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Cruise port guideUSSFO

San Francisco

San Francisco's Cruise Terminal is at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero, with sailings to Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii and the Pacific Coast.

5 things to do1 airport connections2 ships

Your day ashore, at a glance

Find something worth your timePlan the airport transferRead the safety guidance

Peak season: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Make the most of your stop

Things to do in San Francisco

5 recommendations

Choose an easy wander, a local highlight or a bigger day out. Compare practical details before you head ashore.

Getting to your ship

Airport to cruise port

Pier 27 is about 15 miles (24 km) from San Francisco International, 25 to 40 minutes by taxi or rideshare, or BART to Embarcadero and a short walk or streetcar. Oakland is a similar distance.

SFO

San Francisco International

To San Francisco · one way

Airport lounges

Verified transfer prices from SFO have not been published yet. Check the transport operator before booking.

Rental cars: Available, but parking in the city is scarce and costly; skip it unless you're heading out of town.

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Arrange your transfer to San Francisco

Choose your arrival airport and exact cruise terminal, then check a quote for your party. Confirm pickup details, luggage and accessibility with the provider.

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Find a rental car for your visit to San Francisco

Choose your pickup location and dates below. Airport and city offices may require a separate transfer from the cruise terminal. Check opening hours, insurance, deposit and return time before booking.

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Know before you go

Safety ashore

Women travelers

Routine precautions

Editorial baseline for a daytime port visit, based on country-level government advice rather than a women-specific local incident rate. Canada advises normal security precautions in the United States; theft occurs in tourist areas and violent crime varies by neighbourhood, particularly after dark. Check the route locally, keep valuables secure and arrange transport for unfamiliar areas at night. This rating does not establish that every terminal or neighbourhood is safe.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

LGBTQ+ travelers

Extra caution advised

Government advice highlights changing federal gender-marker processes and state or local rules affecting LGBTQ+ travelers. Check the relevant state and your travel documents; this is not a port-specific incident score. Assessment uses country-level government advice; port-specific conditions may differ.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

Editorial guidance reflects the cited advice and review date. Laws, attitudes and conditions can differ within a destination. No rating guarantees personal safety.

Pick your moment

When to go

  1. Jan: Low season
  2. Feb: Low season
  3. Mar: Shoulder season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: High season
  6. Jun: High season
  7. Jul: High season
  8. Aug: High season
  9. Sep: High season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Low season
● High season○ Shoulder season◌ Low season

Alaska round trips fill the summer; winter sees fewer departures, mostly to Mexico and Hawaii.

Who else is in port?

Port crowding index

100 is average. 150 means 50% more ship passenger capacity than this port’s observed hourly average over the past 30 days; 50 means half the average.

Checking ships in port…

Estimate for tracked catalog ships, based on published passenger capacity, not actual passengers ashore. Port areas are approximate circles around published port coordinates. Only positions reported within an hour at 1 knot or less are counted; ships at anchor may be included. Missing AIS reports and untracked ships can understate crowding. Quiet observed hours count toward the average; collection outages do not.

Set sail

Ships sailing from San Francisco

All ports →
Carnival Luminosa docking at Ogden Point, Victoria, British Columbia, June 20253.7 ★Carnival Cruise LineCarnival Luminosa2009 · 92,720 GT · 2,260 guests · Alaska · South PacificCarnival Luminosa entered service in May 2009 as Costa Luminosa, a hybrid design combining elements of the Spirit and Vista classes; Costa Deliziosa is her sister. Carnival took…Ruby Princess in the Agua Clara locks of the Panama Canal, March 20244.0 ★Princess CruisesRuby Princess2008 · 113,561 GT · 3,080 guests · Hawaii · AlaskaRuby Princess is the third and last Crown-class ship, delivered by Fincantieri in 2008 and the ninth and final Grand-family ship to join Princess. She measures about 113,600…

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San Francisco cruise port: activities, safety & transfers