Walking Tours in San Francisco: When to Go

Top walking tours in San Francisco

Tours from Viator. Good Outing may earn a commission when you book, at no cost to you.

The city's main districts, a good way to choose a route or a theme:

Golden Gate: Golden Gate Park and the bridge approach.
Fisherman's Wharf: Sea lions at Pier 39 and boats to Alcatraz.
Nob Hill–Russian Hill: Cable cars, Lombard Street and grand hotels.
Chinatown–North Beach: The oldest Chinatown in North America and Italian cafés.
Union Square–Financial District: Shopping, theatres and the Ferry Building.
SoMa ''(South of Market)'': SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens and the Giants' ballpark.
Western Addition: Alamo Square's 'Painted Ladies' and Japantown.
Haight: The 1960s hippie district, vintage shops and murals.
The Avenues: Ocean Beach, Lands End and quieter neighbourhoods.

Free tours are paid in tips at the end. Paid tours cap the group size and usually go deeper into one theme.
Wear shoes you can walk in for two to three hours, often on cobbles or hills.
Book an early start in hot months. Guides keep to the shade, but midday streets still bake.
Pick one theme (old town, food, history, street art) rather than a tour that tries to cover the whole city.

Averages for San Francisco, 1991–2020.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F (°C)	58 (14)	60 (16)	62 (17)	63 (17)	64 (18)	67 (19)	66 (19)	68 (20)	70 (21)	70 (21)	64 (18)	58 (14)
Low °F (°C)	47 (8)	48 (9)	49 (9)	50 (10)	51 (11)	53 (12)	54 (12)	56 (13)	56 (13)	54 (12)	51 (10)	47 (8)
Rainy days	11	11	11	7	4	2	1	1	1	4	8	12
Sunset (15th)	5:14 pm	5:48 pm	7:16 pm	7:45 pm	8:12 pm	8:33 pm	8:32 pm	8:03 pm	7:18 pm	6:33 pm	4:59 pm	4:52 pm

May to October. Expect highs around 67°F (20°C) and about 2 rainy days a month. The least comfortable months are January and December.

The tours above book on Viator. Compare group size, duration, what is included and the cancellation terms before you pick one.