San Francisco Bay Sailing Cruise
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
San Francisco, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Enjoy a different perspective and admire San Francisco and its surrounding sights from the water on a San Francisco Bay sailing cruise. Onboard a catamaran, sail past the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, legendary Alcatraz Island, and the hamlet of Sausalito. Take advantage of great photo ops while you soak up the sea breeze during this scenic tour.
- Escape the city bustle on a catamaran cruise on San Francisco Bay
- Sail away from the city and take in the sights from the water
- Cruise under the awe-inspiring Golden Gate Bridge
- Choose from different departure times to suit your schedule
What's Included
- 1.5-hour cruise
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop off
- Food and drinks (available to be purchased on board)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Adventure Cat Sailing ChartersPier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Departure Point: Pier 39, Gate J, San Francisco 94133 Directions: Stand on the sidewalk facing the water. Enter main P39 entrance, then out left between shops to the water (towards GG Bridge). Gate J is located right next to the sea lion viewing area (ask someone where are sea lions are if lost).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Don’t just take photos of San Francisco Bay from the waterfront—get out on the water itself pm this SF sailing tour. Your experience starts on the Embarcadero, where you hop aboard the 55- or 65-foot (17- or 20-meter) Adventure Cat and set out across the bay.
Take a picture or two of the city skyline and resident sea lions as they become smaller and smaller, and listen to commentary from your captain about the city and other sights that line the water. If you want to stay warm and dry, you can enjoy 360-degree views from the catamaran’s protected interior; if you’re feeling a bit more daring, take a seat on the trampoline nets, where you can soak in the salty ocean air.
Cruise past Alcatraz Island, look up at the towering Golden Gate Bridge and admire the charming small town of Sausalito, just across the bridge. If you like, you can purchase snacks, beer, wine or soft drinks from the onboard bar.
Your tour ends when you return to the marina in San Francisco.
Take a picture or two of the city skyline and resident sea lions as they become smaller and smaller, and listen to commentary from your captain about the city and other sights that line the water. If you want to stay warm and dry, you can enjoy 360-degree views from the catamaran’s protected interior; if you’re feeling a bit more daring, take a seat on the trampoline nets, where you can soak in the salty ocean air.
Cruise past Alcatraz Island, look up at the towering Golden Gate Bridge and admire the charming small town of Sausalito, just across the bridge. If you like, you can purchase snacks, beer, wine or soft drinks from the onboard bar.
Your tour ends when you return to the marina in San Francisco.
1
Pier 39
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Golden Gate Bridge (Pass By)
San Francisco Bay (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- We can accept manual wheelchairs only, as there are 3-4 stairs to board the boat. Also, restrooms are not ADA accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- You can purchase snacks or beer, wine, and soft drinks at the on-board bar with cash or a credit card
- Stroller accessible
- Please bring a jacket and wear soft-soled shoes
- Handheld audio guides are available in English, Mandarin, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- No outside beverages may be brought on board
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 42 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
They should know:
The Catamaran is wonderful.
The staff so friendly.
The cruise is amazing, the view was spectacular.
They will love it.
Reviews
4.9
based on 668 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
This is the second time I have gone out with this vendor and it was equally amazing the second time around. I had made a mistake and booked on the wrong day, but the GM responded quickly to my request to schedule on the original day I had planned, with no hassle whatsoever. Highly recommend this amazing tour!
Such a fun way to see San Francisco! The boat was lovely and a very comfortable ride. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. An extended amount of time was spent viewing the Golden Gate Bridge and plenty of time for photos. Highly recommend!
We had a wonderful time! It was a fantastic experience - I highly recommend. Great way to see the bay and bridge!
Always a great experience! Anytime I have friends or family come to town, we book this! Very friendly and helpful captains and staff! Thank you! Will be back again!
Great crew, fantastic sail and happened to see a couple whales, which was not expected but appreciated
Pier 39 is huge. We couldn't find the gate. We called the tour company for directions several times but they immediately hung up on every call. When we found the gate several minuttes before the cruise was to leave but they wouldn't let us in. The crew just stared at us from a few yards away. A few minutes later the boat departed without us--just left us at the gate, the crew and passengers staring at us.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for reaching out to us, we're sure sorry you had this kind of experience - but being honest, this description sounds like you may not have been at our gate at all. We would love for you to reach out to us directly, give a call, and we can figure out where/when this would have taken place.
If you were at our gate, the crew is either at the gate with it open for checkin, or far down at the end of the docks if the time could have passed. At no point would our crew be a few yards away and not talk to guests or let them in - and passengers/crew on the boat literally can't see the gate at all from our boat location far out at the end of a dock. Not trying to nitpick, just for future travelers to understand something doesn't add up here.
Regardless this was not a great experience for you, clearly, and we'd love to make it right, even if it wasn't our error. Please reach out!
Completely scam experience, we were there waiting for around 45 minutes and no one showed up. We tried to call them but no one picked up, and none of their staff members called us back. Phone line is completely unreachable and they refused to communicate. Would not recommend having your money stolen here by this completely fraudulent "business", can't run fast enough.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for writing Angel, clearly something was lost in the communication through TripAdvisor/Viator, but we have processed a refund just to make sure things are right.
For future readers, I think we can all agree from our history that Adventure Cat is far from a scam. On this specific departure we don't have any record of issues, and we did check in all other guests (including some from Viator) successfully all the way from 3pm to 3:30pm....so we are still trying to figure out where you missed us.
Hopefully you can come enjoy a sail in the future!
What an incredible experience from start to finish! Crew and boat were amazing! Equipped with knowledge and jackets if we got chilly during the ride + a bar (bonus!!). We actually got to participate in raising the sail which was a bucket list activity for me! Pictures/sights & views were unreal- SF cityscape, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz & wildlife!
It was a wonderful time, Very relaxing and enjoyable and it was such a beautiful day. The captain and crew were all super sweet!
Chad was our Captain and he was friendly and knowledgeable. They even made the experience interactive if you wanted to participate.
It was a fun experience in SF for me and my friends! The crew was great and we were lucky enough to even see the dolphins :)
Its absolutely thrilling and the crew is amazing! Stunning views coupled with excitement on the water!!
Awesome! The crew was fun, personal, attentive, great experience. Our group got to help raise the sail and drive the boat.
This was the best sailing boat activity. We were so glad that we picked this company. The sailboat was clean, not too many people, and after getting launched we could sit up front. The ride was peaceful, beautiful, we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge, the workers were kind and seemed to like their job. There wasn't too much noise which was refreshing - no loud music, etc. I would definitely recommend this activity.
The crew is very friendly and helpful. They made the cruise very enjoyable. The captain will allow you to steer if the condition are good. We hsd a very enjoyable time.
This was an amazing experience. If you are in San Fransisco, this is a must. The crew was wonderful. They even came around to every one to see if they wanted pictures taken.. not for sale but with your camera!! The views are amazing. Going under the Golden Gate Bridge was breathtaking. The view of the city from the water was awesome. If we ever come back, this is first in our list. Spend the money for the experience, you won’t regret it!!!
Summer is foggy and cold but we had a fantastic time regardless. Especially under the Golden Gate Bridge. The staff is very helpful and enthusiastic. They have light snacks so it’s best to eat ahead of time. The boat does make really loud knocking noises that can be very alarming but we were told that’s normal. We had a great time and would recommend. We will book another type of tour with them again.
It’s really fun. I was interested in getting some footage of the area and the crew were very accommodating.
Hans and his 1st mate were very informative. They were a joy to sail with. We will definitely do this adventure again.
What a great experience! The crew were friendly, social and helpful! I loved seeing the wildlife and going under the Golden Gate bridge. It was great that they offered coats because even though I felt like I was dressed appropriately for the cold wind it was not enough. It was wonderful experience and I highly recommend it.
The crew is very friendly and helpful. Great with kids! I would recommend this for families...very safe! And it does get chilly, but they provide jackets if needed. We sailed up to the Golden Gate bridge!
We had the best time. The crew was laid back and very friendly. We loved being able to go under the Golden Gate Bridge. We would recommend it to anyone wanted to to do a quick activity with gorgeous views.
This is an amazing tour. Loved sailing in a stiff breeze in the San Francisco Bay. The crew was very nice and helpful. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
The crew and captain were amazing! Got to assist with raising the sails. 100/100 experience. Highly recommended
My sister and I both loved this cruise as our favorite thing in San Francisco. It was absolutely beautiful. The views were stunning. The ride was relaxing after a long day. The crew was friendly and helpful and made it a fun experience. We would do it again in a heartbeat.
Great way to see SF from the water. The crew was fun. I prefer a boat this size with fewer people. Well done!
They should know:
The Catamaran is wonderful.
The staff so friendly.
The cruise is amazing, the view was spectacular.
They will love it.
Amazing experience. Great captain and crew. We sailed through a flock of sea birds and a pod of sea lions. We went under the golden gate. My wife and I loved it just as much as our two kids. Would 100% do it again.
This was such a cool experience! We did this in mid March and I personally did not need a jacket and wish I had worn less, actually. haha We saw a whale and had smooth sailing around Alcatraz and under the bridge. Highly recommend and would do it again!
This was an amazing experience and one we will forever remember. The captain and crew were amazing, they were patient, helpful and above all professional. We won’t hesitate to repeat it even if for a single day in SF.
Member Pricing
From
$61.75
per personWas $65.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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San Francisco Bay Sailing Cruise
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1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
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