Is San Francisco safe for solo female travelers?

Solo travel experience

For my first solo trip, I went to San Francisco. Of course, with any city, there are sketchy areas to avoid, but generally, I felt really safe. The city is very easy to navigate and I was able to get around quite easily.

Solo travel experience

It was fairly safe! Although, I went back to my hostel when it got dark and I used Uber half the time for transportation. If you love seafood, I highly recommend Swan Osyter Depot (get there as early as you can because the wait can take long)! For dim sum, I recommend Good Mong Kok Bakery! If you like relaxing and sightseeing, just walking through Crissy Field East Beach is calm ans scenic. stayed at Green Tortoise hostel. 🐢 The staff and people there were friendly! The hostel was calm and cozy even though it was next to bars and nightclubs. Absolutely enjoyed my time there overall!

Group travel experience

After my Work and Travel program in USA I have saved some money to travel to other states and big metropolitans. San Francisco was one of the most vibrant and dynamic cities i’ve ever seen! Me and my friend were staying in the city for 3 days but I recommend staying more if you have time. They have one of the most beautiful ChinaTown in the States because it’s the oldest one. I recommend taking more time to explore ChinaTown, vintage shops and authentic asian restaurants! I would also recommend visiting JapanTown and Golden Gate Park! The safety is moderate, and I would not recommend traveling at night alone.

Solo travel experience

I was in San Francisco alone and mainly traveled by buses and walked on foot. I found this place to be very safe, although of course there are many homeless people with mental health problems there, but none of them approached me.

Solo travel experience

I definitely advise against going to the Tenderloin area alone. I felt safe everywhere else, but after just a few blocks in the wrong direction, I was followed and accosted several times. I highly recommend visiting Alcatraz, but make sure to buy tickets in advance as they always sell out quickly.

San Francisco in general is very safe relative to other American cities and countries. It has a larger problem with petty crime, less-so violent crime. I do not recommend venturing into the Tenderloin as this is an open-air drug scene, although city officials have more recently been cracking down on this due to recent resident voting for law reform. If you are in the Mission, also be mindful of walking around at night as a woman. Be vigilant and walk with a purpose, and you will be fine. Do not leave valuables in plain sight in vehicles as the likelihood of “smash and grabs” (window-breaking) is high.

San Francisco has great areas, and not so great areas. If you keep to yourself and don't flash a lot of money, you'll be fine. Would definitely avoid the tenderloin if alone at night, probably even the day as well.

Couple travel experience

I spent two days in San Francisco in August. I must mention that the weather was surprisingly cool, so you should take long clothes even in August. We slept in the Zeppelin Hotel, cute and pleasant. A beautiful and interesting city, I enjoyed the walk along the boardwalk, lots of shops and restaurants. I highly recommend going up for an amazing view of the whole city from the Coit tower, it was amazing!

Solo travel experience

When I went alone to San Francisco, I rented a car and drove along the coast on route number 1. It was stunning. But most importantly, I spent the night in Half Moon Bay, and it was absolutely the best decision I made during my entire trip. It's a small seaside town south of San Francisco, with amazing seafood and beautiful views of cliffs and beaches. I definitely recommend stopping in this town.