When to visit San Francisco: Summer is cool and often foggy, especially in the mornings; layers are essential year-round
When is the best time to visit San Francisco?
Avg Temp
14–21°C
Rainfall
Very low, ~5mm/month
Best Time
Summer is cool and often foggy, especially in the mornings; layers are essential year-round
Packing Tips (3)
- A warm jacket even in July — famous fog keeps temperatures cool
- Layers to adjust between sunny and foggy microclimates across neighborhoods
- Comfortable shoes for the city's steep hills
What does San Francisco cost?
Typical prices
- Budget meal$17.00
- Mid-range meal$42.00
- Cappuccino$5.00
- Domestic beer$8.00
- Taxi (per km)$2.80
- Public transport ticket$2.50
- Museum entry$25.00
- Mid-range hotel (night)$260.00
Local currency: USD
Food & Drink
Tartine Bakery
Mission District bakery famous for its morning bun and country bread, often with a line out the door.
Swan Oyster Depot
Narrow Polk Street seafood counter open since 1912, known for fresh oysters and crab served at a marble bar.
House of Prime Rib
Van Ness-area steakhouse serving prime rib carved tableside from a silver cart since 1949.
La Taqueria
Mission District taqueria widely regarded as making the best mission-style burrito in the city.
Z & Y Restaurant
Chinatown Sichuan restaurant known for fiery mapo tofu and dan dan noodles.
Zuni Cafe
Market Street restaurant famous for its brick-oven roast chicken for two, served with a bread salad.
Comstock Saloon
North Beach bar in a restored 1907 building serving Prohibition-era cocktails like the Pisco Punch.
The Saloon
San Francisco's oldest continuously operating bar, dating to 1861, known for nightly blues bands in North Beach.
Beach Blanket Babylon's former home, Club Fugazi
North Beach cabaret theater that hosted the world's longest-running musical revue for over four decades.
Culture & History
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
SoMA museum with an expanded Snøhetta-designed wing, holding major Diebenkorn, Rothko, and Warhol works.
de Young Museum
Golden Gate Park museum of American art with a distinctive copper-clad tower offering park and ocean views.
California Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park museum combining an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum under a living roof.
Exploratorium
Hands-on science museum on Pier 15, known for its interactive exhibits on perception and physical phenomena.
Castro Theatre
1922 movie palace in the Castro district with a Wurlitzer organ, hosting classic film screenings and the SF Silent Film Festival.
San Francisco Pride
One of the oldest and largest Pride celebrations in the world, with a parade down Market Street.
Outside Lands Music Festival
Major three-day music festival held in Golden Gate Park.
Nature & Outdoors
Baker Beach
Beach with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, backed by cypress trees and Presidio cliffs.
Ocean Beach
Long sandy Pacific-facing beach popular with surfers, though cold water and strong currents limit swimming.
Twin Peaks
Twin hills near the geographic center of the city offering a 360-degree panorama of San Francisco and the Bay, often above the fog line.
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