Covers the big American cities at night: monuments, skylines, night buses and how to get back to the hotel.
Updated
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Bring a jacket. Every bay product we ranked says so, and the ghost walks finish cold too.
San Francisco is a thin night-tour city. There's no night bus or night food tour good enough to rank, and the famous Alcatraz night tour sells through one official ferry company with no real competition. What the city does have is excellent ghost walks. The top one rates a perfect 5.0 from 190 reviews and costs $29 (€26), which is why it beats every boat on the bay.
The boats are the other half. Three sunset sails and one sunset cruise, all leaving from the piers around Fisherman's Wharf, all at the mercy of the fog. When it's clear, sailing back under a lit skyline is the best evening in town. When it isn't, you're paying to look at grey.
Alcatraz has its own page. Short version: book it, but book it direct.
At a glance
Best overall
San Francisco Ghost Hunt, Pacific Heights, $29 (€26)
Best ghost hunt with gear
The Haunt's 8 p.m. Chinatown walk with EMF meters
Best on the water
Adventure Cat's sunset catamaran from Pier 39
Best sight at night
Alcatraz night tour; buy it from Alcatraz City Cruises
Skip
Reseller Alcatraz tickets: the official night ticket is cheaper
When it gets dark
6:59 p.m. in October, 5:21 p.m. in December
On this page
The 8 best night tours in San Francisco, ranked
Every tour we scored in San Francisco that cleared our bar (rated 4.4 or more from 50+ reviews), in Night Score order. Night Score = 30% rating, 10% review count, 20% price per hour, 40% how much the night is the point. How we score
A 5.0 from 190 reviews and $29 (€26), tips included. Nothing else in the city matches that combination, so it's first. San Francisco Ghost Hunt walks the Victorian mansions of Pacific Heights on quiet, dark streets, and starts and ends at 1801 Bush Street at Octavia. Don't go into the building at the meeting point; wait outside. The page gives no fixed time, but it's a late-evening walk. Hills, a chilly finish, up to 30 people. Not for under-6s.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%6.9
Review countData · 10%5.1
Price per hourData · 20%8.1
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A late-evening ghost walk by San Francisco Ghost Hunt through Pacific Heights, starting and ending at 1801 Bush Street.
Good to know: Up to 30; gratuities included. Not recommended for children under 6; hills, chilly late finish, not wheelchair accessible. Do not go into the building at the meeting point.
After dark: Pacific Heights' Victorian mansions and their ghost stories are told on dark, quiet residential streets late in the evening.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Ghost Hunt in SF Chinatown with a Professional Investigator
Ghost tours
6.2/10Night Score
From $55 (€49)
1 hour 30 minutes
Starts: 8:00 p.m.
Large group
4.8 (942 reviews)
The most reviewed ghost tour in the city, 4.8 from 942, and the one with gadgets: EMF meters and ghost-hunting gear, included. The Haunt starts at 8 p.m. at the flagpoles at the foot of the Transamerica Pyramid, 591 Washington Street, and walks Jackson Square and the Barbary Coast to Waverly Place in Chinatown. At $55 (€49) for 90 minutes it's pricier than first place, hence second. No interiors. The suggested drink at Li Po Lounge after is on you. Not advised for kids 10 and under.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%6.5
Review countData · 10%7.5
Price per hourData · 20%5.6
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: An 8 p.m. ghost hunt with ghost-hunting gear by The Haunt Ghost Tours, from the Transamerica Pyramid through Jackson Square to Waverly Place in Chinatown.
Good to know: Up to 26; equipment and gratuities included. Not recommended for children 10 and under; no interiors are entered, and the suggested drink at Li Po Lounge afterwards is on you.
After dark: The Barbary Coast and Chinatown alleys are walked at 8 p.m. with EMF meters, when the Financial District has emptied.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
A 55- or 65-foot catamaran out of Pier 39, Gate J, past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. Rated 4.8 from 1,423, which is excellent for a boat. At $88 (€79) for an hour and 35 minutes the value score is low, and that's what holds it at third. One drink is included. The bow gets cold and wet. Sit there anyway if you want the bridge overhead; move back if you want to stay dry. Up to 76 aboard.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%6.8
Review countData · 10%8.1
Price per hourData · 20%3.8
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A sunset sail on a 55- or 65-foot catamaran by Adventure Cat Sailing Charters from Pier 39, past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Good to know: Up to 76; one drink (beer, wine or soft) included, more sold aboard, no outside drinks. Cold and wet near the bow; three to four steps to board, restrooms not ADA accessible.
After dark: Times the sail for sunset under the Golden Gate Bridge and returns into dusk past Alcatraz.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Alcatraz Inside Tour with Ferry, Free Audio and Night Option
After-dark entry
5.7/10Night Score
From $86 (€77)
2 to 4 hours
Starts: Night departures from Pier 33 in
Large group
4.4 (217 reviews)
This is a reseller ticket for the real thing, and the real thing scores a perfect 10 on after-dark. The night visit adds evening talks, the cell-door demonstration and normally closed areas. But the rating is a 4.4 from 217, and you pay $86 (€77), which may or may not be the night price; the page doesn't say. The official adult night ticket is $59.65 (€53) from Alcatraz City Cruises. This one is non-refundable and can't be changed. Use it only if the official site is sold out for your date.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%0.7
Review countData · 10%5.3
Price per hourData · 20%5.0
After darkEditors · 40%10.0
What it is: A reseller ticket (Alcatraz Company A Go) for the Alcatraz ferry from Pier 33 with the cellhouse audio tour, on which you can choose a night departure.
Good to know: Non-refundable and cannot be changed. The official night ticket from Alcatraz City Cruises costs $59.65 for an adult, so this costs more; only Alcatraz City Cruises runs the ferry. Arrive 30 minutes early.
After dark: The night ticket adds evening-only talks, the cell-door demonstration and normally closed areas, and a return across the bay with the city lit.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
A lantern walk over Nob Hill, past the railroad-baron mansions, the Fairmont and Huntington Park, from Union Square at Powell and Post. $26 (€23) for 90 minutes on Viator, and it's cheaper today on GetYourGuide at $24 (€21), down from $32 (€29). A 4.6 from 323 keeps it fifth. The climb is steep and some guests turned back. Groups of up to 35. Ignore the dinner and transport in the listing: it's a walking tour.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%3.1
Review countData · 10%5.9
Price per hourData · 20%8.6
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A lantern-led evening ghost walk over Nob Hill by San Francisco Ghosts (US Ghost Adventures), from Union Square to the Beacon Grand hotel on Powell Street.
Good to know: Up to 35; confirmation within 48 hours. The Nob Hill climb is steep and some guests turned back; the page lists dinner and transport, which a walking tour does not include.
After dark: Nob Hill's railroad-baron mansions, the Fairmont and Huntington Park are told by lantern in the dark.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Walk with Spirits: A Haunted Pub Crawl in San Francisco
Pub crawls and bar tours
5.6/10Night Score
From $44 (€39)
2 hours 30 minutes
Starts: 6:30 p.m.
Small group
4.9 (58 reviews)
Ghosts and gold-rush saloons. Mick's Bootique Tours meets at 6:30 p.m. at High Horse, 582 Washington Street, and walks Jackson Square, the Old Ship Saloon and North Beach to the Lion's Den in Chinatown. It rates 4.9, but from only 58 reviews, and that's why it's sixth and not higher. $44 (€39) for two and a half hours, capped at 12. Reviewers count about four bars and say there's more walking than drinking. You buy your own drinks.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%3.8
Review countData · 10%3.3
Price per hourData · 20%8.5
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A 6:30 p.m. haunted pub walk by Mick's Bootique Tours from High Horse on Washington Street through Jackson Square, the Old Ship Saloon and North Beach to the Lion's Den in Chinatown.
Good to know: Capped at 12. Drinks are bought at each bar (the inclusions line notwithstanding); reviewers describe about four bars and more walking than drinking. Not wheelchair accessible.
After dark: Barbary Coast saloons, Jackson Square and Chinatown alleys at night, when their gold-rush ghost stories belong.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Sunset cruise late March to early November; City Lights version in winter
The big boat. Red and White Fleet takes up to 300 people from Pier 43 1/2 toward the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate for two hours, and comes back with the skyline and the Bay Bridge lit. A 4.5 from 2,144 puts it seventh. $58 (€52). It's a sunset cruise from late March to early November and a City Lights cruise in winter, which is useful: it's the one boat here that clearly runs after dark year round. No narration. Drinks sold at the bar.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%1.8
Review countData · 10%8.7
Price per hourData · 20%6.6
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A two-hour sunset (or winter city-lights) cruise by Red and White Fleet from Pier 43 1/2 toward the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Good to know: Up to 300 aboard; not narrated. Drinks and snacks are sold at the bar; bring a jacket for the upper deck. Fog can hide the sunset.
After dark: Sails out past the Golden Gate at sunset and comes back with the skyline and Bay Bridge lit; in winter it runs as a city-lights cruise.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
The nicest boat and the worst value. The San Francisco Sailing Company's Privateer takes 18 people at most from Pier 39, Dock F, for two hours, with two drinks and tips included. It rates 4.7 from 421. At $129 (€115) it scores lowest on price per hour, which is why it's last. No narration, and the boat doesn't wait for latecomers. Bring ID if you want alcohol. If small-boat sailing matters to you, it's worth the money; if you just want the view, take the catamaran.
How the score breaks down, and the fine print
Rated by travelersData · 30%4.5
Review countData · 10%6.3
Price per hourData · 20%3.4
After darkEditors · 40%6.0
What it is: A daily two-hour sunset sail on the sailboat Privateer by The San Francisco Sailing Company from Pier 39, Dock F.
Good to know: Up to 18 aboard; two drinks (beer, wine, soda or water) and gratuities included, ID needed for alcohol. Not narrated and the boat does not wait for latecomers; not wheelchair accessible.
After dark: A small sailboat on the bay as the sun goes down behind the Golden Gate and the city lights come on.
Rating, review count and from-price as shown on Viator on October 26, 2026. The price changes with the date.
Reserve links go to GetYourGuide or Viator. Booking through them can earn us a commission at no cost to you; it never changes a score or a rank. How we make money
What San Francisco nights are actually like
Cool, even in summer. That surprises people.
The Financial District empties out after work, which is why The Haunt can walk you past the Transamerica Pyramid at 8 p.m. in near quiet. A few blocks away, Chinatown and North Beach are busy into the evening, with bars along Columbus Avenue and Grant Avenue.
The waterfront is where the lights are. The Bay Bridge's west span carries The Bay Lights, an LED artwork that came back on March 20, 2026, according to Illuminate, the nonprofit behind it. Their official page doesn't publish nightly hours. Watch from the Embarcadero around Pier 14 or by the Cupid's Span sculpture.
Pacific Heights, where the top-ranked walk goes, is the opposite: big houses, dark streets, nobody about.
Ghost walk, pub walk, boat or Alcatraz
Ghost walk for most people. Pacific Heights for the best stories at the best price; The Haunt if you want gear and the Barbary Coast.
Pub walk if you're 21 or over and want the gold-rush saloons. Small group, low review count, very high rating.
Boat only on a clear evening. The catamaran is the best rated; the Red and White cruise is the cheap one and the only one that clearly runs as a lights cruise in winter.
Alcatraz if you can get tickets. It's the best night experience in the city, by our after-dark score, and you book it on the official site, not here.
Don't do two Nob Hill-type climbs in one night. Your legs will hate you.
The free version, and one cheap one
Walk the Embarcadero after dark from the Ferry Building south toward Cupid's Span, with The Bay Lights on the bridge ahead. Then go back north and up Grant Avenue through Chinatown into North Beach. You'll pass Waverly Place, where The Haunt's walk ends, and you can have a drink at Li Po Lounge without paying a guide.
The best paid-but-not-a-tour option: the Exploratorium's After Dark, every Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. at Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green Street. It's 18+ only. The museum's ticket page wouldn't load for us, so check the evening price before you go. Regular adult admission is $39.95 (€36).
Getting back late
BART says its last trains leave at around midnight, seven days a week, with the exact time depending on where you are and where you're going. That matters if you're staying in the East Bay or near the airport.
Inside the city, Muni runs Owl service every half hour between midnight and 5 a.m., every night. Owl routes include the 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore and 38 Geary, plus L Owl and N Owl buses along the subway lines.
For most tours on this list you won't need it. The 8 p.m. Haunt walk ends around 9:30 p.m., and the sunset boats are back early in the evening. Pacific Heights is hilly and quiet late at night; the 22 Fillmore runs nearby.
Seasons: dark late in summer, cold all year
Night lows barely move. About 46°F (8°C) in January, about 56°F (13°C) in July, and the mildest nights come in August and September, near 58°F (14°C). So summer evenings here are not warm. Layers.
It gets dark late in June, at 9:04 p.m., which pushes every ghost walk into twilight. In December it's dark by 5:21 p.m., and the walks are dark from the first step.
The boats are the seasonal part. Red and White's sunset cruise runs late March to early November and switches to a City Lights cruise in winter. The other two sailing pages don't list operating months. Fog can hide the sunset at any time of year, and there's no way to book around it.
Alcatraz's summer night schedule runs to November 1, 2026. After that, check the official site.
What's missing and what to skip
A good night bus. Big Bus's sunset tour rated 4.2, and two other night-bus products rated 2.9.
A night food tour. The best Chinatown and North Beach food tour carries a NIGHT product code, but reviewers report 2:30 and 2:45 p.m. starts. The North Beach Gourmet Ghost Tour starts at 4 p.m. Neither is a night tour.
Also out: the City Cruises dinner dance cruise (4.2), the Vampire Tour of San Francisco (4.3 from 25 reviews) and the California Academy of Sciences NightLife (4.3).
Skip the Alcatraz combo packages on Viator. Every one we found either rated lower than the plain reseller ticket or had almost no reviews, and resellers all charge well above the official price.
When it gets dark in San Francisco
Times are for the 15th of each month in 2027, local time with daylight saving, computed with NOAA’s solar equations for San Francisco. Dark is the end of civil twilight, when streetlights and floodlights take over; fully dark is the end of nautical twilight. Night lows are 2016–2025 averages from the Open-Meteo historical archive. Every city side by side
Month
Sunset
Dark
Fully dark
Night low
January
5:13 p.m.
5:41 p.m.
6:14 p.m.
46°F (8°C)
February
5:47 p.m.
6:14 p.m.
6:45 p.m.
46°F (8°C)
March
7:16 p.m.
7:42 p.m.
8:13 p.m.
48°F (9°C)
April
7:44 p.m.
8:11 p.m.
8:43 p.m.
50°F (10°C)
May
8:11 p.m.
8:40 p.m.
9:16 p.m.
52°F (11°C)
June
8:32 p.m.
9:04 p.m.
9:43 p.m.
55°F (13°C)
July
8:31 p.m.
9:02 p.m.
9:40 p.m.
56°F (13°C)
August
8:03 p.m.
8:31 p.m.
9:05 p.m.
58°F (14°C)
September
7:18 p.m.
7:45 p.m.
8:16 p.m.
58°F (14°C)
October
6:33 p.m.
6:59 p.m.
7:29 p.m.
55°F (13°C)
November
4:59 p.m.
5:27 p.m.
5:58 p.m.
50°F (10°C)
December
4:52 p.m.
5:21 p.m.
5:54 p.m.
47°F (8°C)
Where San Francisco ranks
The best place a San Francisco tour reaches on each of our other pages.
By our Night Score, the San Francisco Ghost Hunt walking tour in Pacific Heights, rated 5.0 from 190 reviews at $29 (€26). For a sight, the official Alcatraz night tour is the best evening in the city.
How much is the Alcatraz night tour?
The National Park Service lists the official night ticket at $59.65 (€53) for adults 18 and over, $58.35 (€52) for ages 12 to 17, $55.25 (€49) for 62 and over and $34.85 (€31) for ages 5 to 11. Under-5s go free.
Do San Francisco sunset cruises run in winter?
Red and White Fleet runs its sunset cruise from late March to early November and a City Lights version in winter. The other sunset sails we ranked don't list operating months, so check your date.
Does BART run all night?
No. BART's last trains leave at around midnight every day. Muni's Owl buses run every half hour between midnight and 5 a.m. inside the city.
Are San Francisco ghost tours good for kids?
Some are. The Pacific Heights walk isn't recommended for under-6s, and The Haunt advises against children 10 and under. The Gold and Ghouls walk is family friendly but has a steep climb. The pub walk is adults only.
Further reading
Official sources
NPS: Alcatraz Island fees– Night, Day and Behind the Scenes ticket prices; ferry by Alcatraz City Cruises, checked October 26, 2026
Exploratorium: After Dark– Thursdays 6 to 10 p.m., 18+; Pier 15 address and $39.95 (€36) adult day admission from the visit page, checked October 26, 2026
