Per-person cost guide
Trip: Thursday, August 27–Monday, August 31, 2026 Group: six adults Prices checked: August 24–26, 2026
This is the common cost reference for the itinerary and the idea pool. All amounts are per person unless a total is explicitly identified.
How to read the numbers
- Exact means a current published ticket or menu price.
- Estimated all-in restaurant ranges include San Francisco sales tax and roughly 20% gratuity for table service. Counter-service estimates include tax but do not assume a full-service tip.
- Alcohol is excluded unless the description says a drink is included. For most restaurants, add roughly $18–$30 per cocktail after tax and tip.
- Rideshare and robotaxi fares are dynamic. The estimates assume the stated number of people splits the fare evenly and should be rechecked in the app before ordering.
- Shopping is intentionally excluded from trip totals because Target, thrift, Magic cards, POP MART, and Nintendo purchases can vary enormously.
Quick budget by day
| Day | Core plan per person | What changes the number |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, for Alexis/Colton/Iru | $30–$85 | SFORNO street pizza plus one drinks choice: walk to Absinthe or ride to Charmaine's; do not stack both. |
| Friday | $80–$175 | Arsicault with Alexis and Colton; SFMOMA; Naadam; transit; and light lunch. Target purchases are extra. |
| Saturday, nonresident visitor | $165–$310 | Includes Muir Woods, group rides including Waymo, Sausalito lunch, Tea Garden, and dinner. Z & Y is the lower birthday option; Empress is the upper option. Shopping is extra. |
| Saturday, SF resident | $147–$292 | Same plan including Waymo, but Japanese Tea Garden admission is free with proof of residency. |
| Sunday with Pampanito + Z & Y | $170–$258 | Z & Y is the seated group dinner; SFORNO can lower the total if the group deliberately chooses the casual takeout backup. Musée Mécanique also lowers the total, while a Twin Peaks ride or skyline cocktail raises it. |
| Monday airport ride | Alexis + Christa: $0 guest cost; Marshal + Bri: about $18–$30 each | Colton drives Alexis and Christa together after charging Sunday; Marshal and Bri split an Uber from Hotel Spero. |
Before flights, hotel, alcohol, and shopping, budget approximately $445–$800 for Alexis, $415–$715 for Christa, and $435–$745 each for Marshal and Bri. Colton and Iru avoid the visitor Tea Garden and airport-ride costs. These are planning ranges, not quotes.
Meals, cafés, and bars
| Option | Per-person range | Typical budget | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFORNO Pizzeria Napoletana | About $9.50–$14 | $14 | One Pizza Portafoglio is about $9.50; an Italian soda is $4.50. This is the street-pizza budget, not a full-size pie. |
| Absinthe Brasserie & Bar | $12–$18 for one drink | $18 | Current nonalcoholic cocktails are $12 and cocktails are $18; it is the walkable after-SFORNO choice. |
| Charmaine's rooftop | $50 minimum | $50+ | Current evening reservations require a $50-per-person food-and-beverage minimum for parties of three or more; transportation is separate. |
| Arrival-night takeout | $20–$35 | $28 | Flexible neighborhood-food budget. |
| Hedge Coffee | $5–$10 | $8 | Relaxed Friday coffee backup when sitting awhile matters more than pastries or a full breakfast. |
| Arsicault Mission Bay | $10–$14 | $12 | Friday breakfast completed by Alexis and Colton; current pastry and drip-coffee prices fit this range. |
| Philz | $5–$10 | $8 | Pre-order or delivery on Saturday and Sunday mornings. |
| Breakfast Little | $15–$22 | $18 | Breakfast burrito plus coffee; estimated from current ordering range. |
| Tartine Bakery | $14–$23 | $18 | Current menu: pastries about $5.95–$7.75, egg sandwich $13.25, coffee about $4.75–$6.95. |
| Light Friday lunch | $15–$25 | $20 | Quick counter-service meal after the airport run. |
| Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory | $0 to visit; $5–$10 for cookies/souvenirs | $5 | No attraction ticket. |
| Naadam | $25–$35 all-in | $30 | Current mains are $16.99–$22.99; range allows a drink or shared dumplings. |
| Z & Y | $55–$75 all-in | $65 | Six-person family-style dinner with several shared dishes and rice; alcohol extra. |
| Sausalito waterfront lunch | $30–$50 all-in | $40 | Casual sit-down lunch; waterfront seafood or cocktails push toward the top. |
| Japanese Tea Garden Tea House | $10–$20 | $15 | Optional tea and a small snack; garden admission is separate. |
| Empress by Boon | About $160 before drinks | $160 | Exact $118 prix fixe plus stated 5% health mandate, 20% service charge, and estimated tax. |
| Chotto Matte | $100–$150 all-in | $125 | Planning average for a shared Nikkei dinner; cocktails can push it higher. |
| Blue Whale | $75–$105 all-in | $90 | Planning average for a shared modern-Chinese dinner; alcohol extra. |
| Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf | $20–$30 | $25 | Soup/sandwich or bread-bowl lunch plus a nonalcoholic drink. |
| Andytown Coffee | $5–$10 | $8 | Coffee and, at the high end, a small pastry. |
| The View Lounge | $45–$75 all-in | $60 | One cocktail or nonalcoholic drink plus shared plates. A full dinner can reach $75–$100. |
| Bourbon & Branch | $25–$55 all-in | $40 | Roughly one to two cocktails with tax and tip; this is not a dinner replacement. |
| La Taqueria | $18–$25 | $22 | Burrito or tacos plus a drink; counter service. |
| Plow | $25–$40 all-in | $32 | Sit-down breakfast with coffee; wait time is a bigger issue than cost. |
| State Bird Provisions | $110–$160 all-in | $135 | Secondary birthday fallback; depends heavily on how many cart-style plates and drinks are ordered. |
| Spruce | $140–$220 all-in | $180 | Secondary fine-dining fallback; alcohol is the largest variable. |
| Nari | $100–$150 all-in | $125 | Secondary Thai birthday fallback; shared dinner, alcohol extra. |
Birthday-dinner comparison
| Restaurant | Expected cost per person | Six-person planning total | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empress by Boon | ≈$160 before drinks | ≈$960 before drinks | The fanciest new Chinese experience and the clearest special-occasion choice. |
| Chotto Matte | $100–$150 all-in | $600–$900 | The liveliest rooftop room, cocktails, music, and Nikkei food. |
| Z & Y | $55–$75 all-in | $330–$450 | The food most aligned with Colton's love of Sichuan. It has hot-pot dishes, not cook-at-the-table hot pot. |
| Blue Whale | $75–$105 all-in | $450–$630 | A known excellent fallback that Colton and Iru already trust. |
Attractions and sightseeing
| Option | Cost per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Diaries firehouse | Free | Exterior sidewalk/photo stop. |
| SFMOMA | $30 exact | Buy general adult admission at the museum entrance; no advance ticket planned. |
| Transamerica Pyramid exterior | Free | Exterior walk-by only. |
| Muir Woods shuttle + admission | $19 exact | Purchased for six: $24 in round-trip Larkspur shuttle tickets plus $90 in adult entrance fees, $114 total. |
| Muir Woods private-car alternative | $18.33 each in reservations/admission, plus driving | Unused alternative. Six adults would require two vehicles, two parking reservations, bridge tolls, and charging/gas. |
| Sausalito waterfront walk | Free | Food and transportation are separate. |
| Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center | Free | Optional quick photo stop. |
| Fort Point | Free | No ticket or reservation. |
| Mrs. Doubtfire house | Free | Exterior sidewalk/photo stop. |
| Haight-Ashbury walk | Free | Thrift purchases are separate. |
| Japanese Tea Garden | $18 nonresident / $0 SF resident exact | Buy admission at the entrance; SF residents need proof. Optional Tea House spending is $10–$20. |
| Gamescape / other card shop | Free to browse | Magic purchases are variable. A practical discretionary cap is $25, $50, or $100. |
| Alcatraz Day Tour | $47.95 exact | Purchased for six: $287.70 total paid. Ferry, island access, orientation, and Cellhouse audio tour included. |
| Pier 39 sea lions | Free | No ticket. |
| USS Pampanito | $25 at the pier; budget about $27 online | Choose this for Marshal's submarine branch. |
| Musée Mécanique | Free admission; $5–$15 for games | Machines are pay-to-play. |
| SS Jeremiah O'Brien | $20 exact | Whole-group alternative to Pampanito. |
| Salesforce Park | Free | Andytown purchase is separate. |
| Union Square / Nintendo / POP MART | Free to browse | Purchases are variable. |
| Twin Peaks | Free | Transportation is separate. |
| Badlands | Budget $0–$10 cover + $15–$25 per drink | Cover and event pricing can vary; verify the day of. |
| Mount Tamalpais | Free to visit | Parking or rideshare is separate; use only as a major swap. |
| Muir Beach Overlook | Free | Transportation/parking is separate. |
| Ocean Beach / Castro walk | Free | Food, nightlife, and transportation are separate. |
| Treasure Island skyline stop | Free | Vehicle or rideshare cost is separate. |
| USS Hornet | Budget about $25; verify at checkout | Alameda half-day swap; transportation across the Bay Bridge is separate. |
Transportation
| Option or leg | Estimated cost per person | Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Short in-city Uber XL | $7–$13 per leg | Six people split a dynamic $40–$75 fare. |
| Two ordinary in-city Ubers | $8–$15 per leg | Three people in each car; combined fare split by six. |
| Short Waymo ride | $8–$15 per leg | Three or four riders split one dynamic fare. |
| Zoox preview | Free | Only if someone receives waitlist access. |
| Tesla Robotaxi/Cybercab | Unknown | No verifiable public San Francisco booking or fare; do not budget around it. |
| Hotel Spero + Eddy Street to Larkspur by Uber XL | $15–$22 | Six people split the Saturday-morning fare with one intermediate pickup. |
| Larkspur to Sausalito by Uber XL | $8–$12 | Six-way split. |
| Sausalito to Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center by Uber XL | $8–$12 | Six-way split; dynamic fare and bridge traffic can change it. |
| Sunday one-day Muni Visitor Passport | $15 exact | Includes buses, Muni Metro, historic streetcars, and cable cars. |
| Regular Muni single ride | $2.85 exact | Clipper, contactless credit/debit, or MuniMobile; good for 120 minutes. Cash is $3. |
| Regular Muni Day Pass | $5.70 exact | Buses, trains, and historic streetcars, but not cable cars. |
| Cable-car single ride | $9 exact | The $15 passport is better for the planned Sunday loop. |
| Thursday SFO rideshare backup for Alexis | $45–$70 | Contingency only; the core plan is for Colton to pick her up. |
| Two-person Monday SFO Uber | About $18–$30 each | Marshal and Bri split an estimated $35–$60 direct ride from Hotel Spero. |
| Colton's Tesla at a public charging station | $0 guest cost if Colton covers it; budget $3–$5 each if six people split one session | Colton cannot charge at home. Budget approximately $15–$30 for the vehicle per useful Supercharger session; the live rate, congestion fees, and recommended limit appear in the Tesla app. Garage fees, parking, and tolls are additional. |
Shopping and personal spending
These stops are free to enter, so the itinerary labels them “$0 to browse; purchases variable.” To prevent shopping from quietly dominating the weekend, each person can choose a personal cap in advance:
- Target: $25 / $50 / $100 cap.
- Haight-Ashbury thrift stores: $40 / $75 / $150 cap.
- Magic: The Gathering shop: $25 / $50 / $100 cap.
- Nintendo and POP MART: $25 / $50 / $100 cap.
What is not included
- Flights and Marshal/Bri's Hotel Spero room.
- Target, thrift, Magic cards, Nintendo, POP MART, and souvenirs.
- Most alcohol.
- Parking tickets or garage fees if the driving plan changes.
- Surge pricing beyond the rideshare ranges.
- Any cancellation, reservation, or special-event fee not shown before checkout.
Price-check links
- Empress by Boon menu, Z & Y menu, and Naadam menu
- Tartine Guerrero ordering menu and Arsicault menus
- Muir Woods reservations, Alcatraz Day Tour, and Japanese Tea Garden admission information
- Current SFMTA fares
- Tesla charging information and station map
Restaurant estimates should be rechecked when reserving because menus, mandatory service charges, and group policies can change. Rideshare estimates should be rechecked in the app at the intended departure time.