When is the best time to visit San Francisco?

10.02.2024 - 02:23 / lonelyplanet.com

San Francisco’s mild weather makes it a consistent year-round attraction, which is a bonus for visitors looking for flexible travel dates.

Our peninsula-shaped city is often covered with a comforting blanket of fog (known affectionately as Karl), formed by the hot sun evaporating ocean waters that then collide with cold air created from a coastal cold-water current. This is then sucked in through the Golden Gate and pushed by Easterly winds.

First-time summer visitors often end up shivering in shorts and hastily wrapping up in SF sweatshirts acquired at the nearest gift shop. Just in case you were in doubt – summer is not the warmest time to visit. There are vibrant summertime events that still make a visit worthwhile, but sun lovers should wait until late summer or early fall to visit SF for perfectly warm (but not too hot!) sunny days.

That said, there are still distinctive seasons to experience throughout the year, resulting from a combination of nature and our lovely, quirky, diverse SF cultures. Spring blooms, seasonal farmers markets, both wholesome and raunchy street festivals, and migrating whales are just some of what various months have to offer. Here’s how to judge the perfect time for you to visit San Francisco.

When you want to balance bar-hopping nightlife and shopping with a little nature downtime, or if you need a family-friendly activity, consider the fact that March through October is Burn Season at Ocean Beach on the westernmost edge of the city.

The 16 fire rings are open from 6am to 9:30pm daily on a first-come-first-served basis, but first, check online for no-burn days due to occurrences like wildfires or Spare the Air days. If the rings are full, ask to share and offer to contribute firewood or snacks. Burn season also includes the summer solstice in June – the longest day when the sun sets after 9pm, giving you time to enjoy a leisurely, brilliantly orange sunset well into the evening.

Wear layers to withstand the wind and BYO firewood, which is available nearby at Safeway on La Playa and Fulton streets, or the 7-Eleven on 46th Ave and Judah St. There are parking spots and bathrooms nearby. For public transport options, take Muni buses 5R or 18, or Muni metro line N Judah.

California grows much of the country’s produce, and San Francisco’s farmers' markets get the freshest, most peak-season goods since we’re so close to growing regions such as Salinas (“America’s Salad bowl”), Gilroy, San Joaquin Valley and many more.

A handful of farmers markets here only operate roughly March through November, but we’re lucky that the majority of the city’s 20-plus farmers markets open year-round. Still, nothing beats the abundance of produce available during the non-winter months. Get juicy,