city · United States · 37.77°N 122.42°W

Best time to visit San Francisco (and when it is crowded)

San Francisco is a city destination in United States. Its peak season is June, July, and August, and it is least crowded in January, February, March, November, and December. Here is how busy it gets across the year, so you can pick the right time to go.

Crowd levels by month

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
QuietModerateBusyVery BusyPacked

Busiest months

June, July, and August

Quietest months

January, February, March, November, and December

San Francisco month by month

How crowded San Francisco gets in each month, so you can pick a quieter time to visit.

San Francisco in January
Moderate
San Francisco in February
Moderate
San Francisco in March
Moderate
San Francisco in April
Moderate
San Francisco in May
Moderate
San Francisco in June
Busy
San Francisco in July
Busy
San Francisco in August
Busy
San Francisco in September
Moderate
San Francisco in October
Moderate
San Francisco in November
Moderate
San Francisco in December
Moderate

A typical year, week by week

Quieter alternatives

Similar places that stay calmer in peak season.

🇺🇸 Portland

United States2 bands calmer

🇨🇦 Victoria

Canada2 bands calmer

🇺🇸 San Diego

United States1 band calmer

🇺🇸 Seattle

United States1 band calmer

Keep exploring

Common questions

Is San Francisco busy?
San Francisco gets busiest in June, July, and August. Crowd levels ease off outside that window, so you can time a trip around the peak.
When is the best time to visit San Francisco?
For thinner crowds, visit San Francisco in January, February, March, November, and December, when travel demand is at its lowest.
When is San Francisco least crowded?
San Francisco is least crowded in January, February, March, November, and December.

Estimates based on seasonal travel-demand modelling, not live visitor counts.

See live crowd levels for San Francisco on the map →

Embed this crowd chart

Running a travel blog or guide? Drop San Francisco's live crowd chart on your site. It updates from our data and links back here.

Embed code
<iframe src="https://packedplaces.com/embed/san-francisco?lang=en" width="360" height="200" loading="lazy" style="border:0;max-width:100%" title="San Francisco"></iframe>
<a href="https://packedplaces.com/destination/san-francisco">See when San Francisco is busy · packedplaces</a>