Fisherman's Wharf Parking

Be very careful about parking here, especially overnight. I thought I would save a few bucks instead of parking at our hotel, and lo and behold, I return to my car the next day and find that my rear quarter window was smashed in an attempted burglary (Nothing was stolen as the car was empty). There was no on-site attendant. Better to just pony up the extra 15 or 20 and valet with hotel.

Parked here because we saw a sign that said $12 if you leave by 1pm. So pleased to say that they were not lying. We parked from 7am-12:55pm and only paid $12. Also, you pay at a machine so you don't really have to deal with any employees

Not sure why there are so many negative reviews! This place was perfect for the Across the Bay racers. We saw a sign that said $12 before 1pm and figured that's plenty of time after the race. Parked around 7am, close to the shuttle bus stop, took our sweet time after the race, got brunch and got back to the parking lot at 12:55pm.

I saw the negative Yelp reviews and got worried we read the sign wrong but when we got to the ticket machine, it was really only $12 for nearly 6 hours of parking in San Francisco! We're 26 year old women but we squealed "YAY!" like 6 year old girls LOL! Great location, great price and no problems whatsoever!

If I could give this place zero stars I would!!! They are a huge rip off! We literally parked there for 2hours and 5 minutes and they charged us for 2 and a half! It was $37 dollars for TWO HOURS AND FIVE MINUTES!!! Wow!!! And they were rude as hell. The guy literally LIED on the phone and told whoever he was talking to that there was no line and there was!!! We were waiting for the cars to go through and then we pulled out behind them. And he is charging us an extra 7.50
For 5 minutes!!! I WILL NEVER PARK THERE AGAIN AND I WOULD ADVISE YOU Don't EITHER!!

Everything that is here is just so nice but the parking for outsiders! Make sure you park there before 10 so you can get your 3 hrs free parking!

Grew up in SF, know it well, finally got to experience an AWFUL deal right in Fishermans Wharf area. We parked right across from Sabella & LaTorre restaurant on Taylor - they were all too happy to tell us where to park (behind Boudins Sourdough) but I did notice a long line to pay and get out of there.
After eating & walking around, we went to leave - had a 3 hour stamp on our ticket due to eating at Sabella & LaTorre's. Still had a long line just to get out of the lot!!! When it finally got to be our turn, we find out why - they are ripping people off and everybody is arguing with them. They told us no, its only a 2 hr stamp after 6pm (nowhere was that posted) and when we finally said okay then how much is it, he quoted a price that was way over what it should have been ( my hubby can add quickly in his head).
The 'manager person' in an old red jacket with gray duct tape on the back argued a bit, then backed up when he saw even MORE people stacking up to get OUT of his lot. I feel they are ripping off all the lovely people who come to visit our town. Someone outta check into that whole operation ~

Born and raised in San Francisco and had never parked in this lot in any of my 52 years. We were going to eat at Alioto's and I saw the sign said 3 hours free parking with validation so I decided to try out this central spot for the first time in my life.

Lo and behold, when I got back after dropping $480+ at Alioto's and a nice leisurely 2+ hour lunch with validation, and after a brief stroll thru the Musee Mechanique, I noticed that I was down to 2:50 used up of the 3:00 free parking. So I went back to get the car out of the lot before my free validated time ran out (now they have automated parking payment machine) and was so confused when machine said I owed $9 (1 hour at their steep $3 for each 20 minutes normal unvalidated rate). I went to find an attendant and ask about this and he pointed out that the big lighted sign says "Up to" (in smaller 1/2-sized letters that probably almost no one who's driving around looking for parking would notice) next to the bigger double-sized "3 hours of free parking with Validation". So there was nothing to do but pay up but I said that this was deceptive advertising and he just shrugged. As I walked back to the pay machine, I thought with a shock -- Oh, no, don't tell me that now I've crossed the 3hr boundary and they're going to stiff me for another $3 -- sure enough, now the cost was no longer $9 but was $12 because of the couple extra minutes complaining to the attendant (parking attendant, that is, who I had to track down out in the middle of the lot -- there's no one to give you information at the entrance where you come in and get your parking ticket, nor at the automated pay machines).

$12 is a pittance compared to the nigh on $500 that we spent at Alioto's but still it's the principle and the lameness of this all and the sour taste it leaves in one's mouth. Now I know why I'd never ever parked at this place in the last century that I've occasionally been around Fisherman's Wharf.

And upon reading a bunch of the other people's comments below in the other reviews, I see that others ran across much the same experience that I did...

Skip this lame outfit...

valet is not mandatory at all, but the valet people here would bully you into using their services. we parked once before as tourist, and we used a rental - we didn't know any better and we gave our car to the valet guy - of course thats more dollars out of your pocket. then, when we got our rental car back, guess what - our car was all scratched up and when we asked the valet guy about it, he asked us if we are sure about it. when we told him it is a rental car and there were no scratches on it, he automatically tells us that any damages in the vehicle is not their fault. WTH??? seriously dude? luckily, it was covered with our insurance. well, that was a while back, and 3 weeks ago, we came back to san fran as a tourist and parked here again. as soon as we got in, the valet guy was very forceful for us to use the valet. luckily, he left to park someone else's car, and we just took off and parked our car somewhere else.

the sign they have outside says, in big letters: 3 hours free parking... and if you are new in the are, you believe that right away, but of course, in smaller letters, it says :UP TO 3 hours... sheesh. anyways, i dont know any other parking lots in the area, so unless someone tells us where else to go, im afraid we may have to use them again.

The parking there is bad. Please don't park there. We as a family parked there. Thinking if we eat there, we can get 3 hours free parking. However, we didn't eat in a full service restaurant, so we only got an hour free parking. Because of the instructions wasn't clear so we talked to the parking log employee there about it. He was rude. He said, "The longer you talk, the more you pay. We are still counting the time."

Plus the parking is under the sun without a roof. When we left, I noticed that seagull poop was all over my van. It was terrible.

If you want to go there, please do your research for parking place to avoid such situation. Hope this will help.

WARNING! If you see open parking spaces on Taylor St. (with parking meters), a gutter painted white, no Tow Away signs posted on the street, DO NOT PARK THERE! The meter will even take your money and tell you that you have what ever time you paid for, but don't be fooled, your car will be towed. There is a little sign about 3" x 7" on the front of the meter post (out of line of sight) that is blocked by your car after you have parked that tells you this space is for buses to load and unload only. So the question is, why have parking meters there inviting you to park??? There is no large sign on the street marking this as a tow away zone.

After they tow your car you have to get a taxi, if you don't have someone with another car with you, to AutoReturn on 7th St. There you will pay up to $519.50 to get your car back. If it is a rental car and anyone in the history of that car has committed the same violation part of the $519.50 is $89.00 for what they call "SF Admin Fee-Repeat Tow". Our car came out of L A. with only 1800 miles on it so the possibility of it being in S.F. and having a previous violation is very small. This is just another way for the city to rip you off. If there are so many of these situations that they are automatically adding a "repeat tow" item on the bill it looks as if the City Administration would look into this problem with the small sign, Why would I put over $7.00 on my credit card in the meter to get 3 hrs. parking if I knew I was in a bus parking zone and cars would be towed. It doesn't make sense.

This is nothing more than a way for the city of S.F. to make money on visitors.

Welcome to the great city of San Francisco.

Gary Adams