Golden Gate Park SAN FRANCISCO
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Tall trees and blue sky mirrored in the calm water of Blue Heron Lake

One day in Golden Gate Park

Trees reflected in Blue Heron Lake (then Stow Lake), December 2016. Photo: King of Hearts · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

A full day in Golden Gate Park, east to west: a Victorian glasshouse, a museum, a Japanese garden, a lake island and sunset over the Pacific. Covers about four miles on foot, or use the shuttle and bus.

Updated · Independent visitor guide

One day in Golden Gate Park
TimeStopNotes
9:30 a.m.Haight and Stanyan entrance, carouselPick up coffee on Haight Street
10:00 a.m.Conservatory of FlowersClosed Wednesdays; swap for the AIDS Memorial Grove
11:30 a.m.de Young or Academy of SciencesChoose one; lunch inside or on Ninth Avenue
2:00 p.m.Japanese Tea GardenSunday? Catch the 1 p.m. band concert first
3:00 p.m.Blue Heron Lake and Strawberry HillPedal boat or the one-mile loop
5:00 p.m.Bison, Dutch Windmill, Beach Chalet5 Fulton west if your legs are tired
SunsetOcean BeachBring a warm layer

Morning: the east end

Start at the Haight and Stanyan entrance around 9:30 a.m. Walk past the carousel and playground to the Conservatory of Flowers when it opens at 10 (it is closed Wednesdays; swap in the AIDS Memorial Grove that day). Allow an hour, then walk or take the shuttle west along JFK Promenade.

Midday: the Music Concourse

At the Music Concourse, choose the de Young or the California Academy of Sciences for two hours, including lunch at the museum café or on Ninth Avenue. Ride the elevator up the de Young’s free observation tower, then spend 45 minutes in the Japanese Tea Garden. On a Sunday, catch the 1 p.m. band concert.

Afternoon: Blue Heron Lake and Strawberry Hill

Walk 10 minutes west to Blue Heron Lake. Rent a pedal boat or walk the loop, then climb Strawberry Hill past Huntington Falls. If you have energy, continue west on JFK Drive past Lloyd Lake and the Portals of the Past.

Evening: windmills and the Pacific

Take the 5 Fulton west from about 25th Avenue, or keep walking, to the bison paddock and the Dutch Windmill. Finish with the murals and dinner at the Beach Chalet and sunset on Ocean Beach. The N Judah and 5 Fulton run back downtown.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see all of Golden Gate Park in one day?

You can see the highlights, from the Conservatory to Ocean Beach, in a full day if you choose one museum and use the shuttle or bus for part of the distance.

Sources & current information

Check the responsible provider for current access, schedules, prices and availability.

Keep planning your visit

Colorful patterned flower beds on the lawn in front of the Conservatory of FlowersItineraryHalf a day

Four hours in Golden Gate Park, all within a short walk of the Music Concourse: the Japanese Tea Garden at opening, one museum, the free gardens and the Conservatory of Flowers.

Read the guide A Muni bus on a park road beside lawns near the California Academy of Sciences, seen from abovePlan your visitGetting here

Golden Gate Park is about four miles west of downtown San Francisco. Muni buses and the N Judah light rail serve every side of it, and a free shuttle runs through the eastern half.

Read the guide The wooden Tea House with a curved roof beside a pond in the Japanese Tea GardenGolden Gate Park guideEat & drink

Inside Golden Gate Park you can eat at the museums, the Japanese Tea Garden, Blue Heron Lake and the Beach Chalet. Just outside, Irving Street, Ninth Avenue, Clement Street and Haight Street offer some of the city’s best neighborhood food.

Read the guide