San Francisco · CITY TOURS

The 15 Best San Francisco City Tours

42 tours  ·  from $15

A first pass at the hills, the bridge and the Painted Ladies, without walking any of it. These 15 compare the open-top buses, the small-van routes and the quirkier city loops on price, length and how many stops you actually get out at.

Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour - A broad city tour before the ferry
Alcatraz Tours, City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Combo Tour: Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Grand City Tour

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

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

Begin with a guided San Francisco coach tour covering the Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks, Lands End, Chinatown, North Beach, and more. Afterward, take the ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz for the Cellhouse audio tour. Guides such as Michelle may lead the city portion, but assignments vary.

“Everything about Alkatraz was good n the Golden Gate though the rain.Also the tour guide did a great job n was very friendly n accommodative.”

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Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour - Palace of Fine Arts: five minutes beneath the dome
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Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour

2.Painted Ladies San Francisco City Tour

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

Ride through San Francisco in a vintage Volkswagen bus with a local guide such as Jim, Jack, or Caio. In two hours, you’ll see Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury, Pacific Heights, the Marina, and more, with photo stops at the Palace of Fine Arts, Painted Ladies, and Golden Gate Bridge.

“Caio had a wealth of knowledge of a wide range of San Francisco information and was able to personalize the tour for everyone in the group, from children to people in their 70s. His personable nature absolutely made the tour...would absolutely recommend!”

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One Day in San Francisco: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and SF City Tour - Pacific Heights, the Presidio, and the best photo stops
1-Day Tours, Alcatraz Tours, City Tours, Muir Woods Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

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

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

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

Start in North Beach for a guided San Francisco drive, then cross the Golden Gate Bridge, walk among the redwoods at Muir Woods, and stop in Sausalito for lunch. Finish at Pier 33 with the official Alcatraz ferry and prison tour. Guides such as Patrick, Roger, Per, and Barry add local stories and humor.

“Nice itinerary! Our driver is very knowledgeable of the area. He was able to accommodate a change in pick up location for me and my friend due to a minor accident.”

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San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour - Union Square and the downtown movie city
City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

4.San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

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

Join Bryan, Wylie, or another actor-turned-guide for a three-hour ride through San Francisco’s movie history. Watch film clips beside real locations, stop at Fort Point, Alamo Square, and other landmarks, and see the city from a warm, small-group van.

“Must do! Absolutely fantastic! 10 stars. I had the best time. Great tour. Highly recommend. Well worth it.”

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San Francisco Grand City Tour - Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to the Presidio
City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Grand City Tour

5.San Francisco Grand City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 595 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $69

See San Francisco’s major sights by air-conditioned coach, from the Golden Gate Bridge and Palace of Fine Arts to Lands End, Twin Peaks, Chinatown, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Guides such as Michelle and Joseph add city history and practical tips. Optional upgrades include a bay cruise, bike rental, or Aquarium of the Bay admission.

“I enjoyed the great scenic views and comprehensive journey around the city combined with educational background information”

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San Francisco: Small-Group City Tour by Vintage VW Bus - A fast route through San Francisco’s essential sights
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San Francisco: Small-Group City Tour by Vintage VW Bus

6.Small-Group City Tour by Vintage VW Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 549 reviews · 2 hours · from $85

Ride through San Francisco in a restored vintage VW bus with a local English-speaking guide such as Jim, Jack, Lily, or Caio. In two hours, you’ll visit the Painted Ladies, Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Haight Ashbury, the Palace of Fine Arts, and famous film locations in a group of up to eight.

“It was my first time to SF (traveling solo) and Lily was an absolutely amazing guide. I joined a group last minute and Lily showed us all around and gave great info on the neighborhoods and landmarks across the city. She also had great recommendations for local food and was super fun to see the city with! I am still impressed with how Daisy 🚌 handed those wildly steep streets! 😎 10/10, do this in SF! Especially if you are on your own and want a crash course of everything across the city! 🌁 Enjoy!”

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San Francisco Afternoon City Tour Small-Group Half-Day - From the Presidio to the Palace of Fine Arts
City Tours, Half-Day, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Afternoon City Tour Small-Group Half-Day

7.San Francisco Afternoon City Tour Small-Group Half-Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 304 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $79

You’ll tour San Francisco in a group of up to 14, with a live guide such as Randy, Buddy, Jerry, or Eileen. Expect hotel pickup, city history, photo stops at the Golden Gate Bridge and Sutro Heights, and a fast, useful first look at San Francisco.

“This small group tour was awesome. Because we were in an SUV we accessed places and roads that large tour buses cannot. The four passengers became fast friends for the hours we spent together. The tour guide was a wealth of Information and dad jokes. Two of the passengers were frequent visitors to San Francisco and we stopped in places they had never seen. I highly recommend this tour.”

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San Francisco Super Saver: Grand City Tour plus Muir Woods & Sausalito Day Trip - Palace of Fine Arts: a strong first photo stop
1-Day Tours, City Tours, Muir Woods Tours, Sausalito Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Super Saver: Grand City Tour plus Muir Woods & Sausalito Day Trip

8.San Francisco Super Saver: Grand City Tour plus Muir Woods & Sausalito Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 290 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $155

Spend about nine hours touring San Francisco, Muir Woods, and Sausalito by air-conditioned coach. You’ll stop at the Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Lands End, and Twin Peaks, with 90 minutes among the redwoods and 60 minutes in Sausalito. Guides such as Victor, Artie, and Josh have led past departures.

“It was a good experienced. Our tour guide Randy is very accommodating and entertaining. He got a lot of tips on places to go to eat, what is the best restaurant, etc. The Muir Woods experience is the best. Totally recommending this tour.”

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San Francisco Small Group City Highlights and Alcatraz Tour - The open-air ride and Eric’s guiding style
Alcatraz Tours, City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco Small Group City Highlights and Alcatraz Tour

9.San Francisco Small Group City Highlights and Alcatraz Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 265 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $195

Eric’s small-group San Francisco tour uses an open-air safari-style vehicle to show you Twin Peaks, Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury, the Painted Ladies, and the Golden Gate Bridge. After about four hours, you continue to Alcatraz for the ferry ride and cell-house audio tour.

“This tour was amazing! We had such a great time and saw lots of San Francisco sights. Eric was brilliant, highly recommend.”

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Self-Guided Cable Car City Tour in San Francisco - Union Square and the Westin St. Francis
City Tours, Guided, San Francisco Cable Car Tours, San Francisco Self-Guided Audio Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Self-Guided Cable Car City Tour in San Francisco

10.Self-Guided Cable Car City Tour in San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 226 reviews · from $15Best value

This self-guided Pintours experience pairs a public San Francisco cable car ride with an app-based audio tour. Start at Powell and Market, pause at Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill, North Beach, and the Wharf, then finish near the Powell-Mason turnaround. You set the pace, but ticket access and app reliability need care.

“Unique experience in the city! However the cable cars are a bit old and take a bit of time to get on and off. App tour makes it fun”

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San Francisco: City Tour and Alcatraz Entrance Ticket Combo - Palace of Fine Arts: a graceful first stop
Alcatraz Tours, City Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco: City Tour and Alcatraz Entrance Ticket Combo

11.City Tour and Alcatraz Entrance Ticket Combo

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 207 reviews · 6h 30m · from $160

Spend about 6.5 hours seeing San Francisco by air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking guide, stopping at the Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge, Lands End, and Twin Peaks. Finish at Pier 33 for the Alcatraz ferry and cellhouse audio tour in your choice of 11 languages.

“Great tour of Alcatraz - very interesting and a must see if you visit San Francisco! The city tour was wonderful - got to see areas that I would’ve never been able to see on my own since my stay was only for 3 days. The city tour guide was really informative & funny!”

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San Francisco Morning City Tour & Afternoon Alcatraz Ticket - The morning route covers a lot of ground
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San Francisco Morning City Tour & Afternoon Alcatraz Ticket

12.San Francisco Morning City Tour & Afternoon Alcatraz Ticket

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

Spend eight hours covering San Francisco’s key neighborhoods and viewpoints by guided minibus, with photo stops at the Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Lands End, and Twin Peaks. After lunch, walk to Pier 33 for the official Alcatraz ferry and cellhouse audio tour. Pickup is in Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf.

“Did a big bus tour day was disappointed with it, then went to Alcatraz which was very interesting and then city tour with victor who knew his shit and had a ball.”

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Combo Small-Group Tour: SF City plus Muir Woods & Sausalito - San Francisco by road: a useful first map of the city
City Tours, Muir Woods Tours, Sausalito Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Combo Small-Group Tour: SF City plus Muir Woods & Sausalito

13.Combo Small-Group Tour: SF City plus Muir Woods & Sausalito

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 125 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $154

Travel by small vehicle with a local guide through San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, into Muir Woods, and on to Sausalito. Guides such as Randy, Buddy, Joe, Michael, and Ulrich add local stories. Hotel pickup, bottled water, and Muir Woods admission are included.

“Randy and Jo were very knowledgeable about all to do with San Francisco,its landmarks,history and the qurky things about the city. Well done both, A Virani - London”

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Private City Tour of San Francisco - Lombard Street, a quick look at the crooked road
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Private City Tour of San Francisco

14.Private City Tour of San Francisco

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 109 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Explore San Francisco in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with pickup anywhere in the city. Your driver can adjust the route around your interests, taking you across the Golden Gate Bridge, down Lombard Street, through Chinatown, and to Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, Coit Tower, and the Embarcadero.

“Excellent tour where we saw so much of San Francisco! Dirceu was really knowledgeable and we learnt loads about the city!”

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San Francisco: Alcatraz with SF City Tour - The four-hour San Francisco route
Alcatraz Tours, City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

San Francisco: Alcatraz with SF City Tour

15.Alcatraz with SF City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 92 reviews · 8 hours · from $159

Spend about eight hours seeing San Francisco by small van and ferry. Your English-speaking guide covers Nob Hill, Chinatown, Lombard Street, North Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, and more, then sends you to Alcatraz for the Cellhouse Audio Tour. Pickup is available from downtown hotels and Fisherman’s Wharf.

“Randy was extremely professional and knowledgeable .. would definitely recommend - only wish I had done the tour sooner in my few days in San Francisco as I learned about areas that I would have revisited.”

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New in City Tours

★ 4.0Mix & Save: San Francisco Grand City Tour + Escape from the Rock CruiseFrom $1096 reviews
★ 5.0Alcatraz Combo with San Francisco Private Group City TourFrom $2427 reviews
★ 4.5Alcatraz Plus San Francisco City Combo TourFrom $16634 reviews
★ 4.5Alcatraz Plus San Francisco City Combo TourFrom $16617 reviews
★ 3.0Alcatraz and City Tour ExpressFrom $1894 reviews
★ 4.0Official Alcatraz + San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off City TourFrom $17830 reviews
★ 5.0SFO Pick-Up with City Sightseeing Tour3 reviews
★ 5.0San Francisco City Tour in EV Volkswagen VanFrom $9528 reviews
★ 4.4Comprehensive Half-Day Guided City TourFrom $6925 reviews
★ 3.9San Francisco Grand City Tour + Muir Woods and SausalitoFrom $15510 reviews
★ 4.3Private Alcatraz & City Tour Combo3 reviews
★ 5.0City Highlights Guided eBike TourFrom $1036 reviews
★ 4.9City Sightseeing Tour on Hippie BusFrom $8520 reviews
★ 4.7Alcatraz Admission + City Highlights TourFrom $14926 reviews
★ 4.7Guided Half-Day Group City TourFrom $7930 reviews

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