Bay fireworks, then a walk to the Pacific
This is leg 1 of 1, the opening leg.
Travel leg · San Francisco New Year's Eve
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building to Lands End & Ocean Beach
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building and Lands End & Ocean Beach sit about 9.9 km (6.1 mi) apart in a straight line, with Lands End & Ocean Beach to the west. It is leg 1 of 1 on our San Francisco New Year's Eve itinerary, a 3-day trip. Here is how long it takes by car, what to see on the way and where it fits in a real itinerary.
- Straight-line distance
- 9.9 km · 6.1 mi
- Est. road distance
- 12–14 km
- Est. drive time
- 15–35 min
- Direction
- Heading west
- Curated routes
- 1 itinerary
Road distance is estimated as 1.2–1.4× the straight line; drive time assumes average speeds of 25–45 km/h with no stops or traffic. These are rough estimates — check a maps app for the actual route.
Ways to get there
We don't have live routing data, so the figures below are labelled estimates built from the straight-line distance. Use them to plan the day, then confirm in a maps app.
By car
Most travelers on our San Francisco New Year's Eve itinerary do this leg by car. We estimate 12–14 km (7.4–8.6 mi) of road and 15–35 min behind the wheel, so check live traffic before you set off.
BART runs extended late-night service on New Year's Eve; Embarcadero station is a short walk from the viewing area. The Embarcadero closes to cars around the Ferry Building in the late evening, and rideshare surges heavily for the first hour after midnight; walking up Market Street to Montgomery or Powell to find a car is faster. On Jan 1 take the 38R Geary bus to Lands End or the N Judah to Ocean Beach, or drive; parking at the Lands End Lookout lot fills by late morning.
Open The Embarcadero → Lands End directions in Google Maps ↗
Worth stopping for
Picks from our curated guides at both ends, plus 1 place near the straight-line path.
When you arrive in Lands End & Ocean Beach
The city's wild northwest corner; New Year's Day for a coastal walk, a museum and the beach.
Sutro Baths
Concrete ruins of an 1896 glass-roofed bathhouse at the water's edge, below the Lands End Lookout.
Beach Chalet
1925 building at the end of Golden Gate Park with WPA murals downstairs and a brewery restaurant above Ocean Beach.
Ocean Beach
Three and a half miles of wide, windswept sand along the Pacific, edged by the Great Highway.
California Academy of Sciences
Natural history museum, aquarium and planetarium under a living roof in Golden Gate Park.
Lands End Trail
Cliff-edge path through cypress trees above the Golden Gate, with views of the bridge and the Marin Headlands.
Legion of Honor
Fine arts museum in a copy of a Paris palace in Lincoln Park, with Rodin's Thinker in the courtyard.
Near the way
These places from our other itineraries sit within about 1.5 km of the straight line between The Embarcadero and Lands End. The road may not pass them directly, so check how far off your route they are.
Before you leave The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
Bayfront promenade facing the Bay Bridge; 2 nights for the fireworks, oysters and Nob Hill.
San Francisco New Year's Eve Fireworks
The city's free midnight show, fired from barges in the bay off Pier 14 and watched from the Embarcadero.
Ferry Building
The 1898 ferry terminal under a clock tower, now a marketplace of bakeries, cheese shops and oyster bars.
Boulevard
Nancy Oakes' Belle Epoque dining room in the 1889 Audiffred Building, serving American food since 1993.
On this curated route
Where The Embarcadero → Lands End sits in the full itinerary. Highlighted stops are this leg.
Going the other way? Lands End & Ocean Beach to The Embarcadero & Ferry Building is the same 9.9 km in a straight line, heading east. Reverse directions in Google Maps ↗
The Embarcadero to Lands End: questions travelers ask
How far is The Embarcadero & Ferry Building from Lands End & Ocean Beach?
The Embarcadero & Ferry Building is about 9.9 km (6.1 mi) from Lands End & Ocean Beach in a straight line, with Lands End & Ocean Beach to the west. By road, we estimate 12–14 km (7.4–8.6 mi), or 1.2–1.4 times the straight line. Check a maps app for the exact route.
How long does it take to drive from The Embarcadero & Ferry Building to Lands End & Ocean Beach?
An estimated 15–35 min, assuming 12–14 km of road at average speeds of 25–45 km/h with no stops or traffic. It is not a routed time, so check a maps app on the day.
What is there to see between The Embarcadero & Ferry Building and Lands End & Ocean Beach?
Near the straight-line path we have 1 place from our curated guides, including Swan Oyster Depot (San Francisco). The road may not pass them directly, so check the detour.
Which itineraries include the trip from The Embarcadero & Ferry Building to Lands End & Ocean Beach?
Our San Francisco New Year's Eve itinerary includes this leg. San Francisco New Year's Eve runs about 3 days across 2 stops, best in Dec 30 – Jan 1.
Guides for both ends
- The Embarcadero & Ferry Building travel guide
- San Francisco weather covers The Embarcadero & Ferry Building and Lands End & Ocean Beach
- Lands End & Ocean Beach travel guide
San Francisco by month (covers Lands End)
Plan The Embarcadero → Lands End with your crew
Add this leg to a shared itinerary, poll the group on where to stop, split fuel and tickets, and keep everyone's packing list in one place in TripsCircle.