San Francisco in November

By Robert Heaney
Published: July 18, 2024
San Francisco skyline captured through the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge

With the final curtain call of fall lying just around the corner, San Francisco in November remains ever popular, owing to its still rather pleasant climate and the wealth of exciting cultural events taking place throughout the month. If you’re looking for a great time to explore the Bay Area ahead of the coming holiday season, November is tough to beat.

Visiting San Francisco in November

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Average Temperature: 50 - 63°F • Average Rainfall: 7 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 8 hours/day

Though still maintaining its fall popularity, November marks a moment of respite for San Francisco. Between the summertime and holiday season peaks, many consider this to be one of the best periods to experience everything the Bay Area has to offer. Just be sure to book your preferred hotels, activities and venues in advance to avoid any potential disappointment.

With winter on the horizon, San Francisco weather begins to taper off throughout November to a cooler climate, with average temperatures landing somewhere between cool and pleasantly mild. Though you can expect at least one day of rainfall per week, some fairly regular sunshine added to those warmer days makes for some fantastic city exploration conditions.

Things to do in November

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Any visit to San Francisco would be incomplete without the obligatory tour of some of its most popular sights. Take a walk beneath the crimson beams of the Golden Gate Bridge – considered the most recognizable bridge in the world – and snap some creative photos of the classic Painted Ladies lining the eastern side of Alamo Square Park, a perfect spot to rest your feet after the challenging hill climb to get there.

One of the most popular areas of San Francisco is Fisherman’s Wharf, a delightful waterfront complex housing a wide range of pleasant activities and venues. Explore the various independent retailers within the Pier 39 shopping center and stop by the classic Musée Mécanique penny arcade. Keep an eye out for the local colony of playful, barking sea lions, too!

While much of the city is fairly easily accessible on foot, a Hop-On, Hop Off Bus Tour offers a much more comfortable and convenient way to get around. Passing by many of the Bay Area’s top attractions and landmarks, the tour allows passholders to hop on and off at their leisure, offering optional audio commentary in a handful of major languages to boot.

Those with any interest in East Asian cultures should explore the likes of Chinatown and Japantown where, among a great deal of fascinating traditional architecture, you can find a variety of charming stores and restaurants serving all manner of cultural cuisine. Stop by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory to see one of the nation’s favorite after-dinner treats in the making!

History buffs visiting San Francisco in November will be no stranger to Alcatraz Island, home to the nation’s most infamous former high-security prison. Those with the stomach for it can take a boat tour out into the Bay to explore the hostile grounds and chilling cells that once held some of the most notorious criminals in history.

To make the most of the final few pleasant days of the season, take a stroll through the likes of the Golden Gate Park and its stunning Botanical Garden and Japanese Tea Garden, or the somewhat quieter Mission Dolores Park and its remarkable Conservatory of Flowers. If you find yourself with a warmer evening to spare, you can’t beat a romantic sunset atop the Twin Peaks summit, with its stellar views over the iconic San Francisco skyline.

If you’re keen to explore San Francisco’s renowned theater culture, grab yourself a ticket to one of the city’s top Broadway shows. Particularly popular in November is the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, which typically begins performing just after Thanksgiving. Be sure to book in early, as this one sells out mighty fast!

What’s On in November

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Día de los Muertos

Just across the Bay, as many as 100,000 visitors flock to the city of Oakland each November for a major festival held in honor of the Día de los Muertos. Hosted on either November 1 or 2, visitors can expect to enjoy a day of live music, games, fairground rides, great food and cultural activities alongside a variety of creative exhibitions in celebration of the traditional Mexican holiday.

SF Coffee Festival

The Bay Area’s love affair with a good cup of joe is abundantly evident from the many specialty coffee shops spread throughout San Francisco, and never more so than during the SF Coffee Festival. Over several days in November specially curated exhibitors alongside some of the Bay Area’s top coffee roasters come together to share in their craft of the nation’s favorite caffeinated beverage.

Throughout the festival, visitors can sample a virtually endless selection of specialty coffees from around the country, accompanied by a live soundtrack provided by some of the best local bands and entertainment. And if you’re keen to learn more about the process that goes into your morning brew, chat to the many master roasters at their booths and join some of the expert-led panels exploring various aspects of the industry as a whole.

Renegade Craft Fair

Gathering each November in the airy Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, the Renegade Craft Fair is a veritable paradise for artists and design aficionados alike. Upwards of 300 artists and retailers set up shop each year to exhibit their creations and handmade goods, while a hearty selection of food and drink stands offer a great opportunity to socialize with your fellow creatives.

November Film Festivals

Continuing San Francisco’s cinema-centric trend, November is host to a plethora of cultural film festivals, including the Arab Film Festival, South Asian Film Festival and American Indian Film Festival. Those with an interest in social and environmental issues may also be keen to catch the Transgender Film Festival and the Save the Waves Film Festival.

San Francisco International Auto Show

Auto enthusiasts visiting San Francisco in November as in for a real treat in the shape of the San Francisco International Auto Show. For over half a century now, the Bay Area has been host each year to an incredible display of some of the world’s most impressive vehicles, from classic favorites to exotic sports cars and some of the newest tech in the game.

Robert Heaney
Go City Travel Expert

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San Francisco in April

At the peak of spring, the increasingly more pleasant weather of San Francisco in April complements a host of hotly-anticipated cultural events. If you’re looking to experience the best of the Bay Area in the absence of the summertime crowds while also cashing in on everything the season has to offer, this is the trip to beat. Visiting San Francisco in April Average Temperature: 50 - 63°F • Average Rainfall: 6 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 10 hours/day Now in the penultimate month of its early-year shoulder season, San Francisco maintains a steady flow of traffic throughout April, though still in relatively small numbers. As with much of spring, this is an ideal time to experience the charms of the Golden City without too many crowds, while also cashing in on some off-peak hotel prices when booking sufficiently in advance. With spring now in full swing, it’s likely you’ll start to see San Francisco’s weather begin to chipper up. Temperatures throughout April tend to flirt somewhere between cool and pleasantly mild, bridging on some warm days if you’re really lucky. That being said, windchill by the Bay is still something to wrap up against, and you’ll want to pack an umbrella for the potential for at least one day of rain per week. Things to do in April No trip to San Francisco would be complete without an obligatory tour of some of its most iconic sights. Taking pride of place are the crimson beams of the world’s most recognizable bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, followed swiftly by the attractive Painted Ladies lining Alamo Square Park. Though you can certainly explore many of the city’s sights and attractions on foot, you can save yourself some energy with a Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour. Operating a central route via many of the Golden City’s most popular destinations, the tour allows visitors to board and alight at their leisure. To sweeten the pot, the tour also offers audio commentary in a selection of major languages, rich with valuable local insight into some of the city’s most interesting history and culture. Particularly popular around this time of year is Japantown where, alongside its usual charming architecture, restaurants and stores, many can enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival. In a similar vein, San Francisco’s Chinatown stands as the largest and most popular in the country, where you can explore a host of traditional stores and restaurants and even stop in at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory to watch employees hand-fold one of the nation’s favorite after-dinner treats. To make the most of the improving weather, why not take a particularly pleasant day to explore some of San Francisco’s fantastic green spaces? Golden Gate Park makes for a wonderful picnic spot if you can manage to find a free space, while Mission Dolores Park remains more of a serene experience and offers stellar views over the city skyline. If you’re keen to feed your inner history buff, few experiences match up to a visit to Alcatraz Island. Take a trip into the center of the Bay to explore the hostile remoteness of this former high-security military prison and breathe in the chilling atmosphere of its now empty halls and cell, once home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals. Whether you’re visiting with kids or looking to embrace your inner child, the delightful exhibits of the Walt Disney Family Museum are bound to bring about a smile. Over 40,000 square feet of engaging and interactive exhibits explore the life and work of the world’s most famous cartoonist, documenting the evolution of his vision into the family-favorite media empire we know and love today. What’s On in April San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) Now the longest-running and most hotly-anticipated film festival in the US, SFFILM champions the world’s finest films and filmmakers with a refreshingly intimate program of marquee premieres, international competitions, compelling documentaries, live music performances and star-studded red carpet events. For a little over a week each April, visitors to SFFILM can catch a stellar lineup of screenings across many of the Bay Area’s finest venues. Promoting the works of both established names and promising newcomers, the festival offers a wide range of genres and perspectives, bringing light to stories from around the world and helping raise upcoming filmmakers to the limelight. Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival For the last two weekends in April, San Francisco’s Japantown erupts in celebration of the humble cherry blossoms lighting up much of Northern California. Mirroring the globally-renowned tradition of Hanami in Japan, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival typically draws in around a quarter of a million visitors each year. A rich schedule of cultural programs, live entertainment, art and crafts, traditional food and drink and a grand parade all come to a head in celebration of springtime. Having run each year since the late 1960s, the festival serves primarily to honor the rich heritage and diversity of the Japanese American community in sharing a cultural snapshot with visitors from both near and far. Earth Day Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has grown exponentially as more and more each year into the globally recognized event we know today. San Francisco’s Earth Day brings together a host of environmentally-minded local and national artists, musicians, speakers and performers to frontline an electric, open-air celebration to promote climate-positive action. Throughout the event, visitors can enjoy an all-star lineup of psychedelic, funk, rock, and global beats while exploring the various different zones of the festival. Family-friendly workshops range from recycled art classes to making solar rockets to yoga and meditation demos, while representatives from a variety of major environmental organizations head talks on making a positive global impact. Art Market San Francisco Art aficionados visiting San Francisco in April should take a trip to the Bay Area’s principal contemporary and modern art fair. Over the course of a weekend, Art Market San Francisco hosts over 70 established galleries alongside innovative newcomers from across the country, exhibiting a stellar collection of contemporary and modern artworks in a variety of different forms.
Robert Heaney
Side-on view of the Golden Gate Bridge spanning The Bay
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San Francisco in March

San Francisco in March marks the coming of spring with a month of generally mild and often sunny – if not windy – weather, making for the first of many periods ideal for exploring the unique nooks and crannies of this oh-so-photogenic city. If you’re looking to beat the crowds and don’t mind battling with the windchill and rain, March is the time to visit! Visiting San Francisco in March Average Temperature: 48 - 61°F • Average Rainfall: 10 days/mth • Average Sunshine: 9 hours/day With spring on the way, the Golden City prepares to usher in its first shoulder season of the year, with somewhat of an upcurve in tourists expected throughout the season. Though you may find the city slightly busier than during the winter months, you should have no trouble still finding some great off-peak hotel deals throughout the month, as long as you book sufficiently in advance. The transition from winter to spring may not be so evident in San Francisco’s weather in March. Throughout the month, temperatures remain somewhere between cool and pleasantly mild, with just enough regular sunshine to grab those ideal photo ops. Just be sure to wrap up against the inevitable windchill and pack an umbrella for the likelihood of at least two days of rainfall per week. Things to do in March Few trips to San Francisco would be complete without touring some of the city’s top landmarks. Topping the list are, of course, the crimson beams of the Golden Gate Bridge, followed swiftly behind by the Victorian Painted Ladies stationed along the eastern side of Alamo Square Park. With the Golden City as sprawling as it is, you’ll likely want to find a way to explore without wearing out your feet too quickly. The iconic San Francisco Cable Cars can certainly see you some of the way, but nothing beats a Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour for getting you around the city’s top attractions comfortably and conveniently, with optional audio commentary in a selection of languages to boot. History buffs visiting San Francisco in March will be no stranger to Alcatraz, famously the former site of many of America’s most notorious criminals, and now open for visitors to explore its chilling halls and the surrounding hostile landscape. If you’re looking for something a little on the tamer side, though, then the California Historical Society and the Contemporary Jewish Museum each offer valuable insights into the local cultures and history of both San Francisco and California as a whole. If you’re looking for somewhere exciting to sink a few hours, then Fisherman’s Wharf should be just the ticket. Among this waterfront complex you’ll find the classic Musée Méchanique penny arcade and the popular Pier 39 shopping center, alongside a variety of charming restaurants, stores and cultural hotspots. Come at the right time and you may even come across the famous colony of playful, barking sea lions catching some rays in a huddle on the corner of the pier. With the weather turning generally milder throughout March, you may be keen to spend a few hours exploring some of San Francisco’s serene green spaces. The lakes, gardens and trails of Golden Gate Park are undoubtedly the most popular, while Mission Dolores Park serves as a fantastic picnic spot with idyllic views over the city skyline. Be sure to explore the nearby Conservatory of Flowers and the Botanical Garden, too, to see what March has in bloom. The Golden City’s undulating landscape, impressive skyline and stunning Bay make for some incredible photo ops, but never more so than when you can capture them all together. For some truly exquisite viewpoints, head to the beautiful art-deco Coit Tower for unobstructed panoramic views right down into the Bay. Alternatively, the Twin Peaks summit makes for a brilliant romantic spot to catch the sunset and sit beneath the stars for an evening. Both families and the curious traveler alike are bound to enjoy the likes of the California Academy of Sciences, impressively housing a planetarium, aquarium, natural history museum and indoor rainforest under one massive roof. If that doesn’t quite scratch that itch, then the interactive science exhibits of the Exploratorium should do the trick – just be sure to visit later in the day if you’d prefer to miss the regular school groups. What’s On in March Berlin & Beyond Film Festival Somewhat of a more niche offering for film buffs visiting San Francisco in March, Berlin & Beyond serves as a gateway for the public to see and experience the German-speaking world of cinema. For roughly a week in March, the festival organizes an extensive program of screenings from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond. Exploring the history, art, cultures and progress of these German-speaking regions, screenings take the form of everything from independent short films to impressive feature films and documentaries. The festival celebrates prominent filmmakers and screen talents from across the German-speaking world, sharing their work with an annual audience of over 7,000 keen film-goers. Saint Patrick’s Day Though few Irishmen would care to admit it, the USA is largely credited with pioneering St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as we know them today, with records as far back as the early 1600s placing St. Augustine in Florida as the potential birthplace of the modern Ireland-centered drinking party. And the nation has only doubled down on the festivities ever since! San Francisco is no stranger to its fair share of hearty Irish fun, making it one of the prime places to be as March 17 rolls around. You’ll find no shortage of parties, pub crawls, cultural festivals and family-friendly activities throughout the city as thousands of locals and visitors go green for St. Patty’s. The city also hosts its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and block party the weekend beforehand, often giving the keenest of revelers the chance to party all over again! Red Cross Gala If you plan on being in San Francisco in March and enjoy any excuse to dress up, you’ll want to grab yourself a ticket to the annual American Red Cross Gala. Held each year to recognize and honor those in the Bay Area that have made a positive impact to help the American Red Cross, this popular fundraising event takes place in San Francisco’s impressive City Hall. Accompanied by the subsequent After Party, the gala promises an evening of cocktails, refreshments, live music, dancing and a general air of merriment.
Robert Heaney

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