Christmas in San Francisco is the most magical time of the year. The city is full of holday lights, christmas trees, decorations and there are many show/events going on. This is my favorite time of the year, because you can explore insta-worthy spots and cool things are happening in the city in December. In this post I put together my favorite Christmas attractions and activities in San Francisco, I hope you enjoy this local’s guide to best Christmas spots in San Francisco.

Cable Car Stop on Mason & Beach Street near Fisherman’s Wharf

Christmas Houses in San Francisco

Throughout December and during Christmas, lots of houses in San Francisco are beautifully decorated with Christmas decorations. Here are the addresses of the most iconic Christmas Houses in San Francisco:

68 Castro Street, San Francisco (this house is full of decoration, wait until the dusk to see the lights on and twinkling)
45 Upper Terrace St, San Francisco (amazing house with huge nutcrackers, presents and even Santa!)

Union Square, San Francisco

This place is the center of all Christmas things in San Francisco and it transforms into a holiday wonderland in the month of December. It has an amazing holiday vibe, you can find there many interesting things such as Christmas Tree and Ice Rink. The windows of Macy’s are nicely decorated with festive lights and wreaths.

Union Square tends to be busy during holiday season, especially the ice rink, so remember to purchase your tickets beforehand (you can buy the ticksts online, one adult cost $20 with skaters, lockers cost $5).

Christmas Tree at Union Square is 83-foot tall and has around 40,000 twinkling lights, every year it looks the same. Union Square is surrounded by cute palm trees decorated with lights! Make sure to stop at Cheesecake Factory on the top floor in Macy’s to admire the views from the top.

Union Square, the view from Cheesecake Factory

Fort Mason (Christmas Tree Parking Lot)

The Guardsmen Chrtistmas Tree Lot is a winter wonderland full of fresh holiday trees which you can purchase, it also offers fresh wreaths, ornaments, Christmas decorations and activities. You can find there a cute sitting area with some lights and red truck, it’ a really nice spot. This place is now becoming an instagrammable, Christmas spot in San Francisco, so don’t forget to check it out before it becomes more busy!

Pier 39/Fisherman’s Wharf

The Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf area are so touristy, but also they feature one of the best holiday attractions in San Francisco. The highlight of Pier 39 is a huge Christmas tree, festive lights, decoration and the carrusel. You can experience the magic of this place by a light show which takes place every 30 minutes from 5 pm to 10 pm, it’s so incredible! Don’t forget to grab hot cocoa and cookies at Biscoff Coffe Corner. You can also visit Ghirardelli Square and ride a Christmas cable car from there!

Fairmont Hotel San Francisco

Fairmont SF is located near Huntington Park is one of the best way to experience Christmas in San Francisco. It’s such an iconic place! The main attraction of this place is a gingerbread house which is made from a real house-made gingerbread, candy and icing! You can smell all the ingrediens very well. Also, there is a gorgeous Christmas tree located in the lobby of the hotel. Sometimes, The Fairmont hosts holiday tea inside the house.

I hope that this post helped you to find fun things to see & activities to do in San Francisco during Christmas. Feel free to share this post or pin it, so more people will be able to use my tips. Happy Holidays and enjoy your time in San Francisco!