The Unofficial Guide
to San Francisco Tourism
...insider tips from a local

COVID-19 Status: at midnight on Monday, March 16, San Francisco was placed under a "shelter-in-place order.

All residents were ordered to stay home, except for necessary trips to grocery stores and essential medical visits, and solo outdoor activities like hiking.

The city had been gradually reopening of many businesses and activities, but in December, came under a strict, stay-at-home directive, due to a sudden increase in infection and hospitalization rates.

Most recently, January 28, 2021, SF has moved to a somewhat less restrictive status. 

Public transportation options have been cut way back. See SF transit for more info.

See COVID rules for current SF status.

Mask rules: everyone in SF is required to wear a mask when they are outside and within 30 feet of other people.

Masks must be worn in stores and places of business  and people not within the same household must stay 6 feet apart.

SF Curfew still in effect: 10 pm to 5 am.

What is open? Muir Woods, the Botanic Gardens, Golden Gate Park, Japanese Tea Garden, SF beaches, Golden Gate Bridge, and Twin Peaks (by foot or bike) are all open.

Parking lots for SF beaches and the Golden Gate Bridge are open. But the Welcome Center lot and Merchant Road lot are closed.

Restaurants can now be open for outdoor dining, and many restaurants are open for take-out or delivery.

Businesses can allow customers inside, but on a limited, 20% capacity basis (grocery stores 50%). Malls are open.

The SF Zoo is open again.

Alcatraz is closed. They are selling tickets for a few weeks out, but that's iffy. See Alcatraz.

Hair salons, and open air tour buses and boat cruises can now operate.

Indoor museums are closed. Outdoor museums can be open.

Hotels are now accepting reservations from tourists but they have to quarantine in the hotel for 10 days, and non-essential travel is discouraged. Essential workers and locals needing quarantine may also book hotel rooms.

Travel quarantine:  Anyone traveling to SF from out of the Bay Area must quarantine for 10 days.

Exploratorium:  possibly opening spring 2021.

Playgrounds: open.

Schools: many private schools have begun reopening; SF public schools still on hold, except for a few charter schools.

On hold: indoor swimming pools, indoor gyms and indoor movie theaters are still closed.

Last to open will be concerts, live theater, sporting events, nightclubs and festivals.

Napa and Sonoma county wineries can be open for outdoor wine tasting.

For a handy list of what's open or closed in SF, plus info on what's open in other cities and counties of California, see California reopening schedules.

See coronavirus news in the SF Chronicle for articles and updates.

See SF closures timeline.

Also see site closures for the National Park Service (Alcatraz, Muir Woods, etc).

Plus helpful info on which parks and hiking trails are open in the Bay Area.

And to check the air quality (fires) in SF and the Bay Area, see airnow.gov and the SF Chronicle map showing current tests.