The San Francisco Christmas season is one of my favorite times of year in the city. I love how festive people decorate their Victorians, hunting for all the Christmas trees, dog-friendly holiday pop-up bars, and seeing Christmas lights.

Christmas in California is never people’s first idea of the holidays — places like New York City and European Christmas markets always overshadow. But still, I love staying in the Bay Area this time of year because there’s a lot to do, and the weather is amazing.

THE BEST PHOTO SPOTS AROUND SAN FRANCISCO AT CHRISTMAS TIME

If you also love Christmas and finding all the best photo spots, this post is for you. Here’s a list of my favorite places to take Christmas photos around San Francisco that are also dog-friendly.

CABLE CARS IN UNION SQUARE

The Powell cable car turnaround in Union Square is a perfect spot to snap some photos with the decorated cars. The cable cars park at this turnaround before loading to allow people to take photos. Each cable car is decorated differently, and if you time it right you can capture two cable cars at the same time. Make sure you pose on the cable car and nearby. All the trees lining the street are wrapped in lights and create a great bokeh effect around you.

THE SANTA CLAUS HOUSE

68 Castro St. is the most epic decorated house this time of year and a must-visit during the day and at night. The house is decorated in this same Santa theme every year throughout all of December. The house is off a main street that has street parking available- just be courteous to not block anyone’s drive way.

45 UPPER TERRACE

This holiday house is my second favorite in the city. They decorate for every single holiday throughout the year - Halloween and Christmas are the best. This house is situated on the corner of a quiet neighborhood, but the owners are used to the attention. They’ve opened their home for tours on social and as long as you don’t linger they don’t mind you taking a closer look.

MACY’S TREE AND STOREFRONT IN UNION SQUARE

There are several photo spots steps away from one another in Union Square. Besides the cable car turnaround, Macy’s always decorates their storefront and has a big tree in the center of the square by the ice rink. Don’t miss going to the 7th floor of Macy’s to get a birds-eye view of the square and treat yourself to the viral soft serve at Miller and Lux. It’s best enjoyed near the Christmas tree. Check out our Dog-friendly Day in the Bay video on Instagram for a full Union Square Christmas itinerary.

FAIRMONT SAN FRANCISCO

The Fairmont San Francisco hotel puts on the best Christmas experience with a festive exterior, a large tree in the lobby, and a life-sized gingerbread house that their staff bakes every year. You won’t want to miss all these photo spots.

Miracle at pacific cocktail haven

A short walk from Union Square is the holiday pop-up Miracle at PCH. This pop-up bar allows dogs inside and on the patio and has the best decorations. The below photo was taken at the entrance to the bar where they also sporadically spray fake snow.

PIER 39

I rarely go to Fisherman’s Wharf when I’m in San Francisco but at this time of year, I can’t resist the Christmas Tree. It’s easiest to park in the garage across the street and use the sky bridge to cross over. The tree is surrounded by presents and in a very busy area, so patience will be key.

InterContinental Mark Hopkins

Next door to the Fairmont San Francisco is the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. It’s worth a walkover to shoot some photos of the grand exterior. You’ll want to stand a bit away from the hotel to capture the full entrance, so be mindful of cars as this is where they enter.

CHASE CENTER TREE

The Chase Center boasts the largest Christmas tree in San Francisco at 90 feet tall. It’s covered in Golden State colored ornaments and flanked with life-sized presents that are great for posing on.

the palace hotel

The Palace is another hotel that has a pretty tree in the lobby, but our favorite thing about this photo spot is that there’s a secret location with the best view of it. If there aren’t meetings taking place, you can ask guest services about this view of the lobby from the second floor. When I inquired, they were happy to take us upstairs to take some photos and share a bit of history about the hotel. The atrium of the lobby is particularly beautiful and this photo spot ensures you can capture it with the tree.