Two Ice Rinks Open in San Francisco on November 4

San Francisco On Ice opens November 4 at 80 Jefferson Street, on the lot beside the SkyStar Wheel. Standard Days cost $23 from 10 a.m. and Value Days $19 from noon, every ticket includes skate rental, and the booking page shows sessions from $20.33 once its fee is added. Sessions run 75 minutes with at least 60 minutes on the ice, start every 45 minutes, and take skaters four and up. Warm layers matter more than technique once the wind comes off the bay.

Union Square sits about 1.6 miles from the wharf as the crow flies, so take the F Market streetcar or a Powell cable car rather than a straight walk, and allow time for the transfer, the walk from the stop, and check-in. The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink opens the same day, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. through January 18, in 60-minute sessions every 90 minutes, inside a plaza that itself opens at 5 a.m. and closes at midnight. Admission is $22, or $17 for children eight and under, skates included, and tickets are sold separately from the wharf rink. The November 4 opening celebration runs 5 to 7 p.m.; the first 100 guests who register on arrival skate free at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Book a late session and eat nearby after.

Both rinks open on November 4, so one day can fit the city's newest ice and a Union Square tradition now in its 19th season. Treat that as a plan for energetic skaters rather than the default: two sessions, two separate tickets, and a cross-town ride with transfers and check-in use up most of the daylight. Start at the water in the morning, ride the F Market or a cable car across town, and finish under the plaza lights. Check each rink's calendar before buying. One pair of gloves and one transit card cover the whole plan.