Things to Do in San Francisco in January in 2024

This post highlights the best events and things to do in San Francisco in January.

We include free activities, evening activities, and family-friendly activities, updated for 2024.

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY

In this section, we cover our top ten things to do in San Francisco in January.

For more ideas on popular things to do, be sure to check out our more popular posts:

Some of the items in this post are included for free with the purchase of a tourist discount pass.

If you've already researched and found the best discount pass for your purposes, it can be purchased here:

All Inclusive Go City | Explorer Go City | Day Pass San Francisco Sightseeing | Flex Pass San Francisco Sightseeing.

1. Go to a Concert

The Bay Area has some of the most popular venues in the world and attracts many talented musicians.

There are a number of musical artists coming to the area in January

Concerts

The Charlatans/RIDE | January 4th
Dar Williams/Amy Ray Band | January 18th
Lotus | January 26th

Music Festivals

Fresh Start Festival | January 1st | The Midway | feat: Kaskade, Chris Lorenzo, Justin Martin, and more
San Francisco Tape Music Festival | January 5th-7th | Victoria Theatre | classic audio art by almost 50 local and international musicians

Check here for even more concerts in the Bay Area this January.

3. Attend a Sporting Event

San Francisco is home to several great sports teams, and a couple of them will be playing in January.

Football

San Francisco 49ers (Santa Clara)

Basketball

Golden State Warriors (San Francisco)
Harlem Globetrotters | January 12th-14th (Oakland)

Hockey

San Jose Sharks (San Jose)

For even more great sporting events to attend in January, check out this list.

3. Attend the Bay Area Monster Jam

If you're a fan of motorsports, chances are you're quite familiar with Monster Jam.

This show features a variety of monster trucks competing in several different events, including racing and stunt driving.

Visitors can expect to see popular monster trucks such as Max-D Fire, Grave Digger, Time Flys, Wildflower, and Obsessed.

Ticket holders will have the opportunity to vote on which trucks performed the best!

If you or your children love monster truck stunts and racing, consider taking the family to this show/

The show takes place in Oracle Park on January 6th and 7th, and tickets can be purchased here.

4. Take a Walking Tour

Spend a couple of hours or the better part of the day on one of our many pay-what-you-want walking tours throughout the city!

Check out our schedule to see what we offer when you are in town.

These are just some of the great walking tours available in the Bay Area, but you can find even more in our post about San Francisco walking tours.

5. See a Stand-up Comedy Show

If you’re in need of a good laugh, there will be several opportunities to see stand-up comedy in San Francisco throughout the month of January.

Comedy Shows

Jordan Klepper | January 4th, 5th, 6th
Randy Rainbow | January 20th
Tina Fey/Amy Poehler | January 26th, 27th

Comedy Clubs

You’ll find even more great activities after dark in our things to do at night section.

Click on this list of stand-up shows for even more comedy events in January.

6. Save Money With a Tourist Pass

If you’re planning to visit a lot of different attractions and enjoy several interesting activities while in San Francisco, there are multiple tourist passes that offer discounts on tours, museums, entertainment, and more.

The easiest option is a build-your-own-pass service, which will allow you to save 20% off tickets when you purchase 2 or more.

While this isn’t the best deal you can get from a tourist pass, it’s a great way to save money on activities that are already pretty affordable ($5-$10).

Alternatively, you can also get an all-inclusive pass which includes dozens of popular attractions that you can visit over the course of a specific amount of time (1, 2, 3, or 5 days).

This type of pass offers the best opportunity to save money (up to 60% off), but you really have to use it for as many activities as possible to get the most out of it.

Finally, there are also flex passes that allow you to pay one flat price for a set number of activities (3, 4, or 5). This pass is best reserved for the most expensive attractions.

Here are a handful of the most popular services included with these tourist passes:

Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
California Academy of Sciences
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Walt Disney Family Museum
California’s Great America
San Francisco Bay Cruise
Ripley’s Believe it or Not
Aquarium of the Bay
Madame Tussauds
San Francisco Zoo
Oracle Park Tour
And more!

Depending on which type of pass you choose and how you use it, you should be able to save between 20% - 60% off general admission prices.

For more information, please read our post about San Francisco tourist passes.

If you're already planning to buy a discount pass, you can purchase one here: All Inclusive Go City | Explorer Go City | Day Pass San Francisco Sightseeing | Flex Pass San Francisco Sightseeing.

7. See the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra has a variety of weekend evening performances available throughout the month of January.

Listen to shows that feature some of the greatest composers of all time, and observe some very talented musicians and conductors.

Performances run from January 11th through the 28th, and tickets can be purchased here

For even more ideas on nighttime activities, make sure to check out our section on things to do at night.

8. Celebrate MLK Day

Honor the iconic Civil Rights activist with a number of events happening around Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

Here are a few organizations with events and activities in and around MLK day you might take part in:

There are multiple family-friendly activities and events leading up to the national holiday.

Note that the march ventures over the Lefty O’Doul Bridge near AT&T Ballpark and goes through downtown.

9. Attend a Festival

January is a busy month, and there are plenty of events happening in San Francisco.

Just a few of them are:

Noir City Film Festival | January 19th–28th

Celebrating its 20th year, this ten-day festival features "24 films from the heart of Hollywood's noir movement, 1948."

ZinEx | January 25th-27th

The Zinfandel Experience brings some of the world's best Zinfandels to San Francisco.

Bay Area Brew Fest | usually end of January

Food trucks, music, and, of course, beer. Over 50 breweries bring their best creations.

10. Take Part in the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k

The perfect race for those who enjoy running and chocolate! This race begins and ends in Golden Gate Park.

Runners will not only receive chocolate offerings at the end of the race but will also be able to visit sweet stations along the route that will be handing out marshmallows, M&Ms, and chocolate chips among other treats!

While it will cost money to enter the race, you can always come and cheer on the contestants for free.

Date: January 7th, 2024
Location: Golden Gate Park
Learn more about the race.

This could be a fun activity for the whole family. You can find more ideas for things to do with the kids in our family-friendly section.

FREE THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY

If you look in the right places, there are always free things to do in San Francisco.

Be sure to read our post on 51 things to do for free in San Francisco just about any time of year.

We'll give you just a few examples of some ideas you'll find in this post:

Visit a Free Museum
See the Painted Ladies
Enjoy Open Mic Comedy
Get Free Chocolate at Ghirardelli Square
See Bison in Golden Gate Park

Here are a few more free activities to enjoy in January.

See San Francisco’s Redwood Grove

Did you know there is a small Redwood Park in the heart of San Francisco?

Make your way to the centrally located Transamerica Pyramid and check out the grove that is adjacent to the building.

This is a great spot to relax for a bit and get a nice photo of these stunning trees, and it won’t cost you a dime to enjoy the natural beauty!

Free Day at the Botanical Gardens

Spend some time on New Year’s Day at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, located in Golden Gate Park.

Golden Gate Park Botanical Conservatory San Francisco

This living museum covers 55 acres in the park and features thousands of plant species.

On the second Tuesday of every month, you can enjoy entry free of charge. Visit their website for hours and additional information.

Learn about all the free, and sometimes free, museums in San Francisco here.

Hike the Lands End Trail

Walking this beautiful trail will give you beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge, take you through cypress trees and wildflowers, and will swing you around to the historic Sutro Baths and Cliffhouse.

This is a perfect half-day adventure for active people who enjoy the outdoors, and it’s a great way to get some exercise!

Learn more at the National Park Service.

THINGS TO DO AT NIGHT IN JANUARY

San Francisco is a great city for night time activities!

Below are just some ideas for things to do at night in January.

If you want even more ideas for evening activities aside from what’s listed below, check out our main things to do at night post.

Here are a few examples of nighttime activities included on that post:

Take an Alcatraz Night Tour
See the San Francisco Bay Lights
Visit a Museum After Dark
Go on a Night Bus Tour

Note that some of these things can be found on the following passes: All Inclusive Go City | Explorer Go City | Day Pass San Francisco Sightseeing | Flex Pass San Francisco Sightseeing.

SF Sketchfest

This multi-day annual event is a great way for San Francisco to showcase some of its best sketch comedy groups.

The numerous shows offered will include stand-up, sketch, improv, and alternative comedy. This event will take place from January 19th through February 4th, 2024.

Tickets and a schedule can be found here.

Grab a Cocktail at the Top of the Mark

Located on the 19th floor of the Intercontinental, Top of the Mark is a chic bar that offers sweeping views of San Francisco.

Enjoy a glass of wine or a (pricey) handcrafted cocktail and let yourself indulge in the twinkling lights of the City by the Bay.

This could be a fun and romantic activity for any couple, and it’s a great way to enjoy an incredible view of the Bay Area.

Go to Glowfari in Oakland

Oakland Zoo will be taking the holidays into overtime with their annual Glowfari display.

Guests can expect plenty of colorful light displays, laser light shows, Christmas trees and even gondola rides.

ZooLights takes place January 1st-7th, 10th-14th, 17th-21st, 24th-28th, 2024 between 5pm - 9 pm.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES IN JANUARY

There are loads of family friend activities and attractions in the City by the Bay!

Some of the items we’ve listed in other sections, such as the Botanical Gardens and Sesame Street Live are fun for people of all ages!

For more ideas, check our post covering things to do with kids in San Francisco.

Take a look at a few examples of the activities included on this post:

Go to a Kid Friendly Museum
Take the Kids Ice Skating
Go on an Oracle Park Tour
Experience an Escape Room

Here are a few more family-friendly activities for January.

Walk the Golden Gate Bridge

On a clear day, walking the Golden Gate Bridge can not only offer stunning views but serves as an exhilarating experience for anyone.

Take in the sweeping cityscape views and marvel at this extraordinary piece of architecture.

Click here for all the information you need to walk the bridge. Best of all, this activity doesn’t cost a dime!

Visit the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory

Tucked away at one end of Ross Alley in Chinatown, the sweet smells alone will lure you to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.

This tiny factory still produces handmade fortune cookies daily. It’s fun to watch them being made and buy some to take home with you!

Our Chinatown Walking Tour includes this stop, though you should also come back for a full visit.

For more family fun, check out our full post on things to do with kids.

Celebrate the Arrival of the Sea Lions

Sea Lions have been visiting Pier 39 at of Fisherman's Wharf since shortly after an earthquake hit San Francisco in 1989.

For over 30 years, the city has celebrated this return with a special event.

In years past, there were activities such as walking tours and "decor," such as 30 statues painted in honor of these wonderful aquatic friends

The dates haven't yet been released for 2024, but the event is usually around mid-January.

Note that the Pier's nightly tree lighting will come to life every half hour from 5pm to 10 pm through January 7th, 2024.

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Things to Do in San Francisco in January