Do you want to travel from San Diego to San Francisco? Find here the best travel options from San Diego to San Francisco, United States.
San Francisco is the cultural center of Northern California. The city has a relaxed atmosphere and is home to the famous Golden Gate Bridge, the best cafes and galleries, and the freshest seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf.
How far is San Francisco from San Diego?
The distance from San Diego to San Francisco is 501.8 miles or 807.6 kilometers.
Transportation Options from San Diego to San Francisco
The following table summarizes all transportation options from San Diego to San Francisco:
| Method | Travel time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Flight from San Diego to San Francisco | 1 hour 30 minutes | – |
| Driving trip from San Diego to San Francisco | 8 hours 30 minutes | – |
| Train from San Diego to San Francisco | 12 hours | – |
| Bus from San Diego to San Francisco | ~11 hours | – |
How to get from San Diego to San Francisco
1. Flight San Diego San Francisco
Trip duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
The total flight time between these two cities is almost an hour and a half. It’s a quick way to travel between San Diego and San Francisco, even if you add a few hours of check-in and bag drop.
Southwest Airlines is a very popular option for this trip, as they do not charge for luggage or changes. You’ll get the lowest rates if you book at least a couple of weeks in advance, but you’ll have to go to their website to do so – they don’t participate in rate searches on other websites.
2. From San Diego to San Francisco Drive by car
Trip duration: 8 hours and 30 minutes
The distance between San Diego and San Francisco is almost 800 km. Therefore, if you are lucky enough not to encounter traffic jams, it will take you about 8.5 hours to arrive.
California’s highways have so many options for traveling between San Diego and Los Angeles that it would take you just as long to select a route as it would to drive it. I’ve done this trip many times and can help you narrow down the options to just a couple.
3. Train from San Diego to San Francisco
Trip duration: 12 hours
The high-speed rail system between San Diego and San Francisco, which you may have heard of, is doubtful ever coming to fruition.
There is no road from Sacramento to San Diego; however, you can ride the Amtrak train.
The train runs from San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot through Los Angeles and north. But it does not reach the city of San Francisco.
Instead, the train goes to Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco.
If you select this route to travel, Amtrak will take you from Oakland to San Francisco by bus.
4. Bus from San Diego to San Francisco
Trip duration: ~11 hours
Greyhound buses travel from San Diego to Los Angeles. Expect many stops, each lasting ten minutes to an hour. The fastest time is just over eleven hours, and the rates are somewhat lower than those of the plane.
