7 Affordable Things to Do in San Francisco
San Francisco is expensive. Hotels are pricey, dinners add up fast and a cable car ride costs more than you’d guess. That’s the bad news.
In this guide
- 1. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
- 2. Ride the historic F-line streetcar
- 3. Graze the Ferry Building
- 4. Hike Lands End to the Sutro Baths
- 5. See the murals in the Mission
- 6. Picnic at Alamo Square
- 7. Spend a day in Golden Gate Park
- How to save on the rest
- When to go
- A cheap day in San Francisco
- Common questions
The good news is that the best things in the city are walks, views, parks and neighborhoods, and most of them cost little or nothing. Here are seven affordable things to do in San Francisco, plus a few tricks for keeping the rest of the trip cheap. And yes, you can walk down crooked Lombard Street for free too.
1. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
Walking the Golden Gate Bridge is free, and it’s one of the great walks in America. The bridge is about 1.7 miles long, and the east sidewalk is open to pedestrians during the day.
Start at the Welcome Center on the San Francisco side. Walk out to the first tower for the classic view back over the bay, or go all the way to the Vista Point on the Marin side. Bring a jacket, even in summer. The wind on the bridge is no joke, and the fog can roll in within minutes.
2. Ride the historic F-line streetcar
The cable cars are iconic, but at $8 a ride, they add up. The F-line is the budget alternative. It runs vintage streetcars from all over the world along Market Street and the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf, and it costs a normal Muni fare.
If you do want a cable car, buy a Muni day pass. It covers cable cars, streetcars and buses all day, and it pays for itself after two cable car rides. Ride the Powell-Hyde line for the best hills and bay views.
3. Graze the Ferry Building
The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero is a food hall packed with local bakeries, cheese shops, oyster bars and coffee roasters. Wandering it is free, and you can put together a cheap lunch from a few small bites.
On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, a big farmers market sets up outside. Saturday is the best and the busiest. Take your snacks to the benches behind the building and watch the ferries come and go with the Bay Bridge in the background.
4. Hike Lands End to the Sutro Baths
Lands End is a wild, rocky stretch of coast on the city’s northwest corner. A trail runs along the cliffs through cypress trees, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge from an angle most visitors never see. It’s free and mostly easy.
Start at the Lands End Lookout visitor center and walk down to the ruins of the Sutro Baths. They were once a giant public bathhouse with seven pools. Now they’re concrete walls and pools of seawater by the ocean, and they’re eerie and beautiful at sunset. Find the small labyrinth of stones on the point if you can. Parking at the lookout is free.
5. See the murals in the Mission
The Mission District has some of the best street art in the country, and it’s free to see. Head to Balmy Alley, a short lane covered from end to end in murals, many about Central American history and community. Clarion Alley, a few blocks north, is more political and changes often.
Then eat a Mission burrito. It’s huge, it’s cheap by San Francisco standards and it’s usually two meals. Finish at Dolores Park, a sunny, sloping lawn with one of the best skyline views in the city. Locals picnic there on any warm afternoon.
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6. Picnic at Alamo Square
The Painted Ladies are the row of Victorian houses you’ve seen on postcards and on TV. They face Alamo Square park, and the downtown skyline rises behind them.
Bring a picnic from a nearby deli and sit on the grass with the view. It’s one of the cheapest good afternoons in the city. The houses are private homes, so admire them from the park and the sidewalk.
7. Spend a day in Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is bigger than Central Park, and most of it is free. Walk through the Conservatory of Flowers gardens, find the bison paddock (yes, real bison) and follow the paths out to the windmills and Ocean Beach.
Some places charge entry, like the Japanese Tea Garden, the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. The de Young’s tower has a free observation deck, though, with views over the whole park. On the first Tuesday of the month, many of the city’s museums offer free entry.
How to save on the rest
Accommodation is where your money goes, so look outside Union Square. Hotels near the Civic Center can be cheaper, but the area is rough at night. Many budget travelers stay across the bay in Oakland or Berkeley and ride BART in, which is often much cheaper.
Eat lunch as your big meal. Many restaurants have cheaper lunch menus, and the Mission and Chinatown are full of inexpensive, excellent food. Skip the rental car. Parking is expensive, and break-ins are common, so don’t leave anything visible in a car.
When to go
September and October are San Francisco’s warmest, clearest months. Summer is surprisingly cold and foggy, so pack layers whenever you go.
A cheap day in San Francisco
Here’s how one budget day can look. Start with coffee and a pastry from the Ferry Building, then ride the F-line to Fisherman’s Wharf and walk west through Fort Mason to Crissy Field. From there, the walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge is easy.
Take a bus to Lands End for the afternoon and watch the sun set over the Sutro Baths. Then head to the Mission for a burrito dinner. Total cost, apart from food, can be under $20 with a day pass. That’s not bad for one of the most expensive cities in America.
Common questions
Is San Francisco expensive to visit?
Hotels and dining are pricey, but many of the top sights are free or cheap.
Is it free to walk the Golden Gate Bridge?
Yes. Pedestrians use the east sidewalk for free during daylight hours.
How can I ride a cable car cheaply?
Buy a Muni day pass, which covers cable cars and other transit all day.
What’s the cheapest area to stay near San Francisco?
Oakland and Berkeley across the bay, linked by BART.
Are San Francisco museums ever free?
Yes. Many offer free entry on the first Tuesday of the month.
