Christmas in San Francisco is not to be missed! There is something extra special about “The City by the Bay” during the holidays. San Francisco Christmas events include ice skating, candy decorations, Victorian-era villages, and Nutcracker teas.
There are even light peeping opportunities aboard a red fire engine, in a groovy 70s-style VW van, or from a trolley car! Check out our favorite Christmas events in San Francisco. Updated for 2025!
Christmas in San Francisco 2025- The Best San Francisco Christmas Events
Union Square Holiday Attractions
Union Square is the most iconic city spot for Christmas in San Francisco. An elegant outdoor plaza, it is rimmed by upscale stores where Christmas wishes come true. We’re talking Macy’s, Louis Vuiton, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Neiman Marcus.
Never fear; there’s more than retail therapy to enjoy! Once the square’s massive Christmas tree is officially lit, the area transforms into a holiday wonderland. Here’s a rundown of Christmas events in San Francisco you shouldn’t miss:
Looking for more Christmas events in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond? Check out our guide to Christmas events in Northern California.
Hang Out with Santa and Take Your Dollie to Tea at Westin St. Francis
Breakfast with Santa
Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast buffet with Santa at the Westin St. Francis! This classic American breakfast, featuring eggs, bacon, pancakes, fresh fruit, and a mimosa for each adult, also offers an incredible view overlooking San Francisco.
Santa will make an appearance, giving every child the chance to meet him and capture a memorable photo. Back by popular demand, the holiday craft station, hosted by local favorite Messy Art Lab, offers fun, art-inspired activities for kids to enjoy. Saturday, December 6, 9-11:30 AM
The Sugar Castle
The hotel’s beloved Sugar Castle is an annual holiday tradition. It has surprised and enchanted guests for 20 years now! The 12-foot-tall revolving replica of a French château, created by Executive Pastry Chef Jean-François Houdré and his team, weighs over 1,000 pounds and features more than 20 circular towers, around 30 rooms, illuminated windows, a charming village, and a running train.
Visitors can tour the castle through an augmented reality (AR) adventure, offering a peek “inside” the sugar-coated exterior to explore the enchanting interior of this spectacular creation. By simply scanning a QR code, guests are transported into the magical world of the medieval-inspired Sugar Castle. If you’re lucky enough to spot the hotel’s dog mascot, Francis, wandering inside the castle, you can claim a prize at the concierge desk.
The castle will be available for viewing in the Tower Lobby from Wednesday, November 26, 2025, until January 2, 2026.
The Dollie+Me Holiday Tea
The beloved Dollie + Me Holiday Tea returns! Hosted by Kit & Sis, the event includes a lively dollie crafting activity. Each child will leave with a goodie bag of year-round doll crafts. Children must bring their own doll or stuffed animal. This year’s tea has two seatings, on December 13 and 14 at 11 AM.
The Westin is just steps from iconic Union Square holiday attractions like the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink and Macy’s Christmas Tree.
Light the Menorah
If your visit coincides with Hanukkah, you’re in for a treat! Many shoppers take a break from the Union Square holiday hustle and bustle to gather around the stunning 25-foot-tall mahogany Menorah.
Built by the late Bill Graham, a well-known Bay Area concert promoter, the Festival of Light is an eight-day Jewish festival of light. A candle is lit each day, and readings, songs, activities, and children’s arts and crafts are also part of this hopeful occasion.
The Menorah lighting will take place from December 14 to December 22, 2025.
The Macy’s Christmas Tree and Safeway Holiday Ice Rink
Situated right in the center of the Christmas events in Union Square, the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink is a perfect blend of winter fun and holiday magic.
Located at the base of Macy’s Christmas tree, you can spin amid 33,000 twinkling LED lights. The ice rink is open from November 5, 2025, through January 19, 2026.
Be sure to book tickets in advance online; this activity is sure to sell out, especially on weekends.
Spend more time in SF. Discover the best things to do in San Francisco with kids.
Adopt a Pet from the Macy’s Windows
A Christmas miracle has occurred in Union Square! Many holiday shoppers and merrymakers were saddened by the news last year that Macy’s flagship store in San Francisco would close. What a difference a year makes! Thanks to a new partnership with TMG Partners, this iconic Macy’s location will remain open for the immediate future. Amazing news because Christmas in San Francisco is not complete without a visit to Macy’s store windows.
The windows will be transformed into an adoption center for dogs and cats in need of loving families! This event has placed over 8,800 animals in forever homes and raised nearly $400,000 for the San Francisco SPCA. What better Christmas gift is there for a child than a cute puppy or a cuddly kitt
It’s not easy to walk by these colorful windows and resist the temptation to take a sweet creature home with you! Kittens play amid specially constructed sets, and puppies look on in bewilderment at all the human faces pressed up against the store windows. They are just too cute!
Macy’s Holiday Windows with the San Francisco SPCA will launch on Friday, November 21, 2025, and remain open through Wednesday, December 31st, Wednesday- Sunday, noon -5 PM.
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair
One of the greatest ways to celebrate Christmas in San Francisco could also be classified as a time travel portal. You will swear you’ve been transported to Victorian London when the Great Dickens Christmas Fair takes over the San Francisco Cow Palace.
An immersive adventure into Victorian London, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair is complete with period holiday decorations, pubs, dance floors, festive shops, costumed actors, and entertainment that reflect the spirit of the Victorian Era.
This year’s event takes place over five weekends, from November 22 to December 21, 2025.
The Nutcracker Ballet
Another opportunity to revisit Victorian Christmas traditions arrives at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House in the form of the Nutcracker.
Audiences have made the San Francisco Ballet’s sparkling production featuring young Clara and a cast of characters from the Kingdom of Sweets, a holiday tradition dating back to 1944. The Nutcracker runs from December 5 to 28, 2025.
Walk Through Gingerbread House at the Fairmont Hotel
Since the Fairmont Hotel opened in 1907, Christmas in San Francisco has included the time-honored tradition of afternoon tea. The hotel offers an afternoon tea service in the same style it has served for 100 years. Make your reservations soon! Holiday teas will be offered from November 22, 2025, to January 4, 2026.
Don’t miss the two-story, life-sized Gingerbread House in the hotel’s grand lobby! It has become a must-see attraction for guests from near and far. It will be displayed from November 22, 2025, through January 1, 2026.
The two-story Victorian Gingerbread house is 25 feet high, 35 feet wide, and nearly 11 feet deep. It is made with hundreds of real gingerbread bricks baked by the hotel pastry team, pounds of See’s Candies, a ton of royal icing, and candy décor.
Take Your Teddy Bear to Tea
The legendary Teddy Bear Tea at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, takes place on November 29, 30, and December 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, 2025, with seatings at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. They will also host a tree lighting on December 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
Children and their beloved stuffed animals are invited to assemble in The Terrace Courtyard Tent for a glamorous tea service featuring the giant Ritz-Carlton Teddy Bear.
Holiday entertainment is served along with hot chocolate, holiday confections, and assorted sandwiches. The cost includes a teddy bear and a photo.
View Christmas Lights from a VW Bus or Fire Truck
Christmas in San Francisco means holiday lights, and there are plenty of them! Experience the twinkly magic aboard a shiny red fire engine or a 70s-style VW van. This is a great way to get to some of those truly special spots without thinking about navigating traffic or dealing with parking!
Dress warmly, particularly if you select the fire truck experience! An open-air ride traversing the city’s famous hilly landscape is bound to be chilly. The San Francisco Fire Engine Holiday Lights Tour is a 90-minute city excursion with seasonal sights in Union Square, Embarcadero, and Market Street.
If you decide to hitch a ride aboard a VW Hippie bus, San Francisco Love Tours takes groups of six out for a festive drive to the best holiday light views and Christmas displays on Lombard Street, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Embarcadero, the Castro, and more. Each tour includes 2 city photo stops.
This two-hour guided tour also includes a holiday sing-along, perfect for cuddling up with the family! This year’s tours run from December 1 through December 30, 2025, at 5 PM and 7 PM.
Let’s Glow SF
Four buildings in the Financial District will feature light displays nightly from December 5 to 14, 2025. Let’s Glow SF shines on the Pacific Stock Exchange, One Bush Plaza, Station J, and the Hobart building from 5:30 to 10 PM. The shows are 5 minutes long and play every 10 minutes. They are accompanied by music.
Pier 39 HapPIER Holidays Celebration
Pier 39 is one of the most popular tourist destinations in San Francisco, so it is no surprise that they have a special 60-foot Christmas tree that comes to life every half hour (from 5 to 10 PM). The tree has thousands of lights and ornaments synchronized to holiday music.
Festivities kick off on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at 5 PM and run through January 5, 2026.
Fisherman’s Wharf Lighted Boat Parade
Christmas in San Francisco isn’t limited to land-based activities. This is the “City by the Bay,” after all! Head to San Francisco’s famous wharf area for a festive boat parade.
Vessels decked out in seasonal decorations and covered in lights can be seen from iconic spots such as Pier 39 and Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Many of the boats’ lights will remain lit throughout the holiday season. After the parade, stop in Ghirardelli Square for a sweet treat.
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My family has been traveling since our kids were very small. Many have thought we were crazy for hopping on planes with little kids. My response to that is, “There’s a handle on the infant carrier, so you can take them with you!”
I wanted to tell travel stories because one of my children is on the autism spectrum, and I wanted to show other families that a diagnosis like that did not necessarily mean a life of being homebound.I’m proud to report that my son has a passport full of stamps; it just took a little extra preparation to get him into the world.
I received my degree in Journalism from San Francisco State University in 1990. I have a vast writing background that includes newspaper reporting, web content for high-tech companies, and feature writing.
I have frequently collaborated and contributed to other family travel blogs, including the Hilton Hotel blogs, Hilton MomVoyage, and Hilton Suggests.Visit California named me a Digital Feature Entry Winner for my story titled, “Silicon Valley Tour – Adventures for Geeks of all Ages.”I am also the leader of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Travel Massive, a travel community connecting thousands of tourism professionals, travel media, creators, and startups from around the world.
I live in Mountain View, CA, with my husband and son. I also have a daughter, who is in college. While we currently don’t have any pets, we will soon adopt a golden retriever through a rescue organization. My favorite things (besides travel) are spy novels, hanging out at the San Francisco Presidio, Greek food, wandering through bookstores, plants, and my greenhouse.
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