Halloween 2026 Halloween in San Francisco with kids: free trick-or-treating, festivals and museum days → Día de los Muertos is Monday, Nov 2
Skip to main content
Skip to content
Submit an event

A San Francisco Weekend Itinerary

A two-day San Francisco weekend plan: Alcatraz, Chinatown and North Beach on Saturday, Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach on Sunday.

A red pagoda in the Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park.
The Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park.

Saturday is the waterfront and the old neighborhoods. Sunday is Golden Gate Park and the ocean.

Book Alcatraz first: the National Park Service says tickets can sell out several weeks ahead around holiday weekends.

Stops link to our place pages. Fares and rules checked against official pages on 27 October 2026.

  1. Saturday morningAlcatrazAdvance tickets come from Alcatraz City Cruises, per the National Park Service. See Alcatraz History and our answer on young kids.
  2. Saturday afternoonGolden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory and Chinese Historical Society of America MuseumChinatown. Read Chinatown history first.
  3. Saturday eveningWashington Square and City LightsNorth Beach. Check this weekend for events.
  4. Sunday morningJapanese Tea Garden and de Young MuseumGolden Gate Park. Our page notes timed-entry reservations for the garden.
  5. Sunday middayCalifornia Academy of SciencesSame park. See a full day in Golden Gate Park.
  6. Sunday afternoonOcean BeachThe park runs to the ocean. Our page lists it as free.

More Plans

One Day in San FranciscoThe first-timer route.A Rainy Day in San FranciscoIndoor stops.San Francisco With KidsTwo family days.Free and Low-Cost San FranciscoListed as free.

What We Could Not Confirm

  • We did not confirm walking or riding times between stops from an official source, so none are listed. Check SFMTA or BART for live trip planning.
  • Opening hours and prices change. Each place’s own page on this site links to the operator, and we do not repeat hours here.
  • Whether the Tea Garden still requires timed entry: the operator’s page on our listing is the source.

Questions People Ask

What if it rains?

Swap Saturday afternoon or Sunday for the rainy-day plan.

How do I get between the two days?

The Muni visitor passport covers Muni and cable cars; see Getting Around San Francisco.

Sources

  1. SFMTA, Muni fares: https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/fares (read 27 October 2026)
  2. SFMTA, Cable cars: https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/cable-cars (read 27 October 2026)
  3. NPS, Alcatraz FAQs: https://www.nps.gov/alca/faqs.htm (read 27 October 2026)

Cite this page: Project SF, “A San Francisco Weekend Itinerary”, projectsf.com/itineraries/san-francisco-weekend-itinerary/ (updated ).