Big Bus San Francisco: Sightseeing Sunset Tour by Open-Top Bus
San Francisco, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get a unique perspective on San Francisco—and capture photos of the city as it's all aglow—on this sunset tour by open-top, double-decker bus. See highlight neighborhoods such as Fisherman's Wharf, Embarcadero, Chinatown and the Financial District, and spot key city landmarks including the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way, listen to on-board digital commentary to learn the stories behind the sights.
- Check out different city neighborhoods lit up at night
- See a side of San Francisco that many other visitors miss
- Admire many of the city's top attractions, all in one tour
- Learn the stories behind the sights with expert digital commentary
What's Included
- 2-hour double decker bus tour
- Digital commentary onboard
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 99 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Redeem vouchers at the start of the tour at Stop 1 - Big Bus Tours Visitors' Center (corner of Jefferson and Mason Streets)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.6:30 pm
Itinerary
Make your way to the tour's departure point in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Hand in your voucher and climb aboard the double-decker bus to find your perfect seat. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Set off as the sun starts to set, and listen to professional digital commentary about the City by the Bay. Drive through Fisherman's Wharf and make your way through Chinatown, the Financial District, the Embarcadero, and across the Bay Bridge to Treasure Island. You can even spot the Golden Gate Bridge along the way.
At the conclusion of the tour, disembark at your original meeting point.
Set off as the sun starts to set, and listen to professional digital commentary about the City by the Bay. Drive through Fisherman's Wharf and make your way through Chinatown, the Financial District, the Embarcadero, and across the Bay Bridge to Treasure Island. You can even spot the Golden Gate Bridge along the way.
At the conclusion of the tour, disembark at your original meeting point.
1
Fisherman's Wharf
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Golden Gate Bridge
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Fisherman's Wharf
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Presidio of San Francisco
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Treasure Island
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Embarcadero Center
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Tour operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so try to arrive early to secure your seat
- This is not a hop-on hop-off tour
- Wheelchair accessible, please call ahead for arrangements
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Questions (8)
Q:Can I hop on and off during the Big Bus San Francisco Night Tour?
A:The night tour is one continuous tour to view the lights of San Francisco after dark. There are no stops during the night tour.
Mar 2021
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.2
based on 342 reviews
PeterJ_G, Mar 2026
This tour gave you a glimpse of San Fran you could not do on your own. Our bus driver was great!! Her enthusiasm about the city made it better.
Diana_M, Mar 2026
The sunset tour of SF was amazing!
You have to do the top open seating, def bring a warm jacket.
It's priced reasonably.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hey Diana! Thanks for your review. We're super glad to hear you enjoyed the sunset tour. Hope to see you again soon! Ana from Big Bus Tours.
Lea_J, Sep 2025
Very cold at night in September.; but the lights of the city were beautiful. Our driver Blat was the beat
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi Lea! Thank you for your feedback, we're glad to hear that you have enjoyed the tour in spite of the cold. We always recommend wearing weather-appropriate clothing while joining our tours. We're looking forward to your next visit! Eugen, Big Bus Tours
jcol500, Dec 2024
Lovely experience, a bit chilly on top, but all good fun, a little pricey but it’s worth it for the experience
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour. We understand that it can get a bit chilly on the upper deck during this season, so we always suggest dressing appropriately for the weather. We can't wait to welcome you back on board soon!
Robert_M, Dec 2024
Had tickets and had paid. Spent money on the cable cars to get to the pickup location. Two buses there; both drivers said they were done for the day and to come back tomorrow......
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Dear Robert_M, we wanted to inform you that our San Francisco Hop on Hop off service runs every day, with the exception of some holidays, until 6:00 PM. The last full circuit departs from Station #1 at this time. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused during your trip and we appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention. We hope that we have been able to provide some clarity on the matter and we ecourage to reach out to us via the live chat feature in the app or by visiting our official website's contact page. We are looking forward to welcoming you on board for future trips.
Tom_S, Dec 2024
Really average experience compared to how the Viator description described it.
For a start, ignore the mention of "Golden Gate bridge" in the Viator itinerary - you go nowhere near it, and don't really see it.
There are no stops for photos, other than on Treasure Island which does give you an excellent view of SF.
The Viator listing says "live tour guide" but we got given headphones and listened to a vaguely informative and totally banal scripted recording. The forced happiness got on my nerves - the narration kept pointing out things like the "amazing ferry terminal" with its "beautiful arches" and "spectacular views". It's a ferry terminal. With arches.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for your feedback as we find it helpful to improve guests' experiences. This tour is meant to focus on the Bay Bridge, as opposed to our day tour that features the Golden Gate Bridge, so we will look to improve the description online. We appreciate the audio feedback as well. Thank you for joining us and sharing your experience (you can email us directly at sfreservations@bigbustours.com if you have any further comments.)
Sincerely,
Big Bus Tours SF
Susan_J, Oct 2024
The night time ride through San Francisco was nice for a quick overview of the city. We were disappointed there was only 1 photo atop & the recorded script didn’t match the location very often. We were also over 30 minutes late leaving as they were trying to fill every seat vs bring on time.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your honest feedback, Susan! We are glad to hear that our tour was able to provide a good overview of the city. We will make sure to share your feedback regarding the audio not being correctly synchronized, and the amount of stops allowing for photos with our local team.
Rebecca_J, Sep 2024
Wouldn’t do again. Any other big bus tour we did, they have a live person telling you things about the place/ also it said we would visit the golden gate, and that did not happen.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
We are very sorry to hear that you were disappointed with our audio narration. On our Sunset Tour, we visit the Bay Bridge as opposed to our daytime route, which visits the Golden Gate Bridge. If there is anything else that you feel we should know, you can reach us directly at sfreservations@bigbustours.com.
Sincerely,
Big Bus Tours SF
Jeanie_R, Aug 2024
We celebrated 40 years of friendship starting with this tour. T-Raysa was an awesome driver and guide
Brian_S, Aug 2024
Nice tour, was very cold and we were not prepared for that. Were able to see many highlights of the city.
Lisa_B, Jul 2024
The night tour was very average - tour information states live tour guide unfortunately this is incorrect as it pre recorded audio. Tour desk agents were not informative and really should consider job not in customer service. Pre Recorded information was average.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
We are very sorry to hear about your experience. July 4th is one our busiest days of the year, and we apologize for not meeting your expectations. If you want to reach us directly you can email us at sfreservations@bigbustours.com - Thank you.
Steve_Y, Jun 2024
Very informative commentary, and lots of great sites we wouldve missed if we tried to explore alone. The driver was also very friendly and funny.
Tammy_W, May 2024
Saw a lot of the different areas in San Francisco. The bus driver was very nice and informative. I thought the tour was at night where we would see the city lit up which is why I gave it a 3.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello Tammy,
Thanks for letting us know and sorry that you felt a bit misled. Thanks for the info and for joining us -
Big Bus Tours SF
Benita_O, May 2024
Exxellent job!!! Enjoyed the tour. The history was most exciting learning more about the city. I would highly recomnend this tour to anyone.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thanks for joining us and we appreciate your recommendation, too. There is always more to learn and see in San Francisco, so we hope to see you again!
Gladys_R, Apr 2024
Excellent introduction to San Francisco. The tour description was great, learned a lot in not a long time. Great pictures and even better memories.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for the 5-star review!
Kelly_M, Mar 2024
We loved sitting on the top area of the bus! The tour guide was awesome! We saw places in San Francisco that we would have never seen on our own. Great tour with interesting information.
Guy_B, Mar 2024
We loved our bus ride. Got to see so much more than we ever would have on our own. The open air was awesome but be dressed for the weather. Our driver was the best.
Monica_W, Feb 2024
Golden Gate Bridge 🌉
Bay Bridge 🌉
Wind blowing in my air.
Top of the Double Decker Bus.
I would definitely do it again.
Miguel_R, Dec 2023
Was a great experience to see all the nice places of san Francisco everyone Wasson nice so friendly love it
Cramita_G, Nov 2023
The driver was excellent he was very friendly but the tour route was uneventful. Not enough sites that were worth seeing. It lack anything exciting. Will not recommend. Again the driver was amazing loved his hospitality.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Cramita_G,
We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback! It’s invaluable for us as we strive to enhance our services. We’re truly sorry to learn that the tour fell short of your expectations. We’re committed to making our tours better so you can have a fantastic experience! We hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity in the future, as we believe you’ll have a much more enjoyable time next time around!
Dave_R, Oct 2023
Good tour. Went for the evening one and it got quite cold on the bridge. Dress warm! It got very cold
Stephanie_O, Sep 2023
The driver drove erratically and then laughed and said how did you like that hill? The audio was so low that I couldn’t hear most of the program.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Stephanie! We appreciate your feedback and sincerely apologize for your unsatisfactory experience. We will use your review to improve our service. We hope you have a great day despite this unfortunate incident.
Donna_W, Jul 2023
Good volume on tour bus. Nicely presented information about the city. *BRING a jacket. The bus was fairly crowded but some passengers went in after the stop on Treasure Island.
Deborah_J, Jun 2023
Experience could have been much better had guide given better instructions. We didn't know what channel to put audio listening on.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Deborah!
We’re sorry to learn that you had trouble finding the commentary channel, but we appreciate you sharing your experience! We suggest reaching out to our on-site agents for guidance on how to use the headphones and commentary device. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future!
Kevin_B, May 2023
We booked this from in the UK via friends who said it would be a good tour due to we only visited for one day via a cruise ship holiday. We was not disappointed and to be taken around the city, visited the well known Bob’s Doughnuts open 24/7 days a week 👍
Kati_G, May 2023
This was a great tour. One thing: IT IS VERY WINDY AND COLD IF YOU ARE FROM A WARM CLIMATE. Really enjoyed the long sunset over SanFran in May.
eugenio_m, Apr 2023
Amazing tour with excellent driver 😊👍 it was once of the best trips I ever had whereby I got so much of knowledges which I never knew
Christina_D, Feb 2023
Such a fun experience. Our driver was so friendly and made the tour really unforgettable! Would definitely recommend to friends. Bundle up if you plan to ride the top level in the spring, especially on the night tour
David_B, Feb 2023
Abrasive and rude staff in the office. No consideration for people on top of the bus during cold rain.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hello David_B! We're really sorry to learn about your experience. Over the years, we've built a team of friendly and professional individuals who are always here to help. We look forward to welcoming you back on one of our buses soon!
Gaurav_R, Dec 2022
The bus had is wait for 45 mins to board. When boarded, our audio on the seat wasnt working so we wasted our entire tour just sitting without any audio experience. There are no live tour guides so audio is what you need.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hi Gaurav!
We’re sorry to learn that there was a delay in the departure time and some problems with the audio equipment. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us! We’ve made enhancements to our audio hardware to provide a smoother and more enjoyable experience. We also strive to keep our departure times as scheduled and sincerely apologize for any inconveniences caused. We would love the opportunity to show you around on your next visit!
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Big Bus San Francisco: Sightseeing Sunset Tour by Open-Top Bus
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