San Francisco skyline lit up at night across the bay

Your Guide to San Francisco

Sights, food, events and practical tips for visitors and for people who live here.

Things to Do
Events calendar

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Downtown San Francisco and Market Street seen from Twin Peaks

San Francisco Visitors Guide

Plan your trip step by step: when to go, how long to stay and what to book first.

Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands

Things to Do

The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, cable cars and the other classics.

Old Coast Guard station at Crissy Field with the Golden Gate Bridge

Outdoors

Golden Gate Park, Lands End, Crissy Field and the city's beaches.

Foil-wrapped Mission burrito with tortilla chips

Food & Drink

Mission burritos, dim sum, the Ferry Building and more.

Castro Theatre facade and marquee on Castro Street

Nightlife

Bars, live music and things to do after dark.

Union Square plaza with its holiday tree and ice rink

Where to Stay

Which part of the city to book, with tips for each area.

Lanterns strung over Grant Avenue in Chinatown

Events

Festivals, parades and free museum days, month by month.

Painted Ladies Victorian houses on Steiner Street at Alamo Square

Neighborhoods

From North Beach to the Mission, the city one area at a time.

Entrance of the California Academy of Sciences at dusk

Family Trips

Museums, parks and days out that work for kids.

Vintage F Market and Wharves streetcar on the Embarcadero

Getting Around

Muni, BART, cable cars and ferries, with fares and passes.

Golden Gate Bridge tower rising above a layer of fog

Weather

Fog, rain and what to pack in each month.

Row of Victorian houses on a San Francisco street

Living in San Francisco

Neighborhoods, costs and practical tips for moving here.

San Francisco events calendar

Full calendar

Pick a date to see festivals, parades, markets and free museum days around San Francisco.

3 dated events weekly markets / free days only

See the full events calendar

Dates and times can change. Always check the official event site before you go. Last updated October 27, 2026.

Things to Do

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Family Trips

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Outdoors

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A local guide to San Francisco

San Francisco Updates is an independent guide for visitors and residents, written by Terry Vaughn. It covers sights, food, events and neighborhoods, plus the practical details that make a trip or a week in the city easier.

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Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Cgbriggs19 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Christoph Strässler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; BaduFerreira / Wikimedia Commons, CC0; Américo Toledano / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Dllu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Grendelkhan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Tobias Kleinlercher / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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