San Francisco SFO: 4 Hours, 30 Min to the City
Ferry Building in 3 hours: sourdough, Hog Island oysters, Bay Bridge at lunch. SFO is worth leaving the terminal.
Getting from the airport
SFO to city center: 30 minutes by rail (BART). Fare is $10. Trains run every 10 minutes. Service runs 04:00 to 00:00. Skip the taxi unless your connection is under 5 hours.
What to do in San Francisco
The stops worth making: Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Fishermans Wharf, Mission District burritos. Rated above 4.4: PIER 39 (4.6), Oracle Park (4.7), The Painted Ladies (4.4), Fisherman's Wharf (4.6), Mission Dolores Park (4.7). You do not need the full tourist circuit. Pick two and commit.
Visa and entry
San Francisco is visa-free for US passports. No application, no fee. The border process at SFO is standard — budget 30 minutes.
How long do you need
The minimum useful layover is 4 hours. That gives you 30 minutes in each direction plus about 90 minutes on the ground. Up to 24 hours is a proper overnight.
SFO airport
SFO has 14 lounges. For short connections under 4 hours, the terminal is the destination — food options, showers, and enough space to reset before the next leg.