Best Tours and Day Trips from San Francisco
Getting to know San Francisco and its surroundings on your own is a great plan, but if you are accompanied by a specialised guide, the plan takes it up a notch.
The Golden Gate Bridge | ©Joonyeop Baek
San Francisco is one of the most curious cities in the United States and without a doubt my favourite on the West Coast. The image of its iconic bridge shrouded in mist, its steep streets that you can take a tram up and down, its diversity, its food (getting hungry in San Francisco is one of the best things that can happen to you), and its relative variety of things to do make a holiday in the city a great plan. Here are my must-do's in the city:
1. Tour of Alcatraz, Muir Woods and Sausalito
Three of San Francisco's most powerful attractions, combined in a single activity. For almost a full day, you'll go in a small group to Alcatraz (the tour includes ferry tickets, admission to the iconic prison and audio guide), and explore Muir Woods and Sausalito, both with a professional guide and at your own leisure for part of the experience.
I'd say the best thing about this tour of Alcatraz, Muir Woods and Sausalito is that it's an all-in-one tour that saves you transport between the different points included in the tour, but the fact that it includes a guide to get to know the history of these places in depth is also another of its strong points.
- Duration: 7 hours
- Recommended: If you have little time in San Francisco or you have just arrived in the city and want to see the most emblematic places first.
2. Small group tour of San Francisco's financial district
On this small group tour of San Francisco's financial district you will pass by the headquarters of a lot of world famous tech companies: Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn. You'll also visit SalesForce Park, a floating park built in the heart of the city where companies like Slack and Yelp have their offices.
This is a very specific tour where you'll experience first-hand the atmosphere of one of the most vibrant areas of San Francisco, with a guide who will tell you juicy anecdotes about this cradle of entrepreneurship.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Recommended: If you are passionate about the history of the technology companies that dominate the world today.
3. Golden Gate and Alcatraz Cruise
If you want to take a boat ride around the entire San Francisco Bay, this is the experience for you. You won't enter Alcatraz, but you'll take a tour around the island and pass under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The cruise departs from Fisherman's Wharf and you'll have the option of taking an audio guide with you at all times so you'll know everything you're seeing. The boat also has WiFi and you can order drinks to enjoy the ride. You can book your tickets online for the Golden Gate and Alcatraz cruise, which I highly recommend to make sure you enjoy this experience on your trip to San Francisco.
- Duration: 1 hour
- Recommended: If the weather is nice in San Francisco and you don't want to visit the inside of Alcatraz (in this case I recommend a cruise with entrance to the famous prison).
4. San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass
The Go San Francisco Tourist Card is a day pass: you choose the number of days the card is valid for and within that period you can visit all the attractions you want that are included in the pass.
I recommend you buy the San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass online, but first take a look below to see what's included and whether it's worth it for your trip. Choose a 1, 2, 3 or 5 day pass, which will give you free access to San Francisco's main attractions (among others):
What's included
- San Francisco Sightseeing Bus
- Madame Tussauds Museum
- California Academy of Sciences
- Golden Gate to Bay Bridge Cruise
- San Francisco Dungeon
- Aquarium of the Bay
- Ripley's Believe It or Not!
- San Francisco Bay Cruise
- Exploratorium Museum
- Oracle Park
- Bicycle rentals
- San Francisco Zoo
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA)
- USS Pampanito
- Young Museum
- Walt Disney Family Museum
- K1 Karting San Francisco
- GoCar Tour
- Asian Art Museum
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
- Berkeley Botanical Garden
- Beat Museum
- Duration: Depends on the validity of your booking
- Recommended: If you're the type of person who travels to the max, wanting to see as many things per day as possible to get the most out of your holiday.
5. San Francisco Tour by GoCar (Early Bird)
If you like to get up early to start exploring the city before anyone else, the GoCar San Francisco tour allows you to rent an electric car with a GPS that will guide you around San Francisco and its main points of interest.
After an orientation on how to drive the GoCar, you will be free to travel around the city or follow the route suggested by the GPS. One thing you should know is that the electric car has two seats and the price of the experience is per car, not per person.
Of course this experience has its requirements: the driver must be 21 years or older and have a valid driving licence. The passenger must be at least 4 years old. Also, an important thing is that you have to leave a deposit of $500 to rent the car or $150 if you take out insurance.
- Duration: 3 hours
- Recommended: If you prefer to visit the cities on your own, and want to do an alternative tour of San Francisco.
6. Day trip to Napa with wine tasting and gourmet lunch on the Wine Train
This is the premium experience you have to have on your trip to San Francisco if you are a wine lover. This is an excursion to the Napa Valley, known worldwide for its vineyards, which you will reach on a restored historic train, the Wine Train.
From the train, you can admire the beauty of the Napa region, enjoy a gourmet lunch and coffee in the dining room, and get off at a winery of your choice for a wine tasting and a taste of the local produce.
Everything is included in the Napa day trip with wine tasting and gourmet food on the Wine Train: the round trip from San Francisco to Napa by train, lunch and wine tasting, so if you're a fan of the full experience this is a perfect option to spend part of the day in one of the most sought after places on the West Coast.
- Recommended: If you're travelling to San Francisco on a budget and love wine or premium experiences.
7. San Francisco Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour
2 different routes, freedom to explore San Francisco and optional add-ons: this is what the San Francisco Hop On Hop Off bus tour offers, for which you can purchase a day pass and comfortably tour the must-see sights.
With the premium options, you can take a night bus tour of San Francisco or a tram tour of Sausalito. All options include a walking tour of Chinatown, so it's a very complete experience whichever itinerary you choose.
When you make your Hop On Hop Off bus booking, you will receive an email confirmation and just need to show it on the bus when you board.
Stops on the daytime route
- San Francisco Visitor Center
- Washington Square - North Beach
- Clay Street
- Market Street
- Union Square
- Hotel Hilton
- Civil Center
- Alamo Square
- Haight Ashbury
- Golden Gate Park
- Palace of Fine Arts
- Marina - Hollow Cow
- Lombard Street
- Pier 39
Night Route Stops
- SS Jeremiah O'Brien
- Madame Tussauds
- The San Francisco Dungeon
- Ferry Building Marketplace
- Pier 39
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Recommended: If you have just arrived in San Francisco and don't know where to start visiting the city or as a last tour before ending your holiday.
8. Private and customisable tour of San Francisco
If you want to discover San Francisco for real and delve beyond the tourist sites, this private, customisable tour of San Francisco features a local guide who will take you to alternative sites on a customisable tour.
In addition to visiting the city's main sites, you'll discover the city's neighbourhoods from a different perspective, which is perfect as a starting point for your trip, as you'll be able to explore the city safely and at your leisure.
Duration: 2 to 6 hoursRecommended: If you don't like traditional group tours and prefer a hosted experience rather than a tour guide.
9. Before booking a tour
- Think about the number of days you will be spending in San Francisco. If you're staying less than five days, it might be worth taking a more general tour to make sure you see everything important.
- If you're staying longer than a week, it's best to do a more focused or area-specific tour as you're likely to have time left over to see the key sights on your own.
- At the time of booking, you will receive an email confirmation. Unless you are instructed otherwise, simply show this email to your guide to gain access to the tour.
- All tours have a meeting point and a return point. My advice is to plan well what to do after the tour, and the best idea is to see what is around the return point. You can probably ask your guide for advice on what to do afterwards, but it never hurts to see a couple of options!
10. Tips for visiting San Francisco on a tour
- Wear comfortable shoes! San Francisco is a hilly city and not dressing appropriately will show. The weather is changeable and quite windy, so it's a good idea to bring several layers that you can pack in a backpack if it's hot.
- San Francisco is a foggy city. At first you'll love it and find it very magical, but after a few days it can get a bit heavy. Although it's unpredictable, make the most of a clear day when it's clear and you'll be able to see the city cleanly and without veils.
- For sunset and the best views of San Francisco, Twin Peaks is a must for first-time visitors to the city. This place has nothing to do with the disturbing village of the series, it is a place full of peace and light where you will undoubtedly enjoy a very pleasant time.
- How to get to Twin Peaks: the best way is to take the underground (lines K, L or M) to Forest Hill station and then take the 52-Excelsior bus to the intersection of Marview View and Skyview Way. From there, it's an easy walk to the overlook.
Other activities you may be interested in
Only one of the above mentioned tours includes entrance to Alcatraz, but in case you want to do one of the other activities and visit this iconic prison on another tour or on your own, here are the best tours and tickets to Alcatraz.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to visit Chinatown?
It's easy to spend a day wandering the streets of Chinatown thanks to its many details. Most tours are 3 hours long and allow you to wander through the markets, shops and food stalls and see authentic crafts, pottery and exotic goods from Asia.
Where are the best places to walk around San Francisco?
Some of the most pleasant walks in San Francisco include Harry Street in Glen Park, Ingleside Terraces, St Francis Woods, Ocean Beach and the San Francisco City Hall area.
What else can I do in San Francisco?
Sample some East Coast delicacies at the Ferry Building (Embarcadero), hike through Lands End, watch fortune biscuits being made in Chinatown, grab a burrito at The Mission, visit the Musée Mécanique full of vintage arcades, visit the Japanese Tea Garden, or have a good Irish coffee at the Buena Vista Café.