10 Things to Do in San Francisco at Night

The night always invites you to rest, but in San Francisco everything is different. In this city you will discover a wide range of visits, tours and night tours that give you the chance to get to know the other side of the city.

Come and experience the nightlife of San Francisco and discover all there is to see and do in this city, such as facing the ghosts of the city, walking through the most famous neighbourhoods, dancing in the nightclubs, visiting historical sites and taking a gastronomic tour of the best restaurants in Chinatown.

Today, San Francisco sightseeing buses are among the most popular tours in San Francisco, including those that run at night. There is no doubt that experiencing a city during its nighttime activity gives you a very different view of the city.

The night bus tour of San Francisco lasts between 1 ½ and 2 hours. Some of the most visited sites include the financial district, Chinatown and the famous Fisherman's Wharf, among others. In addition, the tour crosses the Bay Bridge so that passengers can better enjoy the night view of the city.

The services consist of the bus tour and a professional guide who will tell you a variety of historical details and anecdotes about each site. The tour starts between 6 and 7 pm and ends at the same place it starts.

One of the best decisions you can make during your visit to San Francisco is to take a night cruise tour of San Francisco Bay. Sailing across the bay is an incredible experience, and if you do it on a night tour, the city's skyline at sunset is an unparalleled sight.

This tour not only provides some of the best views of San Francisco, but also allows you to relax while sipping a snack or toasting with your favourite drink (the bar is available for purchase of drinks and snacks, but this is not included in the tour price).

It's great to see San Francisco's nighttime sights from another perspective, as the best boat tours sometimes also include visits to popular sites along the city's waterfront.

It is safe to say that San Francisco is a haunted city full of mysteries. Naturally, ghost stories and mysterious events that have never been explained must be told at night. That's why taking one of the best ghost tours at the end of the day and feeling a little scared as you listen intently to the tour guide tell you the most horrifying stories for a little over an hour is a terrifyingly fun experience.

Most of San Francisco's ghost and haunted night tours take in certain key sites in the city that have been marked by dark events from which numerous ghost stories have emerged:

• The Nob Hill neighbourhood, where sinister events took place in abundance.
• Chinatown is another stop on this tour, as its streets have seen spooky scenes and even gangster wars.

The role of the guide on this tour is vital as you will learn the most astonishing and supernatural details of each story through his or her stories. Fortunately, the tours are group tours, so you have nothing to fear.

Located in the heart of San Francisco, the California Academy of Sciences is considered one of the greatest natural science museums in the world.

The museum is breathtaking and if you book a nighttime ticket you can discover some of nature's most impressive wonders:

• A collection of nearly 40,000 live animals.
• The Steinhart, one of the most biologically diverse and interactive aquariums in the world and home to more than 900 unique species.
• The Rainforest, four floors of an incredible rainforest with more than 1,600 live plants and animals.
• The Morrison Planetarium, a space where a virtual cosmos is projected in a fully immersive experience.

And if you visit the Academy at night, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy experiences, events and space shows that only take place when the sun goes down- an absolute must-see!

If you visit San Francisco in any month of the year, you have to make the most of its nights. To experience the hippie mystique of the 70s, ride around the city at night in the famous colourful vans! The city has an artistic and a bit of a carefree spirit in some of its neighbourhoods, especially those included in the hippie van tour, so it's not advisable to miss out on San Francisco's most original excursion.

The colourful van tour takes you through various areas of the city, especially those where the hippie movement was strongest and most passionate. You will be accompanied by a guide through whom you will learn many stories that took place within the boundaries of each neighbourhood visited on the tour.

This tour is only for people over 21 years old. It is important to check the services before booking a guided tour with the hippy vans. Some only include the tour and a professional tour guide. Others include a stop at some of the nicer bars in typical areas, e.g. Haight-Ashbury.

Riding a Segway may not be the traditional way to tour Chinatown and Little Italy in San Francisco. However, if you're good at keeping your balance and you're up for giving this transportation device a try, then this is the tour for you.

Segway tours (the ancestor of electric scooters) are for those who want to do something different while visiting a big city. These tours are organised in San Francisco to take in various areas in close proximity to each other, but the Chinatown and Little Italy tour is one of the most popular.

The tour lasts about two and a half hours, starts at sunset and there are strategic places where the group stops for photos and to listen to the guide's stories. Included in the price of the tour are the use of the Segway, protection elements (waistcoat and helmet), the service of the guide and about 20 to 30 minutes to train in the driving of the device.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum has a long history that begins in the 18th century just before the French Revolution. Today, a visit to this museum (San Francisco branch) is an adventure that has different features (history, horror, fun and much more) that make it very attractive and entertaining.

The museum comes alive at night (one day a week it is open until 9 pm) and its exhibits seem even more real at this time of the day. On a night visit to the museum, you'll find a variety of areas that are quite distinct from each other. These are Music, Leaders and Entrepreneurs, Film, Sports and the red carpet celebrity area called the A-List.

You should plan your visit to this museum well in advance as it will take a considerable amount of time. It is impossible to resist the temptation to have your photo taken with the wax figures of your favourite artists and to tour each area of the museum in just one hour.

In San Francisco, there are many markets. However, there is one in particular that is open to the public until 10 pm. This makes it more interesting than others, as it is part of the city's nighttime activities.

It is located in the financial district on the waterfront, in a building that was restored and reopened in 2003. It's a great place to do your evening shopping and enjoy a great dinner.

The Ferry Building Marketplace is a marketplace with a wide variety of stalls and includes:

• Fresh produce.
• Drinks and food prepared in a traditional way with the best raw materials and with traditional and innovative recipes.
• Farmers' market.
• Area with numerous food stalls (from restaurants, patisseries and bakeries to wine and beverage bars).

If you don't know what to see and do in San Francisco's Chinatown, remember that it is one of the best places to eat and drink the most incredible delicacies of Chinese and other Asian cuisines (e.g. Vietnamese).

The Night Food Tour can be the perfect alternative to experience and enjoy the specialities of several restaurants in one night:

• It is conducted on foot and starts at a pre-arranged meeting point.

• There is an expert guide to accompany the group who is not only a specialist in Asian cuisine, but also in the history of San Francisco's Chinatown.

• The tour includes several stops at restaurants with specialities such as lacquered duck, dim sum, bao (or baozi) with different fillings that will surprise you, sushi moriawase (assorted sushi), rice or noodle dishes and Chinese pastries, among a wide variety of alternatives.

• The price starts at 70 €.

• It lasts approximately 3 hours.

By the way, it is important that when booking this tour you notify the tour operator if you have any specific dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, etc.) so that at each stop you have the right options for you.

If you like to party, dance and to ast to all the good reasons you have to do so, then San Francisco is the city for you. Discover the best clubs and bars in San Francisco on a night tour of the city!

The variety of choice in establishments also means different prices for entrance fees and drinks. San Francisco's nightlife is very active, but it is important to check the most suitable variants according to your preferences and available budget:

• In the South Market area, you'll find numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive and elegant.
• Between Chinatown and North Beach, you will also discover bars with Californian music that you will probably fall in love with.
• Today, The Castro is one of the busiest areas not only for the gay community, but for all the local and tourist communities. It is home to many clubs, bars and music shows that give you all the energy to dance.
• For a night of drinking and dating, the best option is the Marina district with expensive venues and high-end clientele.

The famousPier 39 is a place that locals and tourists enjoy all day and also at night. So, if you want to do some last minute shopping and have a late night meal, Pier 39 is the place for you: most of the restaurants close at 10 pm and many of them also have souvenir and gift shops.

One of the best known is the Crab House with its specialities in crab, squid, prawns and other seafood (this company has several restaurants on Pier 39).

Other restaurants and cafes include Chowder (clam chowder), Crepe Cafe, Eagle Cafe, Fun Food Factory, The Hook, The Fudgery and Luau Lounge Tiki Bar among others.