The Golden Gate Bridge across the bay at sunset, with waves breaking on the rocks in front.

United States

San Francisco

Hills, bay views and neighbourhoods you can walk.

Why San Francisco

Compact and hilly, with the bay on three sides and plenty within walking distance.

San Francisco packs a lot into a small, steep peninsula. Most visits combine a few central neighbourhoods on foot with a cable car ride, a walk across or near the Golden Gate Bridge, and often a day trip north to the wine country.

The Golden Gate: The bridge and the headlands around it, best on a clear morning.
Cable cars: Historic cable car lines climbing between downtown and the waterfront.
Neighbourhoods: Chinatown, North Beach and the Mission, all very different.
Day trips: Napa and Sonoma wine country, and redwood forests north of the city.

What travellers often plan

Getting to San Francisco, staying and getting around.

Ask about one of these or all of them together in a single request.

Planning your trip

The practical bits.

Best time to visit: September and October are often the warmest; summers can be foggy.
Getting around: Walking, cable cars, Muni buses and BART cover the city.
Suggested length: Three to five days.

A modern city hotel room with a padded headboard, bedside lamps and a window onto high-rise buildings.

Where to stay

Choosing an area in San Francisco.

Union Square: Central, with shopping, theatres and cable car stops nearby.
Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach: On the waterfront, close to the piers and Italian cafés.
SoMa: Modern hotels near the convention centre and museums.
Nob Hill: Quieter, historic hotels on the hill above downtown.

A general overview of areas, not a list of available hotels.

Request Hotel Options

Two San Francisco cable cars on a steep street lined with shops and pedestrians.

Getting around

Arriving in San Francisco.

San Francisco International (SFO) is south of the city and connected to downtown by BART trains. Oakland (OAK) and San José (SJC) also serve the Bay Area. Taxis and pre-arranged cars wait at every terminal.

Walking, cable cars, Muni buses and BART cover the city.

Request an Airport Transfer Flights to San Francisco

When planning matters

Worth sorting out before you go.

A traveller standing at a doorway with two hard-shell suitcases, ready to leave.

Check entry requirements early: Visa and entry rules depend on your nationality and change over time. Please confirm with the official guidance for your route.
Travel dates make a difference: School holidays, festivals and peak seasons affect what's available. If your dates are flexible, tell us — it gives us more to work with.
Plan the arrival, not just the flight: Late-night and early-morning arrivals are much easier with a transfer arranged in advance.
Match the stay to the plan: Choose the area around what you'll actually do each day, not only the hotel itself.