Are you an exhausted passenger just getting off your plane? Are you hoping to stretch your legs, grab a bite to eat, and use a bathroom that isn’t the size of a coffin or inside an airport terminal?

Is the airport that you landed at San Francisco International Airport, a.k.a. SFO?

We’ve got good news: If you have a layover at SFO this travel season — and aren’t the kind of airline passenger that feels the need to be at their gate five hours early — you have several options for visiting San Francisco itself during your wait time. That’s thanks to BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system that provides direct trains between SFO and the city itself.

By using the SFO-San Francisco BART line as our guide point, here are some places to jump off and explore around that station — with just a handful of suggestions to get you started. You can bring your luggage along, but you might be more comfortable stashing it at SFO during this time. The round trip fare for these itineraries will cost you around $20 — use BART’s fare calculator tool to see exact ticket costs.

• View BART’s system map

And if you’re usually a cautious traveler who prefers to wait out a day-long layover in the terminal? Imagine it as a spur-of-the-moment, movie-like adventure before you get home or go on to your next adventure. Imagine it like Ferris Bueller traveling to Chicago for the day. Imagine just eating a really good burrito.

• Tell us: What else would you like a guide to right now?

All this sounding a little too squeezed for time to you?  If you’re in Terminal 1, you can check out SFO’s own art museum.

A quick primer on using BART

BART trains run both above ground and below ground around the Bay Area. The system runs 5 a.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays, 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Sundays. Holiday hours for BART service will also vary.

From SFO, the Red Line (last stop: Richmond) and the Yellow Line (last stop: Antioch) north will take you into San Francisco itself.

Paper tickets are no longer sold for BART, but as of August 2025 visitors to San Francisco can tap their credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay at the BART turnstile to pay for their fare.

If you’re a transit enthusiast or want to live like a local, you can also purchase a $3  Clipper card at the SFO BART station to load and pay for your BART fare, which you’ll then tap at the turnstiles at each station. You can also download the Clipper app to your iPhone or Android and load your fare that way, which saves on the $3 cost of a physical card.

(A heads up: You may also see signs in San Francisco for Muni, the SFMTA’s transit network within the city itself. Muni is a separate system — that includes trains, buses, streetcars and SF’s iconic cable cars — but it uses many of the same stations as BART, and riders can transfer easily from BART to Muni this way with a Clipper card. The itineraries suggested below don’t use Muni, but there’s nothing to stop you from choosing your own adventure and hopping on Muni, too, if you’ve got more time.)

Several San Francisco itineraries for an SFO layover

Below is a compilation of suggestions from KQED staffers, allowing you to reach beautiful neighborhoods across the city in just a few hours. Please note that since the itineraries below are based around proximity to BART lines, you won’t see some iconic neighborhoods like Castro and Haight-Ashbury on this list — even though they’re definitely worth the visit on your next trip.

1. Closest: Get off at Glen Park (around 20 minutes from SFO)

While Glen Park has long been regarded as one of the quieter neighborhoods in San Francisco, the area recently received a shoutout in TimeOut Magazine for being one of the “39 coolest neighborhoods in the world in 2025,” with particular kudos for its local businesses and surrounding nature.

This reporter particularly recommends launching your layover from Glen Park if you’re a first-time visitor to the Bay Area, where the sight of sprawling houses over hills will take your breath away.

• Head to Bird & Beckett, a bookstore near the station that hosts live poetry and jazz several times a week.
• Check out Glen Canyon Park, a 14-minute walk away from the BART station.
• Grab a drink at Glen Park Station (it’s a bar, not the actual BART stop.)

2. Fairly close: Get off at 24th station in Mission (around 22 minutes from SFO)

Mission Street and Valencia Street are some of the most bustling streets in San Francisco, with Valencia especially offering many stores to window-shop and peek in. (Like one gift shop dedicated to taxidermy.)

• Get a Mission-style burrito, which you can find at places like Taqueria El Buen Sabor or La Taqueria.
• Vegetarian pizza of the day at Arizmendi Bakery.
• Or Panchita’s Pupusería & Restaurant and Stonehill Matcha.
• Or, for a bite that’s a bit fancier, Burma Love.
• Grab a dessert at Dandelion Chocolate.
• A walk in beautiful Dolores Park.
• San Francisco is a great spot for vintage shopping. Some spots in Mission include: Afterlife Boutique, Buffalo Exchange and Empress Vintage
• Support local, historic theaters like The Roxie, which features some of the most unique films in the world.
• The Mission also has some excellent indie bookstores. Silver Sprocket, Sour Cherry, and Needles & Pen are dedicated to graphic novels, comics, zines, table books, and art. For a classic bookstore, visit Dog Eared Books, Medicine for Nightmares or Adobe Books.
• McSweeney’s – the publishing house based in San Francisco – has a shop dedicated to books written by children and teens across the country. The storefront itself is pretty magical, with comfy seating and secret rooms.

3. A little further: Get off at Civic Center/UN Plaza (around 26 minutes from SFO)

• Spend a couple of hours at the lovely Asian Art Museum, which almost always has a special display. This season, it’s “Rave to the Future,” dedicated to the dance floor. Check out hours and timings on its website.
• Get a table at the excellent Brenda’s French Soul Food…
• …or a super banh mi for under $5 at Saigon Sandwich
• Peek into City Hall, where you’ll see beautiful architecture, local politicians at work and – hopefully – several weddings in process (factor in a little extra time to go through the airport-style security)
• Stop by Philz to get the mint mojito coffee, which this author craves every time they leave California.

4. A little further yet: Get off at Montgomery (around 30 minutes from SFO)

• This is the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District (or FiDi) and a short few-minute walk to Chinatown’s Dragon Gate
• You can grab an amazing meal in Chinatown. KQED staffers recommend Peking Duck.
• You can also head to this gift shop, tea lounge, Asian-fusion bakery, and Good Mong Kok Bakery, all in Chinatown.
• The Chinese Historical Society has a small, intimate museum (although bear in mind it’ll be closed on Nov. 27 and 28.)
• If you’ve got a little longer, stroll into North Beach and visit Vesuvio, the cafe-bar where San Francisco’s beatnik poets once gathered…
• …then head next door to the famous City Lights bookstore.

5. Furthest: Get off at Embarcadero (around 32 minutes from SFO)

• Check out the historic San Francisco Ferry Building – where there are cute shops, places to eat, and a gorgeous view of the ocean. It’s a huge building and can easily take up an afternoon.
• Some KQED staffer favorites food spots include: Cholita Linda, Peaches Patties, Reem’s and El Porteño‘s Empanadas.
• Miette Patisserie’s pastries have little French desserts for sale.
• Or grab a burrito from a local favorite, Señor Sisig (also in the Mission.)
• There are farmers markets at the Ferry Building on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
• A fifteen-minute walk from the station, the Exploratorium is a hands-on science museum loved by kids and adults alike.
• Grab a waterfront bite at the historic Red’s Java House.

Enjoy the beautiful city, grab photos and a gift or two! (And be sure to get back to SFO with enough time to clear security and make it to boarding on time.)

KQED’s Carly Severn, Marisol Medina-Cadena, Adrienne Lee Rik Panganiban, Josh Decolongon and Jen Chien contributed to this story.