San Francisco cruise port guide

USA · Ships call at San Francisco, California

Ships use the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27, on the Embarcadero in the northeast corner of the city. SFO is about 14 miles south: 30 to 45 minutes by car, or BART to Embarcadero and a 15 to 20 minute walk.

Getting to the ship in San Francisco

Ships leave from James R. Herman Cruise Terminal, Pier 27, Pier 27, The Embarcadero, San Francisco. (Sources: Nautical Flock, Uncharted Lens)

Airports

SFO · San Francisco International Airport
About 14 miles to the port, 30–45 minutes by car. (Sources: Nautical Flock, Uncharted Lens)

Rideshare, taxi and transit

A taxi, Uber or Lyft from SFO costs about $55 to $85. (Source: Uncharted Lens)
BART from SFO to Embarcadero costs $10.20 and takes about 30 minutes. The walk from there to Pier 27 takes 15 to 20 minutes. (Source: Uncharted Lens)

Parking

Pier 27 parking costs about $25 to $40 a day and can fill up on busy days. (Source: Uncharted Lens)
Garages along the Embarcadero charge about $30 to $50 a day. (Source: Nautical Flock)

Prices and drive times were checked in October 2026 and change. Allow extra time on busy sailing days.

What cruisers do in San Francisco

What cruisers do the day before boarding or after getting off, collected in October 2026. Each item links to where it came from.

Alcatraz
Ferry tickets sell out weeks ahead, so book through Alcatraz City Cruises early.
Book ahead
Source: Nautical Flock
Golden Gate Bridge
About 3 miles from the terminal along the Embarcadero and the Crissy Field waterfront path.
On your own
Source: Nautical Flock
Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39
Right next to the cruise terminal.
On your own
Source: Nautical Flock
Cable cars
The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines, starting from the Powell and Market turnaround.
On your own
Source: Nautical Flock
Chinatown
The oldest Chinatown in North America.
On your own
Source: Nautical Flock

Tours you can book

Picked from Viator by reviews and how well each tour fits a port day. Affiliate links — these help keep our site free by earning us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Tours via Viator. Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. Booking through our links keeps this site free at no cost to you.

Ships calling here soon

Updated daily from cruise line schedules.

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