More than 11 million people visit PIER 39 (opens in new tab) every year — and with good reason. This iconic pier in Fisherman’s Wharf has a nearly 50-year history of welcoming visitors and Bay Area residents alike. As the morning fog lifts, The PIER wakes up: street performers set up on the Bay End Stage, souvenir shops fling open their doors, and restaurants begin steaming cioppino and stacking fresh sourdough.
While regarded as a tourist destination for many, a new wave of dining and entertainment options has rendered PIER 39 a must-visit spot for locals, too — especially for the holidays (opens in new tab).
Whether you’re visiting for the first time or have lived in the Bay Area all your life, here are gems to explore at The PIER this season. After all, in a city as iconic as San Francisco, why should tourists get to have all the fun?
Introducing your new holiday tradition
There’s no place like The PIER for the holidays: cozy, twinkling lights, festive shopping, and magical moments for the whole family. At the annual tree lighting ceremony (opens in new tab) on Dec. 4, a 60-foot live tree comes to life with a dazzling light show at 6 p.m. Enjoy a night of Christmas carolers, live music, and to-go cocktails — and a special visit from Santa.
Performances continue until Jan. 11 (opens in new tab), every half hour from 5 to 10 p.m., transforming the tree into a kaleidoscope of swirling color and movements, synchronized to holiday music. Swing by on a Friday or Saturday through Dec. 20, 6 to 8 p.m., to meet Santa (opens in new tab), snap photos, and whisper your Christmas wish at the California Welcome Center, Level 2. (Plus, for a limited time until Jan. 11, parking at The PIER is only $10 after 5 p.m. Check out the holiday deal here (opens in new tab).)
Eat like a local (even if you’ve been here before)
PIER 39 is packed with classic restaurants and only-in-San-Francisco hot spots. Stop by Artly Coffee (opens in new tab) and gawk as one of its Barista Bots — an AI-trained robot arm with googly eyes — makes you the most impressive latte or the signature Rose Strawberry Yuzu Refresher. On crisp winter afternoons, bundle up in your best puffy jacket and head over to Chowders (opens in new tab), a pioneer of homemade clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl — a must-try.
Shopping & experiences that feel embedded in SF culture
No matter the time of year, PIER 39 buzzes with excitement. Passersby crowd around musicians playing acoustic sets while jugglers, magicians, and acrobats put on an impressive show nearby. Families stream in and out of the Aquarium of the Bay (opens in new tab) to admire more than 24,000 animals and the can’t-miss attraction: two underwater tunnels boasting 750,000 gallons of San Francisco Bay salt water, where you can glimpse sharks, rock fish, giant sea bass, and more.
If you’re in the mood for something more than the run-of-the-mill postcard or refrigerator magnet to take home, PIER 39 is a treasure trove of unique shops — many of them small businesses, owned and operated by locals. Visit KWAK (opens in new tab) and gawk at a wall-to-wall flock of rubber ducks: one of the largest dedicated stores in the country. Pick out ducks dressed as anyone from Shakespeare to Rosie the Riveter. For fans of westerns, step into WILDER WEST, Western Urban Outfitters, (opens in new tab) where you’ll find a gold mine of Scully leather jackets, bolo ties, boots, Stetson hats, and more. Magic Shop by Vanishing Inc. (opens in new tab) is the ultimate one-stop shop for aspiring young magicians. (Don’t forget to get your fortune told by Zoltar.)
Before you go, browse through Image Arts (opens in new tab), one of the oldest poster stores in San Francisco, for vintage posters of classic comics, breathtaking photos of the city, or reimagined tour artwork from your favorite band.
Views that remind you why you live here
Between all the shopping and snacking, take in the landmark views: the Golden Gate Bridge peeking through low clouds, Alcatraz standing resolute across the water, Angel Island bathed in golden dusk.
Then, of course, there are the sea lions — San Francisco’s unofficial comedians-in-residence — which migrate in June and return in mid-July to reclaim their docks with glorious, chaotic energy. Since arriving at The PIER in 1989, these majestic mammals flock to the floating docks every season to jockey for the best spots to sunbathe. (On May 2024, harbor staff counted a peak of more than 2,000 of the 800-pound pinnipeds.) Watch them for 10 minutes or stay for an hour — it never gets old.
Whether you’re here for the food, the views, the sea lions, or the feeling of being grounded in a place that’s both familiar and extraordinary, PIER 39 is ready to welcome you back. Because at its heart, The PIER isn’t just a destination for visitors — it’s a waterfront playground for the people who call the Bay Area home.
The Holiday PIER 39 Hit List:Tree lighting ceremonyDate and timeDec. 4, 5 to 9 p.m. (Tree lighting to take place at approximately 6 p.m.)Holiday light show Date and timeDec. 5 to Jan. 11, every half hour from 5 to 10 p.m.Visit SantaDate and time Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 20, 6 to 8 p.m.Artly CoffeeDate and timeMonday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.Chowders Date and timeMonday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.Humble Sea Brewing Co. Date and timeMonday to Sunday, 12 to 9 p.m.FiRE + iCE — Interactive Grill + BarAquarium of the BayDate and timeMonday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.WILDER WEST, Western Urban OutfittersMagic Shop by Vanishing Inc.