Date ideas in San Francisco: 14 ideas by neighborhood and mood

• Budgetlow
• Best forfirst date
• Time1 hour
• WhereEmbarcadero

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero is a historic terminal turned food hall, full of local bakeries, cheese shops and coffee bars. Grab a drink, browse the stalls and step out back to watch the ferries cross the bay. On some days a farmers market fills the plaza outside.

Tip: Walk north along the Embarcadero afterwards toward the piers. If it's going well, you'll reach the Exploratorium or the bay views at Pier 7.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forfirst or second date, sunny day
• WhereMission District

Dolores Park is the sunniest lawn in a city famous for fog. The upper slopes have a wide view of downtown, and on warm weekends half the city seems to be there. It's a lively, relaxed first date with endless people watching.

Tip: Pick up snacks in the Mission on the way. Weekdays are quieter if you want to actually hear each other.

• Budgetfree to low
• Best forfirst date, book lovers
• WhereColumbus Avenue, North Beach

City Lights Bookstore has been a literary landmark since 1953, famous for the Beat poets. Browse the poetry room upstairs, then wander North Beach, San Francisco's old Italian neighborhood, with its cafés and Washington Square.

Tip: Buy each other a small book of poems. Then walk up to Coit Tower for a view over the bay.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, second date
• Time1 to 2 hours
• WhereOuter Richmond

The Lands End trail follows the cliffs at the northwest corner of the city, with cypress trees, hidden beaches and views of the Golden Gate Bridge. At one end are the ruins of the Sutro Baths, a grand bathhouse from the 1890s that burned down in the 1960s. The concrete ruins and crashing waves are especially moody at sunset.

Tip: Start at the Lands End Lookout visitor center. Stay away from the edge of the ruins and the sea cave when the surf is high.

• Budgetfree
• Best foractive, visitors
• Time1 to 2 hours
• WherePresidio to Marin

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge is one of those things that never stops being impressive. The wind, the height and the view of the city and the bay make it feel like an adventure. Start at Crissy Field for a flat walk along the water to the bridge.

Tip: Bring a windproof jacket, it can be cold even in summer. Fort Point below the bridge is a great spot for photos.

• Budgetlow to medium
• Best forcute, sunny day
• WhereGolden Gate Park

Stow Lake winds around Strawberry Hill in the middle of Golden Gate Park. Renting a rowboat or pedal boat is a playful date with plenty of laughing, and you can walk up the hill afterwards to see the waterfall.

Tip: Combine it with the nearby Japanese Tea Garden or the de Young Museum to make a whole afternoon.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, evening
• WhereMarina District

Built for a world's fair in 1915, the Palace of Fine Arts is a romantic rotunda with colonnades reflected in a lagoon. It's beautiful at any time, but especially at dusk when the lights come on.

Tip: Walk on to the Marina Green and watch the sunset over the Golden Gate. Bring a warm layer.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forrainy day, art lovers
• WhereGolden Gate Park

The de Young Museum holds American art, textiles and international collections in a striking copper building. Its observation tower is usually free to visit and gives you a view over Golden Gate Park and the city, fog permitting.

Tip: Play "which one would we hang in our place?" Each of you picks one piece and defends it.

• Budgetlow
• Best forrainy day, relaxed
• WhereGolden Gate Park

This Victorian glasshouse is one of the oldest of its kind in the country. Inside, tropical plants, giant lily pads and warm, humid air make a gray day feel like a vacation.

Tip: Check the website for current entry rules. Afterwards, the Dahlia Garden outside is lovely in late summer.

• Budgetmedium
• Best forsecond date, curious
• WherePier 15, Embarcadero

The Exploratorium is a hands-on museum of science, art and perception, and on Thursday evenings it usually opens just for adults. Playing with optical illusions, sound experiments and strange machines together is a fun way to see how your date thinks.

Tip: Check the theme of the night on the website. Some special exhibits, like the Tactile Dome, need a separate ticket.

• Budgetlow
• Best forplayful, visitors
• WherePowell Street and California Street lines

The cable cars are a moving landmark and a lot more fun after dark, when the city lights glitter below. Ride over Nob Hill, hang on to the pole and let the clanging bell set the mood.

Tip: The California Street line is usually less crowded than the Powell lines. Ride to the end and walk back for dinner.

• Budgetfree
• Best forromantic, evening
• WhereTwin Peaks

From the top of Twin Peaks you can see the whole city: downtown, the bay and the bridges. On a clear night it's one of the most romantic views in San Francisco, especially with the person next to you.

Tip: Bring a blanket and a warm drink, it's windy up there. If the fog is thick, try Bernal Heights Park, which sits a little lower.

• Budgetfree
• Best forrelaxed, sunny day
• WherePresidio

Crissy Field is a former airfield turned shoreline park, with a beach, a long path and views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Presidio behind it has forest trails, art installations and lookout points.

Tip: Bring a kite on a windy day. It's silly, it's free and you'll both end up laughing.

• Budgetfree
• Best forshort stop, photos
• WhereAlamo Square

The row of Victorian houses facing Alamo Square, known as the Painted Ladies, with the downtown skyline behind them is one of the most famous views in the city. Sit on the grass and enjoy the view.

Tip: Pack a small picnic and come in the late afternoon when the light hits the houses.