Overview
Historically home to one of California's original Spanish missions, San Rafael is now a mid-sized Bay Area commuter town with beautiful hills, peaceful nature, interesting architecture, and a bustling downtown area centered around 4th Street. San Rafael is the cultural and political center of Marin County, and offers its own set of attractions as well as easy access to other parts of the county.
2 sights · 7 things to do · 5 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about San Rafael
Mission San Rafael Arcangel
The 20th of the 21 California missions, San Rafael was founded as an asistencia or adjunct to Mission Dolores in San Francisco in 1817, but was promoted to full mission status in 1822. San Rafael was a hospital mission, …
Marin County Civic Center
The Civic Center is the only example of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed government building in the world, and was considered to be well ahead of its time, making it a creative choice as the backdrop of the film Gattaca. Ni…
Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center is a beautifully restored Art Deco theater that was seen in the film American Graffiti. It plays independent films, popular foreign films, and documentaries daily and is locate…
China Camp State Park
China Camp was established as a village by Chinese immigrants. Now it's a state park with hiking trails, a beach, and a museum. The natural scenery includes marshes, forests, and views of the bay. If you keep your eyes o…
McNears Beach
Featuring a swimming pool, fishing pier, snack bar, picnic areas, and volleyball and tennis. A fishing license is not needed when fishing from the pier, but is required when fishing from shore.
Marin Shakespeare
Shakespeare and other classic plays performed every summer in an outdoor theater. Sit near the front to make sure you can hear clearly, and consider bringing or renting cushions for the wooden bench seats. Bring a jacket…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 76°F; winter lows dip to about 43°F. Wettest: Dec and Feb. (climate data from nearby Berkeley)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- OAK Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Oakland — 25 mi away (major hub). Directions
- CCR Buchanan Field, Concord — 26 mi away. Directions
San Rafael is on the 101 Freeway, north of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge. 101 crosses Highway 580 in San Rafael, making the city a major influx point for drivers from the East Bay.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Mission San Rafael Arcangel, Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, Marin Shakespeare
- Lunch Aroma Cafe
- Afternoon Marin County Civic Center, Big Rock Trail
- Dinner Double Rainbow Café
- Evening The Mayflower Pub
Day 2
- Morning China Camp State Park, McNears Beach
- Lunch Puentez Taqueria
- Afternoon Hiking
- Dinner Lotus Indian Cuisine
- Evening Red Whale Coffee
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Like most Bay Area towns, San Rafael has a number of pubs and taco joints as well as cafes and bars. Many restaurants are located on Fourth Street. Sol Food (listed below) deserves special mention as a uniquely popular and iconic San Rafael establishment.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
San Rafael is on the 101 Freeway, north of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge. 101 crosses Highway 580 in San Rafael, making the city a major influx point for drivers from the East Bay.
By ferry
Ferries run from the ferry terminal in Union Square-Financial District, downtown San Francisco. With hourly departures, every 30 minutes during rush hours, ferries are a convenient way of reaching San Rafael. Larkspur Ferry Terminal is about two kilometers from downtown, but is served by buses and the SMART train.
By bus
The San Rafael Transit Center is a hub for local buses, with service to other parts of Marin provided by Marin Transit and service to Sonoma County, San Francisco, and Richmond provided by Golden Gate Transit. The Marin and Oakland airporters (with service to San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport) and Greyhound buses also stop at the transit center.
By train
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, or SMART, has two stations in San Rafael, connecting it with Novato, Larkspur (with connections to the Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco), and places in Sonoma County: Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma County Airport. One railroad station is located downtown at the Transit Center, and the other is between the Civic Center and Northgate Mall.
By plane
The nearest major airports are San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). To get to San Rafael from SFO, you can take the Marin Airporter, which departs SFO every half hour, early morning to late evening, and drops passengers at Anderson Drive and at the Transit Center. Fare is $23 to be paid in cash when you get off.
Groome Transportation, formerly the Airport Express or Oakland Airporter, goes to San Rafael from Oakland Airport, departing every two hours.
Get around
Downtown San Rafael is based on a grid network, with numbered streets running east-west and lettered streets running north-south. The downtown area is walkable, but to visit other places like the Civic Center or China Camp, you're better off driving or biking. Marin Transit's bus service, mentioned above, is also a feasible option for getting to different areas, and the SMART train goes to the Civic Center from downtown.
Taxis are available in San Rafael, and they can also take you to other towns in Marin. You won't usually be able to hail one off the street, but you can call one, and they also line up at the transit center. You can call a taxi from North Bay Cooperative Taxi at +1-415-258-2800.
Uber and Lyft operate here too.
See
Fourth Street, the main street in central San Rafael, is full of shops and restaurants and has a vibrant downtown feel.
See Mission San Rafael Arcangel
The 20th of the 21 California missions, San Rafael was founded as an asistencia or adjunct to Mission Dolores in San Francisco in 1817, but was promoted to full mission status in 1822. San Rafael was a hospital mission, tending the sick from Spanish settlements and natives. The first mission secularized, it was used by General John C. Fremont during the Mexican-American War, and during statehood as the Marin County Courthouse. The original church was torn down in 1861, and a series of Catholic churches were erected at that site. The mission chapel has been restored in 1949, and tours of the site as well as a museum containing three original mission bells are open to the public.
See Marin County Civic Center
The Civic Center is the only example of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed government building in the world, and was considered to be well ahead of its time, making it a creative choice as the backdrop of the film Gattaca. Ninety-minute tours of the building leave every Wednesday and Friday at 10:30AM from the café on the second floor (room 233) and cost $10 ($5 for seniors and students). A branch of the county's public library, where you can see a model of the Civic Center, is located on the fourth floor. Next to the building is the large Duck Pond, officially the Civic Center Lagoon, a nice, shady area to take a walk or feed ducks.
Do
Do Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (Rafael Theater)
The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center is a beautifully restored Art Deco theater that was seen in the film American Graffiti. It plays independent films, popular foreign films, and documentaries daily and is located at the heart of 4th street.
Do China Camp State Park
China Camp was established as a village by Chinese immigrants. Now it's a state park with hiking trails, a beach, and a museum. The natural scenery includes marshes, forests, and views of the bay. If you keep your eyes open, you may still stumble across shards of Chinese pottery during your visit.
Do Marin Shakespeare (Forest Meadows Amphitheater)
Shakespeare and other classic plays performed every summer in an outdoor theater. Sit near the front to make sure you can hear clearly, and consider bringing or renting cushions for the wooden bench seats. Bring a jacket or a blanket for evening performances—San Rafael cools down quickly when the sun sets.
Do Hiking
The hills north of San Rafael have some hiking trails, as does China Camp, though for really great views you have to go a little further afield to other parts of Marin.
Do Big Rock Trail
Hiking trail with views of George Lucas properties, pretty far outside of town off Lucas Valley Road. You'll recognize the trailhead from the, well, big rock.
Buy
This region of California is full of fertile farmland, so fresh produce is plentiful. There are several weekly farmers' markets which feature music, crafts, and activities for kids as well as a variety of local food.
The main street downtown is 4th Street, full of shops, boutiques, and restaurants with a lively feel.
Shop Northgate Mall (The Mall at Northgate)
American suburban malls have gone out of fashion, and this slowly dying mall in the Terra Linda neighborhood is no exception. Most shops are boarded up, the old movie theater is roped off, and what was once a food court is now a pitiful shell of itself. The mall still has a Macy's and a handful of shops and small restaurants, but the main draw now is the activities: escape rooms, an arcade, bounce houses for kids, and a small roller skating rink.
Shop Gamescape
Popular local store for board games, card games, and role-playing games. Has a huge variety that will interest anyone from families looking to pass time on a car ride to serious roleplayers or wargamers. In the back you'll sometimes see groups playing Warhammer, Magic, or Pokemon. The staff are knowledgeable and very helpful.
Eat
Like most Bay Area towns, San Rafael has a number of pubs and taco joints as well as cafes and bars. Many restaurants are located on Fourth Street. Sol Food (listed below) deserves special mention as a uniquely popular and iconic San Rafael establishment.
Eat Lotus Indian Cuisine
Simply the best Indian food in Marin, relaxed and quiet atmosphere, excellent service, and a retractable ceiling to let in the sun on a warm day.
Eat Sol Food
Puerto Rican cuisine and tropical ambiance make this restaurant very popular with the locals.
Eat Puentez Taqueria
Mom & pop taqueria in Montecito plaza.
Eat Aroma Cafe
Coffee shop vibe, but the menu has a variety of food, including wraps and pita. Grab a bite to eat or just chat over coffee.
Eat Double Rainbow Café
This charmingly retro shop calls itself a café, and yes, there are drinks and sandwiches, but the real draw here is the ice cream. Good old-fashioned ice cream, by the scoop or in the form of splits, shakes, floats, freezes, or malts. Vegan/dairy-free options.
Drink
Drink The Mayflower Pub
Authentic British pub & grill, same location since 1971. Serves lunch & dinner. Great salads, burgers, fish & chips, bangers & mash, sausage rolls, and other standards.
Drink Red Whale Coffee
Unpretentious coffee place with a unique approach to coffee.
Sleep
Stay Extended Stay America
Accommodations geared towards the extended stay traveler. 112 guest rooms complete with fully equipped kitchens, on-site laundry facility, indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, meeting room, breakfast in the morning, business center, Wireless Internet throughout the property, flat screen televisions in all rooms, and fitness center on-site.
Stay Panama Hotel
A small, quaint, eclectic hotel, with unusual and uniquely decorated theme rooms. The restaurant is likewise unusual and pleasing, and yes, the jazz is a nice addition. Mexican-Italian-Californian cuisine in an artsy interior, and outdoor dining in spring and summer. The whole affair is located in a quiet district, near the center of town. Rates include a very nice continental breakfast.
Stay safe
San Rafael's crime rate is higher than most of Marin County, but it is still much safer than larger nearby cities like San Francisco or Oakland.
If you decide to venture into the Canal District, stay alert, even in the daytime, as parts of it are quite dangerous. However, it is home to some of the best Latin food in the Bay Area. Try not to wear too much red- or blue-colored clothing—you may be confused as a rival to another gang and approached. It is best not to walk around the Canal District at night. West of Kerner is more dangerous than East of Kerner, which has nice town homes along the water.
Parts of Downtown, Terra Linda, and near Woodland Avenue have some crime as well so just be aware of your surroundings and don't dress all in red or blue.
Go next
- Nearby Fairfax
- Mill Valley, gateway to the beautiful Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais
- Continue north on 101 towards Napa Valley and the wine country.
- Point Reyes is to the west on the Pacific coastline.
- San Francisco is just a 20-30 minute drive south on 101.
- Head over the hill to Stinson Beach on the Pacific Coast.
Nearby
San Anselmo
City / town · 4 listings · 2 mi away
Fairfax
City / town · 14 listings · 3 mi away
Larkspur and Corte Madera
City / town · 11 listings · 4 mi away
Mill Valley
City / town · 22 listings · 6 mi away
Tiburon
City / town · 14 listings · 9 mi away
Stinson Beach
City / town · 5 listings · 9 mi away
Novato
City / town · 24 listings · 9 mi away
Sausalito
City / town · 33 listings · 9 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.