5 Morning Tours in San Francisco, Compared

1.Muir Woods and Sausalito Morning Tour Small-Group Half Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 556 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $84Our pick

Ride from San Francisco in a small group of up to 14, stop for Golden Gate Bridge photos, then spend about 75 minutes among Muir Woods’ coastal redwoods and an hour in Sausalito. Hotel pickup and Muir Woods admission are included. You can return by van or stay longer in Sausalito and make your own ferry arrangements.

“We didn't visit Muir woods due to government shutdown but our driver took us to another area which was good. We then visited Muir beach before heading off to the lovely Sausalito.”

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2.San Francisco Morning City Tour & Afternoon Alcatraz Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 127 reviews · 8 hours · from $139

Spend the morning seeing more than 20 San Francisco sights by guided vehicle, with photo stops at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Golden Gate Bridge, Lands End, and Twin Peaks. After lunch near Fisherman’s Wharf, take the ferry to Alcatraz for its cellhouse audio tour. Past guides praised by name include Joseph, Dustin, Victor, Don, and Konstantin.

“Alcatraz is awesome, so is the rest of the city when you get a perfect guide”

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3.Morning Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour w/ Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 105 reviews · 5 hours · from $104

Start with a morning pickup in Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf, then cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods for up to 1.5 hours among towering redwoods. Continue to Sausalito for a short break before taking the included ferry back to Pier 41. Guide assignments vary; past guides have included Constantine, Kimberly, Phil, and Pam.

“The trip was good. Kimberly took good care of us. The scenery was amazing. The timing was different than on the site. The first 30 to 40 mins was at the Ferry Building, which we didn't know and was a waste of time. This shortened our time at Muir Woods from 2 hours expected to about 1.5 hours. 2 hours were needed. Also the ferry schedule on our Tucker's were wrong.”

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4.Alcatraz Early Morning Access Tour with Lunch Credit

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 52 reviews · from $40Best value

Meet at Pier 33 for a ferry to Alcatraz, where you explore the Cellhouse with its included audio tour. Your departure time is assigned between 8:50 a.m. and noon. Back at Fisherman’s Wharf, use a $15, same-day credit at a selected food vendor. The booking is capped at 14 people, but the island visit is self-guided.

“The trip experience ( getting to the island and sightseeing part ) was great. The only part that was mildly disappointing was the food credit. I wish the credit could have been used at Boudins bakery instead of the more upscale Bistro. The Bistro had only a few items that would have covered the 15.00 pp meal ( small soup was 13.95, side salad was 12.95 ) pretty much everything else was very $$$. I ended up paying 54.00 after the discount for 3 people + an 18.00 tip. Total out of pocket was 71.51.”

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5.Let’s do a morning sail on San Francisco Bay (semi private)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $189Top rated

Join Captain John or Captain Yelda for a roughly two-hour morning sail from 1 Yacht Road. With a maximum of six aboard, you can ask about a route past the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, Tiburon, or Oracle Park. The captain handles the boat; bring your own food and drinks if you like.

“Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge! Great photo opportunities! The Capt. was very accommodating and prompt.”

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