Layover Guide
San Francisco
30 min from airport to city center
Places to stay
Search hotelsWhy San Francisco scores 78
- 01BART train to downtown (30 min, $10)
- 02Taxi/Uber to Union Square (25-40 min, $35-55)
- 03SamTrans bus (45-60 min, $2.25)
49 min by SFO AirTrain Blue Line
- 01Walk the Golden Gate Bridge and explore Crissy Field
- 02Ride a historic cable car from Powell Street to Fisherman's Wharf
- 03Explore the Ferry Building Marketplace for local artisan foods
- 04Wander through Chinatown, the oldest in North America
- 05See the Painted Ladies Victorian houses at Alamo Square
Experiences in San Francisco
See all- Kitava Kitchen~60 min1 min walk
- All Star Cafe~60 min1 min walk
- John Vicino~75 min1 min walk
- Amethyst Trio~75 min1 min walk
- San Francisco Tour~90 min1 min walk
- Journal Building Artist Residency~90 min1 min walk
- PIER 394.6
- Oracle Park4.7
- The Painted Ladies4.4
- Fisherman's Wharf4.6
- Chinatown San Francisco4.3
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Bounce Luggage Storage
Multiple downtown locations
$6/bag
5 min walk
LuggageHero
Union Square area shops
$8/bag
3 min walk
Grand Hyatt San Francisco
Union Square
$89/day
0 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
city-center
Direct train to Powell St or Embarcadero stations
30 min
$10.00
Uber/Lyft
city-center
Traffic can double travel time during rush hour
30 min
$45.00
SamTrans Bus 292/398
city-center
Budget option, connects to Caltrain
55 min
$2.25
CityPASS San Francisco
California Academy of Sciences, Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, Aquarium of the Bay + 2 more
Best for 2+ day visits; skip for short layovers
$76
per day
At the airport
- 01SFO Museum with rotating art and aviation exhibits
- 02Yoga rooms in Terminals 2 and 3
- 03Local dining options including Anchor Brewing and Napa Farms Market
Ready to book?
Search layovers through San Francisco