Things to Do in San Francisco in Summer

Arguably the best time to visit, San Francisco in summer is full of fun and festivities. From superb museums to street fairs, grab your sunglasses and head on down.

By Katie Sagal
Published: July 18, 2024
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Southern California may get a lot of hype. But if you are looking for some summer fun, don't count Northern Cali out either. While it’s a beautiful city to visit year-round, summer in San Francisco is the best time to plan a trip. Summer in San Fran is the warmest, most festive, and arguably the most fun time of year in the Bay Area.

There are tons of special street festivals, races, attractions, tours, museums, and events that happen all summer in San Francisco. So, if you’re planning a visit and looking for things to do in San Francisco this summer, check out our list of the top attractions and activities going on this year, including...

  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • Escape from the Rock Cruise
  • California Academy of Sciences
  • California Wine Country Tour
  • and more...

Heading to the area to celebrate Independence Day? Then check out our post on things to do in San Francisco 4th of July Weekend.

In the Bay area towards the end of summer? Here are a few fun things to do in San Francisco during Labor Day Weekend.

Escape from the Rock Cruise

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One great way to go about exploring San Francisco this summer is to embark on an informative sightseeing cruise to Alcatraz.

One of the most popular and exciting options is the 'Escape from the Rock' cruise. This 90-minute tour will teach you about what it was like for controversial inmates of Alcatraz about their life behind bars. The cruise will also give you a great vantage point to take photos of the infamous island.

Each Escape From the Rock tour features sound effects and stories about famous inmates like Al Capone, Billy Cook the Killer, and Clyde Johnson.

Exploratorium

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Exploratorium

If you're traveling with kids, you can't miss out on an afternoon spent at the awesome Exploratorium. Fueled by creativity and curiosity, this San Francisco institution offers over 600 interactive exhibits for kids of all ages to engage with. During the summer, the Exploratorium offers a ton of great events and specials. For more information and specific event offerings, visit their website - you're sure to find something you'd like to partake in from the list of festivals and shows.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

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One of San Francisco's most beloved cultural attractions is the must-see art destination, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Boasting stellar collections of contemporary and modern art that include works from big names like Calder, Klee, and Pollock, to emerging Bay Area artists and more, the SFMOMA is the artistic destination in San Fran.

Madame Tussauds San Francisco

Madame Tussauds is your chance to get closer to your icons than ever before. With seven different themed areas that range from Hollywood classics to sports to music and even Bay Area entrepreneurs and historic figures, this is a unique way to experience San Francisco's history.

Step onto the court and shoot hoops with Steph Curry or jam on stage with Jimi Hendrix to experience the full “Spirit of San Francisco.” Whether you want to take a selfie with Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates or strike a pose with Beyoncé and sparkle center stage with Adele –- there's a star-studded line up for everyone to enjoy.

Fisherman’s Wharf

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This eclectic waterfront neighborhood is a prime destination for visitors and locals alike who are looking for some fun and entertainment. Although Fisherman’s Wharf as a term technically refers to just one particular wharf, the neighborhood is comprised of an entire waterfront district filled with attractions.

Some of the exciting and entertaining attractions you’ll find in this destination include Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the Musée Méchanique, a famed Sea Lion colony, seafood markets, and much more.

Aquarium of the Bay

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If you prefer sea life to still life, the Aquarium of the Bay (conveniently located on Fisherman’s Wharf's iconic Pier 39) is where you’ll have some of the most fun this summer in San Francisco. With its exclusive focus on the marine life of San Francisco Bay, this regional aquarium is the perfect destination for those looking to learn more about the environment and its inhabitants.

Enjoy visiting exhibits like Discover the Bay, Go With the Flow, Under the Bay and more - all full of colorful jellies, fish, and aquatic animals.

Golden Gate Park

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There's no better place to be in San Francisco on a sunny day than Golden Gate Park. It’s filled with dozens of gardens, playgrounds, trails, recreation areas, picnic areas, monuments, and much more spread through over 1,000 acres of delightful urban green space.

There are also some top attractions and museums located in the park if you're feeling motivated to do more than lay back on the picnic blanket and enjoy the sunshine. One of our favorites is the de Young Museum, another premier art institution. The museum is one of the most visited in the country and is home to over 1,000 pieces of fine art, including sculptures, paintings, and more.

California Academy of Sciences

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Also located in Golden Gate Park, this premier institution of science, learning, and entertainment is a must for visitors of all ages. Where else in the world can you find such a comprehensive and amazing four-in-one experience? That’s right - the California Academy of Sciences is comprised of a four-story rainforest, a natural history museum, an aquarium, and the world’s largest all-digital planetarium.

From the splashing penguins in the African Hall to the awe-inspiring reef ecosystem, there are plenty of habitats and exhibits to explore. Make sure to check out their newest exhibit Giants of Land and Sea. Allow science to take over all your senses as you feel your way through a fog room, keep your balance in the earthquake simulator, and ascend to the top of a towering Redwood.

Union Street Festival

Get your summer started with the Union Street Festival, one of the city’s most enjoyable and well-known free arts festivals. The eclectic Union Street Festival features not only a wide selection of arts and crafts made from sustainable materials, but an organic farmers market, gourmet food booths, and live entertainment. It's easy to see why it has gained such popularity.

See over 20 live bands perform and explore the five entertainment areas that showcases jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, and local bands. Then peruse the sponsor tents, Arts & Crafts exhibitors, food vendors, and more.

North Beach Festival

The North Beach Festival is considered one of the oldest and original fairs in the country. You’ll find a wide variety of activities, entertainment, and objects for purchase, including the area’s best arts and crafts. Known to locals as San Francisco's Little Italy, the North Beach area is the perfect place to spend a day perusing all the booths and local vendor options.

There are also activities like face painting and more for children to enjoy. With over 125 options packed with paintings, vintage knick-knacks, gourmet food, and two stages for live entertainment. It's sure to be a summer day well spent.

Save on summertime activities

San Francisco cable car

So there you have it. Our picks for some of the top things to do in San Francisco in during the summer. Whether you are traveling with your family or a couple of friends, we're sure you will have a great time at these attractions.

 

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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'Painted Ladies' on Steiner Street opposite Alamo Square Park, San Francisco
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5 Days in San Francisco

Spend five days in San Francisco and you’re sure – like the great Tony Bennett – to leave your heart there. Of course you’ll want to tick off the big-hitters like Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. There’s time enough for all that, as well as getting under the skin of some of the city’s hipper neighborhoods and getting your fix of San Francisco culture. Heck, our suggested 5-day itinerary for San Francisco even fits in time for souvenir-hunting. Read on for our guide to the perfect San Francisco mini break. Day 1: Hit the Museums There’s no point beating about the bush: San Francisco has some of the finest museums and art galleries in California. Nay, on the entire planet. Indeed, you could easily fill five days here if museum-hopping was all you did, from the mighty collection of American art at the Golden Gate Park’s de Young Museum to the astounding range of (playable) antique arcade games and pinball machines and (often creepy) automata at the Musée Mécanique in Fisherman’s Wharf. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and Exploratorium are two of the very best, as well as being conveniently close enough together that you can do the double in a single day, pausing at the halfway point to stuff your face with authentic dim sum in Chinatown or to lunch on local cheese and sourdough from the Ferry Building’s farmers’ market on the Embarcadero. SFMOMA is the daddy of San Francisco art museums, boasting one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. As well as crucial masterpieces from the likes of Matisse, Kahlo, Warhol, Richter and Klee, there’s a vast living wall that changes with the seasons, a rooftop sculpture garden and so much more. Over at the Exploratorium on Pier 15, you can interact with all manner of weird and wonderful art and science exhibits: simulate a sandstorm in the Aeolian Landscape, lose your bearings on the Fog Bridge and head for the Recollections installation to dance with an animated version of... you. Day 2: Ups and Downs Thanks to its 11 (count ‘em) hills, San Francisco is quite literally a city of ups and downs, a place where dedicated walkers are rewarded with breathtaking views and buns of steel. Find your bearings by riding an iconic cable car out of Downtown. Both lines go to Fisherman’s Wharf, but the Powell-Hyde line provides the best views of Alcatraz as your painted wooden carriage rollercoasters up and down the hills. You’ll also rumble past the hairpin bends of Lombard Street, the famously crooked road with its bright, floral borders and eight hairpin bends. If you really want to get the blood pumping, take the Filbert Street Steps challenge. There are around 500 steps from the very bottom to where the art deco Coit Tower soars above North Beach. It’s hard work, but worth it for awe-inspiring Bay views that take in Treasure Island and the San Francisco Bay Bridge. You’ll also meet talkative green-and-red Telegraph Hill parrots on the way up, as well as encountering quaint cottages, cute formal gardens and wildflowers galore. Check out the murals that decorate the interior of Coit Tower before whizzing to the top for far-reaching 360-degree views that include Twin Peaks, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Afterwards, go and say hey to the sea lions at Pier 39 before hopping on a cruise to Alcatraz Island for a tour of its infamous cellhouse. Day 3: Snap some San Francisco Icons San Francisco is blessed with some truly photogenic attractions, so if you’re the type who lives to fill your Instagram with pretty pictures, you’re in luck! Start your photo tour at the Painted Ladies, a row of pastel-colored Victorian houses on Steiner Street by Alamo Square Park, the elevated position of which makes for some great pics, with the skyscrapers of the financial district visible in the background. There are plenty more colorful buildings to ogle as you wander down through the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood to Golden Gate Park. Here, the pagodas and pavilion in the Japanese Tea Garden and the cute Dutch Windmill are your go-to attractions for the most memorable snaps and selfies. It’s about three miles from here to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, much of that through the wildest sections of the Presidio. Or you can, y’know, take the bus. Either way, getting up onto that big, beautiful bridge should be considered an essential part of any San Francisco adventure. Your Instagram fans will thank you for the effort. Day 4: Shop for Souvenirs San Francisco is a shoppers’ paradise, with everything from upscale department stores to quirky gift shops. Grab a Golden Gate Bridge fog globe from any souvenir store worth its salt, or hit up the museums for beautiful objets d’art like, um, an Andy Warhol skateboard from SFMOMA. The Cable Car Museum is your friend for cool MUNI logo tees and dinky souvenir carriages in every conceivable form: fridge magnet, mug, keychain, ornament, you name it. Head to the City Lights bookstore in North Beach to pick up a copy of Kerouac’s On The Road or Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems. There’s no place more appropriate to do so: the store had close links to both writers back in the 1950s. Cookies from the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in neighboring Chinatown are an absolute must for seekers of quirky edible gifts, while the streets around nearby Union Square are where your credit card will take a proper walloping, with major brands including Saks, Macy’s, Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Apple all too eager to help out with your dream shopping experience. Day 5: Hang out in the Mission The Mission is hands-down one of the Golden City’s hippest ‘hoods, a melting point of epic murals, fab coffee roasteries and world-class burritos that no 5-day San Francisco itinerary should be without. Start your visit by simply wandering the streets and marveling at the ubiquity of those colorful painted murals – some political, some in tribute and some, well, just for fun. You’ll find the highest concentrations in and around Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley. Take a stroll down Valencia Street to pick up those last-minute gifts you forgot yesterday. It’s an eclectic mix here, from vintage fashions and second-hand vinyl records to – wait for it – a supply store for wannabe pirates, where eyepatches, whale feed and scurvy medicine are the order of the day. Grab a specialty coffee while you browse, then make straight for the ace local taquerias for lunch. It’s a ‘Mission Burrito’, you’re after, famous around these parts for their soft, yielding tortillas, farm-fresh ingredients and frankly gargantuan size. Take yours up to Dolores Park and find a spot to munch while watching the world go by and gazing dreamily at the hazy Downtown skyline below. Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
T-rex skeleton in the lobby of the natural history museum at the California Academy of Sciences
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Best Museums in San Francisco

From the de Young Museum’s striking copper facade to the enormous steel cube that forms part of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, many of San Francisco’s museums are as much a marvel from the outside as they are from the inside. There’s something for everyone here, with plenty of great art, science and historical treasures to keep even the most fatigued museum-goer entertained. Read on to discover our pick of the 10 best museums in San Francisco. De Young Museum Slap-bang in the middle of Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum cuts a striking figure with its burnished copper skin and 144-foot observation tower. Inside, the extensive collection of American art dates back to the 17th Century, with highlights including Salvador Dalí’s mesmerizing portrait of San Francisco philanthropist Dorothy Spreckels Munn, George Caleb Bingham’s 1846 masterpiece Boatmen on the Missouri and several Ruth Asawa wire sculptures. An impressive collection of art, textiles and costumes from Africa, Oceania and the Americas completes the picture. Be sure to ascend the tower for 360-degree views of Golden Gate Park, downtown San Francisco and the Bay. Walt Disney Family Museum Enter the magical world of Walt Disney at this Presidio museum that's a stone’s throw from the Golden Gate Bridge. Here’s where you can view Walt’s earliest drawings and experience the evolution of Mickey Mouse via sketches, models and toys. There are over 40,000 square feet to explore, with exhibits including artwork that spans the Disney dynasty, from Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Walt’s debut 1937 feature, up to the present day. There are over 200 screens showing cartoons, movies and archive footage, as well as listening stations that include narration by Walt himself. There’s even a 12-foot model of Disneyland! Exploratorium Hands-down the best interactive museum in town, the Exploratorium on Pier 15 is chock-full of amazing art and science exhibits that come to life as soon as you get involved. Say hello to Albert as you enter this trippy universe, where you can – deep breath – dance with your very own animated doppelganger, create sandstorms, step inside a tornado, get lost in the fog, explore an enormous model of San Francisco made from thousands of toothpicks and get a whole new sense of perspective in the Distorted Room. And that barely scratches the surface of what to expect here. Don’t miss the Sun Painting, a huge kaleidoscopic work of art made by reflection and refraction of the sun’s rays. Museum of the African Diaspora One of just a handful of US museums that exclusively showcase contemporary art by native Africans and their descendents, the MoAD is a celebration of Black culture and identity that seeks to entertain, challenge and educate visitors in equal measure. Set in San Francisco’s downtown Yerba Buena Arts District, its regularly rotating exhibitions have featured artists as diverse as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett and Alison Saar, while the emerging artists program also supports upcoming talent from the Bay Area. USS Pampanito Docked at Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf, the USS Pampanito is a designated National Historic Landmark. This huge submarine was in service during World War II, making patrols of the Pacific and sinking several Japanese ships. Step aboard to learn more about the vessel’s storied history, explore the living quarters, see the torpedoes and check out onboard equipment that has been restored to working order, including the engines, periscope and... ice-cream machine. Legion of Honor Located in Lincoln Park, the Legion of Honor is easily one the best art museums in San Francisco, boasting a fine collection that spans over 5,000 years of ancient and European art. There’s a particularly impressive variety of pieces from France, including paintings by Impressionist masters like Degas, Renoir, Monet and Cézanne. Check out the collection of nearly 100 Rodin sculptures and get up close to some of his most famous pieces: The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell, to name but a few. The Hall of Antiquities and mummy room are your one-stop shop for mummified Egyptians, ancient and definitely-not-cursed carved figurine, as well as all manner of well-preserved sculptures, ceramics and jewelry from millennia gone by. Musée Mécanique Relive your misspent youth (depending on your particular vintage) at the Musée Mécanique on Fisherman’s Wharf. This curious place is crammed full of coin-operated arcade games, automata and other such strange devices, with some dating as far back as the early 20th Century. Play classic pinball machines and video games, test your strength against a masked arm-wrestler, find out where you rank on the kiss-o-meter (from passionate to disappointingly clammy), see what is perhaps the only steam-powered motorbike on the planet, and be charmed by not-at-all-creepy Laffing Sal, a florid six-foot cackling automaton with a missing tooth. Asian Art Museum A well-preserved bronze Buddha statue that’s nearly 2,000 years old, Chinese Jades from the Neolithic period and Persian ceramics are just some of the highlights to be found in the vast Asian Art Museum. The 18,000-strong collection is largely Chinese in origin, usually representing around half of the 2,000-ish pieces on display at any given time. It’s one of the biggest and most important Asian art collections in the world and can be found inside a gorgeous Beaux Arts building in the San Francisco Civic Center. Not to be missed. California Academy of Sciences This sprawling museum in Golden Gate Park is an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and one of the world’s largest natural history collections all rolled into one. Inside its epic 400,000-square-floor space are 46 million specimens and residents that include blacktip reef sharks, an elusive giant Pacific octopus, Madagascan chameleons, poison-dart frogs and a towering t-rex. Equally striking is the museum’s architecture: its roof topped with rolling green hills is home to nearly two million plants! San Francisco Museum of Modern Art SFMOMA is the daddy of all art museums in San Francisco, boasting thousands of important works from household names including Jackson Pollock, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper, Gerhard Richter and Paul Klee. There’s a largely open-air rooftop sculpture garden that’s accessed via a glass-and-steel bridge and, also outdoors, a vast living wall. This dense forest of foliage changes with the seasons so you’ll get a different sensory experience depending on which time of year you visit. Save on the best museums in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
The Coit Tower in North Beach, San Francisco
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San Francisco in June

June marks the beginning of San Francisco’s busy summer season, with fine weather, feel-good vibes and festivals galore. Read on for our guide to visiting the Golden City in June... Visiting San Francisco in June Average Temperature: 53–66°F • Average Rainfall: 1 day/mth • Average Sunshine: 10 hours/day San Francisco summers are curious beasts. One minute you’re basking in glorious sunshine and considering dipping your toes in the Bay’s cool waters and the next a damp, chilly fog has enveloped you and you're wondering why you even bothered slapping on all that sunscreen. Seriously though, if it’s wall-to-wall sunshine and a California suntan you’re after you might be better off heading a little further south to the golden sands of LA and San Diego. But if a pleasant (and interesting) climate in the high 60s floats your boat, there’s much to recommend San Francisco in June, from street parties to the massive Pride Parade – one of the biggest and best on the planet. And hey, that fog is as much a part of San Francisco’s character as the Golden Gate Bridge, the 49ers and crusty sourdough bread. Lean into it and you might even learn to love it; at the very least your Insta feed will be the envy of all your friends. Top tip: June is San Francisco’s busiest season, so book your vacation as far in advance as possible to get the best rates on your desired accommodation. Things to do in June With such pleasantly mild weather, June is a great time to explore San Francisco on foot without breaking a sweat. Ok, ok, you’re going to sweat a little: have you seen the size of some of those hills? Pro-tip: you can always save your aching legs by ascending the steeper sections on a bus or – better yet – one of the city’s iconic old-fashioned cable cars. If the near-vertical climb to the top of Buena Vista Park doesn’t take your breath away, the views when you get there certainly will. Expect sweeping panoramas that include the Golden Gate Bridge and – on a clear day – the dramatic cliffs of the Marin Headlands. Even in the fog, the view from up here is nothing short of astonishing, as the towers of the famous rust-red bridge rise up out of the rolling pea-souper. Head over to Alamo Park to ogle the Painted Ladies, a picture-postcard row of pastel-colored Victorian houses with the skyscrapers of the downtown financial district gleaming incongruously in the background. There are many more colorful buildings – flamingo pink, oxblood red, mellow yellow – to check out on a walk from here to Golden Gate Park via the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. This lovely part of town wears its strong links to the ‘67 summer of love proudly on its sleeve. Pop some flowers in your hair and get in the groove as you make your way into the park and over to Hippie Hill, now a popular spot for picnicking. And now for something completely different. Over on the Great Highway in view of the crashing surf of the Pacific, you’ll find San Francisco Zoo and Gardens. There are over 100 acres to explore here, containing no fewer than 2,000 critters. Spot giraffes, zebras and Marabou storks in the African Savanna exhibit, catch the penguins and grizzly bears at feeding time, meet ferociously cute red pandas and go on an Australian Walkabout with wallaroos and kangaroos. There’s bountiful plantlife here too, with plenty of native Californian and exotic vegetation to discover. Look out for the windswept cypress trees and rare swamp gum eucalyptus. What’s on in June? North Beach Festival Every month is party month in San Francisco, but perhaps none more so than June, when a veritable explosion of street festivals hit town. The area around Grant Avenue and Columbus is the venue for the bustling North Beach Festival, a two-day extravaganza that includes – deep breath – live local bands and tribute acts, poetry jams, comedy stages, artisan art and craft stalls, wine and beer gardens, street performers and, of course, those all-important gourmet food vendors. And with Grant Avenue also happening to be Chinatown’s main thoroughfare, you can be sure the snacks are going to be really, really good. In fact, we defy you not to make straight for those sweet fluffy BBQ pork buns before doing anything else. Street Parties Galore! The Juneteenth event on Fillmore Street ceebrates the abolition of slavery in the States with music, food and much more. Stick around until 4th of July weekend for this historic boulevard’s other great knees-up: the Fillmore Jazz Festival. Meanwhile Haight Street and Union Street both also host their own vibrant street fairs in June, meaning there’s very little chance of boredom setting in. San Francisco Pride Saving the best for last, San Francisco’s Pride parade and festival is one of the biggest and best celebrations of LGBTQ+ people on the planet. Usually taking place on the very last weekend of the month, in commemoration of the Stonewall riots, the festival's focal point is the Civic Center area, where dance stages, fetish booths and drag performers provide the entertainment and the streets are fairly festooned with beautiful rainbow flags. On Sunday morning, a colorful, joyous parade weaves its way west along the huge boulevard that is Market Street, starting in the morning and culminating in much singing, dancing and merrymaking late in the afternoon. If you’re game, you can continue the party into the wee small hours in the lively bars and clubs of the Mission and Castro districts, where even the crosswalks have rainbow stripes. Note that the Castro is the beating heart of San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community, so it’s fair to say that you can expect loooong queues wherever you go on this particular weekend. Save on attractions in San Francisco Save on admission to San Francisco attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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