Bay Bridge Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Bay Bridge. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Small Group Yosemite and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco

• San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (60 Minutes)

• San Francisco Bridge-to-Bridge Cruise (90 Minutes)

• 2-Hour Sunset Sail on the San Francisco Bay

• 1.5-Hour San Francisco Bay Sailing Tour

It’s free to take in the Bay Bridge on your own, but the best views can be had while cruising through the San Francisco Bay. Boat tours start at around US$40, though you can catch a ferry for just US$15 or opt for a scenic sunset cruise for around US$50. Set sail after dark to admire the bridge lit up; night cruises start at US$58.

Yes. While the Bay Bridge is often overshadowed by the nearby Golden Gate Bridge, this engineering feat is equally striking and offers sweeping vistas of the city skyline without the crowds of its more famous neighbor. Boat tours offer unobstructed views of the bridge from up close, and you can choose to set sail by day, night, or at sunset for the best photo ops.

Per one customer who booked the San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (60 Minutes): "It was amazing! Overall, it's an awesome way to travel as a family—something for everyone, and lots of memories you'll be talking about long after the trip ends!"

The Bay Bridge is an 8-mile (13-kilometer) suspension bridge that connects downtown San Francisco to Berkeley and Oakland, passing Treasure Island. Constructed in 1936 (just six months before the Golden Gate Bridge), it’s known as a marvel of modern engineering, is popular with commuters, and is a much-loved San Francisco landmark.

The Golden Gate Bridge is the more iconic of the two bridges, with a certain wow factor. It also has better pedestrian and cyclist access. However, many people say that the Bay Bridge—over four times as long—is a more impressive engineering achievement—plus, it’s less likely to be crowded with tourists.

Yes, it’s possible to walk or bike across the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. The Bay Bridge Trail is open between the Oakland shoreline and Yerba Buena Island. Alas, you can’t bike all the way to San Francisco, but bikes are welcome on the bus or Treasure Island ferry.

Much of the Embarcadero waterfront boasts topnotch views overlooking the Bay Bridge, particularly from the Ferry Building and Pier 13, as well as from the water. Many cruise operators offer bridge-to-bridge boat rides, while the Bay Bridge can also be admired from the sky during chartered plane or helicopter rides.

If you’re planning on crossing the Bay Bridge in a vehicle, then it’s best to avoid the morning and evening rush hour. Toll lines can jam at peak hours, and reaching the other side of the bay can take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour.

Yes, tolls are collected only in the westbound direction when crossing the Bay Bridge toward San Francisco, corresponding to the eastern side. Be warned that cash payments are no longer allowed; cars are charged automatically based on their license plate numbers. Be sure to research payment options before crossing.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting the Bay Bridge. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in San Francisco:

• Alcatraz

• Golden Gate Bridge

• San Francisco Bay

• Golden Gate Park

• Bay Bridge

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in San Francisco.