The best months to visit San Francisco are Sep – Nov. 18–24°C, warmest & clearest.
Quick facts
Currency USD ($) 1 EUR ≈ $1.08
Language English Cantonese & Spanish common
Timezone PST (UTC-8) PDT (UTC-7) Mar–Nov
Best Months Sep – Nov 18–24°C, warmest & clearest
Daily Budget ~$110–170 Hostel, burritos, Muni
Visa ESTA / B1-B2 VWP countries need ESTA ($21)
When to go
A city of vertiginous hills and horizontal fog, where tech billionaires and Beat poets share the same sourdough.
Getting Around in San Francisco
- Get a Clipper card for all transit: Muni bus/rail ($2.50/ride), cable cars ($8), BART subway, and Golden Gate ferries. Passes: $5 day, $26 weekly
- Cable cars are iconic but slow and expensive ($8). Use them once for the experience, then switch to Muni buses which cover the same routes
- BART connects SF to Oakland, Berkeley, and the airports. Muni covers everything within the city. Uber/Lyft for late-night rides ($10–20)
For itineraries, costs and practical travel advice, see the full San Francisco travel guide.
Timezone: PST (UTC-8) (PDT (UTC-7) Mar–Nov)
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit San Francisco?
The best months to visit San Francisco are Sep – Nov (18–24°C, warmest & clearest), which makes for the most comfortable conditions for sightseeing and getting around. For what a trip costs day to day, see the San Francisco budget breakdown.
