San Francisco · TOURS

The 15 Best Guided Tours & Day Trips in San Francisco

514 tours  ·  from $14 a head

Everything with a guide, a ferry or a coach attached, in one list. The 15 below fill a whole day, with prices and timings, and the rest of the catalog sits underneath.

Big Bus SF: Hop-on Hop-off Tour with 17 Stops and Sunset Option - What the ride is like
San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Tours, San Francisco Night Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Big Bus SF: Hop-on Hop-off Tour with 17 Stops and Sunset Option

1.Big Bus SF: Hop-on Hop-off Tour with 17 Stops and Sunset Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4,539 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $56Our pick

Ride Big Bus San Francisco’s open-top double-decker along a route linking Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, and more. Choose a 24-hour or 48-hour pass, hop off to explore, or stay aboard for the full loop. Recorded commentary and a live bus-tracking app are included. Optional extras include a sunset tour, Aquarium of the Bay, a Chinatown walk, or a wine outing.

“Good communication regarding weather while travelling over Golden Gate bridge as it was a bit windy.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco - Three winery visits, with a changing lineup
Full-Day, Napa Valley Wine Tours, San Francisco Tours, San Francisco Wine Tours, Sonoma Wine Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco

2.Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Full-Day Tour from San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,455 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $165

Ride an air-conditioned coach from San Francisco to Napa and Sonoma for tastings at three wineries, with a Golden Gate Bridge photo stop and free time in Sonoma Plaza. The winery lineup can change; guides such as Don, Thomas, and Debbie have led tours. Choose the standard tasting tour or the separate Castello di Amorosa and Artesa wine-and-food option.

“Loved this wine tour Debi was a great tour guide and the wineries were excellent. The tours at each winery were very informative.”

Check availability →Read our full review

San Francisco: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with 17 Stops - Union Square, the museums, and Civic Center
San Francisco City Tours, San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with 17 Stops

3.Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour with 17 Stops

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,600 reviews · 1 - 2 days · from $56

Ride an open-top bus past 17 San Francisco stops, from Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown to Haight-Ashbury and the Golden Gate Bridge. A 24- or 48-hour ticket lets you hop off and explore, with multilingual audio commentary on board. Bring a warm layer for the exposed bridge crossing.

“Just to be able to hop on and off and see so much of the city was brilliant - the last driver was fantastic we were on his happy bus and he made it great fun!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Yosemite Highlights & Giant Sequoias Day Tour from San Francisco - Tunnel View gives you the grand first look
San Francisco City Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Yosemite Day Trips

Yosemite Highlights & Giant Sequoias Day Tour from San Francisco

4.Yosemite Highlights & Giant Sequoias Day Tour from San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,455 reviews · 14 to 15 hours (approx.) · from $219

Leave San Francisco before dawn for Yosemite’s Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, El Capitan Meadow, and, when trail conditions allow, a walk among giant sequoias in Tuolumne Grove. A local guide handles the long drive and park stops, then gives you time to explore on your own. Expect a 14 to 15 hour day and a possible extra fee if you are not a U.S. resident.

“Hi just wanted to let you know that Robert was phenomenal yesterday!! The entire coach enjoyed with him!”

Check availability →Read our full review

San Francisco Love Tour - Downtown shows off more than shopping
San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Love Tour

5.San Francisco Love Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,830 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $85Top rated

Ride a 70s-era VW bus from Fisherman’s Wharf through Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, North Beach, the Castro, and more. Your English-speaking guide shares city history and music stories, with photo stops at the Golden Gate Bridge and in the Mission District. Guides have included Cyrus, Ky, and Tara.

“Tara and Rosie were great! Lots of information and jokes - some of the humor was a little adult but nothing untoward and the kids still liked it! Great way to see all the SF neighborhoods. So many highlights - including Ocean Beach, crooked street, Golden Gate Bridge.”

Check availability →Read our full review

San Francisco: Alcatraz Island & 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Tour - Chinatown on foot, with time to look closer
Alcatraz Tours, San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco: Alcatraz Island & 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

6.Alcatraz Island & 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,245 reviews · 2 days · from $120

Visit Alcatraz by ferry and follow its cellhouse audio guide, then use a 48-hour open-top Big Bus pass to explore San Francisco. The package also includes a one-hour Chinatown walk, a one-hour panoramic sunset tour, and Aquarium by the Bay admission.

“a trip over to Alcatraz was made easy with the checking in at certain times to match your ticket, quick crossing, and the guide on thr island was very informative and led a decent size group up to the prison entrance to meet the guys handing out headphones 🎧. we spent quite a bit of time here, its a bit eerie but amazing to be there.. Our trip included 48 hour hop on off bus so used that also, to see even more sights of San Francisco”

Check availability →Read our full review

Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour - Lands End, Golden Gate Park, and Twin Peaks
Alcatraz Tours, San Francisco City Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour

7.Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2,228 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $149

This 6.5-hour combo pairs a guided San Francisco coach tour with a ferry visit to Alcatraz. Expect short photo stops at places such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Lands End, and Twin Peaks, followed by the cellhouse audio tour, with voices from former staff and inmates. Guides including Michelle have led the city portion.

“The whole trip was very informative. The narrator was awesome. He knew the area very well. The bathroom at Golden gate Bridge was very nasty, other then that I recommend the tour”

Check availability →Read our full review

Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive: Full Day Tour from SF - Pigeon Point and the first break south
Full-Day, Monterey & Carmel Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive: Full Day Tour from SF

8.Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive: Full Day Tour from SF

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2,187 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $125

Ride from central San Francisco to Monterey and Carmel, with stops at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Bird Rock, the Lone Cypress and Pebble Beach. You get two hours in Monterey and one in Carmel, plus a guide-led coach ride along 17-Mile Drive. Guides have included George, Thomas, Don, Tom and Alvin. Aquarium admission and meals are extra.

“George was an excellent driver and guide with great communication throughout the tour. The mini bus was not comfortable as it was very bumpy and it certainly was not a luxury coach as advertised which was disappointing as it was a long day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour - Three photo stops, with little time to linger
San Francisco City Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour

9.Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,081 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $82

Ride through San Francisco in a small vintage Volkswagen bus, with a guide, snacks, bottled water, and music from the 1960s and 70s. The two-hour route passes Chinatown, North Beach, Haight-Ashbury, and more, with photo stops at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Painted Ladies, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Guides have included Jim, Jack, Caio, Kial, and Dominick.

“Super accommodating, worked well with an infant in lap. Jack was an amazing guide, would recommend it for everyone. Be sure to request Jack as your guide!”

Check availability →Read our full review

San Francisco: Inside Alcatraz Tour with Bay Cruise - Beyond the prison walls
Alcatraz Tours, San Francisco Bay Cruises, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco: Inside Alcatraz Tour with Bay Cruise

10.Inside Alcatraz Tour with Bay Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,577 reviews · 4 hours · from $135

Take the ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz for a self-paced Cellhouse audio tour about prison life, including stories of Al Capone. Your package also includes a separate 60-minute San Francisco Bay cruise from Pier 39, with views of the waterfront, sea lions and Golden Gate Bridge. The cruise can be scheduled separately, subject to available departures.

“really good trip and easy to book got tickets in plenty of time 😀”

Check availability →Read our full review

Small-Group Wine Country Tour from San Francisco with Tastings - Sausalito and the choice of a ferry return
San Francisco Tours, San Francisco Wine Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Small-Group Wine Country Tour from San Francisco with Tastings

11.Small-Group Wine Country Tour from San Francisco with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,543 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $179

Ride in an air-conditioned minivan with up to 12 other people from San Francisco to three Sonoma wineries for guided tastings. The winery lineup changes, but may include Peter Cellars, Homewood Winery, or Mayo Family Winery. Expect guide commentary, an hour for lunch in Sonoma Plaza, and a stop in Sausalito, with an optional ferry back at extra cost.

“Antony was an excellent tour guide. He’s knowledgeable about the area and about wine, and friendly and entertaining. The vineyards e visited were excellent, and the hosts at each spent lots of time teaching us about their wines.”

Check availability →Read our full review

One Day in San Francisco: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and SF City Tour - Pacific Heights and the city’s changing face
Alcatraz Tours, Muir Woods Tours, San Francisco City Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

One Day in San Francisco: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and SF City Tour

12.One Day in San Francisco: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and SF City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,445 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $129

Ride with a local guide through North Beach, Chinatown, Pacific Heights and other San Francisco highlights, then cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods and Sausalito. The day ends at Pier 33 for the Alcatraz ferry and prison audio tour. Groups are capped at 24; check whether your $129 booking includes the Alcatraz ticket.

“This is a really comprehensive city tour with lots of great information & recommendations. Lunch in Sausalito at the Barrel House was phenomenal”

Check availability →Read our full review

San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour - From the waterfront to the city’s famous scenes
San Francisco City Tours, San Francisco Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

13.San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,223 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $79

In about three hours, ride from Fisherman’s Wharf through San Francisco neighborhoods and movie locations, with film clips shown beside the real places. Your actor-turned-guide shares cinema and city stories, and the group is limited to 13. Stops include Fort Point, Alamo Square, and the Palace of Fine Arts.

“This trip was Very enjoyable Brian was very Knowledgeable and very pleasant. I would recommend this trip”

Check availability →Read our full review

San Francisco: Muir Woods, Napa & Sonoma Valley Wine Tour - Three wineries, with different characters
Muir Woods Tours, Napa Valley Wine Tours, San Francisco Tours, San Francisco Wine Tours, Sonoma Wine Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco: Muir Woods, Napa & Sonoma Valley Wine Tour

14.Muir Woods, Napa & Sonoma Valley Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,205 reviews · 11 hours · from $166

Spend a full day beyond San Francisco with hotel pickup, a guide, and stops at Muir Woods, Mayo Family Winery, Ru Vango, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Sonoma Plaza, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Expect three tastings, scenic drives, and a choice between buying lunch or booking a three-course meal with wine pairings.

“Great tour! Randall was wonderful — he shared fascinating information about Muir Woods and Wine Country and gave us outstanding restaurant recommendations.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Alcatraz Tour Plus Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Trip - Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading north
Alcatraz Tours, Muir Woods Tours, San Francisco Tours, Sausalito Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Alcatraz Tour Plus Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Trip

15.Alcatraz Tour Plus Muir Woods and Sausalito Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,194 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $159

Take a narrated coach trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods and Sausalito, then explore Alcatraz with its included ferry and cellhouse audio tour. Expect 90 minutes among the redwoods, an hour in Sausalito, and about two hours on Alcatraz. The group is capped at 35, but the schedule can split across two days.

“Muir Woods were amazing and we could easily have spent more than the 1 1/2 hours. Sausalito was charming. The ferry to Alcatraz was fast and we spent 2 hours on the Island and found it very interesting. A great day-trip👍🏻”

Check availability →Read our full review

New in Tours

★ 5.090-Minute Sunset Tour Aboard Wine TherapyFrom $9518 reviews
★ 4.530-40 Minute Airplane San Francisco Bay Flight TourFrom $28917 reviews
★ 5.0San Francisco Bay Cruise, Muir Woods and Sausalito Combo TourFrom $1344 reviews
★ 5.090 Minute Daytime Tour Aboard Wine TherapyFrom $8513 reviews
★ 4.0San Francisco Alcatraz App Guided Tour with Cruise and Jail HouseFrom $7718 reviews
★ 5.0San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour13 reviews
★ 5.0All Day Special GoCar Tour in San Francisco34 reviews
★ 5.0SUV Tour To Silicon Valley Including Stanford Walking Tour5 reviews
★ 5.0San Francisco 1-Hour Seaplane TourFrom $42616 reviews
★ 5.0Full-Day San Francisco Tour with a Local, Custom + PrivateFrom $2614 reviews
★ 4.0San Francisco Food Tour with a Local: A Feast for Foodies 100% PersonalizedFrom $57017 reviews
★ 5.0Classic Sidecar Tour of San FranciscoFrom $28051 reviews
★ 5.0San Francisco Gregangelo Museum – Immersive Art Garden TourFrom $12711 reviews
★ 5.0Napa or Sonoma Private Wine Tour from San Francisco3 reviews
★ 5.0Private Group Wine Tour of Napa and Sonoma8 reviews

Keep browsing

Alcatraz ToursSan Francisco Bay CruisesMuir Woods ToursSan Francisco Wine ToursSan Francisco Food ToursSan Francisco City Tours
Scroll to Top

Out the door in San Francisco

An island, a bridge, a valley or a plate of dim sum.

On the bay

Alcatraz TicketsBay CruisesGolden GateAfter DarkFisherman’s Wharf

North across the Golden Gate

Muir WoodsSausalitoBike ToursBike RentalsYosemite

Wine Country

Napa ValleySonomaCity PickupsValley Day ToursHealdsburg

In town

Food ToursChinatownNorth BeachCity ToursGoCar Tours