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Cities / San Francisco, CA

San Francisco

Sleep in Union Square.

Union Square is the pick for a first trip: both Powell Street cable car lines start a few blocks away, BART from SFO stops at Powell Street, and Chinatown and Nob Hill are a short walk. If your dates are flexible, stay over a weekend, when downtown hotels are less full than midweek.

Rooms in Union Square tonightCompare all 5 neighborhoods
San Francisco, California
Photo: Nicola Vidali / Pexels

Where to stay in San Francisco

Most visitors stay in the northeast corner of the city, between Union Square, Nob Hill and the bay. From there you can walk to Chinatown and North Beach, ride a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf, and take BART straight to SFO. Golden Gate Park, the Mission and the Golden Gate Bridge are 20 to 40 minutes away on Muni.

  1. Big older hotels like the Westin St. Francis face the square on Powell Street, and mid-range rooms fill the blocks of Post, Sutter and Geary around it. Both Powell cable car lines start at Powell and Market, the Powell Street BART station is a few blocks south, and the Central Subway's Union Square/Market Street station runs north to Chinatown and south to Moscone.

    The catch: Rooms in the older buildings are often small, and Powell Street is loud and packed with people lined up for the cable cars.

    Rooms in Union Square tonight

  2. The top of the hill around Huntington Park holds Grace Cathedral and grand old hotels like the Fairmont, while smaller, cheaper hotels sit on the lower slopes along Bush and Sutter streets. The California Street cable car runs over the crest to the Financial District, the Cable Car Museum is at Washington and Mason, and Chinatown is just downhill to the east.

    The catch: The walk back from Union Square or Chinatown climbs some of the steepest blocks in the city.

    Rooms in Nob Hill tonight

  3. Hotels cluster along Jefferson, Beach and North Point streets, a short walk from Pier 39, the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier, Ghirardelli Square and the Alcatraz ferries at Pier 33. Both Powell cable car lines end here, and the F-line streetcars run along the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building and Market Street.

    The catch: Summer afternoons on the waterfront are often foggy, windy and cold, and most restaurants nearby are aimed at tourists, so you'll ride elsewhere for dinner.

    Rooms in Fisherman's Wharf tonight

  4. Large convention hotels surround Moscone Center and Yerba Buena Gardens, with SFMOMA on Third Street across from the gardens. Montgomery and Powell BART stations are a few blocks north on Market Street, the Central Subway stops at Yerba Buena/Moscone, and Oracle Park is about a 15 minute walk toward the bay.

    The catch: Rates can nearly double during big Moscone conventions like Dreamforce, and blocks south of Howard Street get quiet and empty at night.

    Rooms in SoMa (Yerba Buena) tonight

  5. Lombard Street between Van Ness Avenue and the Presidio is lined with motels, most with their own parking, and the 28 bus runs along it to the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza. Chestnut and Union streets have the cafes and restaurants, and the Marina Green, the Palace of Fine Arts and Crissy Field are a short walk north.

    The catch: Lombard Street doubles as Highway 101, so rooms facing it hear traffic day and night, and there's no rail line downtown, only buses.

    Rooms in Marina and Cow Hollow tonight

Prices are typical mid-range hotel rates per night before tax, rounded to $10. Times are to Union Square. Booking links open tonight's real prices.

When to go

Come in late September or October for highs around 70°F and the least fog, but check the Moscone Center calendar first, since Dreamforce in mid-September nearly doubles rates nearby. For lower prices, December is a good bet. Book weekend nights when you can, because downtown hotels fill Monday through Wednesday with business travel.

Spring Mar–May

Highs 62 to 64°F, lows around 50°F

Mostly dry after March. Moscone conventions keep weekday rates high, and Bay to Breakers fills the city on the third Sunday in May.

Summer Jun–Aug

Highs 66 to 68°F, lows in the mid-50s

Fog rolls in most mornings and evenings, especially near the ocean and the Golden Gate, so pack a jacket. Pride in late June and Outside Lands in August are the busiest weekends.

Fall Sep–Nov

Highs near 70°F in September and October, 64°F in November

The warmest, clearest weeks of the year, and some of the priciest. Dreamforce in September and Fleet Week in October are the hardest dates to book.

Winter Dec–Feb

Highs 58 to 60°F, lows around 47°F

Most of the year's rain falls between November and March. December is among the cheapest months, but mid-January's J.P. Morgan conference sends Union Square rates soaring.

On the calendar

Getting around

From the airport

From SFO, BART reaches the downtown Market Street stations (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell and Civic Center) in about 30 minutes for about $11 one way; tap a contactless card or phone to enter and exit. Trains run from about 5 a.m. (8 a.m. on Sundays) until midnight. An Uber or taxi to Union Square usually costs $40 to $60 and takes 25 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.

Trains and buses

Muni runs the buses, Metro light rail, F-line streetcars and cable cars. A ride is $2.85 if you tap a contactless card, phone or Clipper card ($3 in cash), but cable cars cost $9 a ride, set to rise to $12 in January 2027. Visitor Passports for 1, 3 or 7 days ($15, $35 and $47) include the cable cars and pay off fast if you ride them more than once.

Driving

Skip the car unless you're leaving the city. Downtown hotel valet runs about $65 to $90 a night (Hotel Nikko charges $75, the Fairmont $90), and street parking is scarce and steep.

Worth your time

What to eat

  • Mission burrito

    La Taqueria at 2889 Mission St. has made them since 1973, with no rice and a griddled finish, and the James Beard Foundation named it an America's Classic in 2017.

  • Sourdough bread

    Boudin has used the same mother dough since 1849, and its cafe at 160 Jefferson St. on Fisherman's Wharf serves clam chowder in a sourdough bowl.

  • Swan Oyster Depot

    A cash-only seafood counter at 1517 Polk St. since 1912, with about 18 stools and no reservations, so get there when it opens.

  • Tadich Grill

    A seafood restaurant at 240 California St. in the Financial District that traces its start to an 1849 coffee stand on Long Wharf and calls itself the oldest restaurant in California.

  • Irish coffee at the Buena Vista

    The cafe at the Hyde Street cable car turnaround began making them in 1952 and pours around 2,000 a day.

Before you go

Tip 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, but read the menu first, since many places add a surcharge of a few percent that is listed on the menu and isn't a tip. Locals say SF or the city, never Frisco. Pack a jacket in any month, because summer fog makes the waterfront much colder than the forecast suggests. The lines for the cable cars at Powell and Market get long; walk a few stops up Powell and board at a brown-and-white cable car sign instead. The hotel tax is 14 percent before district assessments.

How San Francisco got this way

Spanish soldiers and missionaries founded the Presidio and Mission San Francisco de Asís, now called Mission Dolores, in 1776. A trading settlement named Yerba Buena grew up by the bay from 1835 and was renamed San Francisco in January 1847. The Gold Rush took the population from about 1,000 in early 1848 to about 25,000 by the end of 1849. The April 1906 earthquake and fires destroyed about 80 percent of the city and killed more than 3,000 people. The rebuilt city hosted the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, whose Palace of Fine Arts still stands, and the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1936 and 1937.

Questions people ask

What is the best area to stay in San Francisco for a first visit?

Union Square. Both Powell Street cable car lines start there, BART from SFO stops at Powell Street, and Chinatown and Nob Hill are a short walk.

How do I get from SFO to downtown San Francisco?

Take BART, which reaches the Market Street stations in about 30 minutes for about $11; tap a contactless card or phone at the gates. An Uber or taxi usually costs $40 to $60.

Do I need a car in San Francisco?

No. Muni, BART and the cable cars cover the places most visitors go, and downtown hotel parking runs about $65 to $90 a night.

Is San Francisco cold in summer?

Cooler than most visitors expect. Summer highs sit in the mid-60s, fog is common in the mornings and evenings, and September and October are usually warmer than July.

When are San Francisco hotels cheapest?

December and weekend nights tend to be cheapest. Avoid mid-January (the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference) and big Moscone Center conventions like Dreamforce in September.

Checked against 40 sources. Updated October 16, 2026.

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