Tourist office San Francisco
San Francisco Travel, the official destination marketing organisation for the City and County of San Francisco, keeps no walk-in tourist information office of its own. The web address of its former Visitor Information Center now opens a digital Visitor's Guide, and the organisation lists only a business office. In person, visitors turn to 6 points run by other bodies, listed below: the Visitor Information Center at the Moscone Center, open when conventions are taking place, the California Welcome Center at Pier 39, an SFMTA transit kiosk at Powell Street and Market Street, and 3 national park visitor centres.
Where to find the tourist offices in San Francisco
San Francisco Travel points visitors to its digital Visitor's Guide rather than to a walk-in centre. The six points below help visitors in person, but each one belongs to another body.
Visitor Information Center at the Moscone Center
Location: 749 Howard Street, inside the Moscone Center in the South of Market neighbourhood
Opening hours: open during operating hours when conventions are taking place; no other hours are published
Not run by San Francisco Travel: it belongs to the Moscone Center, owned by the City and County of San Francisco, and has itinerary-building kiosks.
California Welcome Center at Pier 39
Location: Pier 39, Building B, second level, along Fisherman's Wharf
Opening hours: seven days a week, except for a few holidays during the year; no daily hours are published by Visit California
Not run by San Francisco Travel: one of the 22 California Welcome Centers listed by Visit California, with free maps, guides and brochures.
SFMTA Powell and Market Public Transit Kiosk
Location: Powell Street at Market Street
Opening hours: 08:00 to 20:00 seven days a week, including holidays; closed 11:00 to 11:30 and 17:30 to 18:00 each day
Not run by San Francisco Travel: run by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which sells cable car single rides and Visitor Passports here.
San Francisco Maritime Visitor Center
Location: 499 Jefferson Street, inside the Haslett Warehouse, a historic brick cannery building
Opening hours: every day 10:00 to 17:00; closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Not run by San Francisco Travel: run by the National Park Service, whose staff and volunteers answer questions and provide information.
Presidio Visitor Center
Location: 210 Lincoln Boulevard, on the Main Post next to the Presidio Transit Center and Presidio Tunnel Tops
Opening hours: every day 10:00 to 17:00; closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Not run by San Francisco Travel: a national park visitor centre listed by the Presidio Trust and the National Park Service, with maps in English, Spanish and Chinese.
Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
Location: Golden Gate Bridge Plaza
Opening hours: every day 09:00 to 18:00; the National Park Service notes that hours may vary slightly
Not run by San Francisco Travel: a visitor centre of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, listed by the National Park Service, with exhibits on the history of the bridge.
Explore San Francisco in detail
Explore San Francisco in detail
The San Francisco guide on Tourist Office gathers the things to see in San Francisco in one place, starting with a one day route from Union Square through Chinatown's Dragon's Gate and North Beach to Coit Tower, Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and Lombard Street.
It then ranks the big sights, from the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island to Golden Gate Park, the cable cars and the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square, and picks out what costs nothing, such as Twin Peaks, the sea lions at Pier 39, Baker Beach and the Embarcadero, plus the concerts and games coming up.
Public holidays in San Francisco to plan around
On a public holiday, offices, museums and transport in San Francisco may close or switch to holiday hours. Two official calendars set the days. The 11 federal holidays under 5 U.S.C. 6103 apply to federal offices, and the City and County of San Francisco publishes its own 2026 schedule of the days when many City offices are closed. The city schedule follows the federal one with a few differences: it lists Independence Day on 4 July as well as the observed day on 3 July, names 12 October Indigenous Peoples Day and Italian American Heritage Day, and adds the day after Thanksgiving. California law names further state holidays, such as Farmworkers Day on 31 March, that are not on the city schedule.
National holidays in the United States 2026
- 1 January New Year's Day
- 19 January Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- 16 February Washington's Birthday
- 25 May Memorial Day
- 19 June Juneteenth National Independence Day
- 3 July Independence Day, observed on the Friday as 4 July falls on a Saturday
- 7 September Labor Day
- 12 October Columbus Day
- 11 November Veterans Day
- 26 November Thanksgiving Day
- 25 December Christmas Day
Local holidays in San Francisco 2026
- 27 November Day after Thanksgiving, local
Among the points listed above, the SFMTA kiosk at Powell Street and Market Street opens on holidays too, while the San Francisco Maritime Visitor Center and the Presidio Visitor Center close on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and the California Welcome Center closes on a few holidays during the year. These calendars cover public offices only and do not set the hours of museums, shops or restaurants.