Mother’s Day 2023 is rapidly approaching, and if you haven’t already made plans for mom in San Francisco, there’s no time to waste. After all, although it’s not technically a holiday, it is one of the busiest days for most Americans. In fact, Hallmark says it’s the third-biggest day for greeting cards, just behind Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Although purchasing flowers is another top choice, don’t you really want to do something special this year for your mom? Fortunately, if you live in San Francisco or are just visiting, you have many activities to enjoy with your mom.
Mother’s Day Activities in San Francisco
Bus Tours
A great way to spend Mother’s Day in San Francisco is on a tour bus. Whether you live in the City or not, great tour options are available. While tour buses are pretty touristy, they can make seeing all the top sights very easy. For instance, you and your mom can visit famous attractions like Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge with Big Bus San Francisco. Moreover, the day tour runs every 15 minutes, with an optional bay cruise. As for the one-hour Sunset Tour, there’s just one departure, so plan ahead if this sounds fun. Additionally, there are other tour operators like Gray Line and Dylan’s Tours.
Cook Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner at Home
Let’s face it: San Francisco is a very expensive city to live and visit. Therefore, if you want to keep your budget reasonable, why not cook at home? To put it differently, why spend more on dining than you can afford? The solution is to buy groceries and prepare a meal for you and your family. Indeed, while barbecues might be more of a Father’s Day thing, that could make for a fun day in your backyard. Similarly, you can do other fun things at home, like a spa day at home or baking cookies. Even if you’re visiting, a picnic and more affordable food options are a great idea.
Mother’s Day Brunch
There is no question that Sunday brunch is among the most popular Mother’s Day activities in San Francisco. With that in mind, you should start looking for her favorite spot sooner than later. In fact, some of your top and secondary choices may have already been completely booked. On the other hand, famous places like the Garden Court Restaurant at the Palace Hotel still had openings. Of course, that will change and might be sold out when you reach out to them. One excellent source for finding available reservations is OpenTable. In addition, you can always check directly with restaurants and other online booking services.
Related: Best Vegan/Vegetarian Brunch in San Francisco
Mom’s Favorite Restaurant for Dinner
Sunday brunch gets plenty of attention on mom’s special day. Yet, mom might prefer an evening out at her favorite San Francisco restaurant. At the same time, there are plenty of suggestions if you are looking for them. But then again, like brunch reservations, dinner seating is likely in very high demand. Fortunately, in a foodie like San Francisco, you have many options in which to dine. For steak or seafood, restaurants like Epic Steak, Waterbar, and Fog Harbor still take Mother’s Day dinner reservations. Of course, there are excellent French, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and more places to eat.
Shopping
With many different neighborhoods to explore, your mom may want to shop in San Francisco. For one, Union Square is the premier shopping area in the City, although it will be crowded. Westfield San Francisco is a fun spot, as is the Ferry Building. You can also find the Crocker Galleria, Chinatown, and North Beach in the same area. Equally important are the boutique stores in neighbors like Noe Valley, Fillmore Street, and Haight Street. If that’s not enough, many other great spots like the Mission District, Japantown, and Stonestown Galleria exist. Lastly, because it’s on a Sunday, you might like visiting a local farmers market, like Thrive City and Fort Mason.
Related: Where to Buy Mother’s Day Flowers in Santa Cruz County
Spa Treatment
If you know your mom loves spa treatments, why not surprise her with a luxury spa treatment for Mother’s Day? Yet again, it would be best if you didn’t wait long to book an appointment since there will be high demand on May 14. What’s more, you can even join her for a mother-daughter spa treatment. As for suggestions, Kabuki Springs & Spa and Pearl Spa are great choices. Consider Siam Orchid and Burke Williams Spa Radiance if that’s not enough. As for spa treatments in San Francisco hotels, you might have to be a guest, so check with your hotel of choice. Either way, you have plenty of options that fit your budget.
Related: A Closer Look at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel
Take a Mother’s Day Bay Cruise
If you think a Mother’s Day brunch in a restaurant is excellent, how about brunch on the San Francisco Bay? City Experiences by Hornblower offers special Mother’s Day brunch cruises starting at $105 to celebrate the occasion. On the other hand, if your mother wants to go on a bay cruise, you have many more options. For example, the Blue & Gold Fleet and Red and White Fleet have many spaces still available for 60 or 90-minute bay cruises. However, it goes without saying that demand will be high, so book sooner than later. Above all, dress warmly, as it can get windy and chilly while on the San Francisco Bay.
Visit a Museum
General admission tickets are still available for famous San Francisco museums like the de Young and SFMOMA. However, you should purchase your tickets in advance instead of hoping to pay when you arrive. While tickets may not sell out at major museums, you’ll save time simply by not waiting in line for ticket sales. In addition, you don’t have to reserve a specific time for larger museums like the Asian Art Museum and Legion of Honor. On the contrary, smaller museums like the Walt Disney Family Museum have timed-entry tickets. If you have time to visit more than one museum, consider purchasing a San Francisco CityPASS. This convenient pass can save you up to 46% on four attractions, like the Exploratorium and Disney Museum.
Walking/Hiking
It’s a guarantee that many city streets will be especially busy on Mother’s Day in San Francisco. In case you want to avoid crowded areas like Fisherman’s Wharf, why not go for a walk in a different part of the City? If you’re a local, you probably already have your favorite secret pathway in mind. But if you’re visiting, Golden Gate Park is an excellent choice, even on Mother’s Day. That’s because San Francisco’s largest park covers 1,017 acres, making it far bigger than New York’s Central Park. That’s to say nothing of other great hiking spots like the Presidio of San Francisco and Mt. Davidson Park. In like manner, you can also walk across Golden Gate Bridge, but only on the east sidewalk. On Mother’s Day, the hours are from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., but remember to dress warmly.
Wine Tasting
If you and your mom love wine tasting, you don’t necessarily have to travel to Napa or Sonoma counties. In fact, you can enjoy wine tasting right in San Francisco, although choices are somewhat limited. That’s not to mention that not all tasting rooms will be open on Mother’s Day. Despite this, the Winery Collective at the Argonaut Hotel has plenty of appointments available for booking on Mother’s Day. That’s not to mention the Chateau Montelena tasting room inside the Westin St. Francis, which will be open for walk-ins.
Related: Best Restaurants for Easter Brunch in San Francisco
About the Author
Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across over 20 CBS websites, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC.com, NJ.com, and Radio.com. He earned a Media Fellowship from Stanford University in 2012.