8 Best Things To Do In The San Francisco Airport, California

things to do in san francisco airport
Trip101 Editorial
Trip101 Editorial 
Published
| 3 min read

San Francisco International Airport is the largest airport in Northern California. It is ranked the second busiest airport in California and the Western coast of America. While waiting for your flight or before booking your flight at the airport, it would often get boring when one has nothing to do productively. There are a lot of things to do in California, like visiting Disneyland Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Universal Studios of Hollywood and the famous Alcatraz Island. However, near the airport, there are not many prominent places to visit. You can go and visit the Golden Gate Park to kill some time or see the Hollywood Walk of Fame list. The things to do in San Francisco Airport range from doing yoga to exploring the aquarium or the museum of the city. It’s a must-visit location whether on transit or as a destination which is worth the travel as well as a visit. If you’re looking things to do in the San Francisco Airport, California, read below to check out our recommendations.

1. Drop by SFO Museum

SFO Museum (26459499296)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ed Bierman used under CC BY 2.0

To kill some time before your flight, do visit the SFO Museum and check out the impressive displays. The museum is free, and timings are from 10 am till 4:30 pm. It is a small museum, but it tells an interesting story about aviation’s evolution. The museum comes with a library in which you can spend the time reading to kill time. It is indeed a beautiful place to step aside from the busy airport hustle and bustle.

SFO Museum

Address: Pre-security on the Departures Level of the International Terminal Main Hall

Website: SFO Museum

Opening hours: 10am - 4:30pm (daily)

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2. Listen to music by local artists

Music album
Source: Pixabay

The local artists may not be Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift. However, they do sound good. The instruments they play are carefully mastered, and they know their craft well. They can perform songs on demand, do listen and be serenaded while you wait for your boarding time at the airport. These artists come from humble beginnings and will do well if you can take the time to listen to their modest performances.

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3. Have a meal at the local restaurants

Marriott SFO Airport
Source: Photo by user Prayitno / Thank ... used under CC BY 2.0

The local restaurants provide fast food. By fast it does not mean that they are cooked earlier for convenience; the food is freshly made when you make your order and it is delivered to you at the earliest possible time. These restaurants provide a variety of dishes that you can have a continental breakfast, Chinese, Mexican, and many more foods. What better way to kill some time than by consuming all your favorite meals for the day?

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4. Do some yoga at the Yoga Room

things to do in san francisco airport | do some yoga at the yoga room
Source: Photo by user Jennifer Boyer used under CC BY-ND 2.0

The Yoga Room is a great place for relaxation and meditation. It serves as a great place to step out from the busy hustle-bustle of the airport. The Yoga Room has all the modern yoga amenities and facilities for your convenience. It is secluded from noise so you can take your time before you travel to relax and do some exercise and meditate to your heart’s content.

Yoga Room

Address: SFO Terminal 2

Website: Yoga Room

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5. Browse the internet for free

free_wi_fi_spot
Source: Photo by user Wayda Dreamscape used under CC BY 2.0

Unlike many other International Airports, the airport provides free wifi to travelers. You can enjoy browsing through the internet or streaming your favorite internet series on Netflix or Hulu. If you are in business, then you can also use the internet service in the library and milk away to your business. The speed is fast, and visitors have rated the internet service as excellent.

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6. Let your kids have fun in the play area

Quiet playground
Source: Photo by user hslo used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Kids’ spots are areas where kids are allowed to play to blow off some steam before their flight. Children are prone to vomiting on their flights due to the height, especially during their first flight. The kids’ spot thus enables children to have fun before the exciting flight. The locations are on Terminal 3 boarding area, Terminal 2 kids’ spot, and the forest-themed Terminal 1 kids’ spot.

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7. Get a facial at XpressSpa

Amsterdam Schiphol airport
Source: Photo by user Sharon Hahn Darlin used under CC BY 2.0

Visit XpressSpa where you can have all the services of a modern spa, with facials, manicures, pedicures, massages and more. This spa is a great place for ongoing travelers who are strained from traveling or those with jetlag. The facials, in particular, are heavenly and the massages can cure any stress that you have. The spa is available in the Terminal 2 boarding area.

XpressSpa

Address: Terminal 2, Boarding Area D - T2 Retail Street

Website: XpressSpa

Opening hours: 6am - 11pm (daily)

Price: From 25 USD

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8. Go luxury shopping

Luxury shopping

You may wonder where to shop during your stay in the city;who would have guessed that the airport is the best place for luxury shopping, with shops like Gucci, 100% pure, Burberry, Mango and many more depending on the terminal. In terminal 1, you can find books and magazine outlets. Terminal 2 has Kiehl’s, Mango and Mosaic gallery. Terminal 3 has a robust retail selection. The international terminal is where serious shopping can be done with all the luxurious shops present like Coach, Burberry, and Gucci.

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Our guide to things to do in San Francisco Airport

You never know what may happen in an airport; flights may be delayed, sometimes canceled even. That is why we have listed down all the things you can do to kill time and relax before the boarding time. From idly going to the museum to shopping, you can have a lot of fun as well. The Airport is excellent with all the modern amenities and facilities available in the world. Do not miss the opportunity to travel to this extraordinary airport.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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