San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (60 Minutes)
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
San Francisco, USA
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore one of California's most iconic settings from the beauty of San Francisco Bay. This narrated Golden Gate Bay cruise journeys alongside Alcatraz and Angel Island State Park, past the shores of Sausalito and beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. You can choose to view the sights from inside your boat or out on deck.
- Cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge and by Alcatraz Island
- Admire Sausalito, the Marin Headlands, Angel Island, and more
- Comfortable indoor and outdoor seating (plus seasonal snack bar)
- Open ticket gives you the flexibility to choose any departure time
What's Included
- One-hour cruise
- Multilingual personal audio-guide in 16 languages
- "Straight to the gate" access
- Restrooms: Access to clean and convenient restrooms during your cruise.
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks. There is a full service bar onboard to purchase drinks and snacks.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- San Francisco Cruises (Red and White Fleet)Pier 43 1/2, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Please enter in Google Maps: "Red and White Fleet" or "Pier 43 1/2, San Francisco" for exact location and directions. Pier 43 ½ ticket booth (corner of Taylor Street and the Embarcadero) Please come to our location 20-30 minutes prior to the departure time.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Your Golden Gate Bay cruise departs from Pier 43 1/2 in the heart of San Francisco's popular Fisherman's Wharf, home to many of the city's seafood restaurants. As the boat makes its way out into San Francisco Bay, you'll have great views of the San Francisco skyline, as well as the bustling North Beach neighborhood and the waterfront Maritime National Park.
Over the next hour you will cruise the waters of San Francisco Bay on a guided tour, meandering west along Fort Mason and past the Marina District — which took a hard hit in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake — en route to the Golden Gate Bridge. Make sure and look up when sailing beneath the bridge's massive 4,200-foot (1,260-meter) span: it's a photo-worthy view that few people get to see.
Turning around in the waters where the Pacific Ocean meets the bay, you'll return east past the Marin Headlines and the harbor town of Sausalito, a favorite day getaway spot for San Francisco visitors. Continue alongside Angel Island State Park, often called 'The Ellis Island of the West,' and then cruise past the Alcatraz Island, home to the legendary former federal prison.
Heading back toward Fisherman's Wharf, soak up great views of the impressive San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Coit Tower, a tall and slim concrete monument named for the eccentric Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an early 20th century-patron for the city's firefighters. Fisherman Wharf's famous sea lions will undoubtedly be barking their welcomes as your cruise returns to port.
Tickets are flexible, so the departure time and date of this round-trip day cruise are up to you, and are valid up to one year from the original booking date. All cruise vessels include indoor and outdoor seating, public restrooms, and a seasonal snack bar. Audio narration is available in multiple languages.
Over the next hour you will cruise the waters of San Francisco Bay on a guided tour, meandering west along Fort Mason and past the Marina District — which took a hard hit in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake — en route to the Golden Gate Bridge. Make sure and look up when sailing beneath the bridge's massive 4,200-foot (1,260-meter) span: it's a photo-worthy view that few people get to see.
Turning around in the waters where the Pacific Ocean meets the bay, you'll return east past the Marin Headlines and the harbor town of Sausalito, a favorite day getaway spot for San Francisco visitors. Continue alongside Angel Island State Park, often called 'The Ellis Island of the West,' and then cruise past the Alcatraz Island, home to the legendary former federal prison.
Heading back toward Fisherman's Wharf, soak up great views of the impressive San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Coit Tower, a tall and slim concrete monument named for the eccentric Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an early 20th century-patron for the city's firefighters. Fisherman Wharf's famous sea lions will undoubtedly be barking their welcomes as your cruise returns to port.
Tickets are flexible, so the departure time and date of this round-trip day cruise are up to you, and are valid up to one year from the original booking date. All cruise vessels include indoor and outdoor seating, public restrooms, and a seasonal snack bar. Audio narration is available in multiple languages.
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Pass By)
Fort Mason, the Great Meadow (Pass By)
Marina District (Pass By)
Golden Gate Bridge (Pass By)
Marin Headlands (Pass By)
Angel Island State Park (Pass By)
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Pass By)
Pier 39 (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Boat crew are trained to provide first aid and CPR support, and first aid kits are readily available on all vessels
- The main deck of each vessel are fully wheelchair accessible
- All cruise vessels offer indoor and outdoor seating, restrooms, and seasonal snack bar service.
- Vessels operate on biodiesel - a renewable energy source.
- The award-winning audio narration is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian and Vietnamese.
- Please come to our location 15-20 minutes prior to the departure time.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 400 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 1,713 reviews
Linda_T, Jun 2026
Very informative. You got to see and learn about the city, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz. The stories/history. All without having to go to those places, which I didn’t but wanted to see and learn.
LaRhonda_M, Jun 2026
Started on time and got great views of the city. The captain was very knowledgeable and made sure we got the best views. Would book again!
Gregory_C, Jun 2026
Nice cruise overall! It’s about an hour long, which felt like the perfect amount of time to see the bay without it dragging on. The only downside was that the tour guide is an automated recording—we usually prefer a live guide for a more personal touch. Still, a really enjoyable experience!
Vic_F, Jun 2026
Informative, lot of history, friendly, bring jacket or sweater. Price wasn't bad. Had a pleasant ride.
Kelly_F, Jun 2026
It was fantastic! Extremely informative. You can take amazing pictures on the entire tour and you go under bridge
Cynthia_C, Jun 2026
The waves are rough so be prepared to hold on. Great tour! Can't say enough about the customer service!
patricia_s, Jun 2026
Great little trip around the bay! First time I saw the back side of Alcatraz 👍🏼 A nice afternoon for a boat trip with friends.
Mark_M, Jun 2026
Dress for color weather! Amazing views and great history was provided during the cruise.
We highly recommend it.
Nicole_S, Jun 2026
This cruise provided ample time to get multiple shots from various angles. The ship was not over crowded. I would do another tour with Red and White.
Courtney_T, Jun 2026
I got there a bit early so I was able to board first and get a standing spot at the bow of the boat. It wasn’t crowded and you can move freely around the boat but of course at the bow, people didn’t move too much but they are nice with creating space if you ask. The views were great. The boat barely goes on the west side of golden gate; it passes under so you get a quick view of the west side as it immediately turns around to head to Alcatraz. If you’re facing the bow, the best views are on the right side of the boat. And of course it’s windy but I went on a 70-75° day so I just needed to put on my scarf and the linen long sleeve shirt over my short sleeve was enough.
Genevieve_L, May 2026
Well organized and there is a narrator , recorded tour guide with a historically guided tour. Family friendly.
Jason_J, May 2026
This cruise was good value. The views of the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz were stunning. The highlight of the trip was sailing all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge and passing directly beneath it. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time local, this is a must-do. Highly recommend to anyone looking to see the best of San Francisco from the water!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the kind review! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the views of the skyline, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Passing beneath the bridge is always a special moment, and we’re so glad it was a highlight of your trip. We especially love hearing that you’d recommend the cruise to both visitors and locals. Thanks again for sailing with us, and we hope to welcome you back on board soon!
Falana_B, May 2026
It is best to pre-book and arrive 30 minutes early. The cruise gave wonderful history about San Francisco. I would do it again. I enjoyed it that much.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the cruise and the history of San Francisco shared along the way. We also appreciate you mentioning the tip to book ahead and arrive early. It means a lot to hear you’d do it again. We look forward to welcoming you back on board soon!
Diana_G, May 2026
Wonderful ferry ride! Excellent views of the bay and bridge. The crew was great, recommending this ride!
Gary_S, May 2026
Good organisation but very windy. Be prepared. Need to ensure weather is clear as if fog descends you can see little of the bridge
Colleen_D, May 2026
It's an hour and covers a lot of history of the bay area. It can be quite windy so dress in layers and be prepared. Very interesting and great if you don't have a lot of time to spend wandering.
Jose_M, May 2026
Was great they were amazing with us very helpful with my questions and concerns loved the seeing the Bay Area
Chandrika_P, May 2026
Great experience !! Book in advanced to get discounted tickets. Great crew, helpful. Best time in the daytime to see more, less chilly weather
Sneha_K, May 2026
Good tour, started right on time. Excellent view of the bay. It was cold and extremely windy thagmt day with low fog. So we didn't get to see the golden gate bridge. Overall a good experience.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for cruising with us! We’re glad you enjoyed the views and that we got you out on the bay right on time. Sorry the fog decided to hide the Golden Gate Bridge that day, but we’re happy to hear you still had a good experience overall. Hope to welcome you back for a sunnier sail soon!
Carolyn_M, May 2026
It was a great experience and I believe that other will enjoy if they have never been to San Francisco California.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the review. We are glad you had an enjoyable experience.
Jacque_L, May 2026
We took my 3 young grandchildren on this cruise and it was amazing. We enjoyed ourselves very much! If you’re outside it’s hard to hear the facts about the bay. But there was plenty of room to move to other areas of the boat. Our family just loved being outside the entire time.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for cruising with us! We’re so happy to hear your family had such a wonderful time onboard. There’s nothing quite like experiencing the bay out on the open deck, especially with little ones along for the adventure! We also appreciate the feedback about the audio and are glad you were able to move around comfortably and enjoy the experience together.
Peter_H, May 2026
Good cruise experience! Went to Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. Had nice clear but windy day up top. Crew did a nice job handling everything
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for cruising with us! We’re so glad you enjoyed the clear bay views and got to experience the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz from the water. Sounds like a classic San Francisco day with a little wind included! We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to our crew as well.
Paul_M, May 2026
It’s a little chilly. Go when the sun is shining. Beautiful views. Good English narration of sites.
Recommended.
Lisa_K, May 2026
Great views from on top of the boat but we were unfortunately unable to hear the narrated portion of the tour.
Marlen_M, May 2026
It was a wonderful experience getting to see sights up close like The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz! Would definitely recommend if you’re into learning a little history and have about an hour to spare.
Josephine_S, May 2026
If you’re looking for something fun, I highly recommend you guys check it out and book your tickets online!
Paul_H, May 2026
We enjoyed a very pleasant cruise on the Bay. We traveled out to the Golden Gate Bridge, along with a cruise by Alcatraz, over the course of 1 hour. The boarding process was efficient, the staff were friendly, and the boat was clean and spacious.
P_R, May 2026
Show up on time!! Cruise was very efficient with boarding and gave those walking with canes priority boarding
Abhinay_S, May 2026
It is a humbling experience.
Gazing at an engineering marvel and floating on a heavenly water body calms you down.
Stephanie_M, May 2026
Easy tour to book and enjoy. It’s a narrated tour of bay, views SF skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and Alcatraz Island.
From $39.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (60 Minutes)
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