Best Bike Tours in San Francisco

Enjoy the city on wheels. On these tours you can travel around San Francisco's most iconic sights by pedalling with groups of people. It's an incredible experience that anyone can do, but you'll love it especially if you're sporty or love outdoor activities.

If there's one of the things to see and do in San Francisco that you can't miss, it's the bike tour. Although it depends on the tour you choose, one of the places you have to cycle is the Golden Gate Bridge. Read on if you want to find out all the details about this two-wheeled tour, which you can also book online.

The most complete option

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito Bike Tour

A complete tour of Golden Gate, Sausalito and other interesting places in SF.

You'll make stops at Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, Warming Hut at the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge, so you're guaranteed beautiful views.

From £56 at Hellotickets

One of the advantages of this guided bike tour is that once the tour is over, you can request a bike rental for the rest of the day. The bikes you will use during the tour are electric, so you won't have to worry about pedalling too much.

As for the places you will visit, the stops will be from 10 to 30 minutes in each of the places. During the ride you will be able to see other interesting places in the city, but you won't stop at them, so the tour is quite complete.

Recommended if... You like sports and outdoor activities.

To book a guided bike tour in San Francisco, you have multiple options in tourist shops in the city that offer this service. If you want to save yourself the hassle of having to go to a shop to book a bike tour, the best option is to book in advance online.

When booking such tours online, you need to pay special attention to the itinerary and take into account the conditions of the company you book with. A good tour of this style has to have an expert guide who will take you to the most interesting places on board a bicycle.

When booking, pay attention to cancellation policies. In most cases cancellation is free, but you should cancel in good time so that you can get your money back. Some of these tours may be cancelled in bad weather, so this is something to be aware of when booking.

The bike tour of the city usually lasts between one and three hours, depending on the number of places you visit according to the itinerary of each company. Personally, I recommend the three-hour tours, because you get the chance to see more interesting places and you can do it with more peace of mind.

These family-friendly tours are ideal to include in an itinerary of things to see and do in San Francisco in a day, because you won't need much time to complete the tour, and best of all, it's a healthy way to explore the most incredible corners of the city.

In general, bike tours in San Francisco usually offer you the option of renting the bike to continue touring part of the city for as long as you want. On these tours, bike rentals occur after arrival in Sausalito, from where you can return to San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge or ferry.

There are also longer electric bike tours, lasting up to five hours, which also include a chocolate tasting stop in the Mission District.

One of the best things to do in San Francisco is to ride around the city on a bicycle, that's why on this type of tour you'll mostly find parks and green areas along the way. Depending on the type of tour you choose, you'll see more spectacular views than others.

On most of these tours you will have the opportunity to cross the Golden Gate Bridge from one side of the bay to the other. This is one of the most incredible experiences thanks to the views.

On the other hand, the bike tours are incredible to see more places that you won't be able to see on a tram, train or private car. Among the destinations you'll enjoy most are Little Italy in North Beach, and Alamo Park. It's not uncommon to catch a glimpse of the Painted Ladies.

But again, the itinerary is up to the team you hire for the guided tour. Other options include visiting other interesting places such as the Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood or the trendy Hayes Valley.

• Although these types of tours are usually cancelled in bad weather, be aware of the weather conditions, as San Francisco is a somewhat unpredictable city when it comes to weather. That's why I recommend wearing layered clothing and comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
• If you're going with children, first make sure that the experience you hire is baby seat accessible. It is also essential to provide your child or baby with the necessary protection for safe travel.
• Bring water and supplies or money for shopping, as most of these tours do not include food and drink. In some cases, the group will make a stop for lunch, but this is at your own expense and is not included in the guided tour.
• It is recommended that you make sure you know how to ride a bike before choosing this option. These tours are done on electric bikes, but if you haven't ridden one, you should at least know how to ride a mechanical bike to adapt easily to the electric one.

It all depends on the length of the tour and what is included in it. But generally prices vary from 50 euros and can cost up to 150 euros per person. The price variation is usually due to how new the bike is or how many stops the tour makes.

It is also influenced by the number of participants on the tour and of course, the company you choose to experience the tour with. Before looking at the price, I recommend that you take a good look at the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Another option you might want to try is bike rental, in this case you can assume a lower price, but the experience is self-guided. In case you choose this option, most of them offer you to rent the bike for a whole day.

This San Francisco bike tour is one of the must -do things to see and do with kids in San Francisco. They love to visit every spot on the itinerary, marvel at the awesomeness of the Golden Gate Bridge and find it great fun to visit the Painted Ladies.

See the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf is one of the most beautiful and iconic places in San Francisco Bay. You can stop for approximately 30 minutes. While it's not one of the best views of San Francisco in all its glory, it's a good view of a slice of the city. It's also a fun time for the kids to enjoy.

See the city and take pictures from the Golden Gate Bridge

It's a sight I recommend you put on your list of things to see and do in San Francisco in the summer, as this is the time of year when you can see the city at its clearest.

The stop at this iconic landmark can take a little over 20 minutes, giving you time to take plenty of snapshots.

Stop at Sausalito to look at the bay from the other side

One of the things you can't miss in Sausalito is the local food, which is why I like to include this town among San Francisco's best dining experiences. As Sausalito is a coastal area, most of the food you'll find here is seafood.

Get a taste of history at the Ferry Building

Nowadays this place has been remodelled as a market for San Francisco producers and farmers, so besides the historical attraction, it is a place where you can take pictures of the iconic building and also have the chance to buy some of the fruits and vegetables sold here.

Enjoy the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square Park

A must stop is the Painted Ladies, a place that is not only magical, but also offers one of the best views of San Francisco due to its high altitude location. It is a group of painted Victorian-style houses that are very picturesque. From here you can take pictures not only of the houses, but also of the entire city of San Francisco, which can be seen at a very good angle from here.

Admire street art at Clarion Alley Murals

Clarion Alley is one of the most picturesque streets you'll find in San Francisco. This alley was painted by artists from the Clarion Alley Murals Project.

If you're into street photography or want lots of cool photos to Instagram, this is definitely a good place to do it.

I fully recommend you to include this activity among the things to do when you go to San Francisco not only because it's an opportunity to do outdoor activities, but also because it's an amazing way to get to know the city in depth.

While it is convenient to visit the sights in a private vehicle, there is no experience that compares to touring San Francisco by bicycle. It's especially recommended to go by electric bike because it gives you the chance to ride up steep hills and places that you couldn't do on foot or by car.

Another thing you're sure to like about this tour is that you'll also get to see first-hand many of the stories behind San Francisco's most iconic structures. It's also an activity that won't take too much time, so you can include it in your itinerary, whether you're staying for one or five days in the city.

You definitely already know why I love touring the city of San Francisco by bike and why I recommend it. But what about self-guided bike tours of the city? Well, here's a comparison of the advantages between the two options.