Ferry Building Marketplace
A restored ferry terminal turned artisan food hall, with a farmers' market three days a week.
The call
Worth it if you only have one day and you are traveling with kids.
Why
- 01
The opposite of the Wharf: real local makers, great coffee, oysters, and a Saturday farmers' market locals actually shop at.
Our read - 02
Pricey, but the quality is the point.
Our read - 03
Nearly 50 local artisan merchants fill the marketplace — Hog Island oysters, Cowgirl Creamery cheese, Dandelion chocolate, Humphrey Slocombe ice cream — and the SF Standard notes it's running at just a 5% vacancy rate.
sfstandard.com - 04
The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market has linked the city to California's best sustainable growers since 1993, with wood-fired pizza, tacos, and kebabs on Thursdays and Saturdays.
foodwise.org
Is it a fit?
Go if
You only have one day
Short trip or not, keep Ferry Building Marketplace.
You are traveling with kids
With kids, Ferry Building Marketplace is an easy yes.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Ferry Building Marketplace is an easy yes.
You are traveling solo
Solo, Ferry Building Marketplace is an easy yes.
Think twice if
You are watching the budget
Ferry Building Marketplace can strain a tight budget. Go only when it is a priority.
You care about the visual experience
Ferry Building Marketplace offers some beauty & photography, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
History and culture matter to you
Ferry Building Marketplace offers some history & culture, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
Plan it well
- Cost
- Free (food extra)
- Timing
- Saturday morning for the full farmers market in full swing; per Time Out, show up near noon to catch the dwindling crowds in the last two hours.
- Booking
- No ticket needed; sit-down restaurants like Hog Island take reservations, market stalls are walk-up.
- Allow
- 1-2 hrs
- Accessibility
- Flat, fully accessible historic hall with level entrances and elevators.
- Getting there
- At the foot of Market Street on the Embarcadero; the F-line streetcar, BART/Muni at Embarcadero station, and ferries all stop here.
Sources and method (5)
- The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market runs year-round three days a week (Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday), with more than 100 vendors on Saturdays cuesa.org ↗
- sfstandard.com ↗
- foodwise.org ↗
- visitcalifornia.com ↗
- dylanstours.com ↗