San Francisco is home to some of the biggest and best companies in the world, and many of those businesses invest heavily in team building. These top employers understand that great teams create great work.
Team building is a great way to improve employee job satisfaction, morale, communication, productivity, and team bonding.
We love team building and believe that it can be one of the most effective ways to create an incredible workplace, so we’ve compiled an up-to-date list of the best team building activities, fun corporate events, and company outing ideas in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Marin, San Jose, and Mountain View.
1. Museum Hack
Museum Hack leads unconventional team building tours of the best museums in San Francisco. Museum Hack’s incredible tour guides are performers, entertainers, comedians, musicians, and generally awesome and fun people who really know how to facilitate a great team outing. Museum Hack offers several different team building options and fun corporate events, including tours at the SFMoMA, the Asian Art Museum, and the de Young.
Each tour includes the following:
- fun storytelling from knowledgeable hosts
- icebreaker games and photo challenges
- incredible info on museum art and artifacts
Looking for custom company team building events? Museum Hack’s tours can be tailored to match your company’s industry, mission, and values (MH once led a yogurt-themed tour for Dannon). Want your next team outing to be competitive? Book Museum Hack’s fun, interactive, and competitive Escape the Museum experience and scavenger hunt. Museum Hack events run for about two hours, and the company serves groups of all sizes, from small teams up to large groups of 300+ and everything in between.
Learn more about Museum Hack.
2. The Great Guac Off
The Great Guac Off is one of the best team building activities in San Francisco. All Guac Offs are packed full of fast-paced and quirky company team building activities.
Here is what The Great Guac Off includes:
- 90 minutes with a highly talented host
- avocado-based icebreakers, trivia, and mini-games
- premium guacamole ingredients and dippers
- an optional secret ingredient to make the recipes exciting
- a spirited guacamole-making contest
With each event, additional food and drinks are available (guac ingredients and dippers are always included). Adding on burrito catering and beer to upgrade this company event into a full meal is a popular and well-loved option. The Great Guac Off is available both as a daytime and evening event, can be run anywhere in the city, including at your office or at one of the Guac Off rental locations around San Francisco, and can accommodate any size group.
Learn more about The Great Guac Off.
3. Gingerbread Games
Gingerbread Games is a holiday-themed team building activity in San Francisco based on none other than the classic gingerbread house-making competition. This corporate event includes everything needed for a successful team building activity and competition.
Gingerbread Games features the following:
- 90 minutes with an awesome holiday host
- included game materials and ingredients
- holiday mini-games and photos
- a high-energy gingerbread house-making contest
Host your gingerbread competition anywhere in the Bay Area, including at your office, conference space, or at one of the Gingerbread Games locations around San Francisco. Add-ons like gift bags for your guests, extra snacks, cookie platters, professional photographers, and more are available. You can also do BYOB, which helps make it a fun but cost-effective option for your next team outing.
Learn more about Gingerbread Games.
4. Honey Bees & Herb Garden
Fairmont San Francisco has installed honey beehives in their rooftop gardens. The hotel aimed to support the bee populations, as bees have decreased in numbers by 90 percent since the ’80s. Today, the hotel is home to 20,000 bees, and they pollinate a culinary garden full of herbs. Visitors can check out the garden from the giant windows inside. Then, folks can stop by the restaurant to taste the hotel’s home-harvested honey! This venue is a great place for a team outing.
Learn more about Fairmont San Francisco’s bees and herb garden.
5. San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour
Christian Cagigal leads guests through spooky San Francisco during his ghost hunt walk! The tour lasts around 90 to 100 minutes and leads guests through the Pacific Heights neighborhood.
Here is what visitors will experience:
- The trees of abolitionist, civil rights hero, and millionaire Mary Ellen Pleasant
- The home of early feminist writer Gertrude Atherton
- Poltergeists at the infamous Chambers Mansion
- The ghost bride of California Street
- A drink at the legendary Hotel Majestic
Cagigal is a professional performer and is sure to keep your team entertained with spooky stories and historical facts. For a haunted good time, check out the San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour!
Learn more about the San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour.
6. Crown & Crumpet
Tea fanatics will love stopping by Crown & Crumpet! This stylish tea room features delicious food and drinks. You can snag a tasty hot lunch, such as chicken pot pie or sausage rolls. Available teas range from English Breakfast to Lychee Congou. Those who prefer coffee can also enjoy some classic lattes.
Teams can also check out the afternoon tea experiences, which feature sandwiches, savory dishes, scones with clotted cream and jam, tasty treats, and tea. Afternoon tea is a fancy experience, which is a great way to treat your team!
Learn more about Crown & Crumpet.
7. EscapeSF
EscapeSF is home to two San Francisco team building activities: Escape from Alcatraz and Escape from the Antique Room. EscapeSF is conveniently located in the heart of the financial district of San Francisco, making it an easy spot to get to for your next company outing. Escape rooms are traditionally better suited for team building for small groups, as you can only fit so many people in the room. EscapeSF offers the option to split your team up into smaller groups and play in different rooms at the same time, or for your group to stay together in the same room and try both back-to-back. Either way, escape rooms make for a great post team event discussion and debrief on what your employees learned and how your team handled the challenges in front of them.
Learn more about EscapeSF.
8. Parties that Cook
Sharing a meal with someone is one of the best ways to get to know them. Parties that Cook takes that idea to the next level with cooking-oriented corporate team building activities. Parties that Cook is a mobile culinary events company operating and hosting fun corporate events and private cooking parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Parties that Cook can host groups of 15 – 350 guests at a variety of venues, including the Parties that Cook Kitchen in San Francisco and many partner venues that can accommodate both small and large team building groups. Parties that Cook’s fun group activities for adults inspire teamwork, camaraderie, and collaboration.
Learn more about Parties that Cook.
9. Sidewalk Food Tours
One of the best (and most delicious) ways to get to know a new city is through its local cuisine. Sidewalk Food Tours combines delicious food, info about the history, culture, and architecture of San Francisco’s neighborhoods, and team building to create a unique corporate event. Sidewalk Food Tours is one of our top fun activities for employees in SF. Private team building tour rates start at $79 per person (daytime) and $89 per person (nighttime). Rates include food tastings (enough for lunch or dinner) and gratuity for the tour guide. Upgrade your corporate experience to add alcoholic beverages to your tour.
Learn more about Sidewalk Food Tours.
10. Captain Kirk’s San Francisco Sailing
Going sailing with your coworkers on your next company outing in San Francisco is truly a special experience and one of the best team building activities in the Bay Area. Depending on your team’s needs, Captain Kirk’s can organize a tightly structured corporate event or provide a less structured team outing. Captain Kirk’s can accommodate six to 60 people all on one boat, or will split your larger team onto multiple boats for a racing regatta. Choose from the following options: Bay Wolf – Team Challenge (up to 24 people), Multiple-boat Regattas (up to 100 people), or Angel Island Barbeque. Captain Kirk’s offers a unique team bonding adventure to discover the Bay Area. Bonus: If you’re lucky, then you may see dolphins or seals during the cruise!
Learn more about Captain Kirk’s San Francisco Sailing.
11. Reason
Reason is the home of hi-tech team building activities in the Bay Area. Reason offers both future tech escape rooms and experiential workshops for your next corporate event. Reason is ideal for adventurous teams ready to experience the world’s first future tech escape room and embark on an epic sci-fi adventure. The best thing about this escape room is the multi-sensory experience, which features cryptic puzzles, strange messages, and hands-on riddles. Your time in the escape room will bond your team by challenging them to adapt, improve, and overcome obstacles and challenges together.
Learn more about Reason.
12. Picnic at Golden Gate Park
One of the best company outing ideas on our list is a DIY team building activity in San Francisco. You don’t always have to use one of the team building companies on this list to plan your San Francisco corporate events. Instead, organize team outings like a DIY company picnic at Golden Gate Park or at one of the other amazing outdoor spaces around the city (Dolores Park, Alamo Park, Crissy Fields, The Presidio). Bring sandwiches, salads, snacks, fruits, desserts and drinks. Play games to get your team interacting and engaging (think mini scavenger hunt, Human Bingo, icebreaker questions, dodgeball, or trivia). A DIY picnic is a great option for teams with a smaller budget for team building.
Learn more about Golden Gate Park.
13. Mr. Treasure Hunt
Mr. Treasure Hunt Urban Adventures offers detailed and organized corporate team building events in San Francisco. Mr. Treasure Hunt’s events are full of fun group activities for employees that require your team to solve challenging clues, explore new locations around the city, and create fun group photos. Some challenge questions require local knowledge, which may be fun for you and your team. These company team building activities are interactive and encourage team bonding. Mr. Treasure Hunt Urban Adventures runs events all over the Bay Area, including team building activities in Peninsula, South Bay, Marin, North Bay, Wine Country, and East Bay.
Learn more about Mr. Treasure Hunt.
14. Urban Diversion
Urban Diversion is a social club with a team of instructors who offer adventurous and unforgettable fun group activities for adults and cool company outing ideas. Urban Diversion specializes in a variety of adventurous team building activities, from hiking and fishing to skiing. Bond with your coworkers and break boundaries in communication with Urban Diversion. If your team has a sense of adventure, then this may be the corporate team building activity for you. You can also become a member of the Urban Diversion Club and check out each of the different corporate events the club regularly hosts. From ping-pong parties to ski runs on the best slopes in America, Urban Diversion’s team of enthusiasts has become a community for adrenaline junkies in San Francisco.
Learn more about Urban Diversion.
15. Hands On Gourmet
Hands On Gourmet hosts interactive cooking parties and company team building activities that allow people to get to know each other in a comfortable, familiar setting. Every event is instructive, interactive, and, most importantly, fun! Here’s how it works: First, grab a drink, snack on some local cheeses, and mingle. Second, you’ll be divided into individual cooking groups. Third, each group will work with a professional chef to create one portion of a delicious meal that you’ll all share at the end. Hands On Gourmet offers five seasonal menu choices and can accommodate all dietary needs.
Learn more about Hands On Gourmet.
16. ZogSports
ZogSports is the amateur sports team you’ve always wanted to join. ZogSports is basically an amateur volleyball game with a twist that keeps all members of your team excited and interested. Even if you don’t know how to play volleyball, you’ll still have a great time. ZogSports offers both corporate team building activities and an ongoing competitive league. In the league, you’ll get to play against other companies and ramp up the team bonding experience to another level.
Learn more about ZogSports.
17. Breakthrough Sushi
If you and your coworkers love sushi, then Breakthrough Sushi is a good place to set up your next team bonding event in San Francisco. Breakthrough Sushi will allow you to master your knowledge and skills, preparing sushi that will impress your family, friends, and relatives. From hand rolls to many other forms of sushi, you’ll learn the necessary techniques and recipes for making sushi rice. What makes this a cool team building activity is sharing this experience with your colleagues.
Learn more about Breakthrough Sushi.
18. Board Game Night
Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned board game night?! Playing board games together is a great way to run DIY company team building activities in San Francisco. Set up shop either at your office or a local bar. Make sure to bring all the classic games like Monopoly and Risk that people are familiar with, plus newer games you can figure out how to play together, allowing your team to create memories and deepen bonds. Some board games allow for collaboration, which can be helpful for your event. Round out your DIY game night with music, snacks, drinks, and a quick round of icebreaker questions.
Alternatively, you can make this event even easier by holding it at a board game shop! One great local option is Gamescape. Gamescape holds regular events, such as board games and beer or niche board game nights. Be sure to check this spot out!
Learn more about Gamescape.
Are you ready to choose the best company team building activities in San Francisco for your business?
There are a lot of awesome company team building activities in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Marin, Mountain View, and the whole of the Bay Area that you and your team can choose from when deciding where to host your next company outing. We hope this list narrowed down the options for you. From scavenger hunts to escape rooms to customized team building like Museum Hack to food-based corporate events like The Great Guac Off, we believe there’s a great team outing for all San Francisco companies on our list.
If you want additional help planning your next team building event, then don’t hesitate to drop us a line! We’d be honored to help.
