Since it is wintertime, it's quite obvious that it will be cold in San Francisco. But temperatures can actually vary quite a bit during the winter - anywhere from the mid-high 30s to the low 60s on a warmer winter day. One thing is guaranteed: the weather in SF is completely unpredictable and will vary throughout the day.
In the city itself, the different districts and neighborhoods also have their own micro climates. During the same hour on a given day, one end of the city to the other (a distance of just 7 miles) can bring banks of thick fog, patches of sun, wind tunnels, and areas of rain, which means that it helps to be prepared for anything.
Tips for what to wear during the winter in San Francisco:
Layers are key - both lightweight and heavier layers: warm sweaters, t-shirts, scarves, hoodies (anything that is easy to remove if the sun peeks out and it becomes warm suddenly, but easy to carry and put back on when the clouds roll in)
A warm coat, especially for walking around the city.
Comfortable closed toed shoes & socks - flip flops are for the August/September/October months.
Casual for all seasons: San Francisco is one of the more casual cities out there - even during the winter when it's easier to dress up. Jeans, khakis, etc. are all acceptable - even at nicer restaurants. Comfortable and casual (with layers) is the way to go.
Tips for what to do during the winter (on a nicer day):
San Francisco will be cold, but will definitely have a good number of days in the winter where there isn't any rain - so outdoor activities are still doable!
Outdoor Ice Skating: Yerba Buena Gardens and the Embarcadero Center both have great ice rinks in the winter.
City Lights Cruise: The Red and White Fleet offers cruises around the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and more during the winter season, dubbed the City Lights Cruise. This two-hour cruise offers views of the city skyline at night, while a hearty buffet, drinks, and live music keep the ambiance enjoyable.
Point Reyes Whale Watching: Dress warmly and grab some comfortable shoes for some of the best whale watching in the Bay Area. During the winter, the clear views at Point Reyes around Chimney Rock and the Lighthouse are hot spots for whale watching.
Visit Alcatraz: Tours to the island are offered year-round, and entrance to Alcatraz is free (although the ferry to get to Alcatraz requires a ticket, best bought in advance).
Tips for what to do during the winter (on a rainy day):
Museums are great places to hide out on a rainy day - the MOMA and Exploratorium are open daily during the winter and offer hours of enjoyment.
Take a factory tour: TCHO chocolate offers tours of their factory daily, and just across the Bay Bridge in Berkeley, you can learn how sake is made at Takara Sake. A drive north takes you to the Jelly Belly Factory.
Mission Cliffs Climbing and Fitness: Looking for something active even in bad weather? Mission Cliffs offers indoor climbing (from beginner to expert levels), regardless of the winter weather outside.
Go Shopping: San Francisco has some of the best shopping around. The hot spots are in the Union Square / Westfield Mall area (which has the largest selection of brands, stores, and clothing items, Chestnut Street (lined with a mix of boutique, sophisticated shops, beauty outlets and restaurants alongside brand name retailers), and Hayes Valley (which is full of art galleries, contemporary boutiques, interior design studios, outdoor cafes and wine bars).
For more ideas, explore all our deals for things to do in SF.
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Things To Do In Napa
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King Creole Entertainment
One or Two Tickets to "The Burning Love Tour" Valentine's Day Concert at Justin-Siena Theatre (Up to 51% Off)
Elvis impersonator Rick Torres will croon all The King’s hits and even renew a lucky couple’s vows onstage
Justin- Siena Theatre
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Wine Tasting and Pairing Class for Two, Four, or Six at Judd's Hill Winery (Up to 63% Off)
Judd's Hill Winery and MicroCrush
Napa
$112
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Four Weeks of Membership and Unlimited Fitness Classes at Karate-Fit (75% Off)
Karate-fit / Ask Napa
Napa
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Skiing and Snowboarding Excursions through Adventure Pass for One or Two (Up to 98% Off)
Adventures Pass
Multiple Locations
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$176 for Standup Paddleboard Tour for Two with Harvest Celebration from Napa Valley Paddle ($319 Value)
Napa Valley Paddle
Napa River
$319
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10 Dance Classes from Image dance studio (65% Off)
Image Dance Studio
Beard
$60
$21
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Haunted Interactive Walking Tour for One or Two at Napa City Ghosts & Legends Walking Tours (Up to 56% Off)
Napa City Ghosts & Legends Walking Tours
Napa Courthouse
$36
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Four or Eight Adult Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, or Little Warriors Classes at Sidekicks Martial Arts (Up to 54% Off)
Sidekicks Martial Arts
Napa
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Napa River Kayak Tour for Two or Four or Kayak Rental for Two at Enjoy Napa Vally (Up to 57% Off)
Enjoy Napa Valley
Cental Napa
$99
$43
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One Month of Classes or Five Classes for New Clients, or Credit for Existing Clients at The Dailey Method (Up to 73% Off)
The Dailey Method
Napa
$180
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Four Weeks of Membership and Unlimited Fitness Classes at Core Values Health & Fitness (65% Off)
Core Values Health & Fitness
Napa
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Two or Four 30-Minute Drum Lessons at Steve Trovao Drums (Up to 56% Off)
Steve Trovao Drums
Napa
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Educational Spirit Tasting for Two or Four Plus Craft Spirits Credit at Napa Valley Distillery (45% Off)
Napa Valley Distillery
Cental Napa
$40
$22
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$20 for $40 Toward Two Classes, Choose from: Tai Chi, Yoga, Karate, Chi Gong, or Kickboxing
Master Mark Whittaker Healing Arts
Central Napa
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Select Local Merchants
Not everyone who goes on vacation wants to stay at a hotel—they’d prefer the extra space and full kitchens of a vacation rental. But picking out and then actually reserving and paying for a rental property can be tricky, which is why Tim Choate founded RedAwning.com, a website that brings the benefits of easy hotel-style reservations to vacation rentals. RedAwning.com offers thousands of rental properties in the US, Mexico, and Costa Rica, including studio cottages and houses with hot tubs, pools, and six or more bedrooms. A live reservations staff is on hand to answer questions both before and after you book your stay, and a concierge gives you access to exclusive perk cards and discounts on everything from wine tours to ski-lift tickets to spacecraft rentals.
1275 McKinstry Street
Napa,
CA
US
Napa Entertainment & Sports Center houses an array of fun, competitive, and communal activities that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. Each punch on the five-punch pass allows children to spend 60 minutes playing with gravity in one of the five jump houses. Spheroid-swatters can volley for dominance on the ping-pong table or step into the batting cages, where the pitch speed varies from 35–90 miles per hour, and numerous pitch types keep batters guessing, just as a real pitcher keeps batters guessing by using accents from many different regions of France. Simulated competition thrives on the virtual links of the golf simulator or on the flat-screen TVs, where Wii and Xbox 360 consoles display a variety of games to help improve hand-eye coordination and decrease self-inflicted pokes in the eye.
849 Jackson Street
Napa,
CA
US
You wouldn't expect to find spirit fanatics in Napa Valley but that's the case at Napa Valley Distillery, a micro-distillery co-founded by Arthur and Lusine Hartunian that handcrafts brandy cocktails and small-batch spirits. The highlight is the family's signature Vintage Reserve vodka, which repurposes the region's sauvignon grapes to update a bar staple. Wine Enthusiast Magazine named it one of the top 50 spirits of 2011, noting that its "crisp, extremely smooth finish (it?s filtered an astounding 10 times) makes it addictively sippable, especially when chilled." Other spirits include their California Cowboy rye whiskey, which is aged in port barrels for six months; their Meyer Lemon Liqueur, which was the family's first concoction; and their barrel-aged cocktails, which are mixed and aged in white oak barrels for roughly ten weeks. But you don't have to sneak into one of the barrels and disappear for several weeks to taste the spirits; the entire selection can be sampled at the distillery's old-fashioned Vintage Bar Shop that's located in the Oxbow Public Market.
610 First Street #14
Napa,
CA
US
The grounds of Napa Golf Course may not be used to grow wine grapes, but they do produce their own form of refreshment. The 18-hole, par 72 layout gives golfers a breath of fresh, scenic air as they drive, chip, and putt their way through rolling hills, mature oaks and pines, and waterways. The water hazards seldom come into play?except in the event of a big miss?but the trees are a fixture on nearly every hole. The towering arbors pinch the fairways throughout the round, but the most menacing of them all stands on the 10th hole, where a giant oak is planted right in the middle of the fairway.
A driving range hosts pre-round swing rehearsals?a worthy investment, as the first and third holes are two of the course's most difficult tracks. Golfers can also practice putting, chipping, and using flagsticks for semaphore at a 10,000 square-foot practice green.
Course at a Glance: * 18-hole, par 72 course * Length of 6,704 yards from the tips * Course rating of 72.7 from the tips * Slope rating of 131 from the tips * Four tee options * Scorecard
2301 Napa Vallejo Hwy
Napa,
CA
US
Becky Tyner and Ramon Sandoval came from different worlds. She was a professional in the bustling corporate wine industry, while he, like any dyed-in-the-wool Mexican American, was a confirmed beer and tequila man. Their first date was a wine-tasting excursion in Napa and Sonoma, one that followed with many romantic dinners over fragrant varietals. With this new exposure to the world of wine, Ramon eventually wondered why there weren't any wineries owned by Latinos. Becky knew better?she soon introduced Ramon to the nation's rich population of Latino-owned wineries, from Ceja Vineyards to Robledo Family Winery. Today, the couple curates a wine club that showcases many of these small-batch, Latino-created concoctions. Drawing upon a wealth of knowledge, they work to hook up oenophiles across the country, both Latino and not, with vintages that might otherwise be as difficult to find as a secret agent avoiding bath time.
111 Napa Rd
Napa,
CA
US
