10 San Francisco Team Building Activities That Don’t Suck

Published by Josh Hirsch.

Need to get your coworkers out of their comfort zones? Make a lateral move to get them out of the office and into the perfect mindset for growth. These fun group activities in San Francisco will get your team out of their headspace and encourage their creative juices to start flowing.

Tips for Organizing Group Activities in San Francisco

San Francisco is the perfect city for a fun group activity! You’ve got the mountains, the forests and the sea here. There are so many fun group activities, your only challenge will be choosing one that everyone on your team loves. To ensure everyone has a great time, we recommend you:

• Choose a venue that highlights the city of San Francisco
• Focus on fun instead of on work — you want to get your team out of their heads, not riddled with homework
• Opt for off-the-beaten-path activities that your teammates won’t know anything about
• Stay organized by creating a schedule for the day so your coworkers don’t start feeling too relaxed

The one thing every team has in common is a love of food

Food Tour

When it comes to fun group activities in San Francisco, food tours check all the boxes. They’re the perfect opportunity to get out into the city and discover some hidden history behind your favorite neighborhoods.

Nosh on dumplings  on a Chinatown Food Tour  and discover the best spot for seafood on a delicious North Beach Food Tour — all while listening to stories about how the city was built from its humble beginnings as Yerba Buena. 

Axe Throwing

What better way can you think of to let off a little steam than to throw an axe at a bull’s eye with your teammates?

Axe throwing (also known as hatchet throwing) is all the rage right now. Enjoy a craft beer or glass of wine while you challenge your coworkers to a ‘friendly’ game. Hurl sharp objects down a narrow alley. This fun group activity is a great way to let go of aggression during a merger or deal. You can even post photos of the goals you’re trying to slay on the bull’s eyes to help motivate your team even further.

Extend that creativity and see if you have the acting chops to make it big!

Nerd Improv

Improv has gained a lot of traction over the years in the corporate world — especially when it comes to fun group activities. The idea that you can simply say, “Yes and,” to solve the world’s problems has revolutionized the way employees think. Not only do aspiring actors and comedians take these classes, but large corporations and relationship therapists swear by them for helping people to learn to support each other.

Nerd Improv takes these types of classes to the next level. Not only are they entertaining and informative, but they can also help your team bond in ways they never imagined.

Armstrong Redwoods

Yes, everyone and their mom (and even their mom’s mom) has heard of Muir Woods by now. But have you ever made the trek out to Armstrong Redwoods? 

This natural preserve has all the allure of the more famous forest to the west — without all the crowds.

Take your team on a tour of the forest and discover the efforts made for conservation. Your team will get inspired by the splendor of Mother Nature. 

This fun group activity is perfect for teams dealing with some creative blocks. Science proves time after time that relaxing and entering your comfort zone is the best thing you can do for your creativity. Why not get out into nature and say goodbye to that stress standing in the way of you and your intuition?

You can’t find all of the art inside a museum

Murals and Grafitti Tour

San Francisco is a haven for artists. Find out what all the underground artistic phenoms are doing — all while learning a little history about different neighborhoods in the city. If you’re really into art, you should take a tour from the muralists themselves.

Road Trip

Why not explore more than just the San Francisco Bay with your coworkers? Take a road trip through Northern California or the Bay Area to really get some serious bonding time in. 

We recommend a bus trip to Monterey or Carmel-By-the-Sea or even a trip out to Yosemite. 

Not only will you get the opportunity to enjoy some parts unknown(ish) in California, but you’ll have all that time for bonding on the bus.

For everyone from beginners to experts, there’s something tasty to learn

Gourmet Ghetto

One of the most culinary-minded neighborhoods sits just to the east of Downtown in the East Bay. The Gourmet Ghetto is Berkeley’s world-famous neighborhood, full of international cuisine. 

Take a cooking class or simply hire a chef to take you to the Berkeley Bowl, the neighborhood’s famous grocery store. 

Or, hire someone to create a food tour of the area for an even more exciting group activity.

Golden Gate Fields Racetrack

Did you know there’s an equestrian racetrack right over in the East Bay? Spending the day in the sun with your coworkers talking about odds and numbers is a great way to get out of your comfort zone — especially if you’re in a math-related field. 

Get out of the office and start talking numbers. Of course, the office can pony up the money for all the bets and take the team out at the end of the day with the winnings.

Come experience a different kind of Disney magic

Walt Disney Family Museum

While most activities in the Presidio are considered a little ‘too touristy’ for our likes, the Walt Disney Family Museum is just low-key enough to make this list. 

Tour this museum, which pays homage to animator and movie icon, Walt Disney. Your crew will learn a little about his life while snagging some great views of the Golden Gate Bridge from various rooms in the museum. 

It gets double points for motivating your team through Disney’s inspirational story. You’ll never look at work as ‘work’ ever again. 

Sonoma Wine Tour

Wine tours are iconic fun group activities in San Francisco. Yet, the wineries in Napa have gotten a little too crowded for our liking. Luckily, there are plenty of vineyards throughout the area that’ll keep your crew interested and motivated. 

Learn about the history and process of winemaking as you taste vintages throughout Sonoma County.

Sonoma is considered the ‘kid sister’ of Napa, so you won’t find as many giant tour buses here as you would in the neighboring areas.