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're traveling with kids.
Short answer
Is Ferry Building Marketplace worth it?
Ferry Building Marketplace deserves a place on most first itineraries.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
The opposite of the Wharf: real local makers, great coffee, oysters, and a Saturday farmers' market locals actually shop at.
- 02
Pricey, but the quality is the point.
- 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're traveling with kids
With kids, Ferry Building Marketplace is an easy yes.
You're traveling as a couple
As a couple, Ferry Building Marketplace is an easy yes.
You're traveling solo
Solo, Ferry Building Marketplace is an easy yes.
Think twice if
You're 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 ↗