Compare San Francisco's Free Walks

The walks gathered here are all free, pay what you want, and each booking is made with the guide on GuruWalk, or on freetour.com for the walks listed there. The questions below handle the practical side: how a pay-what-you-want walk works, which San Francisco attractions ask no admission at all, and which places charge or attach conditions to their free hours. Answers stick to the published entry rules for each place and to what the walk roster states.

Late spring morning from a grassy headland above the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

How Long Does It Take To Walk The Golden Gate Bridge?

The Golden Gate Bridge is free to walk on the east sidewalk, and no official source publishes a crossing time. Here is what the operators do publish: hours, gates, the free welcome center and the free walks nearby.

Late summer morning from the curved jetty at Aquatic Park in San Francisco, looking across rippling grey-blue bay water toward the distant island

Is Alcatraz Free?

No, Alcatraz is not free: the Day Tour runs from $47.95 per adult. Here is exactly what costs money, what the free alternative looks like, and how the two fit together.

The fluted white concrete column of Coit Tower rising over cypress and Monterey pine on Telegraph Hill, San Francisco, crisp autumn morning light

Is Coit Tower Free?

Coit Tower's ground floor and murals are free, the elevator to the observation deck is paid, and the hill and steps around it cost nothing. Here is the full split.

Foggy August morning at Fort Point in San Francisco, granite-block fort walls rising under the towering red steel bridge

Is Fort Point Free?

Fort Point National Historic Site costs nothing to enter. Here is exactly what the free visit includes, what stays paid nearby, and the days it is closed.

Soft overcast August midday over Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, a broad gravel path lined with tall Monterey cypress curving through open lawns

Is Golden Gate Park Free?

Golden Gate Park itself is free every day, but several attractions inside charge. Here is exactly what is free, what costs money, and when the free windows open.

Mild spring afternoon looking up a tree-lined Nob Hill slope in San Francisco, the grey stone Gothic towers of Grace Cathedral cresting the hill

Is Grace Cathedral Free?

Grace Cathedral sightseeing is paid, but visits for prayer or meditation are free during sightseeing hours. Here is exactly what costs money, what does not, and when to go.

Warm afternoon light inside the arcade museum hall at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco

Is Musée Mécanique Free?

Yes, admission to Musée Mécanique is free and the museum is open daily; the antique arcade games themselves take coins. Here is exactly what is free, what costs money, and how to fit it into a free day at Fisherman's Wharf.

Along the weathered wooden deck of PIER 39 in San Francisco, bright hazy summer midday

Is Pier 39 Free?

Is Pier 39 free to visit? Yes, walking the pier and watching the sea lions costs nothing. Here is exactly what is free, what you still pay for, and how to plan the visit.

Golden late afternoon in San Francisco, a wooden-and-brass cable car climbing a steep downtown hill between bay-windowed buildings

Is Riding A Cable Car Free?

No, a cable car ride in San Francisco costs $9.00 for a single ride, but the Cable Car Museum is free and the Powell Street terminal area is free to explore. Here is the full breakdown.

Bright even daylight in the soaring white atrium of SFMOMA in San Francisco, a tall staircase zigzagging past suspended abstract panels

Is SFMOMA Free?

SFMOMA's 45,000 square feet of public spaces are free whenever the museum is open, and visitors 18 and younger are free every day. The galleries cost $30 for adults. Here is the full split.

Wide from the clifftop above the Sutro Baths ruins in San Francisco, golden summer evening

Is Sutro Baths Free?

Yes, the Sutro Baths ruins are free to visit at any hour. Here is exactly what is free, what is closed nearby, and how the ruins fit with Lands End.

Across the street toward the Asian Art Museum's wide stone staircase and columns in San Francisco, crisp February midday, pale sky

Is The Asian Art Museum Free?

No, the Asian Art Museum is not free: adult admission is $20, with discounts for seniors, teens and students, and free entry only for ages 12 and under. Here is what that ticket covers and how the free days at other San Francisco museums compare.

Vintage cable car winding wheels and machinery inside a brick museum hall

Is The Cable Car Museum Free?

Yes, the Cable Car Museum is free. Here is exactly what the free visit includes, what still costs money, and how the $9 ride fits in.

Clear autumn afternoon in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, the museum's hammered copper facade gone green-brown under an open sky

Is The De Young Museum Free?

The de Young Museum is free for its permanent collection from 4:30 pm, no ticket needed. Here is exactly what that includes, what still costs money, and how the free hours work.

From across the Embarcadero roadway toward the glass-fronted exhibition hall at Pier 15 in San Francisco, clear June morning

Is The Exploratorium Free?

No, the Exploratorium charges admission, but there are free angles on Pier 15 and a genuinely free neighbour, the Wave Organ. Here is exactly what is free and what is not.

Clear spring morning from a Presidio hillside overlook in San Francisco, the red suspension bridge spanning the golden headlands

Is The Golden Gate Bridge Free To Walk?

Yes, walking the Golden Gate Bridge is free. Here is exactly what is free, what still costs money, the east sidewalk rules, gate hours and how the free visit works.

Early morning light in the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, a curved wooden drum bridge beside a weathered stone lantern

Is The Japanese Tea Garden Free?

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is free only during the Free Hour, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 to 10 am. Here is exactly what is free, what still costs money, and how to plan around it.

Quiet pale morning in San Francisco, a gravel path lined with tall eucalyptus and palms running beside a low concrete animal enclosure with a moat and

Is The San Francisco Zoo Free?

No. The San Francisco Zoo charges admission, and the only free entry is for San Francisco residents on the first Wednesday of each month. Here is exactly what that covers and what still costs money.

From the lawn across flowerbeds toward the white wooden Victorian conservatory with its domed center and arched glass wings, Golden Gate Park

When Is The Conservatory Of Flowers Free?

The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park is free on the first Tuesday of each month, and its nightly Photosynthesis light show is free every evening. Here is exactly what is free, what is not, and when to go.

Down a mulched path between towering Monterey cypress at the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

When Is The San Francisco Botanical Garden Free?

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is free daily from 7:30 to 9 am, on the second Tuesday of each month, and on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Here is how those windows work.

Free Walking Tours In San Francisco

All 13 walks here are free, pay what you want, listed on GuruWalk and freetour.com. Pick a neighborhood, note the meeting point, and reserve on the walk's own page.