Planning a trip to SF? Skip Union Square.

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Try Before You Commit

SF isn't for everyone — test it first

Singh in USA — Day in the Life of an Engineer in SF

SF is not for everyone. Before you sign a 12-month lease, do a week or two in hostels and Airbnbs across different neighborhoods — Mission, SoMa, Sunset, North Beach all feel like different cities.

I did multiple hostel and Airbnb trips before committing. The vibe, the fog, the hills, the pace — you need to feel it.

Watch: Day in the Life of an Engineer in SF→

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Daily Budget

Two realistic numbers — backpacker and comfortable

The 3 Bay Area Airports

Which one to fly into and how to get into SF cheap

SFOSan Francisco International

~14 mi south of downtown

Default — most flights, closest to SF, BART straight in

The biggest and closest Bay Area airport. BART runs from inside the terminal straight to downtown SF in 30 min. Skip Uber unless you're landing at 2am — BART is cheaper and usually faster.

How to get to SF

BART (yellow line)$10.85• 30 min to Embarcadero

Station is inside International Terminal G — just follow signs.

Uber / Lyft$35-70• 25-50 min (traffic-dependent)

Pickup is at the Domestic Garage level 5. Surge hits hard during peak.

Waymo (within SF, not SFO pickup)~$4-15 per ride in SF• —

Waymo doesn't serve SFO yet — take BART into SF, then Waymo for everything after. No surge pricing.

Get $10 off with code HARNOO2645→

Tips

-Buy a Clipper card at the BART machines — covers Muni, BART, and Caltrain across the Bay Area.
-The AirTrain between terminals is free — use it to reach the BART station from Terminals 1, 2, or 3.
-Late-night flights (after 12am): BART is closed. Uber/Lyft is your only cheap option.
-International Terminal has the best food if you have a long layover — Koi Palace Express, Napa Farms Market.

SFO website→

OAKOakland International

~20 mi east of downtown SF

Southwest hub — often cheaper flights than SFO

Across the Bay in Oakland. Southwest's West Coast hub, so flights are frequently cheaper than SFO. The BART Connector (OAK AirTrain) takes you to Coliseum station in 8 min, then BART into SF — total ~50 min.

How to get to SF

BART + OAK AirTrain~$13 total• ~50 min to Embarcadero

AirTrain runs from terminals to Coliseum BART station. Then ride BART into SF.

Uber / Lyft$45-90• 25-60 min (Bay Bridge traffic)

Bay Bridge traffic can destroy your ride time. BART is almost always faster at rush hour.

Tips

-Always check OAK first if you're price-sensitive — Southwest runs constant sales out of here.
-The BART Connector runs every 5 min and accepts Clipper.
-If you're doing a Bay Area loop, OAK is closer to Berkeley, Emeryville, and the East Bay.
-Food options are thinner than SFO — eat before you land.

OAK website→

SJCSan Jose (Mineta International)

~50 mi south of downtown SF

Cheap flights, but painful transit to SF

South Bay airport. Usually the cheapest base fares — but you're paying that back in transit time. No direct BART. Best option is VTA light rail + Caltrain, or Uber if you're flush. Worth it if the flight savings beat $60+ of ground transport.

How to get to SF

VTA Airport Flyer + Caltrain~$10-15• ~1h 45m to SF 4th & King

Free VTA Flyer bus (Route 10) to Santa Clara Caltrain station, then Caltrain north into SF.

Uber / Lyft$90-150• 60-120 min

South Bay → SF traffic is brutal on weekdays. Only do this if splitting with a group.

Caltrain (from Diridon)~$10• ~75 min to SF

Take Uber/Lyft (~$15) from SJC to San Jose Diridon station, then Caltrain baby bullet.

Tips

-Only book SJC if the flight is $80+ cheaper than SFO/OAK — ground transport eats the savings otherwise.
-Caltrain baby bullet is 45 min faster than the local — check the schedule before you buy.
-If Google or Nvidia campus tours are on your agenda, SJC puts you in the South Bay already.
-No red-eye rush: SJC typically has less traffic at the ground transport pickups than SFO.

SJC website→

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Before You Land

A few things to do while you're still on the plane

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Install Clipper (digital)

Apple Wallet / Google Wallet — skip the physical card. Works on Muni, BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, Bay Wheels, ferries. One tap covers everything.

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Set up Waymo One

code HARNOO2645

Join the Waymo One waitlist before you arrive — it can take a few days. Cheaper than Uber in SF, no surge, and the ride itself is the attraction.

Get $10 off Waymo→

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Get a US number + hotspot

I use Visible (Verizon) — $25/mo unlimited, including unlimited hotspot. No SSN needed to sign up. Huge for working from cafes, on Caltrain, or tethering a laptop anywhere.

Try Visible→

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Dress in layers

SF weather is not California weather. Summer mornings are 55°F and foggy. Bring a hoodie even in July — Karl the Fog is real.

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Pin your hotel + nearest BART/Muni

Offline maps on Google Maps are your friend. Download the SF area before your flight.

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Bring a no-FX card

Coming internationally? A no-foreign-transaction card saves 3% on every charge. Capital One Venture X is my daily — $300 travel credit + lounge access makes the fee basically $0 net.

Apply for Venture X→

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Where to Sleep Cheap

Hostels and budget hotels that won't wreck your budget

HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf

$45-70/night (dorm)

Hostel

Converted military building in a park. Private rooms available. Central-ish with park views.

HI San Francisco Downtown

$40-60/night (dorm)

Hostel

Right off Union Square. Best location for public transit and walking everywhere.

Green Tortoise Hostel

$40-65/night (dorm)

Hostel

North Beach, free breakfast, social vibe. Best for solo travelers. Walk to Chinatown and City Lights.

Orange Village Hostel

$40-65/night (dorm)

Hostel

Budget SoMa hostel close to Powell BART, Moscone, and SFMOMA. Shared kitchen — groceries + fridge = big savings.

Hotel Zephyr / budget chains (Wharf area)

$120-200/night

Budget hotel

If hostels aren't your thing, look at the Fisherman's Wharf chains — they drop prices midweek.

Airbnb in the Sunset / Richmond

$80-150/night

Short-term rental

Quiet residential neighborhoods west of the city. Cheaper per night, requires more Muni time but feels local.

🍳 Hostels have full kitchens + fridges. This is the budget cheat code. Hit Trader Joe's or Safeway once, cook your own breakfasts and a couple dinners, and you can cut food spend in half. Store leftovers in the shared fridge (label your bag). Cuts a $55/day food budget down to $20-25. Walmart+ same-day delivery straight to the hostel works too — actual in-store prices, free on $35+.

Staying 2+ weeks? Look at hacker houses and co-livings on the map — PowelHouse, HSR, Gomry, Atmosphere all run $1,500-2,500/mo furnished.

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Must-Do Free Things

The list every first-timer should hit

*Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge — free, 1.7 mi, best at sunrise
*Lands End Trail — cliffside hike, ruins of the Sutro Baths, free
*Dolores Park on a sunny Saturday — free entertainment, skyline view
*Ferry Building farmers market — Saturday mornings, free samples everywhere
*Twin Peaks at sunset — free 360° view of the whole city
*Chinatown + North Beach walking loop — Dragon's Gate to City Lights
*Ocean Beach at Golden Gate Park's west end — bonfires allowed in designated pits
*Palace of Fine Arts — free Roman-style rotunda, great for photos

See the full free things guide →

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Neighborhoods to See

One or two per day — don't try to cram it all in

Mission District

Food + vibes

Best burritos in the country, murals in Balmy Alley, Dolores Park on a sunny day, 24th St taquerias.

North Beach + Chinatown

Historic SF

Walk City Lights Bookstore, grab dim sum, then climb up Coit Tower for the view.

Fisherman's Wharf + Embarcadero

Classic tourist

Touristy but worth it once. Pier 39 sea lions, Ghirardelli Square, walk the waterfront to the Ferry Building.

Golden Gate Park

Outdoors

Free. Japanese Tea Garden (free before 10am Mon/Wed/Fri), de Young observation tower, Bison Paddock, Ocean Beach at the west end.

Hayes Valley + Castro

Local SF

Indie coffee, Alamo Drafthouse, walk up to Twin Peaks for the 360° SF view at sunset.

SoMa + Yerba Buena

Museums + food

SFMOMA (free first Thursdays), Yerba Buena Gardens, Ferry Building farmers market on Saturday AM.

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Already Done the Obvious Stuff?

For a second SF visit after Alcatraz, the bridge, Pier 39, Chinatown, Japantown, Stanford, Apple Park, and the mall/campus loop

Working from a train on a Silicon Valley day trip

Transit day

Use BART or Caltrain when the Bay plan stretches past SF.

Founder and developer meetup in San Francisco

Founder scene

Leave one night open for a Luma event, hackathon, or meetup.

Weather call

Do the ferry and Marin ideas when the sky is actually clear.

🗺️ Route shape

Don't stack every day in SF

Treat the trip like three zones: one dense SF neighborhood day, one East Bay food/campus day, and one weather-dependent water or South Bay tech-history day.