A Local’s Guide to Spending an Afternoon on Treasure Island SF
Treasure Island is one of San Francisco’s most visually striking waterfront destinations, offering wide-open walking paths, uninterrupted skyline views, and rare space to slow down while still feeling connected to the city.
Surrounded by the Bay, with panoramic sightlines to San Francisco, Oakland, and the bridges, the island delivers a sense of openness and calm that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Treasure Island makes for an exceptional afternoon or early evening built around walking, scenery, and a few well-chosen experiences.
This guide covers how to get here, where to walk, what to do, and how to plan your visit so the island delivers exactly what it does best.
The Right Way to Spend an Afternoon or Early Evening on Treasure Island
Treasure Island naturally lends itself to a relaxed, scenic outing built around walking, views, and a few thoughtfully chosen experiences. The setting encourages an easy pace, making it a rewarding place to spend a few hours taking in the surroundings and enjoying what the island has to offer.
Where Treasure Island truly excels is atmosphere.
Wide waterfront paths, open skies, steady bay breezes, and uninterrupted views of the skyline and bridges create a setting that feels expansive and unhurried. It’s a place where the environment sets the tone, inviting you to linger, explore, and enjoy the moment.
Treasure Island excels as a curated afternoon
Starting with a walk, anchoring your visit around one or two experiences, and letting the setting guide the pace creates a genuinely memorable way to spend time on the island. This guide is designed to highlight the experiences that come together especially well, helping you make the most of an afternoon or early evening on Treasure Island.
How to Get to Treasure Island (and What to Know Before You Go)
Getting to Treasure Island by Ferry
The Treasure Island ferry runs daily between the San Francisco Ferry Building and Treasure Island, with a ride time of about eight minutes. It’s one of the most enjoyable ways to arrive, offering sweeping views of the Bay Bridge, the skyline, and Alcatraz before you even step onto the island.
Getting There by Bus
The Muni 25 Treasure Island bus connects the island to downtown San Francisco via the Salesforce Transit Center. It runs daily and is a solid option for getting to and from the city.
Getting Around The Island
Once you’re on Treasure Island, most of what you’ll want to explore is easily walkable. There’s also a free on-island shuttle, along with bike-friendly roads and paths. Walking or biking lets you fully enjoy the waterfront views and open space at a relaxed, unhurried pace.
Start with Views, Walks, and Photo Spots
If you enjoy walking, biking, or taking photos, Treasure Island is one of the most rewarding places in San Francisco right now. Open waterfront paths, wide sightlines, and uninterrupted skyline views make it easy to slow down and let the setting carry the experience.
Avenue of the Palms Waterfront
This is the most natural first walk on the island. From the ferry landing, follow the wide waterfront path along Avenue of the Palms for clear views of downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge. It’s flat, easy, and lined with photo-ready angles almost the entire way.
Cityside Park & the Great Lawn
Just off the waterfront, Cityside Park adds a loop of paths, lawns, and seating that pairs perfectly with the Avenue of the Palms walk. It’s ideal for relaxed laps, dog walks, and sunset pauses, with highlights like Canopy of Sky by Ned Kahn, a kinetic installation of shimmering discs that moves with the wind and fog. On Off the Grid days, this area fills with food trucks, music, and people spread across the grass with the skyline behind them.
Panorama Park (Yerba Buena Island)
If you only have time for one viewpoint, make it Panorama Park. Set at the highest point on the island, it delivers sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline, both spans of the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, Oakland, and the North Bay in one slow turn. Golden hour along the waterfront followed by blue hour at Panorama Park is one of the best light sequences you’ll find in the city.
Things to Do on Treasure Island Right Now
Cocktail Classes at Gold Bar Tasting Room
One of the most memorable hands-on experiences on Treasure Island is our cocktail classes at Gold Bar. This is not a demonstration. Guests step behind the bar to make three full-size cocktails, work with three to four premium spirits, and learn real techniques they can recreate at home. We also weave in the distillation process and stories from Treasure Island’s past, all inside a restored 1930s Art Deco terminal with skyline views.
We currently offer whiskey cocktail classes and gin cocktail classes, making this an ideal afternoon or early-evening activity for visitors, date nights, or hosting friends without leaving the island.
Light Sports and Casual Play
Bay Paddle Pickleball
Bay Paddle has transformed underused blacktop into reservable pickleball courts, offering both open-play sessions and bookable time slots. Late afternoons and evenings are popular, especially on weekends, so checking the schedule ahead of time is recommended.
Treasure Island Skatepark
The island’s skatepark offers free, daytime access for skaters and BMX riders, set against dramatic industrial Bay views. It’s a lively stop along the waterfront where movement, energy, and scenery come together naturally.
On-the-Water Activities
Treasure Island Sailing Center
The Treasure Island Sailing Center is a long-standing part of the island’s outdoor and maritime culture, known for connecting the community to Clipper Cove through sailing and paddling experiences. As the island continues to evolve, the center remains part of the broader vision for accessible, water-based recreation on Treasure Island.
History and Storytelling
Treasure Island Museum
Located directly across from Gold Bar, the Treasure Island Museum offers a compact but engaging look at the island’s layered story, from the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition through its naval legacy and into the vibrant waterfront community that exists today. It’s free to visit and regularly hosts talks, walking tours, and special programs that add depth and context to a visit without feeling heavy or academic.
Guided Tours and Hosted Experiences
Treasure Island Yacht Club
Located along Clipper Cove, the Treasure Island Yacht Club serves as a long-standing social hub for sailors and boaters, with a full calendar of sailing activities, clubhouse gatherings, and community traditions throughout the year. Non-members are also welcome to stop by the bar and bistro, mingle on the deck, and enjoy relaxed waterfront views alongside the boating community.
SF Jeep Tours
SF Jeep Tours offers open-air private tours designed around unexpected viewpoints and local storytelling. Select routes include Treasure Island stops for Bay Bridge panoramas, skyline overlooks, and short historical context, all experienced from angles most visitors never see.
Food and Drinks on Treasure Island
Gold Bar Distillery & Tasting Room
As the island’s waterfront distillery and tasting room, Gold Bar’s tasting room operates out of a restored 1930s terminal just steps from the ferry. We focus on small-batch whiskey and gin, creative cocktails, coffee, and a comfort-leaning food menu designed to fit naturally into an afternoon or early evening on Treasure Island. Guests stop in for everything from hands-on cocktail classes to a single sunset drink or a relaxed break between walks.
Set on the Great Lawn with direct Bay Bridge views, Mersea is the island’s most relaxed sit-down option. The container-built space serves approachable comfort food and a full bar, with outdoor bocce and lawn games that encourage lingering over a long lunch or early dinner, especially on sunny afternoons and weekends.
Aracely Cafe offers an all-day café menu in a bright indoor-outdoor setting with a garden patio. It’s a natural stop for brunch, coffee, or a low-key meetup before heading out to viewpoints, tastings, or evening plans.
A working urban winery housed in former Navy buildings, Treasure Island Wines pours small-production wines made on site and sells bottles to go. It’s an easy add-on for wine lovers or a simple way to bring something home after an afternoon on the island.
Island Cove Market functions as the island’s go-to deli and provisions stop, with sandwiches, snacks, and picnic supplies. Nearby, Mateo’s Hot Dogs offers a fast, unfussy bite when you want something quick without committing to a full sit-down meal.
Events and Festivals on Treasure Island
Gold Bar Events
At Gold Bar, we host some of Treasure Island’s most consistent and well-loved events, creating a true evening destination on the island. Weekly staples like Friday Jazz Nights and Sunday Sunset DJ sets draw locals and visitors alike, pairing live music with Bay Bridge views, golden-hour light, and a lively waterfront atmosphere.
Beyond the weekly rhythm, Gold Bar regularly produces larger-scale concerts, themed nights, outdoor movie screenings, public markets, and seasonal celebrations. The space is also a sought-after venue for private events of all sizes, from intimate celebrations to large corporate gatherings, reinforcing Gold Bar as one of Treasure Island’s most active and dynamic social hubs.
Wrapping It Up: Is Treasure Island Worth an Afternoon or Evening?
Treasure Island delivers a uniquely memorable afternoon or early evening built around open space, stunning waterfront views, and thoughtfully chosen experiences. From scenic walks and skyline vistas to standout food, drinks, and events, the island offers a setting that feels curated, relaxed, and distinctly Bay Area.
Approached with intention, Treasure Island shines as a place to slow down, take in the scenery, and enjoy a few excellent moments without distraction. This guide is designed to help you make the most of that experience, so your time on the island feels effortless, rewarding, and genuinely special.