The best things to do in honeymoon in San Francisco offer moments of romance and intimacy during your city getaway. San Francisco’s most romantic places range from serene lakes in the city’s vast and beautiful urban oasis to adventures high and low that are bound to impress your significant other. Surprise your partner, as you both explore the corners of the city best known as “Everyone’s Favorite City”, overflowing with romantic gardens, alluring cultural experiences, and food temptations you can only find in San Francisco.
The best things to do for couples in San Francisco cater to both ends of the spectrum when it comes to budget preferences. You can go for all-out luxury and splurging, or go easy on the wallet with simple but fun recreational activities that can help kindle some love. Read on for our list of the most romantic things to do in San Francisco.
1. Appreciate each other’s company on a boat tour
Experience the glorious San Fransisco sun and bay on a stunning boat tour of the city with your partner. Admire the stunning San Francisco skyline, while also taking in sights of some of the most emblematic vistas of the bay. Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, catching magnificent and up-close sights of the 89-year-old bridge and the vibes around spooky Alcatraz Island, while listening to a knowledgeable guide or audio guide share fascinating and documented facts about the city’s history.
Catch sight of the exquisite marine life that lives in the bay, including dolphins, sea lions, and whales, which may or may not make an appearance, as well as pelicans, soaring through the skies. The boat tour usually lasts around 1 hour, and most vessels include wifi on board. Tickets begin at $36 USD per adult.
2. Pedal together through the Golden Gate Bridge on a bike tour
Enjoy the wonders of the Golden Gate Bridge together, as you pedal your way through one of the best places to visit in San Francisco on a bike tour. Be guided by a biking expert, and spin your way through various stops along the journey. Travel through Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Point, and Vista Point, perfect for a selfie or two, as you both make your way through the Golden Gate Bridge, biking into Sausalito on the other end, finalizing the 3-hour tour.
Many tour ticket prices include complete use of the bike for the entire day, so make use of your bikes to cycle through the city’s uphills and downhills, experiencing corners of the city’s beauty like a local. Electric bikes are available upon request and availability, at the additional expense of the visitor.
3. Get sweeping 360-degree views of San Francisco
Hike the less than 1-mile trek passing bountiful sights of nature and wildlife, encountering the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly, and the native plants and trees like the lupine, coyote bush, pearly everlasting, and lizard tail. Explore together the surrounding neighborhoods as you walk up to the peaks, full of modern and affluent homes with extraordinary scenery at their feet.
Take note of the Sutro Tower antenna, also forming part of the Twin Peaks landscape. Reach the Summit Parking Lot, and start to spot the sights of the city, getting higher and further away. Some of the best ways to get to the Twin Peaks are to take a tourist bus which departs from popular sights in the city center, drive and park your car in the nearby parking lot, or take the public bus number 37 and 48.
4. Make a toast to San Francisco’s finest wine
Enjoy the beautiful blends of California’s finest wine, on a wine tour through some of the best vineyards in the state. With plenty of things to do in Napa Valley, the region is iconically known for its more than 300 wineries, and its splendid Cabernet Sauvignon. Take a day trip with your loved one and stroll through the vineyards, lined with rows of grapes that have put it on the map for years for its world-class wines.
Take a tour through the wondrous Sonoma Valley, another wonderful wine site known to be the birthplace of wine in California, spanning some 17 miles. Talk to the winemakers, and take a sampling of some of the finest wines as you make a toast with your partner for this unforgettable moment. Many tours will make stops at both valleys and will include entrance and sampling of some of the best wineries and their wine, with transportation to and from your hotel. Tours usually last around 8.5-9 hours long.
5. Attend an exciting baseball game at Oracle Park
Most commonly known as the home ballpark stadium for the San Francisco Giants is Oracle Park, located in the SoMa neighborhood, on the east side of the city. Enjoy daily tours offered of parts of the stadium that the baseball players typically frequent, such as the locker rooms, conference space, and of course, the baseball field.
Fans of the team will also want to stop by the souvenir shop to stock up on team memorabilia. Learn about the history of the stadium, which first opened in 2000, named after various other companies, including AT&T Park, SBC Park, and now recently, Oracle Park. Attend one of their games during baseball season, or attend a concert when the stadium is not used for the sport. Check out the stadium’s website to get game tickets, or to learn about upcoming events.
6. Enjoy each other’s company at the San Francisco Zoo
Make plans to tap into your inner childlike wonder inside the San Francisco Zoo, a 100-acre zoo, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Offering a wide variety of things to do, couples can choose to take a leisure train ride throughout the park on the “Little Puffer” a steam train that dates back to the early 1900s, or hop on the Dentzel Carousel, which dates back to 1921.
Learn about the animals strolling through the various sections, housing lions, gorillas, bears, wolves, and many more animals. Check out the zoo’s website to get exact feeding times for some of the animals, guaranteed to impress and entertain anyone. Take a romantic stroll through the Zoo’s Garden, boasting incredible sights of colorful flowers and perfectly manicured gardens that hold their beauty all year round thanks to the mild climate of the city.
7. Enjoy the flavours of San Francisco on a food tour
Chow down some of the best eats in San Francisco, visiting the vibrant and diverse neighborhoods housing some of the must-visit, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants with the best delicacies in the city. Take a guided food tour experience with a local foodie, and check out the best dim sum in Chinatown, the best pasta, pizza, and Italian/American dishes created in Little Italy, as well as some of San Francisco’s classic dishes and drinks like a Martini in North Beach and Mission Burritos in Mission District.
Being on a peninsula, seafood is on the menu of foods to try at Fisherman’s Wharf, as well as delectable sourdough bread from Boudin Sourdough. The possibilities are endless, so make sure to pack comfortable walking shoes to make your way around the city’s best restaurants. The tours usually last around 3-3.5 hours long.
8. Visit the most visited attraction in San Francisco, Pier 39
Pier 39 is the must-stop entertainment attraction in San Francisco, overflowing with shopping, restaurants, arcades, and games, dispersed throughout the 2 floors of the pier. Follow the sound of the sea lions situated on the dock next to the pier, as you stroll through the lively ambiance of the pier, taking sights of the famed Golden Gate Bridge and the Alcatraz in the distance.
Purchase tickets to go inside the Aquarium of the Bay, and check out the fun 3-D virtual reality games like The Flyer San Francisco. Enjoy the creativity of the dance performers, magicians, and jugglers, or enjoy a romantic wine tasting or beer tasting with sights of the bay. Though the pier is always buzzing with people, visiting in the early evening is a great time to take in the sights of the lit-up Golden Gate bridge, and the sounds of the water.
9. Have a lovely lunch and dessert at B Patisserie
Stop for a lovely baked treat or filling sandwich in the romance-filled B Patisserie, located just a few blocks from the famed “Full House” house, on California street. Known for their French-inspired pastries, made with locally concocted flavors, the owners, Belinda and Michel, brought to life a vision of creating a bakery salon. B Patisserie brings people closer to the craft of French baking and allows their creations to be accessible to San Francisco through their laborious years and experience in European kitchens.
B Patisserie is a stunning little bakery to duck into after some sightseeing. Enjoy their classic pastries like macarons, vanilla cassis cake (a delectable chiffon cake), or a chocolate caramel toffee mousse. Have lunch together if you prefer, and select from a variety of sandwiches like their mushroom and cheese sandwich or delicious prosciutto and burrata.
10. Plan a romantic beach getaway to Baker Beach
Located on the northwest side of the city, is the public Baker Beach, with incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Plan a fun picnic date with your partner, as you take notice of some of the marine life peeking its head every now and then from the water. Enjoy restroom facilities and take a chance to glance at some of the photography nearby, sharing a bit of the military use that the beach had. After the picnic, take a romantic walk through the coastal trail, on the cliffside.
If you and your partner are feeling open-minded and adventurous, head to the northernmost part of the beach for some sunbathing opportunities where clothes may or may not be required. A local tip is to look out for the “disappearing gun”, the 50-ton Battery Chamberlain, a piece of defense artillery worth checking out for a piece of tangible history.
