Best Time to Visit San Francisco: Season by Season

The best time to visit San Francisco depends on what you want most, and one rule covers almost every trip. Go in September or October for warm, clear days, go in winter for the lowest hotel prices, and expect fog in summer. Each section below gives the weather, the events and the price for one season.

The best time to visit San Francisco for weather: September and October

September and October are the best months for weather in San Francisco. The NOAA climate normals for 1991 to 2020 put the average high at 70.2°F in September and 69.8°F in October. Those are the warmest months of the year at the downtown station. Rain is light, at 0.10 inches in September and 0.94 inches in October.

The National Weather Service says spring and fall bring the most cloud-free days. It also says the hottest days usually come in those seasons, when dry winds from the land push out the cool sea breeze. A single day can still be gray, so pack a layer.

For hotels, December is the cheapest month and June the priciest, as the price section below shows. Airlines do not publish fares by month, so no month is proven cheapest for flights. If you book a tour, note where it starts. Alcatraz boats leave from Pier 33, and the trip takes 3 to 5.5 hours. The Whales of the Bay cruise starts at Pier 43 1/2 and takes 2.5 hours. The Monterey whale tour starts at 66 Fishermans Wharf in Monterey and has no hotel pickup. The listings do not state group size.

Key Takeaway September and October average highs of 70.2°F and 69.8°F, against 66.3°F in July, so the warmest month is in fall and not in summer.

Fall, September to November: warm days, clear skies and one booking to make

Fall is the warmest and clearest season in San Francisco, and it is the best time for a first visit. September stays dry, with 1.2 rainy days on average. October has 3.5 rainy days, and November has 7.9, with highs falling to 63.7°F.

San Francisco Travel listed Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park on October 2 to 4, 2026, which was free. It listed Fleet Week on October 4 to 12 and The Haunt on October 29 to 31. Dates change each year, so check before you book. San Francisco Travel's event pages list nothing for April to July. The tourist board names Carnaval for late May and Pride for late June, but we could not confirm the 2026 dates.

Fall is also when Alcatraz needs the most care. The Park Service sells tickets up to 90 days ahead and strongly recommends booking early. The island is closed from 26 October to 18 November 2026 for dock repairs, so check the NPS notice before you buy for those dates.

The Alcatraz ticket with ferry and self-guided app is from €68.92 per person, rated 4.5 from 4,589 reviews. It takes 3 to 5.5 hours and starts at Pier 33. The listing shows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and says it has no live guide.

You can also buy Alcatraz on your own. The Park Service names Alcatraz City Cruises as its only authorized ferry provider, with tickets from $47.95. The GetYourGuide ticket costs more but adds the self-guided app and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, so it suits you if you want the app and an easy change of plan. The listing does not state group size or what is not included.

Pro Tip Book Alcatraz as soon as your dates are fixed, because tickets open 90 days ahead and the island is closed 26 October to 18 November 2026.

Winter, December to February: the lowest hotel prices and the most rain

Winter is the wettest season in San Francisco, and December is the cheapest month for hotels. Highs sit between 57.8°F in January and 60.4°F in February, and December brings 4.76 inches of rain on 11.6 days. The National Weather Service says more than 80 percent of the yearly rain falls from November to March.

Snow is almost unknown. The same office counted 10 measurable snowfalls in 143 winters. You need a rain jacket and an umbrella, not a heavy coat.

Winter has its own draws. Gray whales travel south from December to February, and the peak is mid-January. The Union Square Ice Rink is open daily from November 4, 2026 to January 18, 2027.

Spring, March to May: mild days and less rain each month

Spring is mild and gets drier every month. Daytime highs rise from 62.1°F in March to 64.1°F in May, and rain falls from 3.15 inches in March to 0.70 inches in May. April is in the middle, at 1.60 inches on 6.8 rainy days.

San Francisco Travel listed the Chinese New Year Parade on March 7, 2026 and the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 14. The parade date moves with the lunar calendar, so look up the year you travel. Humpback and blue whales start their best months in March.

Summer, June to August: fog, cool days and dry weather

Summer is the coolest and foggiest season in San Francisco, even though it is the dry one. Forecasters at the National Weather Service describe cool sea air, low clouds and fog, with highs of 60°F to 70°F and lows of 50°F to 55°F. Mornings are usually overcast over the whole city, and the bay side clears sooner than the ocean side.

Rain is almost absent. July averages 0.01 inches, and August averages 0.06 inches. The average high is 66.3°F in July and 67.9°F in August, below September's 70.2°F.

Summer fits you if you want long dry days and do not mind a jacket. Beach heat is not on offer. The city's tourist board advises you to dress in layers, because the weather can change within a few blocks. Outside Lands ran August 7 to 9, 2026 in Golden Gate Park. If your plans include the Golden Gate Bridge, leave room in the day for the morning cloud to lift.

The weather in San Francisco changes from block to block, so the right month is the one you pack layers for.

The cheapest month to visit San Francisco: hotel prices by season

A 4-star hotel night in San Francisco cost a median $136 per room for two adults in December 2026, the lowest month measured, against $217 in June 2027, about 60% more, in the 2026 San Francisco Travel Cost Study.

The study looked at stays from October 2026 to August 2027. The same study covers a full trip budget. Hotel prices are the only month-by-month price here, because airlines and the airport do not publish fares by month.

The tourist board's visitor numbers are not month by month either. The group reported 23.7 million visitors in 2025, a hotel occupancy of 67.2% and an average room rate of $245.38. For 2026 it expects 24.2 million visitors and 69% occupancy. Official crowd levels by month are not published, so treat any "quiet month" claim with care. The one official crowd signal is the Park Service advice that Alcatraz tickets may sell out several weeks ahead in summer and around holiday weekends. Event days, such as Outside Lands in August and Fleet Week in October, are the busiest dates we can name.

Tours cost extra. Alcatraz with ferry and self-guided app is from €68.92 per person and includes the ferry and the app. The whale tours on this page are from €55.19 to €66.76 per person.

Visitors in the city add the 14% hotel tax on stays under 30 days. If you want a bed near the sights in any season, Beresford Arms is a Union Square base, and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fisherman's Wharf is a wharf base. Our guide on where to stay compares the areas.

Whale season: when to go and where the boats leave

Whales pass San Francisco in nearly every month, and the kind you see changes with the season. The Greater Farallones sanctuary says gray whales swim south from December to February, with the peak in mid-January, and north through June. It calls March to August prime time for humpback and blue whales, and says boats off the Farallon Islands see them from May to November.

Things to Do in San Francisco's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 6 whale-watching listings, and 5 of them leave from the Monterey Bay area, not from San Francisco.

Our guide to san francisco whale watching explains the boats in more detail. The Whales of the Bay cruise is the one that starts in the city, at Pier 43 1/2. It takes 2.5 hours and is from €66.76 per person, rated 4.6 from 65 reviews. It is run by San Francisco Cruises (The Red and White Fleet), and the listing shows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

The rest start in Monterey, a separate trip down the coast. The Monterey Bay whale watching tour takes 3 to 4 hours and is from €66.76 per person, rated 4.8 from 2,523 reviews. It is run by Discovery Whale Watch and starts at 66 Fishermans Wharf in Monterey, and it does not include hotel pickup. The Monterey dolphin and whale boat tour takes 3 hours and is from €55.19 per person, rated 4.7 from 2,315 reviews, run by Chris' Fishing and Whale Watching.

Whales are wild animals, so no season promises a sighting. Read each listing for what it says if you see none. Both Monterey tours also show free cancellation. That listing does not name its operator, so check who runs it on the booking page.

Events that can decide your month

A big event can change the best month for you, so check the dates before you book. The dates above are the 2026 ones from San Francisco Travel, and they move each year.

How many days to spend in San Francisco in any season

Three days is a common length for a first visit, though no official source sets a number. San Francisco Travel's own itinerary plans three days. Most readers can see the main sights in that time if they book Alcatraz first and use getting around San Francisco by transit.

Day trips need extra days. Rain can shift outdoor plans in winter, so keep one flexible day.