San Francisco · United States
April
Spring at its best — low rainfall, comfortable warmth, and the hills still lush green.
Best match
#3 of 12 months
April is one of the best times to visit San Francisco.
Climate
High
16.2°C
Low
9.8°C
Rain
36mm
Sun
7.8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How April scores in San Francisco
Weather
Very good
Value
Very good
Crowds
Very good
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in April
- ↑April is one of the best months to visit San Francisco by almost every metric. Rainfall falls sharply to 36mm, sunshine averages nearly 8 hours daily, and the temperature is warm enough (16°C highs) for outdoor exploration without the paradoxical summer chill that Karl the Fog imposes on June–August. The Marin Headlands wildflower bloom is typically at its peak in April — hiking across the hills above Rodeo Beach with the bridge in the background on a clear day is one of the best experiences the Bay Area offers.
- ↑The Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown (usually mid-to-late April, spanning two weekends) is one of the city's most characterful civic events. The festival attracts around 220,000 visitors over two weekends but is spread across the Post Street Japan Center area in a way that feels festive rather than overwhelming. Taiko drumming, Japanese food stalls, and the Grand Parade are genuinely excellent.
- ↑April is also when the city's bar and restaurant scene enters its spring stride. Outdoor parklets — the beloved SF dining decks built on converted parking spaces — are in full use, and the early evening light at 7:30pm sunset creates an atmosphere that the foggy summer months can't replicate.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Tourism is climbing from winter lows — Alcatraz bookings now need 1–2 weeks advance notice for the preferred tours, and hotel prices are moving up from the off-season floor. April is still significantly cheaper than summer, but the budget window is narrowing.
- ↓April weather is still not guaranteed: a late storm system from the Pacific can deliver two or three grey, rainy days without warning, particularly in early April.
How April compares to October (best month)
| Factor | April | October ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 7 | 9 |
| Value | 7 | 6 |
| Crowds | 7 | 6 |
April in other destinations
Lisbon (18°C)Barcelona (17.5°C)Tokyo (19.3°C)Bali (31.5°C)Santorini (16.5°C)Paris (14.7°C)New York (16°C)Marrakech (24.3°C)Amsterdam (12.3°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (17.7°C)Bangkok (34.1°C)Istanbul (14.8°C)Vienna (15.2°C)Seoul (16°C)Dubrovnik (16.7°C)Rio de Janeiro (27.8°C)Kyoto (20.1°C)Phuket (33.8°C)Cape Town (22.3°C)Prague (16°C)Amalfi Coast (19°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (29°C)London (15°C)Sydney (22°C)Iceland (7°C)Tulum (31°C)Dubai (34°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (31°C)Chiang Mai (35.5°C)Miami (28.3°C)Florence (18.6°C)Queenstown (15.5°C)Madrid (17.6°C)Porto (18°C)Edinburgh (12°C)Copenhagen (11°C)Budapest (17°C)Kraków (15°C)Tbilisi (18°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (26°C)Osaka (20°C)Goa (34°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (23°C)Mykonos (18°C)Zanzibar (30°C)Sri Lanka (32°C)Costa Rica (28°C)Cancun (31°C)Krabi (34°C)Athens (20°C)Seville (24°C)Cartagena (32°C)Siem Reap (35°C)Havana (29°C)Split (18°C)Taipei (26°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (20°C)Ho Chi Minh City (36°C)Hawaii (28°C)Cappadocia (17°C)Dominican Republic (30°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (24°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (27°C)Jordan (23°C)Azores (19°C)Bora Bora (29°C)Los Angeles (23.2°C)Cairo (30.2°C)Kenya (27.2°C)Jaipur (36.5°C)Las Vegas (27.9°C)Madeira (21.5°C)Vancouver (13.8°C)Muscat (36.2°C)Lima (23.5°C)Cinque Terre (17°C)Kotor (17°C)Tel Aviv (24°C)Santiago (22°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (14°C)Penang (33.5°C)Lombok (31.8°C)Cape Verde (27.3°C)Fez (23.1°C)Kerala (34°C)Kigali (25°C)Hong Kong (25°C)Oslo (11°C)Auckland (19°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within San Francisco, not across destinations. Methodology →