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The Independent · San Francisco
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What's on in San Francisco
Concerts, festivals and things to do in San Francisco, soonest first.
Upcoming events in San Francisco
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Browse events by type in San Francisco
Event guides — browse by month or type
Popular venues in San Francisco
San Francisco travel guides
Planning around events? These guides collect 2026 calendars, festival clusters, and practical trip ideas so you can compare dates before you book.
- Best cities to visit in the USA in 2026
- 2 days in New York: itinerary with prices (2026)
- 2 days in Las Vegas: itinerary with prices (2026)
- Concerts and live music in the United States 2026
- Live sports in the United States 2026: MLB, NHL, NFL & MLS
- Things to Do in Los Angeles 2026: Music, Beaches & Ballgames in the United States
- Things to Do in Nashville 2026: Ryman, Broadway & Honky-Tonks in the United States
- Things to Do in Chicago 2026: Concerts, Cubs & the Lakefront in the United States
Top things to do in San Francisco
The most popular sights, with 2026 entrance fees. Prices are adult admission — cheapest at the gate. Many of the best things are free.
| Attraction | Entrance | Time | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Bridge | Free | 1-2 hours | The 1937 suspension bridge spanning the entrance to San Francisco Bay, with a pedestrian and cyclist sidewalk on its eastern side open daily. Tolls apply only to southbound vehicle traffic, not to people on foot or bicycle. |
| Alcatraz Island | $47.95 | 2.5-3.5 hours including ferry | A former federal penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay, operated as a National Park Service site with a cellhouse audio tour narrated by former inmates and officers. Access is by ferry only, run by the NPS-authorized concessioner. |
| Fisherman's Wharf | Free | 2-3 hours | A historic waterfront district along the northern edge of the city, including Pier 39, sea lions hauled out on K-Dock, and seafood stands dating to the early 20th century. The wharf and pier grounds are open to the public without an entrance fee. |
| California Academy of Sciences | $49 | 3-4 hours | A natural history museum in Golden Gate Park combining an aquarium, planetarium, and four-story rainforest dome under a living roof planted with native species. Exhibits cover biodiversity across marine, terrestrial, and space sciences. |
| SFMOMA | $30 | 2-3 hours | A modern and contemporary art museum in the SoMa district with seven floors of galleries, including a major Fisher Collection of postwar and contemporary works. A 2016 Snøhetta expansion added a ten-story addition behind the original Mario Botta building. |
Visiting San Francisco?
Plan your stay in San Francisco
Interactive accommodation map from our partner Stay22 — we may earn a commission from bookings made through it.
Getting to San Francisco
Accommodation options for San Francisco are listed above, alongside travel essentials for your trip.
About San Francisco
San Francisco is a city of steep hills, fog rolling through the Golden Gate Bridge, and neighbourhoods that shift character block by block — from Victorian houses in Alamo Square to the tech offices of SoMa. It punches well above its weight for food, wine (Napa and Sonoma are an hour away) and startup energy, riding cable cars and painted ladies alongside genuine urban grit. Fog can blanket the city even in the middle of summer, catching visitors off guard.
2026 guides
Planning around events? These guides collect 2026 calendars, festival clusters, and practical trip ideas so you can compare dates before you book.
- Best cities to visit in the USA in 2026
- 2 days in New York: itinerary with prices (2026)
- 2 days in Las Vegas: itinerary with prices (2026)
- Concerts and live music in the United States 2026
- Live sports in the United States 2026: MLB, NHL, NFL & MLS
- Things to Do in Los Angeles 2026: Music, Beaches & Ballgames in the United States
- Things to Do in Nashville 2026: Ryman, Broadway & Honky-Tonks in the United States
- Things to Do in Chicago 2026: Concerts, Cubs & the Lakefront in the United States