Best Christmas Markets In The Bay Area

Port of San Francisco
Port of San Francisco | © Clay Gilliland/Flickr
Lea C. King

The holiday season is a great time to enjoy some Yuletide merriment with friends. Whether you’re singing your favorite Christmas carols or sipping on a nice cup of hot cocoa, it’ll feel like your very own winter wonderland when you visit these Santa-approved Bay Area Christmas markets.

Great Dickens Christmas Fair

What better way to start off your holiday season than by going to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair? At this fair, there are so many things to do, you’ll never get bored. There’s entertainment, dining, and shops, so you can watch a show, grab some food, then do your Christmas shopping all in one day. The best thing about the shops here is that you’re bound to find something for everyone you love. Get your holiday started by getting your tickets to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair today!
Great Dickens Christmas Fair, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, CA, USA +1 800 510 1558

Entertainment at the Charles Dickens Christmas Fair

Christmas By The Cove

Christmas Decorations

Santa’s Tree Farm And Village

The day after Thanksgiving, head over to the small town of Half Moon Bay to enjoy Santa’s Tree Farm And Village! At this festive village, you can pick out your Christmas tree, decorate a Christmas stocking, and do a little holiday shopping at the Sleigh Bells Gift Shop. And as if this village wasn’t cool enough, you can also make your way to Half Moon Bay’s Main Street for even more holiday enjoyment, including Christmas shopping and festively decorated inns and hotels.
Santa’s Tree Farm And Village, 78 Pilarcitos Creek Road, Half Moon Bay, CA, USA +1 650 342 3774

Embarcadero Center Building Lighting & Carnival

The holidays are all about tradition, and one of the best traditions in the Bay Area is the annual Embarcadero Center Building Lighting & Carnival! This annual event takes place from 4PM to 7PM on November 20th, and it’s all located in the Embarcadero Center. While there, you can decorate cookies, play carnival games, and meet Santa. There is also a special event this year: a special sneak peak of Disney On Ice presents Frozen. In addition to getting to watch an ice show right in Embarcadero Center, you can also go ice skating there from November 3rd to January 3rd.
Embarcadero Center Building Lighting & Carnival, Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA, USA +1 415 772 0700

Ice Skating in San Francisco

Harley Farms Holiday Faire

If arts and crafts are your thing, you should definitely check out Harley Farms Holiday Faire! You can listen to live music and enjoy some hot food that’ll really create a festive Christmas mood. This faire is also a great place to learn how to do new things, like make Christmas wreathes. You can sign up for workshops like this ahead of time to add some extra fun to your day out. It’s located about twenty minutes away from Half Moon Bay, so head here after you visit Santa’s Tree Farm And Village!
Harley Farms Holiday Faire, 205 North Street, Pescadero, CA, USA +1 650 879 0480

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
Edit article