Christmas is officially coming, the goose is getting fat and the tree has been put up. Once you’ve done all the food and gift-shopping, you’re probably going to want to go out and have a little festive fun. But what, exactly, are you going to do? Well, wonder no longer because we have this list of the best things to do in SF in December. From enjoying the Holiday lights, to seeing a big-name stand-up comedian, to going on the best true-crime tour in San Francisco, we’ve got the essential scoop on the Bay Area’s activities for you right here.

1. VISIT ONE OF OUR AMAZING MUSEUMS (DATES THROUGH DECEMBER)

For several days of the month (and for some special people on every day of the month) many SF museums are free. We have great museums, largely because of all the rich people that have lived here and given their collections to them, and these are great opportunities to experience some.

Exploratorium: free admission for EBT cardholders and San Francisco Medi-Cal or CalFresh recipients. Also free for California public school teachers.

SF Botanical Gardens: free admission second Tuesday of every month.

Japanese Tea Gardens: free Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9-10 am.

De Young Museum: free first Tuesday of every month, also free every Saturday for Bay Area residents.

SFMOMA: free first Thursday of the month for Bay Area residents.

Legion of Honor: free Saturday’s for Bay Area residents and free Tuesday’s for all.

2. GO TO THE BALLET (DECEMBER 8-27)

The San Francisco Ballet are presenting Nutcracker at the War Memorial Opera House in the Civic Center, a really beautiful setting for the wonderful music of Tchaikovsky.

Sometimes, a gift isn’t just a gift. It’s a key to a new world. A young heroine. A Nutcracker-turned-prince. The small but mighty army of mice. The beautiful conclusion of a sugar plum celebration. 

San Francisco Ballet

Tickets available here.

3. NOTORIOUS SF: SCANDAL & CRIME TOUR (EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT)

When better than Christmas to learn about all the horrible, criminal activity that’s taken place in SF?

Our Notorious SF: Scandal & Crime tour will take you back in time to the Gold Rush era, when Vigilance Committee’s took over the “policing” of the city (which is where the term ‘vigilante’ likely originated). There were several red light districts in the downtown area in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, opium dens were tucked into the basements of many of the alleys in Chinatown and sailors had to be wary, lest they woke up on a strange ship, having been shanghaied in the infamous Barbary Coast neighborhood (which is where that term was invented too). And we haven’t even mentioned the Fatty Arbuckle Scandal yet…

Join us as we go on a cold-case true crime investigation into San Francisco’s dark past – and get cocktails in a couple of historic bars. Every Saturday night, at 6pm. Tickets available here.

4. GO TO THE THEATRE (ALL MONTH)

Christmas is a great time to catch a show. In December we have Frozen performing at the Orpheum, Andrea Bocelli is appearing at the Chase Center and the stage show Beetlejuice is at the Golden Gate Theatre.

Tickets available here.

5. ENJOY THE SAN FRANCISCO FERRY BUILDING (ALL MONTH)

The Ferry Building is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, serving as a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. It’s home to numerous events, pop-ups, a farmers’ market, and a battery of independent businesses that sell their wares on the main concourse inside. During December there are a ton of events going on, including craft-making for kids and gingerbread house construction.

Information available here.

6. GO TO A GAME (DATES THROUGH DECEMBER)

It might not seem that going to a sports match might not have much connection to the Festive Season, but maybe you want a break from the usual festive season stuff. The Golden State Warriors are one of the most successful teams in recent NBA history (they’ve reached the final in six of the last eight years 😉 and Stephen Curry is still turning out for them. It’s the perfect time to go to a game! Definitely one of the best things to do in SF in December

Tickets available here.

7. EXPERIENCE THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS (ALL MONTH)

What better activity can there be – in the whole year – than walking around a major city’s shopping district, looking at the Christmas displays and basking in the festive lights. The neighborhood around Union Square is the perfect place to indulge in that happy pastime.

The annual Illuminate SF is also in place around the city, with a series of light art installations around the downtown area bringing illumination and the festive feeling to San Francisco. There are eleven installations at different points along Market Street, stretching from the Embarcadero to Castro, and more than forty in total. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in SF in December. Information available here. This is always one of the best things to do in SF in December.

8. LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY (DATES THROUGH DECEMBER)

A very distinguished shortlist of successful stand-up comedians are appearing in the Bay Area in December – and really the Holiday Season is the perfect time to sit back and have good laugh. Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Trevor Noah all have shows coming to town this month

Information available here.

9. SEE THE INSIDE OF A PAINTED LADY (ALL MONTH)

Most visitors to San Francisco are aware of the Painted Ladies, beautiful Victorian homes built in the 1890’s on Alamo Square. Even if they don’t know the name, they’ve probably seen a photo of them. If you Google ‘San Francisco’ one of the first images will be of the houses with the city in the background.

You can just stand on the street in front and take a photo, however, an even better idea is to go inside one (and get even more impressive shot for Instagram, of course). Longtime resident George Horsfall owns the blue house and offers daily tours at 4 pm. It’s well worth the $20 ticket price and I can’t recommend the tour enough.

Information available here (and don’t forget to tell George we sent you :-).

10. GO ICE-SKATING (ALL MONTH) 

San Francisco normally has a bunch of pop-up ice-skating rinks over the festive season and it’s a great way to have fun AND get some exercise. However this year the locations at the Embarcadero and Civic Center aren’t operating. Nevertheless the Union Square Ice Rink is open and it’s one of the loveliest spots in San Francisco to enjoy it.

Information available here.

If you have any feedback on the 10 Best Things to Do in SF in December please email us or reach out on social media, we’d love to hear from you.

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)