The club-pub scene of course remains strong with more and more venues adding up to the mix every year. But you don’t always have to indulge in drunk dancing if it's not your thing. Major neighbourhoods are alive at night, and much safer to explore than most American cities. With a skyline like San Francisco’s, it is tough not to flaunt it! 

1. North Beach Pub Crawl

North Beach is a buzy neighbourhood steeped in Italian heritage, drawing locals and tourists to its checked-tablecloth trattorias, coffee shops and retro-flavored bars. You can walk around the pleasant lanes by yourself, or pick one of the many pub hopping tours to meet more like minded people.

The tours are at different times, prices and cover different bars, so you can pick and choose which one suits your goals the best.

Examples here :

The Best of North Beach Pub Crawl Tickets, Fri, Sep 30, 2022 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite

North Beach Pub Crawl | Fever (feverup.com)

San Francisco North Beach Small-Group Pub Crawl 2022 (viator.com)

2. Golden Gate Bridge

What is probably the most iconic city symbol doesn’t need an introduction - but what you may forget is that like any other bridge around the world, there is no “shut time” for Golden Gate Bridge. This means you drive or cycle on it any time of the night. It is 1.7 miles long and super fun to be on.You can watch it from a distance, which is the preferred way to enjoy this engineering artwork. There are a ton of spots that the locals swear by and can be easily accessed via public transport or via cycles.

3. Alcatraz Night Tour

A premium experience of a boat ride is an intimate, personal and engaging way to see the unmissable Alcatraz island - which is home to the infamous jail.

The guided tour extends from the dock to the main prison building, and also offers several special programs and presentations, exclusive to the night. 

Find details of the official tour here.

4. Broadway show 

The San Francisco theater district is in the heart of the city. This small area has a large concentration of stage theaters. It sits between Union Square and the Tenderloin District.

Inside this area you will find top theaters such as the Orpheum, Golden Gate, Curran, ACT, and others. More than two dozen theaters are located within this neighborhood.

It offers a wide array of award-winning shows such as An, Hamilton, Fun Home, Book of Mormon, American in Paris and much more to watch and admire. If you aren’t interested in music then there are several dancing performances that you can also choose from. 

5. Night tour bus

Discover the beauty of the city as it lights up in the evening on our San Francisco Night Tour. The Night Tour passes through the evening vibrance of the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and the Financial District before crossing the Bay Bridge for photos at Treasure Island.

Departs daily at 18:30 excluding 4th July holiday, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve.

6. Head to Exploratorium for its after-hours event

Located inside Golden Gate Park, the planetarium, aquarium, and natural history museum provides a variety of programs. Every Thursday night after 6pm, a programme called After Dark comes alive.

You can lose yourself in more than 600 interactive exhibits in spacious galleries exploring perception, art, and science. Grab your friends and a drink and get immersed in everything from a fog bridge to a large-scale kaleidoscope, dazzling light displays, mind-bending mirrors, and more. Or savor adults-only programming featuring unique guest speakers, great music, specialty films, and one-of-a-kind activities.

Written by Stuti Khetan, Beverage Trade Network