US · California · 37.78°N 122.42°W

san francisco

Cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, bay ferries and burritos in the Mission.

Best time
September and October usually bring the clearest, warmest days, and April–May are pleasant too. June–August are often cool, foggy and windy by the water, and winter has most of the rain.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul or Singapore, about 18–21 hours all in. BART trains reach downtown from SFO in about 30 minutes. San Francisco is 15 hours behind KL, 16 from November to early March. Malaysians need a US B1/B2 visitor visa, usually with an interview at the embassy in KL; ESTA isn't open to Malaysian passports.
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US · Californiasan francisco37.78°N 122.42°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, bay ferries and burritos in the Mission.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingSan FranciscoUS, California
KLsan francisco
≈ 13,590 km from KL, as the crow flies
San Francisco panorama at sunset.

Photo: Podstawko · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 / 4

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

San Francisco packs steep hills, old cable cars and a working waterfront onto the tip of a peninsula. The bay is never far away, and neither is a good bakery, a Chinatown lunch or a burrito big enough to share.

Makan

  1. Mission burritoA giant flour tortilla packed with rice, beans, salsa and grilled meat, invented in the Mission.Map ↗
  2. SourdoughTangy local bread, often hollowed out as a bowl for clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf. Chowder often has bacon, so ask.Map ↗
  3. Dungeness crabSweet local crab, in season through winter and spring, cracked whole or in cioppino, a tomato seafood stew.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Golden Gate BridgeWalk or cycle across for views over the bay, though the towers often disappear into the fog.Map ↗
  2. AlcatrazA short ferry ride to the old island prison, with a good audio tour through the cell blocks. Tickets sell out weeks ahead.Map ↗
  3. Cable carsThe Powell Street lines climb over Nob Hill and down to the waterfront. Stand on the outside step if there's room.Map ↗
  4. ChinatownOne of the oldest Chinatowns in North America, with bakeries, temples and herbal shops along Grant Avenue and Stockton Street.Map ↗
  5. Mission DistrictMurals, taquerias and Dolores Park, with views back over downtown.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is easiest in the Tenderloin and the Mission, which have Pakistani, Afghan and Yemeni places, and in Fremont across the bay, home to a large Afghan community.
  • Book Alcatraz through the official ferry operator; bay cruises sail past the island but don't land.
  • Bring a windproof layer even in July, and leave the hire car until the day you head out of the city.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.