San Francisco Sunset Times for a Bay Cruise

The sun sets in San Francisco at about 16:50 in early December and about 20:35 in early July. That three-and-three-quarter-hour swing decides what an evening cruise is: in winter, every evening sailing is a night cruise with the city lit up; in summer, the same sailing may leave in daylight. Here is every month of 2027, and which cruise to book for the sunset, the lights, or both.

Sunset times, 2027

Local time at Pier 3, calculated with the Skyfield astronomy library and NASA JPL’s planetary ephemeris. The jumps in March and November are daylight saving time, which starts on 14 March and ends on 7 November 2027.

Which cruise for which month

• November to February: book for the lights. Sunset is between about 16:50 and 18:10, so the City Lights cruise, which the listing says departs after sunset in winter, and the dinner cruises from Pier 3 sail in the dark the whole way, with the skyline and the Bay Bridge lit.
• March to April and September to October: you can have both. An early-evening sailing catches the sunset and comes back in the dark. Compare the boarding times in the calendar with the table.
• May to August: book for the sunset. The sun goes down after 20:00, so the sunset cruises from Pier 39 are the ones timed for it. Adventure Cat’s catamaran sails for 90 minutes with a drink, from $90 , and Blue & Gold Fleet’s Sunset & Skyline cruise leaves at dusk, from $39 .

Prices as listed on GetYourGuide in October 2026, not a quote.

Check dates for the sunset catamaran

Where does the sun set in San Francisco?

Over the Pacific Ocean, to the west, so from the bay you watch it go down out past the Golden Gate Bridge. Adventure Cat’s listing describes the view of the skyline “as the sun sets in the Pacific Ocean”, and the photo below is the scene it sells: the bridge between the boat and the sunset.

San Francisco’s fog can partly or completely hide the bridge, as the City Lights listing warns, so keep a free-cancellation booking and a second evening in reserve if the sunset is the reason for your trip.

What is the best month for a bay cruise?

For the sunset, May to August, when it comes after 20:00 and the evenings are long. For the city lights, November to February, when every evening cruise is in the dark. In between, in spring and fall, a single early-evening sailing gives you the sunset on the way out and the lights on the way back.

Is it worth timing the cruise?

Yes: the same cruise is a different evening in daylight, at sunset and in the dark, and timing it costs nothing. Pick the month’s sunset from the table, choose the sailing closest to it in the calendar, and bring a jacket: the bay cools quickly once the sun has gone.