Good tidings by the Bay

San Francisco and environs may be short on snow in December, but it has more than enough jingle to make your holidays sing. You may not be able to take a sleigh ride through Golden Gate Park, but here are 10 places where you can find plenty of Christmas cheer in the shops, restaurants and shows from Union Square to South of Market.

1. If this time of year has you longing for a touch of tradition, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair may fill the bill, but you’ll have to hurry because today is the last day. This holiday adventureland, a short drive from downtown, re-creates Victorian London, down to the last details. Hundreds of costumed players, including Father Christmas, Oliver Twist and Tiny Tim, will roam the decorated winding lanes, while creative characters hawk their wares through 90,000 square feet of lamp-lighted shops, theatrical shows and English pubs. Bring an appetite; the aroma of roasting chestnuts, meat pies and fish and chips will tempt your taste buds. You can wash down all those holiday treats with hot buttered rum, Irish coffee, hot toddies and ales and lagers, sold throughout the fair. www.dickensfair.com

2. Those who long to put on a pair of mittens to help them get into the holiday spirit can make their way back into the city and head for the Embarcadero Ice Rink at Justin Herman Plaza. It’s the closest thing to snow you’ll find in San Francisco. The temporary ice rink (it stays open for nine weeks, through Jan. 4) offers outdoor skating and lessons. www.embarcaderocenter.com

3. When you’re ready for a break, go across the street to the Ferry Building and grab a cup of hot cocoa or an eggnog latte at Peet’s Coffee and shop local favorite Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker for gourmet chocolate-covered cacao beans and 70% bittersweet chocolate bars.

4. Imagine sitting in an underground wine cave in some of Napa and Sonoma’s best wineries and being serenaded by holiday music played on dulcimers, panpipes, steel drums, bells and harps. For the last 23 years, virtuoso David Auerbach has been using musical instruments from around the world to interpret Christmas standards in a new way. Choosing a different instrument for each song (he uses 10 to 20 at each concert), Auerbach performs such classics as “Deck the Halls,” “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night,” and sometimes he even asks the audience to sing along. “What makes the cave concerts so special,” says Auerbach, “are the acoustics, which reverberate, and the atmosphere, which is romantic.” Performances are offered on afternoons and evenings throughout December. www.cavemusic.com

5. If you like your entertainment a bit more uptown, plan to see “The Nutcracker,” the jewel in San Francisco’s holiday entertainment crown. This season, the San Francisco Ballet, one of the oldest professional ballet companies in the United States, celebrates its 75th anniversary with afternoon and evening performances in the War Memorial Opera House. This classic Christmas tale of Clara, the Mouse King and the Sugar Plum Fairies will delight children and adults. Through Dec. 28. www.sfballet.org

6. The City by the Bay may be best known for its sourdough bread and Victorian architecture, but at the holidays the shops go all out to turn the town into a winter wonderland. Start your adventure in the heart of the holiday shopping district at Union Square. If you’re an animal lover, don’t miss the seasonal Pet Adoption Windows at the Macy’s department store. They’re hosted in partnership with the SPCA, and the event puts cuddly kittens and cute puppies on comfortable cushions in holiday-themed windows, where they wait for some good Samaritan to stop by, fall in love and adopt them. In 2007, more than 200 pets found good homes. Even if you don’t plan on adding a new member to your family, the seven-story department store sells a diversity of goods, from cosmetics to children’s clothing. Macy’s: (415) 397-3333.

7. Just across the street is the upscale Neiman Marcus, known for its high-end designer clothing, accessories and giftware. There you’ll find a four-story-high Christmas tree that stretches from the main floor to the skylight-filled Rotunda restaurant. The festive Rotunda makes a good between-shopping stop for an elegant holiday afternoon tea. Reservations recommended. Neiman Marcus: (415) 362-3900.

8. When you’ve had your fill of big-city shopping at Union Square, travel across town to the small merchant neighborhood of Union Street. Near the Golden Gate Bridge, the boutique shops on Union, between Van Ness Avenue and Steiner Street, are known for their creative holiday window displays, whether Victorian, traditional, modern or otherworldly.

9. If all this window-shopping has built up an appetite, Balboa Cafe (established in 1914) offers a welcome respite. Its motto: “Eat, drink and make merry,” which fits this time of year. www.unionstreetsf.com

10. You can end your holiday visit with a stroll along Market Street, where, for the first time in 103 years, the street will be decked out for the holiday season. Five-foot-wide snowflakes, illuminated by energy-saving LED lights, will be hung from Market Street’s signature “Path of Gold” light poles. The poles that run the length of Market from Steuart to Castro streets were originally installed in 1916 and will cast a distinctive amber glow on one of the city’s main thoroughfares throughout the holiday season. www.marketstreetassociation.org

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travel@latimes.com

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Stylish hotels for a seasonal splurge

From the simply elegant to the wildly extravagant, San Francisco hotels have something to offer for seemingly every visitor. For upscale holiday hotel experiences, check out the following:

RITZ-CARLTON

This luxury hotel just minutes from Union Square is a great spot for holiday dining and entertainment. Through Wednesday, children can gather daily at the Lobby Lounge’s cozy fireplace for the traditional Teddy Bear Tea with Binky the Elf. The afternoon includes classic holiday storytelling and a visit from and photograph with the cuddly Ritz-Carlton Teddy, complete with cookies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. www.ritzcarlton.com.

HOTEL PALOMAR

A member of the Kimpton Hotel Group, this boutique hotel offers a shop-till-you-drop package for those who engage in retail therapy. The hotel has partnered with Bloomingdale’s West Coast flagship store nearby to bring an exclusive VIP shopping experience to guests, which includes a personal shopper, Champagne welcome reception, makeup makeover and a romantic dinner for two at acclaimed restaurant the Fifth Floor. www.hotelpalomar-sf.com.