Best San Francisco Bar Crawls — Our Top 7

1.San Francisco Whiskey Cocktail Class: Views and City History

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 206 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes (approx.) · from $69Our pick

At Gold Bar Whiskey Distillery on Treasure Island, a dedicated bartender guides you through three whiskey tastings and three cocktails: a Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned, and Paper Plane. You’ll also hear stories about San Francisco, Treasure Island, and the art deco building while taking in views of the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the skyline.

“Super friendly and lots of knowledgeable information. Awesome drinks. 10/10 no complaints . Beautiful setting even on a rainy gloomy day!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.California Academy of Sciences NightLife Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $25Best value

Spend four after-hours hours at the California Academy of Sciences every Thursday from 6 to 10 pm. This 21+ event combines DJs, cocktails, food for purchase, live entertainment, aquarium and rainforest exhibits, African penguins, Claude the albino alligator, and science-themed activities. Planetarium passes cost an additional $5 and can sell out quickly.

“Really fun way to get to know the place as a visitor, and blend in the local night life. Ejoyed the place the music and learned couple new things. Also great way to get the most from, San Francisco. You can experience the typical places during the daylight, and hit the CAS enjoying it with lights and drinks.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.VIP Haunted Hotel Experience: Ghost Hunting plus Cocktail

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $115

Meet at Fior d'Italia at 8:00 pm for a cocktail and a short introduction to the restaurant’s tragic past. Then spend an hour at San Remo Hotel on an intimate ghost investigation using a range of paranormal tools. The group is capped at 10, and the experience ends where it begins.

“Very friendly tour guide very knowledgeable and had some good experiences with the paranormal activity if you are a non believer this will definitely make you believe ghosts are real”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.California Academy of Sciences Thursday NightLife Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 33 reviews · from $25

Spend Thursday evening at the 21+ California Academy of Sciences NightLife event, from 6 to 10 PM. Explore the aquarium, rainforest, natural history exhibits, and available planetarium shows while DJs, themed programs, bars, and nearly 60,000 live animals fill the museum. Bring a physical photo ID and reserve a $5 planetarium pass early if you want a seat.

“We thought it was okay, but we can't recommend it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Local Distillery Cocktail Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 11 reviews · from $49

At Gold Bar Whiskey Distillery on Treasure Island, you’ll taste three local whiskies, make three cocktails, and hear San Francisco history from a dedicated bartender. Guides including Weston, Nick, Jeff, and Will lead the class in English. Expect reserved seating, snacks, skyline views, and a stylish art deco setting.

“This was such a fun experience! It was super informative and engaging—Jeff was a particularly good host and bartender. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.San Francisco History, Cocktail/Mocktail, Walking Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $140

Spend 2.5 hours with an English-speaking local host, walking up to one mostly flat mile from the Transamerica Pyramid toward Union Square. You will visit three changing cocktail or mocktail bars, hear lesser-known San Francisco stories, sample snacks, and pause at landmarks such as the Cable Cars or Dragon’s Gate. The group is limited to six people.

Check availability →Read our full review

7.California Academy of Sciences NightLife Plus Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $75

Spend Thursday evening at San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences with NightLife Plus admission. You’ll enjoy two cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres, a private bar, priority access to the rainforest and Shake House, an expert-led collections tour, reserved Morrison Planetarium seating, and a digital scavenger hunt. The event runs from 6 to 10 pm and is for ages 21 and older.

“Although the Academy was excellent there were some problems with the ticketing that should be addressed. Nobody seemed to know about the tickets that were supposed to be issued to us on arrival but the staff did sort out the problem without too many hassles.”

Check availability →Read our full review