Bay and under the bridge are also available.

Cable Car

These have been transporting people around San Francisco since the late 19th century. The cars run on tracks and are moved by an underground cable Their familiar bells can be heard ringing from blocks away. One, three of seven day passes that allows unlimited travel on the cable cars can be bought from $13 per person, allowing you to hop on and off visiting attractions such as Lombard Street – ‘the world’s crookedest street’, Chinatown and the shops at Union Square. Each journey will provide spectacular views of the city’s celebrated hills as well as exhilarating transportation.

Union Square

This is the place for serious shoppers. Major department stores including Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue and the most exclusive designer boutiques line streets like Post, and Geary. Lined with palm trees the centre of Union Square offer pretty gardens to enjoy a coffee and gaze at the colourful flower displays that are on show during certain times of the year.

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Things to do in San Francisco

Alcatraz

The notorious former prison is located on an island of the same name in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Some of the United States’ most notorious criminals were incarcerated there. Though several tried, no inmate ever made a successful escape from “The Rock.” The prison was closed in the 1960’s and stories about Alcatraz are legendary. A visit to Alcatraz today is fascinating. Recorded cell-house tours are available, allowing visitors to learn about the prison as they explore the buildings and grounds. American Affair offer tours that visit Alcatraz, and early booking is recommended especially during April to October.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Home to PIER 39, a festive waterfront marketplace that is one of the city’s most popular attractions. A community of California sea lions has taken up residence on the floats to the west of the pier and visitors line the nearby railing to watch their antics. Popular with visitors by day, there are plenty of souvenir shops, seafood restaurants and child friendly attractions for all the family to enjoy. It’s also where the ferries depart from for Alcatraz and Sausalito.