Top California Attractions & Museums

Discover a world where reality bends at Museum of Illusions San Diego. With over 50 interactive exhibits, guests can challenge their perceptions and engage their sense of wonder. Experience gravity-defying installations, life-size kaleidoscopes, and mind-bending holograms that play tricks on your senses. This unique attraction is perfect for families, friends, and couples looking for a memorable outing. Located in beautiful downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, we are minutes away from Petco Park, the San Diego Convention Center and an abundance of hotel and restaurant options.

** VALID FOR UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD IN CALIFORNIA ONLY ** Feel like a true Hollywood celebrity with this VIP access pass to Universal Studios Hollywood℠. Get behind-the-scenes access to this combination movie studio and theme park, experiencing sites that few visitors ever get to see. You'll have an extensive guided tour of the studio’s film lot, gaining special access to locations off-limits to the general public, a gourmet lunch, valet parking and express access to the park’s many thrilling rides and shows. Please note: space for the VIP Experience is limited and advance reservations are required.

Spend a few hours relaxing and sightseeing in the waters just off San Diego during this 1- or 2-hour San Diego Harbor cruise. Sit back and relax as you take in a fully narrated tour, offering top-notch sight lines of the San Diego skyline, a cruise under Coronado Bridge, a look at the bustling US Naval fleet, and a chance to spot some of the harbor’s resident sea lions.

Visit the Aquarium of the Pacific without waiting in long lines with this reserved entry ticket. Get ahead of your vacation planning and prebook your admission before you set foot in Long Beach. Enjoy access to the marine life and animal displays included with general admission, with the opportunity to see sharks, lorikeets, and penguins.

Avoid the crowds, confusion, and limitations of large buses and discover San Francisco by luxury minivan. This half-day, small-group tour takes offers the perfect city overview. Stop for photo opportunities at some of San Francisco's most popular attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Twin Peaks, and learn more from your guide's stories. By the end of the tour, you'll have seen the best of the City by the Bay.

Ensure a smooth visit to San Francisco’s Exploratorium by pre-booking your admission ticket. Pass by ticket lines and spend more time engaging your senses and delve into a world of discovery through hundreds of interactive exhibits for the whole family. Explore the amazing realms of physics, anatomy, human perception, and Earth’s ecosystems through inquiry-based displays that delight and inform visitors of all ages.

Discover the rugged beauty of the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite National Park on this full-day tour from San Francisco. Enjoy early park entry and comfortable hotel pickup from major San Francisco hotels. Spot supersized natural wonders such as Half Dome, El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, and sequoia groves, and spend several hours exploring the park’s wonders on your own. Non-U.S. residents aged 16 and older pay an additional park entry fee.

Experience Muir Woods National Monument and the quaint waterfront town of Sausalito on a half-day tour. Travel across the Golden Gate Bridge on a guided day trip that includes pickup in a convenient location in downtown San Francisco, transportation, and National Park entrance fees. Enjoy free time among the ancient redwoods, then explore Sausalito at your own pace before returning to San Francisco by vehicle or by ferry (separate expense).

Experience San Francisco the easy way, and that takes the stress out of planning with this hassle-free guided tour. Skip securing hard-to-get Muir Woods parking or juggling multiple reservations—this tour has got it all covered. Explore the city’s neighborhoods, snap photos at the Golden Gate Bridge, and stroll beneath towering redwoods. Upgrade to the full-day tour and enjoy free time in Sausalito and an extended tour of the city.

Pair science with San Francisco nightlife and you have NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences. Prebooking your admission ticket is the perfect, child-free way to explore the museum after hours. Make your way inside and enjoy a lively venue of music, provocative science, and exhibits. Each special program changes weekly and is well worth exploring.

This combo is only available to book online — you won't find this 3-attraction bundle at the door. Make the most of your time at San Francisco's iconic PIER 39 with this exclusive 3-attraction pass. Soar above the city on The Flyer — Northern California's only flying theater — as you glide over the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Muir Woods with motion, wind, and scent effects that bring every landmark to life. Then grab a blaster and battle your way through the 7D Ride Experience, an immersive motion ride where up to 20 players compete in real time against zombies, robot cowboys, or werewolves — check the scoreboard when you're done. Round it all out with the Laser Maze Challenge, a fast-paced test of agility and stealth where every move counts. Three thrills. One pass. Book online and save — adults save $8 and children save $5 compared to purchasing each attraction individually at the door.

Visit Yosemite National Park without the hassle of planning a long day of driving or coordinating park logistics from San Francisco. Traveling in a small group, you'll journey through California’s Central Valley before exploring Yosemite Valley’s most famous sights, including Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. A stop among giant sequoias adds another iconic California landscape to the experience.

Combine an Alcatraz visit with your choice of a bike rental, sightseeing bus pass, or Bay with this convenient combo. Head out to Alcatraz on the ferry with your prepaid ticket; buying in advance avoids sold-out days or times, which are frequent. Explore the island with an included audio tour, then head back to San Francisco to explore further on your own with a bike rental, bus tour, or cruise.

Save time and money with the San Francisco CityPASS®, which gives you admission to your choice of four top attractions: the California Academy of Sciences and Blue & Gold Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruise, de Young Museum + Legion of honor, Aquarium of the Bay, Exploratorium, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art — SFMOMA, San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, or The Walt Disney Family Museum.

While in San Diego, visit the Mission San Luis Rey, a National Historic Landmark founded in 1798. Your entrance ticket includes several parts of the mission property, and a self-guided tour of the museum.

Filoli is an unforgettable estate experience just outside San Francisco. Wander through 16 acres of vibrant formal gardens, explore a grand 54,000-sqft Georgian mansion, and discover miles of scenic nature trails where Dambo's giant Troll, Rose Wonders will be nestled in Filoli's Natural Lands. Originally built in 1917, Filoli offers a rare blend of cultivated beauty and wild landscape, now amplified by this incredible outdoor exhibition. It’s a perfect day out for all ages—where families can reconnect, kids can explore, and friends can roam. Enjoy a Garden Pop™ or sip a curated cocktail from one of Filoli’s seasonal pop-up bars. This historical California landscape bridges art, nature, and sustainability.

This is a unique tour package to visit both the Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge! For the Alcatraz tour, you will first take a short ferry ride from Pier 33 to the Alcatraz Island, where you can walk around the Island freely at your own pace and follow a 45-minutes award-winning audio tour in multiple languages of the Alcatraz Prison Cellhouse. You can hop on to any returning ferry when you are finish touring the Alcatraz Island. For the San Francisco Bay Cruise Tour, it will start near Pier 39 where just a short walk from Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing. During this 60-minute Bay Cruise Tour, you will tour around the Alcatraz Island and under the famous Golden Gate Bridge, where you will enjoy breathtaking views of San Francisco and its bay! Tips: You can do the Bay Cruise Tour before the Alcatraz Tour, or on a different date! There are multiple departures daily and your Bay Cruise voucher is valid for any date, any departure time.

Comfortably cover a lot of ground with this e-bike tour through charming Carmel-by-the-Sea. Ride from the bike shop in downton to the town’s fairy-tale cottages and down the Carmel coastline along Scenic Drive. See landmarks such as the Tor House, Carmel River State Beach, Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch, and the Carmel Mission in under three hours.

Explore one of San Francisco’s most prominent art collections when you prebook admission tickets to the Legion of Honor Museum. Inside, discover an impressive collection of ancient Mediterranean art, European paintings and sculptures, works on paper, and more. As an added bonus, your ticket also includes same-day admission to the de Young Museum at no extra cost.

This convenient package gives you access to two separate essential San Francisco experiences—a visit to Alcatraz Island, and a sightseeing cruise. Instead of waiting in long ticket lines, this time-saving option helps you explore San Francisco more efficiently. Take a ferry to Alcatraz Island where you can go inside the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and enjoy an audio guide. A San Francisco Bay cruise is also included with views of Pier 39's sea lions, the waterfront area, and the city's skyline. Please note, children 4 years old and younger do not need purchased tickets.

Enjoy a day of imagination and fun at LEGOLAND® California Resort, with over 60 rides, shows, and attractions designed for families with kids ages 2–12. Explore Miniland USA, get behind the wheel at Fun Town, and splash around at the Water Park. Then dive into the underwater world of SEA LIFE Aquarium, where colorful marine life, fascinating sea creatures, and captivating underwater habitats bring the ocean to life.

Soar above San Francisco like never before on The Flyer, Northern California’s only flying theater. Glide over the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Muir Woods, and Alcatraz as motion, wind, and sound effects make the city come alive beneath you. It’s sightseeing with a thrill — a whole new perspective of San Francisco. Then, dive into the 7D Ride Experience — an interactive, immersive, and thrilling blend of roller coaster and video game. Armed with your blaster, face off against zombies, robot cowboys, or werewolves while up to 20 players battle at once on a single giant screen. With motion seats, surround sound, and real-time scoring, every ride is a heart-pounding competition that’s fun for families, gamers, and thrill-seekers of all ages. Located at iconic PIER 39 on San Francisco's waterfront — book the combo and make the most of your time at the Bay.

Uncover San Francisco’s haunted history on this thrilling ghost-hunting tour, complete with your own EMF detector. Explore eerie alleys, historic neighborhoods, and infamous sites like Gold Rush cemeteries and Chinatown’s old red-light district, while hearing chilling tales of paranormal activity, murders, and mysterious deaths. Perfect for thrill-seekers, this tour blends ghost stories with true crime and the city’s darker past.

Enjoy a new way to experience one of San Francisco's premier attractions when you book after-dark tickets to the Exploratorium, available exclusively on Thursday evenings. After regular visiting hours end, the Exploratorium turns into an adults-only destination for intellectual discovery. Visitors aged 18 and older can dance, mingle, and explore while sipping on cocktails (own expense, aged 21+ only) and discovering the museum's interactive exhibitions.