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Beyond San Francisco
San Francisco: Cable Car Audio Tour with Entrance Ticket

San Francisco: Cable Car Audio Tour with Entrance Ticket

San Francisco, USA

San Francisco: Cable Car Audio Tour with Entrance Ticket

San Francisco, USA
  • 1 to 3 hours (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Overview

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

    Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

    Reviews

    2.1
    based on 45 reviews
    Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

    Don’t book it’s a scam i never got my tickets

    Eldin_P, May 2026
    I never got my tickets don’t book I got scammed of $46 and never got a refund this was a horrible experience

    I’m very upset with the...

    Cathy_W, May 2026
    I’m very upset with the process of purchasing my ticket through Viator. When I go to their app, it says to download the Muni app, which I did. I opened it and it states there are no purchased tickets. I purchased two tickets in advance. I ended up having to purchase ticket again and pay twice.

    It’s a scam. Purchase in person

    Rosario_A, May 2026
    Do not purchase the tickets online!! Purchase the tickets in person it is only $9 in person and easily available. It’s a scam to purchase online the train conductor did not accept my tickets in person I had to repurchase them.

    Bad conductor

    Fred_S, May 2026
    Conductor refused to scan my ticket I prepaid for. Said that was for somebody else and he insisted I pay him. Then he made me get off the train walk around and publicly apologize to him for zero reason. I got off the train the first time he stopped. It was horrible.

    Terrible tour

    Daniel_B, May 2026
    This yours sucks! I could not download the tickets. The ticket person was rude and to the wharf to get help. The ward is 2 miles away. The conductor was more helpful. The car was packed. No narration. (The tour ap did not work).

    Very poor, not helpful at all. The charge was more than the ride itself on the trolley. Very disappointed

    Theresa_B, Apr 2026
    trolley was very crowded unable to see the sites, compare it to public transportation. Not personal. Didn’t correlate with the sites recommended 1-14 through 1 . just one big mess!!!! The conductor on the trolleys gave more information.

    Bogus Tour

    Tasha_L, Apr 2026
    None of the information sent worked. Total scam. Had to contact Viatour several times to be sent information that did not work. Ended up buying ticket at Muni station.

    scam- never responded...

    Jennifer_F, Apr 2026
    scam- never responded with app need refund not worth it could not get tickets and did not respond to texts

    I am writing to request a refund because I was experiencing technical difficulties and was not able to access the link.

    Brenda_W, Mar 2026
    I am extremely disappointed with this company. I was not able to access the link for the audio tour.

    Wasted money and time

    Romie_R, Mar 2026
    I couldn't download my tickets to get on the cable train ride . Had to buy them again . At the cable leaving location Noone was willing to help

    Beware this is just another bus

    DeKetra_W, Mar 2026
    This “tour” was such a rip off. This was literally just another bus going up and down the street. The cable cars do not look like what the picture shows them as. You will be very confused. Beware and read the reviews before booking with this company.

    Got scammed want my money back

    Kawena_A, Feb 2026
    Paid 116 an never even get to get on the cable everyone around the city told me that they don’t know what that is an I came Al the away from Hawaii on vacation

    Response from Host, Mar 2026

    Hi Kawen, please check your messages, and email for your cable car ticket! If you still have any issues, please contact our help hotline

    Horrible Experience

    Levonia_G, Feb 2026
    Why would you offer a tour of just a single ride? I didn't think the directions of this tour were clear. I thought it was with a guide and that the price included a "round trip" ticket. It doesn't make sense to pay for a single ride through this offer and then you have to pay to get back to your destination. Each ride is $9 and I paid $14 for the "audio " which i couldn't access. So I wasted my money and had to pay an additonal $9 to get back to my destination.

    Response from Host, Mar 2026

    Hi Levonia, The single ride option is for folks looking to explore the Fishermans Wharf Neighborhood -- we can offer you a free return ticket, and a free tour for your misunderstanding.

    Scam

    Chris_G, Feb 2026
    Never received the actual tickets. Just a confirmation from Viator that was not accepted due to lack of actual ticket from third party vendor.

    Response from Host, Mar 2026

    Hi Chris, Your cable car tickets are separate -- and have been emailed to you. Please check the email you booked with.

    Don’t purchase from third party

    David_J, Feb 2026
    Horrible , this third party app is overpriced and didn’t even get the tickets it’s best to purchase in person and a lot cheaper then third party

    Response from Host, Mar 2026

    Hi David, Your cable car tickets are separate -- and have been emailed to you. Please check the email you booked with.

    Purchasing elsewhere

    Adilene_E, Jan 2026
    The check out process online is simple, quick, efficient. Though if you’re anything like me, and know absolutely NOTHING about this city, this is a good way to screw you over. Purchasing on this site triples, (and still a little more the cost) of what a single trip normally costs at the booth. Overall, a fun experience. Moderately nerve wrecking, and very loud when you sit on the outside benches. The staff are kind, the trip is touristic and scenic for sure.

    Response from Host, Jan 2026

    Thank you for your honest feedback! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the unique thrill of riding the cable cars—there really is nothing like the sights and sounds of the city from those outside benches. We appreciate you mentioning the value, and we want to clarify that this experience is designed to be more than just a transit fare. By booking this package, you’re receiving a fully curated audio tour that provides historical context, local secrets, and storytelling for the landmarks you pass along the way. Our goal is to provide travelers with a guided, "museum-style" experience right on their smartphones so they can learn about the city's rich history while enjoying the ride. We’re glad our team made you feel welcome and that you found the booking process easy. Safe travels on your next adventure!

    Frustrating trying to use cable car audio tour.

    David_R, Jan 2026
    Very frustrating . Cable car audio tour required downloading two apps, then coordinating them with cable car route. Very frustrating until we just turned off audio and enjoyed the cable car without audio tour!

    Not as organized as I...

    Regina_G, Dec 2025
    Not as organized as I have expected. Had a 10 am ticket. Did not get going till 10:45. Not easy to listen to recorded tour from separate app. City noise and passenger noise made it hard to understand or hear, even with my earbuds in. Purchased all day pass. Was difficult to get back on because of multiple full cars. Not sure if everyone on the cars even had a ticket. Nobody checked for tickets at all.

    Poor description

    Rashida_S, Dec 2025
    I was over charged for everything! Don’t sign up for this tour through viator! Just go to where the trains are pay for it way cheaper! The directions and times viator give are wrong and they over charge you for everything! The train experience is great and the workers are great and so are the views so just go to the train section itself don’t go through viator!

    Very bad service no one anwer

    Jose_A, Dec 2025
    Do not work no one answer your question I will recommend not to use this people when i went to the place nonpne know about it

    Please Read!!!

    Jessica_H, Dec 2025
    DONT BOOK THIS!!! At least on this website. We paid $120 for a “audio tour” with unlimited stopping on the Cable cars. When we got there, there was an option to buy it there for $9 per person (this option does not give you an audio tour). The audio tour was hard to hear on the phone and was NOT worth the money. We also waited in line for 2 hours for only a 15 minute ride. If you want to skip the line I advise to go to the second stop where it is 400% less busy. At the end of the trip you have the option to take another car back to the start. It was another long line so we chose to take a Lyft back to the start for only $7.

    Not what was advertised

    Lorena_G, Dec 2025
    The time slot we picked was not honored and the bus rides were first come first serve. This was not how the description was lead to believe. I could have simply purchased a ticket at the station for half the price. Very disappointed

    The city of San Francisco...

    Erma_J, Dec 2025
    The city of San Francisco is so much better now a days, very clean and very nice, cable car was fun and easy to ride.

    It was super quiet day,...

    Connor_D, Dec 2025
    It was super quiet day, was able to get on very fast and had a nice ride, wish i had the unlimited pass though

    I made the mistake of not...

    Landel_A, Dec 2025
    I made the mistake of not bringing headphones so it was hard to listed to the tour on my phone, but my kids and family liked it.

    Waiting in line can be...

    Amy_T, Dec 2025
    Waiting in line can be kind of annoying, but once you’re on the ride is awesome! Also download the app beforehand

    The ride was much better...

    Landel_A, Dec 2025
    The ride was much better than I expected, i will say it was cold so wear a bigger jacket, also go around noon it’s not very busy then

    Nothing like i’ve ridden before

    Linda_C, Dec 2025
    Both me and my wife and kids had a fun time on the cable car, the best part was when we went downhill

    Would i do it again?...

    Linda_C, Dec 2025
    Would i do it again? Yes!! The kids enjoyed it so much, definitely something unique and is a must do

    Cable Car SF

    Doris_G, Dec 2025
    Instructions were clear but difficult to access. No one was at gathering spot to help. Not able to access the audio portion of the tour