San Francisco Golden Gate Bay Cruise
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
San Francisco, USA
+12
- 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 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 25 travelers
Supplied by
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 1 767 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Pretty good experience. Although, it was hard to hear the narrator most times, and it would have been nice to have someone speaking live on board or a louder sound system since the boat is loud. Overall, it was a good experience.
We parked in pier 39 parking garage a few hours before our cruise and enjoyed the area. Lots of things for families with pre teen age kiddos to enjoy prior to departure. We boarded our boat and received a wonderful naration of the local area landscape from the bays point of view.
Great way to see the San Francisco Bay and learn about all the historic there. I would recommend to anyone traveling to San Francisco.
Cruise was very informative. Just enough time. Bring a jacket if you go after September. The air from the bay is a little chilly
We went to a 5:15pm and truly couldn’t recommend the time slot enough. It was a perfect activity to do to see the city while traveling for work!
I think this a great experience if you are looking for something comparable inexpensive and there is a ton of food choices nearby. The was a bar and I had a delicious Irish coffee because it was a cool day. They need instructions for the bathroom sinks posted.
It was a fairly clear day, but breezy on the water - take a coat. The information was enlightening as we went around the area. Enjoyed the trip.
Goes fast but just the right time with restless kids. Took my 13&16yr old. Three level boat. Top windy but lots of benches to sit (many non English speaking people tried to reserve a few benches for themselves. We just sat down anyhow and ignored the hand waves). But honestly it doesn’t matter because once the boat starts moving everyone stands and looks around and seats open up. They only sell beer, white claw, pop, and snacks only on the bottom level. The white claws they offered were THE BIG ones. $10. All the levels have bench seats with backs to them. The bottom level and second level is all enclosed seating. The speaking of the history part is all automated by speakers. I found it to be very clear but harder to hear on top deck due to wind. Temp today Sept 1, was 70 ,and my teen boys were chilly up top but I liked it. Most people brought light jackets.The beginning and end was windy but near Alcatraz it got substantially less windy probably due to the terrain. The Boat gets very close to Alcatraz which was cool and made for good pics. At the end I didn’t see anyone taking tips or a tip jar out for tips which was also VERY nice because this town is tip happy. It’s WILD. I would do it again. Great time. We did the 530p tour which made it nice for pics as the sun was coming down
Response from Host, Sept 2026
So glad you enjoyed
Bring a jacket, it can get windy! Friendly, well-organized staff. Clean, well maintained boats. Multiple language options of you need it.
Response from Host, Sept 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! It is definitely great advice to bundle up. We hope you got to see some amazing sights.
Lovely cruise. I'll make this part of my wharf visitor experience. Customer support will not return calls so make sure you're committed and don't expect help if you need to change your booking or cancel over the phone.
Response from Host, Sept 2026
Thank you for your feedback, Ashley. The best way to reach out for a change in booking is to Viator themselves or to our sales email. We hope you enjoyed your time on board!
It was great really enjoyed it. The views are wonderful and we were able to see the Golden Gate Bridge up close
Response from Host, Sept 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are so glad you enjoyed and hope you got to make some memories.
Very fun! My partner was nervous about being in the water but the captain gave us a really smooth ride. The narration was automated but had a lot of interesting information and was pretty well in sync with the scenery. Would recommend.
Response from Host, Sept 2026
So happy you enjoyed your time on board, Sarah! We hope you got to see some amazing sights and learned a little more about our wonderful city. Thank you for choosing to cruise with us!
Great experience of Golden Gate Bridge on a boat. Very windy and chilly, so be prepared. Clouds lifted as we crossed under it. Amazing views of the city.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so happy you had a great time while on board! It is always a good idea to bundle up. We hope you got to snap some pics and make some memories!
Experience was fine
Recorded sightseeing audio was a bit off on timing with landmarks during cruise
Staff was friendly
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience. We will make note about the timing of the audio. We hope you enjoyed the views and your time on board.
It's an enjoyable experience with good service, providing interesting information and a clean environment.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so glad you enjoyed your experience! We hope you had a memorable time on board!
Amazing, not crowded, cruiseshop was clean. Route was awesome, under the bridge and very close from Al Catraz prison.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so glad you enjoyed! It is always a special experience to be so close to Alcatraz and the Bridge. We hope you enjoyed your time in SF overall!
The weather was great for the cruise ,,, lots of information on the cruise ,,, staff was great the whole experience was great!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so glad you had a great time! This is what we strive for! We hope you got to see some amazing views while on board.
The ferry was very good and worth the price!! Especially because of the under 18 discount. There is a luggage room here to store your luggage so don’t book a locker with bounce like I did!! But the bounce lockers are convenient if you neeed something like that.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We are so glad you enjoyed and hope you got to snap some great pics!
This is a great way to get an overview of the SF Bay, its history and a real ocean experience. The cruise narration was very informative and engaging, which will give you ideas on where you would like to visit in the Bay Area. The boat goes under and around the Golden Gate Bridge and a close-up cruise-by Alcatraz Island. It can be pretty windy and cool on deck so bring something to cover you up.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so happy you had a good time on board, and we were happy to have you! The tour is a great way to learn more about the spots in the Bay you would like to visit! We hope you enjoyed exploring the Bay overall!
Whale watching is a hit or miss. Spend your money wisely.
Waste of money trip and what else should I say
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hi Aamir, we are sorry you feel this way. The whale watching cruise you were on board for did see some whales, so we consider that to be a hit. Hopefully you enjoyed your time in the city.
It was great. I had a really good time with my parents and my niece, and it was such a nice opportunity to spend quality time together, make memories, laugh, and simply enjoy each other’s company. If you want to experience the top of the boat, definitely bring layers because the wind is very strong, and something to tie your hair back!.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
This is the goal! To bring people together to see the beautiful views of San Francisco. These words mean so much to us and we hope we have the opportunity to see you on board again in the future.
The boat was roomy and comfortable. The info was interesting. The views were amazing. The narration was easy to understand and simple.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are so glad you enjoyed the narration and saw some incredible views. We hope you enjoyed your time in SF overall!
Great and quick way to see the highlights of the Bay and learn some city history. Can be a little hectic if you’re a smaller group and get overrun by larger groups moving around while the tour is ongoing.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so glad you enjoyed your time on board!
Top deck is cold and windy. So bring a windbreaker with a hoodie. Caps, hats, and even phones can fly off that’s if unless you are planning to stay in the lower decks. Staff was nice and informative.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you taking the time to leave a review! It is always a good idea to bundle up and beware of the wind. We hope you enjoyed your time on board!
Perfect way to see San Francisco from the bay. Pleasantly surprised by the wind surfers and seals.
Don’t forget your jacket.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so glad we were able to have you on board! It is always fun to see the wind surfers and the sea life during the cruise!
I'm so glad we decided to do the cruise! There would never be enough time to see all the places we saw via the cruise.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are so glad to have had you on board! Our Golden Gate Bay Cruise is the best way to see the iconic city landmarks on a time crunch! We are so glad you enjoyed!
Very windy which necessitated staying inside for most of the trip. Wind noise made it difficult to hear narrative about the tour.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for leaving your feedback, Mary. It can definitely be chilly when out on the water, and we are sorry to hear the day you cruised with us was on the windier side. But we hope you got to see some amazing views.
On time as scheduled, very helpful staff. Everyday is a new and exciting experience and the family are always excited and looking forward to seeing more.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We are so glad you enjoyed your time on board and hope to welcome you back in the future!
It has been quite some time since Ive done a cruise. I wanted to give my granddaughter a treat cuz we both love the ocean. It was a great experience for her and I. We cant wait to do more cruises.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We are so glad you chose us to welcome you back out on the water! We hope you and your granddaughter were able to take some great pictures and make some memories!
This is a nice experience for the price. The staff was friendly. The narration during the ride is very informative. I wish they had mentioned if you are outside versus inside you need headphones.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Marvin! We are so glad you enjoyed your time on board. Guests are always able to use the audio guides throughout the cruise!
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US$35,10
per personWas US$39,00
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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San Francisco Golden Gate Bay Cruise
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