The Ultimate Wellness Guide to San Francisco

Go for: Japanese-style baths with healing waters
This Japantown institution is known for its Japanese-style communal baths, designed for harmony and relaxation. The art of bathing begins with ditching your devices and your clothes (optional), followed by a time-old ritual that includes a salt scrub, hot pool, steam room, cold plunge, and sauna, all meant to detox and renew, both mentally and physically. This process works even better when followed by a massage that blends Western and Eastern styles (because, let’s be real, what doesn’t work better when followed by a massage?). The communal bathhouse is all-gender (bathing suits required) on Mondays and Tuesdays, men-only on Thursdays and Saturdays, and women-only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Go for: Dance classes for all levels
ODC is a professional dance company, theater, and school all wrapped up in one. Anyone from 8 months to 98 years old can take part in classes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced dancers. The school offers every type of dance you can think of—contemporary, hip hop, rhythm and motion, African diasporic, ballet, belly dancing, jazz, Latin, tap, and more. Not sure if dance classes are in step with your vibe? New students can take their first class for $12.

Go for: The indoor/outdoor rooftop spa
The Bamford Wellness Spa at 1 Hotel is known for its Aromatic Bath Salt Soak in stone spa tubs on the rooftop terrace. Start or finish with a massage, and once you’re fully relaxed, head to Terrene, the hotel’s restaurant, for zero-waste cocktails made with fresh ingredients from the chef’s rooftop garden, best sipped on the heated patio, which boasts stunning views of the Bay Bridge and Ferry Building. You don’t have to stay at this LEED Gold Certified hotel to enjoy its restaurant, and nature-inspired spa, but if you do, you can also sign up for complimentary yoga and bootcamp classes.

Go for: Yoga on the beach with views of the Golden Gate Bridge
What could possibly make you more blissed out than a yoga class where, instead of staring at a self-consciousness-inducing wall of mirrors, you get to gaze out at waves crashing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge? These outdoor classes are meant to heal and rejuvenate but are also playful and challenging. And don’t worry about being unable to hear the instructor over the powerful Pacific. Each student is given headphones to create an immersive experience of music and guidance. Prefer your yoga without sand between your toes? Outdoor Yoga also offers classes in Golden Gate Park.

Go for: Hand-blended essential oils, crystals, and tarot readings
Hidden in a Cole Valley courtyard overflowing with vines, bushes, and flowers is The Sword & Rose, “a Spiritual and Metaphysical shop,” situated in a “magikal” cozy hut straight out of a fairytale. Step inside to discover a trove of healing treasures, including jewelry, rare books, crystals, incense, and more (the shop is known for its oils and bath salts that can invoke prosperity, wisdom, communication, and creativity, to name a few). The Sword & Rose also offers tarot, palm, and astrological readings known for being eerily accurate, so make sure you really want to know the truth before committing.

Go for: Magic mushrooms in all forms with clearly delineated dose levels
Studies show that “magic mushrooms” can reverse the effects of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, which is why SF has effectively decriminalized all “entheogenic plant practices.” As a result, it’s pretty easy to procure the fantastical funghi in safe and transparent dosages; you just have to know the right place to forage. At Ambrosia’s Door, you are asked to join the nondenominational Ambrosia Church, which means “accepting that entheogenic plants, including cannabis and mushrooms, as part of your religion” and pay a $5 fee, which isn’t too bad for access to an amazing supply of various strains of raw and chocolate psilocybin mushrooms. At the SF location in SoMa (which has an armed guard and metal detector), you simply check in and then go up a flight of stairs to a sun-filled room where a guide helps you figure out what will work best for you before taking your cash “contribution.” After that, whether you use your bounty to work through trauma or survive a boring dinner party is up to you.

Go for: Soothing spa treatments and an outdoor meditation pool
Nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find one of the best spas in the Bay. Not only is it perfect for traditional bodywork, but there are also healing services, like guided meditation, hypnotherapy, cupping, reiki, Shamanic journeys, and more. Be sure to leave plenty of time after your treatment so you can take a dip in the heated meditation pool, followed by a healthy lunch from the Tea Bar in the garden.

Go for: Heated swimming pools with a view 
Whether you have a Bay Club membership in your own city, a friend with a guest pass, or just want a sanctuary to exercise and lounge around in for the day, this gorgeous gym is worth the visit for studio classes, squash courts, lap pools, basketball court, every piece of equipment you could want, and, best part of it all, access to “The Gateway” campus on the Embarcadero, which has outdoor heated swimming pools (yes, plural) with views of the Bay Bridge, and nine fully-lit tennis courts. Anyone can book a tour for a free one-day visit; visit their website here for more info. 

Go for: Float therapy and cryotherapy
Start your visit with a trip inside a cyro chamber to activate your body’s “cold-shock response,” which helps lower inflammation, boost immune function, increase blood flow, reduce pain, and speed up healing. Then, move into the infrared sauna, which heats your body directly (aka none of the overwhelming feelings of suffocation many get in the traditional heat-filled chamber) and detoxifies. Finally, float in a saltwater-filled pod to experience weightlessness and release all of your tension.

Go for: Head spa treatments
Zen Spa has two locations, but to get the head spa treatment, visit the one in Russian Hill. This location offers massages, facials, nails, waxing, and, the reason you’re going: the viral head spa. According to Zen Spa, “If there is one wrinkle on the scalp, there will be six wrinkles on the face, which means that one scalp treatment is equivalent to six facials.” We didn’t even realize the scalp could get wrinkles, and who knows if that is backed by science, but what you can be certain of is that you’ll get a deep scalp cleaning, scalp massage, and shoulder and neck massage, which helps remove excess oil and dandruff, improve metabolism, release pressure, restore hair follicle health, and promote hair growth. Just be warned: Your provider will begin by showing you your hair and scalp with a close-up camera, which is not quite as traumatizing as when the dentist does it to lecture you about flossing, but almost.

Go for: All-levels yoga class in a Gothic cathedral
This non-denominational class takes place inside one of SF’s most iconic structures, a French Gothic cathedral known for its murals by Jan Henryk De Rosen, reproduction of the “Gates of Paradise,” 44-bell carrion, and indoor and outdoor labyrinths. All levels, ages, and abilities are welcome to enjoy expert instruction and live music while standing beneath the 7,290 square feet of colorful stained-glass windows and towering columns. Classes are $20, and all proceeds go toward maintaining the cathedral. (Keep an eye out for the Cathedral’s Sound Baths, as well. They happen less frequently but are definitely the most magical way to meditate.)

Go for: A wave-activated acoustic sculpture “hidden” in a jetty in the Marina
Amongst SF's endless parks, beaches, and lookouts, the Wave Organ is one of the most special. The famous sculpture is a sound installation consisting of 25 organ pipes made of PVC and concrete located at various elevations on a jetty made with materials from a demolished cemetery. The sounds are subtle and constantly changing based on the tide and movement of the waves, and the best time to check it out is at high tide. 

Go for: An expansive selection of non-alcoholic wine, beer, and spirits
This Latina-founded alcohol-free retail store is one of several that have popped up in SF recently but is our favorite thanks to the wide selection of N/A beverages, bar tools, glassware, garnishes, and SF merch you can’t find anywhere else. There are rotating daily tastings to help make nonalcoholic options more approachable so you can figure out what you like best.

Go for: Three acres of natural beauty and tranquility
This Golden Gate Park oasis is the oldest public Japanese garden in the US, full of classic elements, including winding paths, an arch drum bridge, Buddhist sculptures, pagodas, koi ponds, a zen garden, and native Japanese plants. It’s an enchanting place to visit when in need of serenity and stillness, even more so in March and April when the cherry blossoms are doing what they do best. We like to go in the mornings on a weekday, as it’s the perfect time and place to pop in for a moment of mediation. If you have some spare time, be sure to visit the Tea House overlooking a pond for a cup of green tea and a plate of cookies.

Go for: A parade of wellness-focused shops
Wellness comes in many forms, and one of our favorites is kicking back while sipping sweet and savory libations. At the Ferry Building, you’ll find all kinds of liquid wellness options, whether you want to detox with an organic cold-pressed juice at Juice House, find calm at a traditional Chinese tea at the Imperial Tea Court (where you’ll also find over 100 of some of the most sought-after teas), or unwind with a glass of wine at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. And while you’re there taking such good care of yourself, you may as well pick up some organic, ethically obtained botanical skincare products at Benedetta, artisanal honey at Carmel Honey, culinary mushrooms at Far West Funghi, locally grown olive oil at Stonehouse California Olive Oil, or any of the fresh, local veggies and produce you’ll find at the Saturday morning farmers market.