I Live in San Francisco. Here’s What You Need to Know Before Visiting.
Here are 6 essential travel tips from a local for your next trip to Fog City.
In the past 10 years of living in San Francisco, I’ve had friends, family, and even total strangers come to me for advice on what they should know before planning a trip here. From essential questions—like where to stay—to misconceptions—like that it’s always warm here—there are a handful of common questions that always come up. Below are my best travel tips and things you need to know before planning a trip to San Francisco, based on my own experience living here.
The best time to visit San Francisco: Fall and Spring
Most people will say September is the best time to visit because it tends to be our warmest month. While I love this time of year and agree it’s a great time to come here, I’d also recommend visiting in the spring (March-May), especially if you’re interested in outdoor activities. California doesn’t get much rain at all between April and November, leaving much of the hills surrounding the city dry and brown. However, springtime is reliably green and full of wildflowers, both in and outside of the city, and the weather is mild and typically sunny and fog-free.
If you visit during the summer, be prepared for fog, wind, and fairly cool temps (60-65 degrees). I think it surprises a lot of people who visit from June-August that it’s not all that warm here during this time.
Regardless, San Francisco is one of those places you can visit any time of year and have a great time.
How many days do you need in San Francisco?
To get a good feel for the city, plan to spend at least 3 days here. If you have the flexibility, try to spend 5-7 days in San Francisco, especially if you want to see more of its neighborhoods and explore nearby attractions like Muir Woods or Sonoma / Napa Wine Country.
What’s the best place to stay in San Francisco?
The Jay Hotel
The Jay Hotel
Although most hotels are clustered around Union Square in our downtown area, I don’t love staying there. It can be noisy, crowded, and close to some of the more chaotic areas of the city. That said, it is central, and if you have your heart set on staying here, I’d recommend a room at Beacon Grand, a recently renovated, historic hotel with a buzzy rooftop bar.
For a quieter yet still central area, Embarcadero or Jackson Square is a much better option. Both neighborhoods have a bit more of a peaceful vibe while still being convenient and just minutes away from downtown as well as key attractions like The Ferry Building. Two of my favorite San Francisco hotels, 1 Hotel and The Jay (technically at the intersection of the Financial District, Embarcadero, and Jackson Square), are located here.
Nob Hill is another central neighborhood to consider. It’s within walking distance of Chinatown and North Beach and has some pretty stellar views. With iconic properties like The Ritz Carlton and The Fairmont, hotels tend to be on the more luxurious side, and, as the name suggests, it is on a (steep) hill.
San Francisco is a great food city and if you’re most interested in staying somewhere with a neighborhood vibe and within walking distance of lots of great restaurants and bars (instead of tall office buildings) take a look at Japantown or Divisadero. For a cute, affordable boutique hotel try Hotel Enso in Japantown or Metro Hotel in Divisadero—perfect for travelers seeking a more local experience. (Psst: Hotel Enso is one of my favorite mid-range hotels in the city. The staff here are some of the nicest in the industry, too.)
Traveling with kids? Embarcadero is still a great option, but families might also want to consider The Sunset and Richmond. Both are on the city's outer edge, close to Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach (two of my favorite kid-friendly attractions), and are known for having a great selection of Asian restaurants (San Tung chicken wings, anyone?). There aren’t really any hotels out there, but plenty of vacation rentals. Just note that these are the foggiest neighborhoods in San Francisco—while it might be sunny and warm in The Mission, it can be as much as 10 degrees cooler in the outer sunset, with fog and wind.
The weather can vary a lot from neighborhood to neighborhood—and is colder than you’d think
That sunny, always-warm California weather stereotype? Yeah, that’s Southern California. San Francisco tends to be relatively cool year-round and rarely above 75 degrees. Plus, being this close to the ocean means plenty of fog and wind as well. But: temps can rise 20-30 degrees as soon as you leave the Bay and head to areas like Napa or even Oakland.
To make matters even more confusing, micro-climates are real, and I find many visitors aren’t very prepared for that. It even took me a little getting used to (for my first year living here, I consistently had 3 sweaters in my purse at any given time). Here are a few tips for navigating our weird weather:
Download Mr. Chilly: This app is super helpful for checking the temps at a hyper-local level. For example, it’ll show you that it’s going to be 75 degrees in Dolores Park but 65 at Ocean Beach.
Dress in layers: Temps vary from neighborhood to neighborhood but also from morning to evening. No matter the season, I almost always wear pants (seriously, I barely even own shorts) and a T-shirt. I also always have a sweater or jacket on hand and like carrying around a beanie—partly to keep warm and partly to keep my hair under control when the wind picks up in the afternoon.
Pack a jacket: I don’t care if the weather report says 80 degrees, or if it’s the middle of July, pack a jacket. You can never go wrong with a packable down jacket or windbreaker.
When you check the weather, look at wind: When I lived in Washington D.C. I’d just check the temperature and rain risk. It took me awhile, but I now always look at wind speeds too when checking the weather in San Francisco.
Do you need to rent a car? Not necessarily.
Transamerica building
San Francisco is a rare American city that’s pretty easy to get around without a car. While it’s nice to have one for day trips or excursions outside the city, if you plan on staying within the 7x7, you can easily get around by walking, using Uber, public transit, and bike shares. If you plan to use public transit, add the Clipper card to your phone. It’ll allow you to hop on ferries, BART, Muni, and cable cars.
If you do have a car… leave nothing in it
Despite what you see on TV, most people don’t have an issue with security and safety in San Francisco. There are some neighborhoods that are less safe than others (like Civic Center and Tenderloin), and yes, of course, we have crime—it’s a city, after all—but as long as you use good judgment and stay out of sketchy parts of the city, you’ll most likely be fine.
The one thing you’re most likely to encounter is car break-ins. They’re frustratingly common. As a result, locals will leave nothing (literally, nothing. Not even a sweater. Or a box of takeout.) in their cars. Thieves will also target out-of-towners by looking for cars parked on hills with their wheels turned the wrong way (Headed uphill, turn your front wheels away from the curb. Headed downhill, turn your front wheels into the curb). Turn your wheels right and leave your car empty, and you’ll almost certainly avoid a car break-in too.
