Cheap Flights to San Francisco

Popular in	December	High demand for flights, 1% potential price rise
Cheapest in	May	Best time to find cheap flights, 1% potential price drop
Average price	R18 337	Average for round-trip flights in July 2020
Round-trip from	R829	From Johannesburg to San Francisco
One-way from	R655	One-way flight from Johannesburg to San Francisco

Flight route prices based on searches on Cheapflights within the last 3 days, monthly prices based on aggregated historical data.

Cheapest prices for San Francisco flights by month

January

R15 896

February

R15 797

March

R15 762

April

R17 102

May

R15 310

June

R15 774

July

R18 199

August

R17 805

September

R17 034

October

R16 495

November

R15 956

December

R15 552

At the present moment the cheapest month to fly to San Francisco is currently May; with July being the most expensive. Prices will vary depending on multiple factors such as booking in advance, airline and departure airports and times.

When is the best time to fly to San Francisco?

Choose a month below to see average flight price and weather conditions.

JNB - SFO Price	R15 310 - R20 987
SFO Temperature	15 - 25 °C
SFO Rainfall	0 - 120 mm

Flying to San Francisco in May is usually considered the best time to fly. However, you will find other deals are always available year round. If you are looking for warm weather when you arrive off of your flight to San Francisco then September is statistically the hottest. December is historically the period with most rainfall.

When is the best time to book a flight to San Francisco?

The price you pay for your flight to San Francisco may vary depending on when you book. For the best chance of a lower fare, look to book 60 days in advance of your trip. Fares are likely to increase a fortnight or so before your departure date.

Which day is cheapest to fly to San Francisco?

The cheapest day to fly to San Francisco is usually Tuesday. At the moment, Friday is the most expensive.

What time of day is cheapest to fly to San Francisco?

Flights at midday are typically the cheapest time of the day to fly to San Francisco. Flights in the morning are usually the most expensive.

San Francisco sits on a peninsula, surrounded by San Francisco Bay on the east side and the Pacific Ocean on the west, a compact city composed of several distinct neighbourhoods. Millions of travellers take cheap flights to San Francisco each year to see its iconic landmarks – the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Haight-Ashbury, Alcatraz – ride a cable car along California Street or saunter through the colourful Chinatowns (there are two).

North Beach is one of San Francisco’s best-loved neighbourhoods. Famous for its cafe culture, it has everything that has made the city famous – cable cars, corkscrew-like streets and bohemian bars.

Pacific Heights boasts those elegant mansions and Nob Hill and Russian Hill are ritzy. The Castro is renowned worldwide as a gay hotspot. Chinatown is a riot of colours, sights, sounds and mouthwatering food.

Haight-Ashbury may no longer be the hippie culture capital, but it has kept its laidback vibe even if its stores are more high-end than tie-dyed.

San Francisco climate

San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters, but, as it’s surrounded by water on three sides, it’s cooler than you’d expect a Californian city to be. Average summer temps are 21 degrees Celsius and the winter temps hover about the 15-degree mark. March-May is spring; June through August summer; September to November autumn (San Francisco gets a wonderful late burst of sun) and December to February is winter when most rain falls.

When is the best time to fly to San Francisco?

Peak Season:

Most travellers jet in on their cheap flights to San Francisco during the summer months. Summer days can be chilly and foggy however. Thank the city’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean for the fog.

Off Season:

December to February is the “rainy season” when you can expect light rain showers, torrential downpours and everything in between.

Shoulder Season:

April, September-November. are shoulder season months.

Getting around San Francisco

San Francisco has its share of hills, but the best way to see it is to walk it.

Driving around San Francisco can be a frustrating business and parking spaces seem to be in extremely high demand too. Public transport is fantastic. San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) extends across most of the tourist areas. BART is the regional metro and Caltrain offers fast commuter rail service.

The historic street cars and cable cars are a tourist must-do. Cable cars go to the most popular tourist destinations. The city bus system (Muni) is comprehensive but avoid rush-hours when the buses are packed.

If you’re bound for Fisherman’s Wharf, the Ferry Building or Union Square, take the “F” Line Trolley. It runs on Market Street and The Embarcadero from the Castro district to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Renting a bike is a wonderful way to see San Francisco. Bike rentals start about $20 per day.