11 Coolest Team Building Exercises in San Francisco

Published by Josh Hirsch.

Being one of the hippest places on earth is a lot to live up to. Fortunately, San Francisco knows just how to do it right, even with something most would call cliché. Take for example the growing segment of team building activities. Once a hellish endurance of being trapped in a boardroom being, well, bored with your coworkers, a niche grew to make those team bonding experiences more than bearable.

In fact, they somehow became fun. Perhaps it’s just the spirit of San Francisco, the tech hub of the US, known for thinking outside the box. Whatever it is though, these cool team building exercises in San Francisco are the kind of events that employees can’t wait to attend. 

Looking for a way to help your team bond and grow? Then be sure to nab a coveted spot with these 11 coolest team building exercises in San Francisco!

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

• Sidewalk Food Tours

If your team could use an outing that bonds you together through food, history, and a little exercise, then Sidewalk Food Tours is for you. No matter how long any of you have resided in the Bay Area, there’s nothing like seeing San Francisco like a tourist, roaming the streets together.

As you do, your food tours take you on an intertwined journey. The experience of walking while learning about San Francisco’s rich history, architecture and culture is one of the best team building exercises of all. But there’s an even greater reward – the chance to taste the best foods of the city. From renowned food trucks to classic San Francisco restaurants and little mom-and-pop places, everyone will get to sink their teeth into the experience.

Work together to solve the puzzle before the time runs out!

• EscapeSF

For an element of adventure, EscapeSF provides four escape room games for team building. You can choose Escape from Alcatraz, Escape from Blind Tiger Bar, Escape from Space Bus, or Escape from Antique Room. The décor is superb and creates the immersive effect for realism. TripAdvisor awarded it with its highly-coveted Certificate of Excellence too, making it an even more prime choice for your team building exercises. 

Each room features cameras and microphones that allow you to communicate with the game master to make your escape from your chosen room. What’s really unique here is that they not only can come to you if you have a larger corporate group to host…they can tailor a customized experience. You can host team building exercises with EscapeSF year after year and have a completely new concept built every time which will really keep employees excited!

It’s time for your team to take your museum trip to the next level

• Museum Hack

Designed for renegades, the types of people who find museums yawn-worthy, Museum Hack features tour guides that don’t simply launch into a planned spiel and drone on and on as you waft through room after room of exhibits. Instead, these guides are entertainers, comedians, performers, and musicians, all of whom must undergo three solid months of training with Museum Hack’s unique style before they can lead. 

There are several options for team building exercises with Museum Hack, even ones that can be specifically customized for your company to reflect mission and core values. It’s flexible too in that you can create competitive exercises, like a museum escape or some other type of workshop. All tours run around two hours, plus it’s easy to accommodate any size group, indoors or outdoors. 

Everyone becomes a slightly better artist after a glass or two of wine

• Wine & Canvas of San Francisco

For employees that love wine and painting, this will be absolute heaven. Art helps boost creativity in a most relaxing way and with Wine & Canvas, your team will have the chance to bond through creative expression and plenty of libations. Gaining popularity over the years through the sheer pleasure of combining artistic expression with cocktails, the instructors are talented local artists that will help encourage your team with an eye-opening experience. This type of team building exercise is wonderful for smaller groups of no more than 15 people. 

• Reason

If your team needs a reason to bond through team building exercises, then choose Reason. Each room has a different story all carried out through cryptic puzzles, hands-on riddles, and odd messages. It’s very high-tech, perfect for any tech-based team to work through together. From reactor meltdowns to ancient alien crash sites, this futuristic venue will give you new experiences that fuel your reason to drive success. 

• Leela

Not every team thrives on the intensity of an escape scenario though. If that’s your team, then choose Leela where you can drop in on improv classes. Through art and entertainment, your team building exercises will allow everyone a creative expression that encourages communication, self-expression, and collaboration. Plus, there’s nothing more hilarious than those improv moments. 

Leela’s goal is to teach your team the skills needed to function smoothly and find innovative ways to communicate. For any company and any size group, Leela can help your team explore, play, and thrive in new ways. 

The team that cooks together, stays together

• SWFT Cooking Classes

Have you ever noticed how food brings people together? Cooking together is one way to forge a bond, and then eating what you make cements it. A cooking class gives teams a way to bond and come together, even if they’ve never cooked before. Here, your team building exercises will involve crafting a gourmet meal together. The environment is casual and relaxed, allowing for everyone to feel comfortable in the process.

And the rewards are fantastic too, for not only will everyone on the team be closer, but you’ll all get to share in the deliciousness you’ve created together. You can also request to set your team building exercises up as cooking competitions. It’s flexible, fun, and tasty, all in one!

• Breakthrough Sushi

Sushi is more than a part of Japanese cuisine…it’s an art form. Healthy and astoundingly delicious, your team will get the chance to roll their own. As the first (and only!) sustainable team building sushi class company in the US, Breakthrough Sushi can host events in your office, any of their San Francisco-area venues, or at your own home. 

The peacefulness of rolling sushi together starting from scratch with quality and sustainable seafood, forges a bond unlike anything else. All the necessary techniques will be taught for making authentic sushi including how to make sushi rice, slice the fish, and roll up favorites like the California roll, plus more. Great for creating memories among employees, the final bonding comes in the enjoyment of the rolls you make!

This team building class has the tastiest results

• The Great Guac Off

Perhaps sushi is a little intimidating for your team. In that case, you might want to go for team building exercises that revolve around a guacamole competition. It sounds unusual, but hey, this is San Francisco. And guacamole made from fresh California avocados will be a hit for any corporate team.

Fun games and events all encompass guacamole with the guac and dippers included. You can also add on food and drinks, have it day or night, and even schedule the Guac Off to come to your office for complete convenience. It’s a very laid-back and versatile choice for your team building exercises in San Francisco.

It was a 3 hour tour…

• Captain Kirk’s San Francisco Sailing

Is everyone working too hard indoors? Then take the team building exercises outdoors. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful places to explore, especially from a boat. A sailing adventure allows your team to work together as mates on a ship, all while seeing major marine landmarks and marine mammals too. 

With tasty food and drinks, you can schedule your team building yacht charter for corporate sailing charters of 6 to 60 people either all on one boat or competing against each other on multiple boats. Racing boats make the challenge even more fun for up to 24 people, or by using both boats for larger team building exercises. Get your sea legs and strengthen the team for the win!

A team building experience your coworkers will never forget

• The Go Game

And finally, why are you even planning team building exercises in San Francisco? We know why…to boost morale and make more money. Enthusiasm can easily be built with The Go Game, capable of bonding teams small and large. You can add your input for what you want or let them help you create a brand new tailor-made experience to help your group thrive. 

Choose from games that last an hour to multi-day events with scavenger hunts, crazy music videos, boat games, and much more. The possibilities for team building are endless at this San Francisco team building institution!

Sometimes, team building doesn’t need to be a high-intensity adventure. Sometimes, all it takes is a little quality time together.

No matter how you decide to bond with your team, these 11 team building exercises are among the coolest options in San Francisco. Strengthen your team and make your employees happy, especially when you announce that this year, there will be no boring team building games in the main meeting room.