There’s a lot of great events coming to San Francisco this month: Christmas and the New Year don’t slow down the city by the bay! There are cultural celebrations, art exhibitions, comedy shows, film festivals and there’s even a long-distance run (followed by hot chocolate, natch, it’s likely going to be cold). Narrowing down all the things going on in the Bay Area to a list of just ten is hard, but these are my choices for the 10 best things to do in SF in January. Enjoy! 

Events & Activities in San Francisco This Month

1. VISIT A MUSEUM FOR FREE (DATES THROUGH JANUARY)

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 (partly because of all the rich people that have lived here) – you should make the most of these opportunities.

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.

Cable Car Museum: free every day, and one of the most interesting museums in all of San Francisco.

Other SF museums well worth visiting:

The Walt Disney Family Museum

California Academy of Sciences

Museum of the African Diaspora

2. SF: FOOD + HISTORY + ART TOUR (EVERY SUNDAY, AT NOON)

The Mission District is renowned for having some of the best food in San Francisco. We take you on a tour of the best spots in the neighborhood, so you can enjoy tasty authentic local food, such as Salvadorian pupusas, street tacos and Mexican tamales. 

The Misión San Francisco de Asís, which gives its name to the neighborhood, is also the birthplace of modern San Francisco. We’ll give you an overview of the city’s history, from the dog days of the Spanish Empire, to being part of Mexico, to the Gold Rush era, through the Great Fire of 1906 and up to today, as the city transforms once again.

The Mission District is arguably the best neighborhood for public murals too. The tour visits the Balmy Alley Mural Project, as well as stopping for some amazing street art at the Women’s Building. It’s one of the best ways to get a better understanding of this often complicated – and often misunderstood – city. We’re biased, but it really is one of the best things to do in SF in January.

More information here.

3. HOT CHOCOLATE RUN: 15K / 10K / 5K (JANUARY 11)

This annual race, America’s sweetest in fact, starts and ends in Golden Gate Park, near Haight Ashbury. Bizarrely the more you pay the longer you have to run! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Nevertheless, a chocolate lovers’ oasis awaits at the post-run party, with more – much more – than just hot chocolate. It’s the perfect way to bring in the New Year and definitely one of the best things to do in SF in January.

More information here.

4. GO TO A SPORTS GAME (DATES THROUGH JANUARY)

The Golden State Warriors are playing at the Chase Center a lot in January, with games against Utah Jazz and the New York Knicks. They’re one of the most successful teams in recent NBA history (they’ve reached the final in six of the last nine years) and Stephen Curry is still turning out, and turning it on, for them. It’s a great time to catch a game!

Tickets available here.

5. VISIT THE TOP OF THE MARK AND THE TONGA ROOM (ALL MONTH)

At the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill is a bar. For years it’s been on the list of many, locals and visitors to go to the Top of the Mark and take in the views of the city. The bar is at the top of a tall building at the summit of the hill. If you go on a fine day you can see over to the East Bay and the whole region. If it’s foggy it’s incredibly atmospheric.

Right opposite, in the basement of the Fairmont Hotel is the Tonga Room. Once upon a time the hotel’s indoor swimming pool, many years ago it was turned into the coolest, most fun – and biggest – Tiki Bar you’ve ever seen. You could visit both these spots easily on the same night. It’s a real experience of San Francisco.

6. EXPLORE THE PRESIDIO (ALL MONTH)

The Presidio is the National Park on the southern side of the Golden Gate (assuming you’re not from SF :-). The park obviously has some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, but it has a lot of other hidden spots to explore. More information here.

We have a great free self-guided tour, from the Embarcadero to Crissy Field in the Presidio.

You could also walk down to Lands End if you’re feeling energetic.

7. GO TO A COMEDY SHOW (VARIOUS DATES)

Who couldn’t do with a good laugh? SF has a thriving comedy scene, as you might expect, and shows often feature lineups of established and up-and-coming stand-ups at comedy nights all over the Bay Area.

Cobb’s, the legendary North Beach comedy club, has a series of shows throughout the month. Did I mention they’re free (although there is a two drink minimum)? More information here.

There’s also Secret Improv Society and Punchline Comedy Club, both well-established comedy clubs that organize regular events, often with well-known stand-ups.

8. SEE THE LIGHTS (ALL MONTH)

The 13^th annual Illuminate SF will be in place until January 31, with a series of light art installations in and around the downtown area bringing illumination 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 January.

More information here.

The Exploratorium has brought back its light exhibition,GLOW: Discover the Art of Light. See brand new and expanded installations created by six artists, until January 25, at the Exploratorium on Pier 15.

More information here.

9. GO TO A CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT (VARIOUS DATES)

The San Francisco Symphony is one of the most highly regarded in the U.S. and the orchestra has an interesting program of concerts in January, featuring a screening of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl with a live orchestra, and performances of Holst’s The Planets and other events.

More information here. 

10. NOIR CITY FILM FESTIVAL (JANUARY 16-25)

Who hasn’t imagined themselves to be in a Noir movie at some point – with a femme fatale trying to convince you to do something really bad, and your client or boss trying to kill you. Or maybe that’s just my imagination.

Nevertheless, one thing these genre films have in common with each other is that all of them are always entertaining. There’s a mystery, usually murder, there’s a beautiful girl, there’s a dangerous villain and there’s a hard-bitten and handsome good-ish guy. What’s not to love?

Noir City Festival is very well-established, having been going for more than twenty years, and has a fantastic line-up of feature films and talks involving the film genre at the historic Grand Lake Theatre, in Oakland.

More information here.

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

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)