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Getting There · San Francisco

Nearest Airports to the San Francisco Cruise Terminal

One pier, two airports. Princess puts SFO 20 miles and 45 minutes from Pier 27, and BART runs from both SFO and Oakland to downtown. Carnival sells a transfer from SFO; everyone else takes BART, a cab or a rideshare. Here’s what each one costs.

20 miSFO to Pier 27, per Princess
$11.15BART from SFO to downtown
$34.99a person, Carnival’s SFO transfer
12:00Carnival’s SFO landing cut-off

Landing on sail day?

Tell us when you land and when the ship leaves, and we’ll check it against what each ride publishes and our rule of thumb.

Airport
Scheduled landing
Ship departs
The short answer

Fly into SFO. Princess puts it 20 miles and 45 minutes from Pier 27, Carnival’s transfer runs from it, and BART leaves from the International Terminal.

Oakland works if the fare is right: BART takes about half an hour to downtown, with a change at Coliseum. Whichever you pick, land the day before if you can.

Pick SFO if

  • You’re sailing Carnival and want its transfer
  • You want a free shuttle to an airport hotel the night before
  • You’re flying in from abroad

Pick Oakland if

  • The fare saving is big enough to cover the extra ride
  • You’re staying in the East Bay the night before
  • You don’t mind BART with a change and your bags
The Map

One pier, a bay between the airports

From SFO it’s the 101 north into the city and along The Embarcadero to Pier 27, on the northern waterfront. From Oakland it’s the Bay Bridge, or BART under the bay. On a busy day a ship can berth at Pier 35, a 6- to 8-minute walk north of Pier 27 by the port’s count.

PACIFIC SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO BAY EAST BAY 101 BAY BRIDGE PIER 27James R. Herman Cruise Terminal SFO20 mi to Pier 27, per Princess OAKBART to downtown ~30 min
Main roadsBay Bridge (toll)Schematic, not to scale
The Airports

The main one and the one across the bay

The main one
SFO
San Francisco International
To the pier
20 miles, 45 minutes
Princess’s figures, with a taxi at $50 to $60. The city hotels in our top 20 put SFO 13 to 19 miles away.
Getting picked up
Garage, curb or BART
Rideshare meets you on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, or at the International Terminal’s center island, Zones 14 to 17, on the Departures Level. Cabs add a $6 pickup fee. BART is in the International Terminal; the first weekday train leaves at 4:58 AM.
Lounges
Four day passes
LoungePair sells the Golden Gate, China Airlines and Air India lounges in International Terminal A and the Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 2, $45 to $47 for 3 hours.
Across the bay
OAK
Oakland International
To the pier
No published figure
No line or port publishes it. BART’s connector runs 9 minutes to Coliseum, then it’s 21 minutes to downtown San Francisco, $12.65; the city hotels we read put OAK 19 to 25 miles away, though Hotel Caza says 12.
Getting picked up
BART across the street
The BART station is across the street from the terminals, per the airport. The connector runs 5 AM to midnight on weekdays, from 6 AM Saturdays and 8 AM Sundays.
Lounges and parking
One lounge
LoungePair sells the Escape Lounge in Terminal 1, $46 for 3 hours. OAK’s Economy lot is $18 per 24 hours and the Daily lot $26.
The Ride

What the ride to the ship costs

Pick your airport and set how many of you are riding. BART and Carnival charge per person and cabs and private cars by the vehicle, so the cheapest answer changes with the size of your party.

Travelers
Carnival transfer to the port, Carnival guests only—
BART to Embarcadero, then the 20-minute walk—
BART, then the F-line streetcar ($2.85 with Clipper)—
Taxi, low end of Princess’s estimate—
Viator, private car to the cruise terminal, from—
BART to Embarcadero, then the 20-minute walk—
BART, then the F-line streetcar ($2.85 with Clipper)—

One way, before tip, as each company published it on September 26, 2026. Carnival’s transfer is for its own guests. The BART fares are San Francisco Travel’s figures to downtown; a third-party guide puts SFO to Embarcadero at $11.05. The taxi row is the low end of Princess’s $50 to $60, and the private car is a “from” price. No rideshare fare is published.

Heading home after the cruise? Carnival’s transfer back to SFO is $34.99, for flights at noon or later. Otherwise it’s a cab or a rideshare from the pier, or the F-line to Embarcadero and BART.

Sail-Day Landing

Landing on sail day? Check your timing

Carnival and Princess publish their own cut-offs. Beyond those, the yardstick is our rule of thumb, labelled as ours. Enter your landing time and the departure time from your cruise documents.

  • Carnival transfer, Carnival guestsLand by 12:00 PM to ride Carnival’s $34.99 transfer, which runs to the port hourly from 10:30 AM to 1 PM.—
  • Princess guideline, domestic flightsPrincess says your flight should land at least 3 hours before the ship leaves San Francisco.—
  • BART, cab or rideshare, any lineNo cut-off of its own. Princess puts SFO 45 minutes from the pier. Our rule of thumb, not a line’s: land at least 4 hours before the ship leaves.—
  • Princess guideline, domestic flightsPrincess’s 3-hour rule covers San Francisco sailings in general; it doesn’t single out Oakland.—
  • BART, cab or rideshare, any lineNo cut-off of its own, and no published time to the pier. Our rule of thumb, not a line’s: land at least 4 hours before the ship leaves.—

Whatever the ride, your cruise line’s check-in window is the real deadline, and it’s printed in your boarding documents. The port publishes no drop-off time.

Take the clock off sail day

Land the day before. Wake up by the bay.

Twenty hotels for Pier 27, a dozen of them on the waterfront and four with a free SFO shuttle. Tell us your sail date and we’ll book the night before.

Find my best three
Coming Home

The morning you’re back

Ships clear early, flights leave late, and SFO is 20 miles off by Princess's count. Put in your flight and this works out the ride, the wait, and what to do with the bags.

Partner links (transfers, rental cars, luggage storage, lounges) may earn Seabound Journeys a commission at no extra cost to you. They don't change the plan, which is built only from what each company publishes.

BART and Bags

Can you get to the pier without a car?

Yes. BART runs from SFO’s International Terminal to downtown in about 30 minutes, and from Oakland with a change at Coliseum. From Embarcadero station the port puts Pier 27 about a 20-minute walk away; the F-line streetcar stops at The Embarcadero and Sansome, $2.85 with Clipper or MuniMobile.

Bags: there’s no luggage storage at the terminal, per the port. Self-service lockers at the California Welcome Center, Pier 39 Level 2, charge a daily fee, and Bounce lists 114 spots in San Francisco from about $2.25 a day. The Hyatt Centric, Hotel Caza and 1 Hotel all say they hold bags for guests.

Fly In Early

Flying in the day before

The day-before flight is the one move that takes a delay off sail day. It costs a hotel night. It buys you the morning.

Four of our top twenty run a free airport shuttle, all from SFO: both Holiday Inn Expresses, the Embassy Suites Waterfront and the Hilton Bayfront. None of them runs a ride to the ship. For the waterfront hotels, take BART or a cab in, and a short cab or the F-line in the morning.

Pre-cruise hotels

The top six for the night before

Twenty hotels for a cruise from San Francisco, ranked on shuttles, cruise parking, breakfast and distance. Here are the top six.

See all twenty →
145/100
HIE SFO South
Free breakfast, a free SFO shuttle, a pool, and a Park & Fly package to leave the car.
Hold a room →
245/100
Embassy Suites SFO Waterfront
All suites, free breakfast and an evening reception on the Burlingame bayfront, with Hilton's Park, Stay & Go.
Hold a room →
343/100
Harbor Court
Breakfast and a wine hour in the nightly fee, by the Ferry Building, with Ozumo downstairs.
Hold a room →
440/100
Hampton Oakland Airport
Free breakfast, a pool and $20 parking by Oakland Airport, with Hilton's Park, Stay & Go.
Hold a room →
540/100
HIE Fisherman's Wharf
Free breakfast at the Wharf, 0.6 miles from Pier 39.
Hold a room →
639/100
Fairfield SFO Millbrae
Free breakfast, BART a block away and Park Stay and Go packages.
Hold a room →

Airport to hotel, from SFO and Oakland

These are the rides our twenty list from each airport, and the ones that also get you to the ship.

SFOSan Francisco International
Hotels with a ride from here
Airport ride and a ride to the ship
  • None of the twenty does both from here.
OAKOakland International
Hotels with a ride from here
Airport ride and a ride to the ship
  • None of the twenty does both from here.

Every hotel, both airports, side by side: the Getting There table.

Where to stay
The 20 best hotels for the night before
Ranked on shuttles, cruise parking, breakfast and distance, from what each hotel publishes.
Driving instead?
San Francisco cruise parking
The lots by the pier, and what they charge.
FAQ

San Francisco cruise airport FAQ

What is the closest airport to the San Francisco cruise terminal?

SFO. Princess puts it 20 miles and 45 minutes from Pier 27, and the city hotels in our top 20 put SFO 13 to 19 miles from them; most that list Oakland put it 19 to 25. Oakland is across the bay, a BART ride with one change. San Jose is 47 miles from the city, per San Francisco Travel.

Should I fly into SFO or Oakland for a cruise?

SFO, unless Oakland is much cheaper. Carnival's transfer runs from SFO, four of our top-20 hotels run free SFO shuttles, and BART leaves from the International Terminal. Oakland works by BART too, $12.65 to downtown San Francisco with a change at Coliseum, but no cruise line publishes a transfer from it.

How much is a taxi or Uber from SFO to the cruise terminal?

Princess puts a taxi at $50 to $60. Cabs run on the SFMTA meter, $4.15 for the first fifth of a mile and 65 cents for each fifth after, plus a $6 SFO pickup fee. No rideshare fare is published. At SFO you meet drivers on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, or at the center island, Zones 14 to 17, on the International Terminal's Departures Level.

Does Carnival or Princess run a transfer from SFO?

Carnival does: $34.99 a person from SFO to the port if your flight lands by noon, hourly from 10:30 AM to 1 PM, and the same price back for flights at noon or later. Princess sells an Airplane to Ship Transfer with a rep who meets you at the airport, but its public pages give no price. Royal Caribbean says every port has transfers for a fee.

Can I fly in on the morning of my cruise?

Princess's latest domestic arrival for a San Francisco sailing is 3 hours before the ship leaves, and Carnival's transfer needs you on the ground by noon. It can work, but a delay leaves no slack. We'd fly in the day before.

Is there a lounge at SFO or Oakland?

LoungePair sells four SFO passes at $45 to $47 for 3 hours: the Golden Gate Lounge, the China Airlines and Air India lounges in International Terminal A, and the Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 2. At Oakland it sells the Escape Lounge in Terminal 1 for $46.

Can I get to the cruise terminal by public transit?

Yes. BART runs from SFO to downtown in about 30 minutes for $11.15; from Embarcadero station it's about a 20-minute walk to Pier 27, or the F-line streetcar to The Embarcadero and Sansome, $2.85 with Clipper. From Oakland, the BART connector runs 9 minutes to Coliseum, then it's 21 minutes to downtown, $12.65 in all.

Can I fly home the same morning I get off the ship?

Princess sets the earliest domestic flight at 5 hours after the ship arrives. Carnival's transfer back to SFO needs a flight at noon or later. The Coming Home tool on this page works out the gap for your flight.

Sources, read September 26, 2026: sfport.com — cruisesfport.com — 2026 cruise schedulesfport.com — 2027 cruise scheduleprincess.com — cruises from San Franciscoprincess.com — San Francisco port guideprincess.com — flight guidelinescarnival.com — San Francisco transferscarnival.com — SFO to portcarnival.com — port to SFOroyalcaribbean.com — airport transferssfmta.com — taxi faressfmta.com — Muni faresuber.com — SFO pickupsbart.gov — SFObart.gov — OAKsftravel.com — BART faressftravel.com — San Joseiflyoak.com — BART at OAKiflyoak.com — parkingsfcruiseshipparking.com — Ace Parkingmetropolis.io — port cruise parkingviator.com — San Francisco port transfersloungepair.com — SFOloungepair.com — OAKbounce.com — San Francisco luggage storage

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