San Francisco in Fall: Why September & October Are the Best Months to Visit
There’s a particular look you see on the faces of people visiting San Francisco in July.
It usually appears somewhere around Fisherman’s Wharf or on the bridge when the fog rolls in, the wind picks up, and they realize the shorts and sundress they packed for their California summer vacation were a bad idea.
The I ❤️ SF sweatshirt sales must go through the roof in July and August, affectionately called “Fog-ust” in San Francisco.
I’ve lived here for decades, so let me let you in on a little secret: summer isn’t necessarily the best time to visit San Francisco if you want warm weather.
Fall is.
September and October are what is sometimes called our “secret summer,” when the fog retreats, temperatures warm up, and some of the sunniest days of the year arrive just as the traditional summer crowds begin to thin.
It’s the season for biking across the Golden Gate Bridge without disappearing into a wall of fog, listening to live music under sunny skies, hiking through the Presidio and Lands End with clear views across the Pacific, and sunbathing in the park, wondering why everyone thinks San Francisco is always cold.
If you’re deciding when to visit San Francisco, I’d put September and October very near the top of the list.
Why Is Fall So Good in San Francisco?
San Francisco’s unusual weather is all about geography.
During summer, hot inland temperatures pull cool marine air through the Golden Gate, bringing the famous fog that can blanket the western side of the city while neighborhoods just a few miles away are basking in sunshine.
By September, inland California begins to cool. That temperature difference becomes less dramatic, the marine layer often backs off, and San Francisco finally gets its turn at summer.
That doesn’t mean every fall day is warm and sunny. This is San Francisco, after all. We enjoy keeping visitors guessing.
But September and October tend to bring some of our warmest, clearest days of the year.
What Is the Weather Like in San Francisco in September and October?
Don’t picture plump sweaters and pumpkin-spice weather just yet.
September is typically one of San Francisco’s warmest months, with daytime temperatures commonly in the upper 60s°F (around 20°C) and low ot mid 70s, although sunny spells can push temperatures well into the 80s too.
I got married here in late September, and it was hot! For our visiting guests, they took full advantage of the nice weather to explore San Francisco before the big day!
October remains pleasantly mild, with daytime temperatures generally in the mid-to-upper 60s°F. Evenings cool quickly, though, and conditions can change dramatically from one neighborhood to another.
Which brings me to the most important San Francisco packing advice I can give you:
Bring layers. Always.
A sunny afternoon in Dolores Park can turn into a chilly sunset surprisingly quickly. A light jacket or sweater belongs in your bag —even when you leave your hotel on blue-sky days.
Things to Do in San Francisco in Fall
The beauty of visiting San Francisco in September and October isn’t just the weather. Some of the city’s biggest annual events happen during these months, and those clearer days make it an especially good time to be outside.
Here are some ideas to get you going:
1. Walk the San Francisco Waterfront
Start with coffee and croissants at the Ferry Building, then walk north along the Embarcadero toward Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Mason, and, if your legs are up for it, Crissy Field.
Fall’s clearer skies can mean spectacular views across the Bay, and you can easily turn the walk into a full day with stops at the Ferry Building Marketplace, Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and the Marina.
Or don’t walk the entire thing. San Francisco’s historic F-line streetcars run along the Embarcadero, making it easy to give your feet a break.
2. Experience San Francisco Fleet Week
Fleet Week is one of San Francisco’s signature fall events, generally taking place over several days in early October, with the biggest crowds arriving for the weekend air shows.
The Blue Angels are the headliners, performing aerobatics over San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz as a backdrop. You’ll find viewing spots along much of the northern waterfront, particularly around Marina Green, Crissy Field, Aquatic Park and Fisherman’s Wharf.
You’ll also see plenty of San Franciscans standing on rooftops, balconies, hills, and sidewalks, craning their necks toward the sky.
If you’re visiting during Fleet Week but couldn’t care less about airplanes, it’s still worth checking the dates before you book. Hotels can be busier, waterfront traffic gets messy, and popular viewing areas, like Crissy Field, will be packed.
3. Spend an Afternoon in Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park deserves far more than a quick drive-through, particularly on a sunny fall day.
You can visit the de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and San Francisco Botanical Garden, then keep heading west until you hit Ocean Beach.
Or do considerably less. Grab something to eat on nearby Irving Street, find a patch of grass, and enjoy the fact that it’s October and you’re having a picnic.
The park stretches for more than three miles from the middle of the city toward the Pacific, so don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll casually “see Golden Gate Park” in an hour.
For a Summer of Love-themed visit, nearby Haight Street has vintage shops, tie-dye emporiums, and a Counter Culture Museum.
4. Get Outside and Hike San Francisco
There are days when the Golden Gate Bridge is playing hide-and-seek behind the fog.
Then there are fall days when the sky turns blue, the Marin Headlands appear across the water, and you can see seemingly forever.
Those are the days to strap on a backpack, fill up your water bottles and hit the trails. San Francisco’s warmer, clearer fall days are made for exploring the city on foot.
Hike the coastal trails at Lands End, wander through the Presidio with its forested paths, overlooks, and Golden Gate Bridge views, or tackle a section of the new “Golden Gate Dozen” trail stretching from Crissy Field to Fort Funston, via beaches, bluffs, and historic landmarks..
You don’t have to hike the whole thing—pick a section, lace up your shoes, and take advantage of September and October weather that often makes being outside irresistible.
Bring that jacket. The Pacific Ocean does not care that it was 75°F downtown.
5. Explore San Francisco’s Neighborhoods
One of my favorite things about fall is that it’s simply good walking weather, and San Francisco’s neighborhoods are best seen on foot.
Spend a Sunday at the farmers market on Clement Street. Grab some ramen or sushi in Japantown. Have coffee and browse the shops along Irving Street before heading into Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco’s North Beach is especially lovely on sunny days, when outdoor cafes fill, and people linger over espresso, plates of pasta, and glasses of chilled Prosecco. Chinatown, just next door, is also ideal for wandering narrow alleyways and tasting dumplings, dim sum, noodles and fortune cookies.
Traveling with kids? Go to Fisherman’s Wharf and ride the SkyStar Wheel then watch the sealions basking in the sunshine on Pier 39.
Not only will you experience the best fall weather in San Francisco, but you’ll also enjoy some of the city’s best attractions along the way.
6. Cruise the San Francisco Bay
If you’ve spent the summer looking at photographs of a fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge, a clear fall day is your chance to see what was hiding underneath.
📍Make it memorable with a sunset cruise around the Bay, a sail beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, or a dinner cruise for sparkling skyline views with your meal.
Ferries from the historic Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco cross the Bay to Sausalito and Tiburon, both easy day or overnight escapes. Spend a few hours wandering the waterfront, have lunch or dinner overlooking the Bay, and ferry back to the city with the skyline in front of you.
And yes, take a jacket on the ferry. I feel we’ve covered this. #layers
7. Catch an Outdoor Concert or Fall Festival
San Francisco doesn’t pack away its outdoor calendar after Labor Day.
One of the biggest events is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the enormous free music festival that takes over part of Golden Gate Park for three days in early October.
Multiple stages feature bluegrass, folk, rock, Americana and plenty that doesn’t fit neatly into any of those categories.
And despite the size of the event and the impressive roster of musicians, admission really is free.
September and October also bring neighborhood street fairs, cultural celebrations, food events and free outdoor performances around the city.
8. Have Lunch in the Park
If you happen to hit one of those glorious 78-degree San Francisco fall days, abandon whatever overly ambitious itinerary you’ve created and go sit in a park.
Dolores Park gives you skyline views and excellent people-watching. Crissy Field puts you practically underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Presidio has gorgeous picnic spots, while Golden Gate Park offers roughly a thousand acres in which to find your patch of grass.
👉 Grab a book from a neighborhood bookstore, pick up sandwiches, pastries, cheese, drinks, and something delicious on Clement Street or Irving Street, and call it a great day!
9. Take a Fall Trip To Lake Tahoe
Another reason I love fall in San Francisco is that it’s a fantastic time to explore more of Northern California.
You can leave the city in the morning and be among vineyards, beaches, redwoods or browsing art galleries in Carmel before lunch.
That’s what makes day trips from San Francisco so much fun.
But if you have an extra day or weekend to spare, fall is a beautiful time to head to Lake Tahoe, too.
The summer crowds depart after Labor Day, the air turns crisp, and by late September and October, pockets of golden aspen add a splash of color around the sapphire blue lake, making it a great time to see this beautiful Sierra Nevada playground.
Take a scenic drive, stop for an easy lakeside hike, plan a celebratory meal, or simply find a quiet stretch of shoreline and enjoy the views of Lake Tahoe before the snow arrives.
There are also numerous ways to get out onto the lake too.
From San Francisco, Lake Tahoe is a long day trip—about 3½ hours each way without traffic—so an overnight is even better if you have the time.
📍Feel like leaving the driving to someone else so you can stare out the window? Check out this guided full-day tours that will pick you up in San Francisco.
I have several Lake Tahoe guides that cover where to eat, what to do, and some of my favorite things to do each season, so you can easily turn this into a fall weekend getaway.
10. Visit Napa Valley During Harvest
Fall is one of the most exciting times to visit Napa Valley because it’s harvest season.
From roughly August through October, wineries are picking and crushing grapes, and there’s an energy in wine country that you don’t get during quieter parts of the year. Vines also begin changing color later in the season, adding shades of gold and red to the landscape.
Napa is roughly an hour to 90 minutes from San Francisco by car, depending on traffic and where in the valley you’re headed, making a day trip possible. Several companies offer pickup in the city, with tasting and lunch, which means nobody has to volunteer for designated-driver duty.
If you go on your own, reservations at popular wineries and restaurants are especially important during harvest.
Not into wine tasting? No judgment.
Napa Valley is also a gorgeous spot for a Hot Air Balloon ride in the fall, and it’s not uncommon to see colorful orbs dotting the blue skies each morning.
11. Head to Half Moon Bay for Pumpkins
If you want something that looks a little more conventionally autumnal, head south to Half Moon Bay.
The coastal town is only a 30-45-minute drive away and is surrounded by pumpkin farms in the fall, with roadside stands and pumpkin patches throughout the area.
The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival takes place annually in October and turns downtown into a giant celebration of pumpkins, food, art, music and the enormous gourds grown for the festival’s famous weigh-off.
Traffic can be epic on festival weekend, so either embrace the madness or visit on another fall day and enjoy the pumpkin patches without quite so many people.
12. Spend a Day at the Beach
A beach day might sound like an odd suggestion for fall, but remember: this is San Francisco’s secret summer. September and early October can produce some warm and sunny days along the Northern California coast.
Ocean Beach is right in the city at the edge of Golden Gate Park, while Baker Beach offers one of the classic views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Crissy Field in the Presidio has a sandy beach with epic views of the bridge. Or, if you really want to go where locals go, take a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and head to Stinson Beach.
The wide crescent of sand is super popular on warm weekends and a delight for walking miles along the shore. Traffic can be brutal, so plan ahead.
Just understand that “beach day” in Northern California doesn’t necessarily mean swimming. The Pacific is cold. And the tides and currents are strong.
Think walking, picnicking, tide-pooling and staring at the ocean rather than floating around in a tube with a cocktail.
September vs. October: Which Is Better?
If your primary goal is warm weather, I’d give September a slight edge.
September often delivers some of San Francisco’s warmest days of the year, while October brings cooler evenings and an increasing possibility of rain as the month progresses.
But I’d happily recommend either.
October gets an edge for events, particularly with Fleet Week and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass early in the month, plus Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations as November approaches.
September can feel a little calmer once Labor Day has passed and summer vacation season winds down, with alfresco dining and lingering outdoors every day as part of its seasonal charm.
If you have flexibility, mid-September through mid-October is my sweet spot.
What to Pack for San Francisco in Fall
Please don’t look at a weather app that says 70°F and pack accordingly.
San Francisco has microclimates, wind, fog and a remarkable ability to make you regret leaving a jacket in your hotel room.
Pack comfortable walking shoes, long pants, short-sleeved tops, a sweater or light layer, sunglasses, and a jacket that blocks the wind, especially if you’re planning boat trips on the bay.
You don’t need an enormous winter coat, but you do need…repeat it with me…layers!
Is Fall the Best Time to Visit San Francisco?
If you like warmer weather, yes.
There are things I love about every San Francisco season, but September and October have a particular magic. Summer’s fog begins to loosen its grip.
The days can be warm and brilliantly clear. The city’s parks, waterfront, and neighborhoods practically beg you to be outside.
And beyond the city, Napa is in harvest mode, pumpkins are piling up along the coast, and Lake Tahoe is shimmering in gold.
Northern California is entering one of its prettiest seasons.
Wish you were here? Plan your trip!
