Things to Do in San Francisco
San Francisco Things To Do Guide
San Francisco artfully blends a myriad of different cultures and combines a cosmopolitan aesthetic with a rich history and culture. From enjoying the many museums to attending a Giants game, shopping or eating at great restaurants, virtually anyone can find things to do in San Francisco.
For the artistically inclined, the Museum of Modern Art, located south of Market, provides a diverse gallery of 20th-century art. It is a popular destination with over 600,000 annual visitors. The Asian Art Museum, located near the Civic Center, houses artifacts and artwork from all across Asia. The city has a strong Asian-American community, dating back to the 19th century.
San Francisco attractions include a broad range of restaurants, from steakhouses to Italian and Japanese eateries. The Izakaya Sokai, located on Lincoln Street, offers ramen, uni and shirako as its main dishes. For the Italian food connoisseur, La Ciccia Restaurant on San Francisco Avenue offers a no-frills atmosphere and an authentic Italian menu. Meanwhile, Epic Roasthouse on the Embarcadero offers a menu of steakhouse favorites.
Activities in San Francisco aren't just about dining and the arts. Sports fans can have their fun as well, visiting AT&T Park to watch a Giants game in the spring, or watching the 49ers play in the fall.
Historically, San Francisco played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States starting with the gold rush of 1849. The Spanish were the first to settle the area, and remnants such as Mission Dolores stand as a historical site. Other historical sites include the famous prison Alcatraz, and people can travel throughout the city on the famous trams, which have been in operation since 1873.
Things to Do Deals
Bay Area Expeditions
- Central North San Francisco
Experienced outdoorsmen lead excursions through redwood-lined and oceanside trails as hikers learn basic skills
Fitness SF
- Multiple Locations
Modern exercise equipment, cardio machines, and group classes help gym members get fit at four Bay-area locations
Core Pilates & Physical Therapy
- Mission
Pilates mat classes strengthen core muscles and improve balance; Booty Barre blends Pilates, yoga, and dance for an energetic workout
Wineluv Wednesdays
- Blu Restaurant
Boutique wineries pour samples of their favorite vintages as guests dine, sway to music, and gaze at local art
Dynamo Fitness
Steadily improve your strength, endurance, and flexibility during 5 or 10 weeks of outdoor boot camp
Mountain View Winery
- San Rafael
In a brand-new tasting room, guests leisurely sample a selection of wines, learn about the winery, and take home a bottle of wine each
USS Pampanito
- Fisherman's Wharf
No longer submerged under the Pacific seas or the weight of World War II, this submarine now serves its country as a floating museum
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
At AB Mixed Martial Arts Academy, yoga and cardio sessions complement a rigorous sequence of muay thai boxing and brazilian-jujitsu classes taught by martial-arts champions. During introductory workshops, instructors focus on foundational techniques. Intermediate instruction augments the basics with friendly competitions and self-defense strategies such as sweeps, counters, and submissions, where fighters email short fiction manuscripts to their opponents. Students can bolster their workouts with team-oriented cardio classes or Vinyasa-flow yoga training, which hones balance and flexibility. The kid's jujitsu program instills practical self-defense skills in a safe, age-appropriate environment, while also building confidence, discipline, and the focus needed to fill in SAT test bubbles telepathically.
Yogic Motion is not your average yoga studio—it's much hotter. The experienced staff specializes in teaching heated-room yoga to beginners and those with physical limitations (chronic injuries, pregnancy, lack-of-being-really-hot, etc.).
Even before you climb inside, the GoCar is clearly a car with a personality. The petite, three-wheeled two-seater has a hood that slightly resembles an eager-to-please smiley face, and an open top that seems custom-made for letting the breeze ruffle your hair. Then the real fun begins: built with the company's own software and a compassion for the voiceless robots of America, a talking GPS system guides two-seater GoCars through the city streets of San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon with cheerful, info-rich narration. Second only to having a knowledgeable local jog alongside your minivan, tours zip along at drivers' own pace and accommodate as many pit stops as time allows.
The many stigmas surrounding the sluggishness and spitball susceptibility of school buses and public transit are rendered inane by the sleek comforts of Blue Groundways' buses. Each Blue Groundways bus is an indulgence-vessel on six wheels, offering the musicality of Sirius satellite radio, the connection of on-board WiFi, five-star service from friendly attendants, beverages to hydrate your journey, and the most recent movie releases played on a slick video system. Scheduled routes include a Friday ride that starts in Santa Rosa and travels along Route 42 to Petaluma and Sacramento before arriving in Lake Tahoe and then later in Reno, returning back home on Sundays. The San Francisco to Reno route leaves on Fridays and Sundays with return trips on Saturdays and Sundays, making stops in both Lake Tahoe and Sacramento. Check out the route map for pick-up locations.
