The things to do in San Francisco that we could check on official pages are Alcatraz, the cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge walk, the Ferry Building and the California Academy of Sciences. A single cable car ride is $9.00. The Alcatraz day tour is $47.95 for adults. We read each page on 16 October 2026.
The sights, with address, hours and price
Alcatraz
Price: There is no National Park Service entrance fee, but you must buy a ferry ticket. Day tour: free under 5, $29.15 for ages 5 to 11, $47.95 for ages 12 to 17, $47.95 for ages 18 and up, $45.15 for ages 62 and up. Night tour: $34.85 for ages 5 to 11, $58.35 for ages 12 to 17, $59.65 for ages 18 and up, $55.25 for ages 62 and up. The ticket includes the ferry and the audio tour. Tickets can be bought up to 90 days ahead (National Park Service, Alcatraz fees page, updated 21 Jan 2026, read 16 Oct 2026)
Getting there: All access is by ferry from Alcatraz City Cruises. The Park Service recommends public transit to Pier 33, where the F Line streetcars stop near Alcatraz Landing. There is no parking at the landing (National Park Service, plan your visit page, last updated 27 Apr 2021, read 16 Oct 2026)
Hours: Sunday and Monday 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day (National Park Service, Alcatraz operating hours page, read 16 Oct 2026). The first day-tour ferry is at 8:40 a.m., with more about every half hour, on the operator's 2026 summer schedule, which runs to 1 November. The NPS page says 8:45 a.m., so check your ticket (Alcatraz City Cruises schedule, read 21 Oct 2026)
Note: Alcatraz closes from 26 October 2026 while crews replace the pilings that hold the ferry dock. The Park Service expects the work to finish by 18 November 2026 (National Park Service, Alcatraz current conditions page, alert posted 28 Sept 2026, read 16 Oct 2026)
Cable cars
Price: Single ride $9.00, no transfers. Seniors, people with disabilities and Medicare holders pay $4.00 before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Youth aged 4 and under ride free. Visitor Passports cover Muni, Muni Metro, historic streetcars and cable cars: 1-day $15, 3-day $35, 7-day $47. A Muni single ride for adults is $2.85 with MuniMobile, Clipper or a card, and $3.00 in cash (SFMTA fares page, read 16 Oct 2026)
Getting there: Three lines. The Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines start at Powell and Market and head toward Fisherman's Wharf. The California line runs from California and Market to Van Ness Avenue. Prepaying is required at Powell and Market, Bay and Taylor, and Hyde and Beach from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (SFMTA cable cars page, read 16 Oct 2026)
Note: We did not read the general service hours
Golden Gate Bridge
Hours: Walkers use the east sidewalk, which faces the city. In Pacific Daylight Time (early March to early November) it is open 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. In Pacific Standard Time (early November to early March) it is open 5:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The gates lock at the closing time and reopen at 5 a.m. (Golden Gate Bridge website, bikes and pedestrians page, read 16 Oct 2026)
Hours: The Welcome Center is open daily 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Phone 415-426-5220 (Golden Gate Bridge website, visiting page, read 16 Oct 2026)
Note: Not confirmed: whether walkers pay a toll, how long the walk takes and the Welcome Center address. The pages we read did not say
Ferry Building
Address: One Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111 (Ferry Building Marketplace website, read 16 Oct 2026)
Hours: Daily 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Shop hours vary. The farmers market runs year round on Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (same site, read again 21 Oct 2026)
Price: The page lists no entry fee. Food and shops set their own prices
California Academy of Sciences
Address: 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118 (California Academy of Sciences website, read 16 Oct 2026)
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most Thursdays have a 21-and-over NightLife event from 6 to 10 p.m. The page says the Academy is closed on Wednesday 21 October for a private event (same site)
Price: Daytime admission: adults (19 and up) $49, or $55 at peak times. Children (3 to 12) $39, or $45 at peak times. Peak periods include spring break, summer, holiday weekends and the November and December holidays. The page lists no senior price (same site, hours and admission page)
Exploratorium
Address: Pier 15, on the Embarcadero at Green Street (Exploratorium visit page, read 16 Oct 2026)
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (10 a.m. to noon is for members only). Closed on Mondays. Thursday nights 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (same page)
Price: Daytime tickets: adults (18 to 64) $39.95. Youth (4 to 17), seniors (65 and up), people with disabilities, teachers and students $29.95. Children 3 and under free. After Dark on Thursday nights (18 and up) is $22.95. The Tactile Dome is $15.95 extra. Tickets are nonrefundable (Exploratorium visit page, read 17 Oct 2026)
Pier 39
Address: The Embarcadero and Beach Street (Pier 39 website, read 16 Oct 2026)
Hours: Shops 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Full-service restaurants 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Attractions 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., not counting Aquarium of the Bay and the Blue & Gold Fleet ferries (same site)
Presidio and Golden Gate Park
We could not confirm hours or prices for these. The National Park Service page for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area names the Presidio, Crissy Field, Fort Point and Muir Woods but gives no fees or hours. Check the official sites before you go.
With kids
The California Academy of Sciences child ticket (ages 3 to 12) is $39, or $45 at peak times. Alcatraz is $29.15 for ages 5 to 11 on the day tour and free under 5. Children aged 4 and under ride cable cars free. The Exploratorium charges $29.95 for ages 4 to 17 and is free for ages 3 and under.
Free things to do
The Ferry Building lists no entry fee, and the Saturday farmers market is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walking the Golden Gate Bridge is not priced on the page we read, but we could not confirm a walker toll. Alcatraz has no park entrance fee, but the ferry ticket is not free.
Getting around San Francisco
A 1-day Visitor Passport is $15 and a cable car ride alone is $9.00, so two or more cable car rides in a day make the passport cheaper by price alone (SFMTA fares page, read 16 Oct 2026). For BART from the airport, where to stay and a daily budget, read San Francisco without a car. This page does not repeat it.
What we checked and what can change
Read on 16 October 2026: the National Park Service's Alcatraz plan-your-visit and fees pages, the SFMTA's cable cars and fares pages, the Golden Gate Bridge's visiting and bikes and pedestrians pages, the Ferry Building Marketplace's visit page, the California Academy of Sciences' visit and admission pages, the National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreation Area home page, the Alcatraz operating hours and current conditions pages, the Exploratorium's visit page and Pier 39's home page.
Not confirmed: exact Alcatraz ferry times, cable car service hours, the Golden Gate Bridge walker toll and walk time, Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum, the Presidio's details, events this weekend, and any hotel rate. Prices and hours change, so check each site for your date. We did not visit San Francisco for this page.
