San Francisco event weekends: what to do between sessions
Cable cars, the Golden Gate, Alcatraz and Napa an hour north, with Berkeley across the bay.
Events we cover in San Francisco
11 Jan 2027*J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference
San Francisco, United StatesCongress15 Mar 2027*Game Developers Conference
San Francisco, United StatesTrade show26 Apr 2027*RSAC Conference
San Francisco, United StatesTrade show8 May 2027*UC Berkeley Commencement
San Francisco, United StatesGraduation13 Aug 2027*Outside Lands
San Francisco, United StatesFestival12 Oct 2027*Dreamforce
San Francisco, United StatesTrade show
San Francisco, United StatesCongress15 Mar 2027*Game Developers Conference
San Francisco, United StatesTrade show26 Apr 2027*RSAC Conference
San Francisco, United StatesTrade show8 May 2027*UC Berkeley Commencement
San Francisco, United StatesGraduation13 Aug 2027*Outside Lands
San Francisco, United StatesFestival12 Oct 2027*Dreamforce
San Francisco, United StatesTrade show
Arriving
SFO has BART to downtown in 30 minutes; Oakland (OAK) has BART too.
Where to stay
| Budget | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | SoMa and Mission | Cheaper hotels near Moscone. |
| Mid-range | Union Square | Central and on transit. |
| Splurge | Nob Hill and the Embarcadero | Grand hotels. |
Three hotels we would book
- Budget: Hotel Zeppelin
- Mid-range: Hotel Zetta
- Splurge: Fairmont San Francisco
Tours
Where to eat
With kids
- Exploratorium.
- California Academy of Sciences.
Rainy-day backups
- SFMOMA.
- de Young.
Free things to do
- Golden Gate Park.
- Lands End trail.
- Painted Ladies.
Getting around
- Muni, cable cars and BART with Clipper or contactless.