Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf: Where to Stay in San Francisco, With Verdicts by Trip Type
Union Square for a central base, transit and theaters. Fisherman's Wharf for Alcatraz, Pier 39 and kids. Verdicts by trip type from 16 guides.
The short answer. Stay in Union Square if you want a central base with cable cars, BART and Muni close by, plus shopping and theaters at night. Stay at Fisherman’s Wharf if the trip is built around Alcatraz, Pier 39 and the bay, or you’re traveling with young kids and want the sights on foot. If you can’t choose, nine guides point to Nob Hill and North Beach, which are within reach of both.
Roam San Francisco read 16 guides on this question. They don’t agree on a winner for first-timers. Eight name Union Square for a first trip and eight name the Wharf, and the split follows what the writer thinks a first trip is for. Nearly all of them (15 of 16) call the Wharf touristy, and 12 name it for families. Roam San Francisco is a data platform as well as a guide, so the transit and ferry facts below come from the cable car operator, BART and the National Park Service, and not from those guides. No hotel prices are printed and no hotel is named, because none has been checked against its own page. Look at rooms on the map and on a booking site for your dates.
What the guides agree on
Union Square for shopping, theaters and restaurants. Recommended by 15 of 16 guides read. It’s the downtown shopping district, with the American Conservatory Theater and the Geary Street theaters a short walk away. The Union Square guide lists what’s on the blocks around the plaza.
Fisherman’s Wharf is touristy. Reported by 15 of 16 guides read. The words they use are crowded, commercial and “tourist trap”. Several add that summer afternoons are the busiest.
Union Square for transport. Recommended by 14 of 16 guides read. They call it the transit hub, with cable cars, BART, Muni buses and streetcars all within a few blocks.
Fisherman’s Wharf for families. Recommended by 12 of 16 guides read. The reasons are the sights close together, the sea lions and the aquarium, and less hauling of kids between stops.
Union Square has the cable car turnaround. Mentioned by 11 of 16 guides read. The Powell and Market turntable is where two of the three lines begin.
Fisherman’s Wharf for Alcatraz and boat trips. Recommended by 10 of 16 guides read. The ferries leave from Pier 33, a short walk from the Wharf’s main strip.
Union Square for a first trip. Named by 8 of 16 guides read. They want first-timers central, with every part of the city a short ride away.
Fisherman’s Wharf for a first trip. Named by 8 of 16 guides read. They want first-timers next to the famous sights, and several call it the quickest way to see the city’s best-known stops in a few days.
Nob Hill or North Beach as an alternative. Named by 9 of 16 guides read. The guides send people there who find the two main choices too busy or too commercial.
The Wharf has little local character. Reported by 7 of 16 guides read. A few say plainly that locals don’t go there.
Caution at night around Union Square. Reported by 6 of 16 guides read. The Tenderloin begins a block or two west of the square. Two of them say to book on the north or east side of the square, and the others advise care walking back late.
Wharf hotels are expensive. Reported by 6 of 16 guides read. One other guide says the Wharf costs less than Union Square, so compare your own dates.
The Wharf suits a few days, not a long stay. Suggested by 3 of 16 guides read. After a couple of days, they say, you’ve seen it and want to be somewhere with more variety.
You can skip the car in either place. Suggested by 3 of 16 guides read. Parking is limited and hotel rates for it are high.
Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf for a first trip
It depends on the trip. The 16 guides split evenly, eight and eight, so neither wins on count. Union Square works if you’ll spend most days across the city, because the cable cars, BART and buses all start close to it. The Wharf works if the first trip is mainly the big-name sights on the waterfront and you’d rather walk to them.
A useful test is how many of your days are on the northern waterfront. If Alcatraz, Pier 39, the Aquarium of the Bay and Ghirardelli Square fill two of your three days, the Wharf saves transit. If they’re one day out of four or five, Union Square is the better base, and you can still reach the Wharf by cable car.
The two areas side by side
| Union Square | Fisherman’s Wharf | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A central base, shopping, theaters, a first trip across the whole city | Alcatraz, the bay, families with young kids, a short sightseeing stay |
| Getting around | BART at Powell Street station, Muni, cable cars from Powell and Market | Cable car lines that end at the Wharf side, Muni buses and streetcars |
| Evenings | Theaters, hotel bars, restaurants | Seafood, Buena Vista Cafe, harbor walks |
| Busy with | Shoppers, theatergoers, office crowds | Visitors, tour groups, families |
| Sights | Union Square, the cable car turntable, the American Conservatory Theater | Pier 39, Alcatraz Island, the Aquarium of the Bay |
| Rooms | The widest choice, say several guides, from hostels to large hotels | Family and waterfront hotels, a few with views of the bay |
Getting around from each base
The cable car lines tie the two together. SFMTA lists the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines as starting at Powell and Market and running to the Fisherman’s Wharf area, and the California line as running from California and Market to Van Ness Avenue. To board at Powell and Market, Bay and Taylor or Hyde and Beach you pay in advance, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with MuniMobile or a Clipper card. SFMTA recommends prepaying to avoid long lines. The Powell-Hyde line is the one that ends at the Wharf side.
BART lists Powell Street station at Powell and Market, 899 Market Street, on the same lines that reach SFO. That’s the practical advantage of Union Square when you land or leave by train. The Wharf has no BART station, so you come in by cable car, streetcar, bus or taxi.
What’s on the doorstep
Alcatraz needs planning. The National Park Service says the only way to the island is a ferry run by Alcatraz City Cruises, leaving from Pier 33 on the Embarcadero near Bay Street, southeast of the Wharf, and that there’s no parking at Pier 33. The Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 page has the pier on the map. A visit takes two to three hours or more, the NPS says, so a Wharf hotel makes the morning easier but isn’t required.
Union Square’s draw is the grid of blocks around the plaza. Gump’s, John’s Grill and Lori’s Diner are on the blocks around it, and the American Conservatory Theater plays at 415 Geary Street. Check each place’s own page for hours, since they change.
Verdicts by trip type
First trip, four or five nights, seeing the whole city. Union Square. You’ll leave every morning by cable car, BART or Muni, and you’ll come back to a base with plenty of places to eat.
First trip, two or three nights, mostly Alcatraz and the waterfront. Fisherman’s Wharf. Eight guides pick it for first-timers, and it cuts out the transit.
Young kids. Fisherman’s Wharf. Twelve guides name it for families, with the aquarium, the sea lions and Ghirardelli Square close together.
Theater, shopping and a night out. Union Square. Fifteen guides put shopping and theaters here, and the theaters are a walk away.
Arriving by BART or flying into SFO. Union Square, for Powell Street station.
A quieter room. Ask for a room away from the street in either, or look at Nob Hill or North Beach, which nine guides name as alternatives. The Nob Hill and Russian Hill guide and the North Beach guide show what’s there.
Without a car. Either works. Three guides say to skip the car in both, because parking is scarce and expensive.
A short stay of one night. Union Square, for the simplest arrival and departure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to stay in Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf?
Union Square for a central base, transit and theaters. Fisherman’s Wharf for Alcatraz, Pier 39 and families with young kids. Of 16 guides read, eight name each for a first trip.
Is Fisherman’s Wharf a good place to stay?
For two or three nights built around the waterfront, yes. Fifteen of 16 guides call it touristy, seven say it has little local character, and three say it’s best kept to a few days.
Is Union Square a good area to stay in San Francisco?
Yes, for most trips that cover the whole city. It has the most transit and the most hotels. Six guides advise care at night, because the Tenderloin begins a block or two west of the square.
How far is Fisherman’s Wharf from Union Square?
The Powell-Hyde and Powell/Mason cable car lines run between Powell and Market and the Wharf area, per SFMTA. The Fisherman’s Wharf guide and the Union Square guide show what’s around each end.
Where do the Alcatraz ferries leave from?
From Pier 33, per the National Park Service. It’s on the Embarcadero near Bay Street, southeast of Fisherman’s Wharf.
See what’s on while you’re there on the events page, or open the map to see both areas side by side.
Sources: 16 guides in English, and 3 official pages
Guides in English
- Where to stay in San FranciscoRough Guides
- Where to Stay in San Francisco22places
- Where to Stay in San Francisco: Accommodation and NeighborhoodsThe Planet D
- Where to Stay in San FranciscoTravel Lemming
- Where to stay in San FranciscoTravelling King
- Where to Stay in San Francisco, CaliforniaDestinationless Travel
- The Best Areas to Stay in San FranciscoInside Guide to San Francisco Tourism
- Best area to stay in San Francisco for first-time visitorsTreksplorer
- Where To Stay In San Francisco: Guide to Best Areas and HotelsBreathing Travel
- Where to stay in San FranciscoThe Broke Backpacker
- Where to stay in San FranciscoA Lady in London
- Where to stay in San Franciscojenontherun.com
- Where to Stay in San FranciscoSeattle Dave
- Where to Stay in San Francisco: The Best Neighborhoods for Your VisitNomadic Matt
- Where to Stay in San FranciscoCapture the Atlas
- Where to Stay in San Francisco: Best Neighborhoods and HotelsTouropia
Official pages
- SFMTA: Cable carssfmta.com
- BART: Powell Street stationbart.gov
- National Park Service: Alcatraz directionsnps.gov
Places in this guide
Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.
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