If you live in San Francisco, the usual tourist list is not much help for a Thursday night. These date ideas are for locals and repeat visitors, sorted roughly from cheap to more of an occasion.
In this guide
For a visitor’s take, see our things to do in San Francisco for couples. Both guides sit under the San Francisco attractions hub.
Picnic in Dolores Park
Pick up food from a Mission taqueria or bakery and find a spot on the upper slope of Dolores Park, where you get the skyline view. Weekends are busy and loud. A weekday evening is calmer.
Hike up Bernal Heights or Twin Peaks
Bernal Heights Park is a short, steep walk from Cortland Avenue and has a 360-degree view. Twin Peaks is higher and windier. Both are free and good at sunset when the fog stays out to sea.
Rent bikes in Golden Gate Park
JFK Drive is car free through the eastern half of Golden Gate Park, so you can ride from the Conservatory of Flowers to Stow Lake without traffic. Rent a pedal boat on Stow Lake, or keep riding west to Ocean Beach and the Sunset Dunes park on the old Upper Great Highway.
Go to a museum night
The California Academy of Sciences holds NightLife on Thursday evenings for guests 21 and over, and the Exploratorium on Pier 15 runs After Dark on Thursday nights for visitors 18 and up. Programs and dates change, so check the museum calendars first. Our guide to the best museums in San Francisco has more.
Ride the ferry for the views
A round trip on a commuter ferry to Oakland, Alameda or Sausalito is one of the cheapest ways to get out on the bay. Go in the late afternoon and come back at dusk to see the skyline lit up.
Eat dim sum in the Richmond
Clement Street in the Inner Richmond has many Chinese bakeries and dim sum restaurants, and it is often less crowded than Chinatown. Follow brunch with a walk in Golden Gate Park or to the Legion of Honor. Our best restaurants in San Francisco hub has neighborhood picks.
Catch a show or a film
San Francisco has historic theaters such as the Castro Theatre and a busy live music scene. Check what is on during your week in our San Francisco events calendar and the nightlife hub.
A rainy night in
If the weather turns, try a bookstore crawl in the Mission or North Beach, then a long dinner. See our rainy day things to do for more indoor plans.
Official resources: San Francisco Recreation and Parks, California Academy of Sciences NightLife, Exploratorium After Dark, San Francisco Bay Ferry.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cheap date in San Francisco?
A picnic in Dolores Park, a sunset hike up Bernal Heights or a ferry ride across the bay all cost little or nothing.
What is a good first date spot?
Somewhere easy to leave or extend: a cafe in Hayes Valley, a walk along the Embarcadero, or a drink in North Beach.
Where can we go when it rains?
A museum, a cinema or a long dim sum meal. The rainy day guide has more.
Photo credits
Featured image: 4300streetcar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0; Hike up Bernal Heights or Twin Peaks: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Go to a museum night: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Eat dim sum in the Richmond: afterdog / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.