Top San Francisco Water Tours

Wander through an ancient coastal redwood forest and explore the artistic bayside enclave of Sausalito on this half-day tour from San Francisco. Travel across the Golden Gate Bridge to visit Muir Woods, home to some of the oldest and tallest trees on Earth. Then, soak up stellar views of the San Francisco skyline and browse art galleries along the Sausalito waterfront. At the end of your tour choose between getting dropped off at either of the two departure points or taking the Sausalito ferry back to San Francisco (Pier 41).

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.

Sail across San Francisco Bay at twilight to admire the city skyline as it begins to light up for the night. With an experienced captain at the helm, you’ll glide past Alcatraz Island and cruise underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bypass the line and head directly to the gate with your prebooked tickets. This sunset cruise takes you across San Francisco Bay with outstanding views of the city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. Relax while background music sets the tone. Watch the sunset or select a twilight cruise during winter months.

**If booking between the dates of November 6th - March 30th we will be providing an "abbreviated" city tour to ensure that we make it to the Alcatraz terminal on time** You get to see everything in one day! 6 photo stops, a lunch break in Sausalito, a walk around Muir Woods and the Official Alcatraz tour in the afternoon. 8:00AM – Depart Fisherman’s Wharf 8:00AM -10:00AM – Explore San Francisco’s BEST neighborhoods! During this time, you are treated to entertaining stories about the neighborhoods and several photo stoops. 10:00AM - 11:15AM – Explore Muir Woods After a ride, you will have 75 minutes to walk amongst last remaining coastal redwoods in the world! 11:45PM - 12:30PM – Snack break in Sausalito Enjoy a quick break, our guides provide plenty of recommendations for our favorite local spots during your visit. You are sure to fall in love with this quaint town. 2:00PM –Depart for the Official Alcatraz Tour, Pier 33 Spend the rest of your day exploring this historic prison!

Combine three of the Bay Area's top attractions—Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods, and Sausalito—in a single tour from San Francisco. Enjoy comfortable transportation in a luxury tour van, which includes a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge, allowing you to focus on the scenery instead of driving and directions. Your Alcatraz admission includes the ferry ride and the audio tour, and independent travelers will love the free time to explore both Muir Woods and Sausalito.

Glide across San Francisco Bay with unlimited mimosas and sparkling wine on this weekend brunch cruise. Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, pass Alcatraz, and see the city skyline from the deck. A hearty buffet and onboard music keep the mood festive while you enjoy brunch and sightsee.

On this San Francisco bridge cruise, get an up-close look at the city’s two engineering marvels—the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge—as you travel across San Francisco Bay. See major city sights like Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the Ferry Building, and listen to recorded commentary about the city's legendary architecture while you glide under both bridges.

Come aboard the Privateer for a beautiful sailing journey along the San Francisco Bay where you can enjoy sightseeing at the most beautiful time of day—sunset. Coast along as you spot out Alcatraz, the Sausalito shoreline, and the Golden Gate bridge, all with a drink of choice in your hand.  

Guarantee your visit to Alcatraz when you book in advance. Relax aboard your ferry transportation and return at a time of your choosing. Afterward, use your food voucher at a preselected restaurant in Fisherman’s Wharf.

Visit charming Sausalito, cruise across San Francisco Bay and stare up in wonder at the redwood trees of Muir Woods on this combo tour from San Francisco—the perfect day out in the Bay Area. Experience the Golden Gate Bridge from both above and below as you drive across it and glide under it, and learn about some of California’s oldest and tallest natural wonders, the coastal redwoods. In Sausalito, you can stroll along the waterfront or shop in the galleries and boutiques.

Enjoy a relaxing outing on San Francisco Bay with a cruise. Take in panoramic views of the city skyline, marvel at Alcatraz Island, and journey beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Choose to sit indoors or savor cool bay breezes from an outdoor deck and experience San Francisco in a whole new way from the water. You can even learn about the sights that you're seeing from a free audio tour—available on any personal wifi-enabled device. This ticket allows you to skip the box office line and go straight to the gate.

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.

Make the most of a day in San Francisco with this triple combo tour that starts with a morning visit to Muir Woods to enjoy the majestic giant redwoods before most of the crowds arrive. Along the way, stop at the Golden Gate Bridge for photos and a walk on the iconic rusty-orange span. Finish with a cruise across the San Francisco Bay for the famous Cell Block tour at Alcatraz prison — one of San Francisco's most in-demand tours.

Take a relaxing afternoon sailing cruise aboard a traditional sailboat on the San Francisco Bay. Cruise past landmarks such as Alcatraz Island, Angel Island, the Sausalito waterfront, and Golden Gate Bridge, and see the San Francisco skyline on your way back to Pier 39. Includes two drinks, and personalized attention from the crew and captain.

Explore San Francisco and Alcatraz on this 2-in-1 tour. Hop aboard a ferry for a scenic ride to Alcatraz and enjoy the award-winning audio walking tour. Plus, enjoy a coach tour with a knowledgeable local guide. Learn about the City by the Bay through visits to top attractions such as Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the Presidio, and the Palace of Fine Arts.

Enjoy two Classic Same Day San Francisco experiences in one day — a visit inside Alcatraz Island and an additional same day sightseeing Golden Gate Bridge Boat Cruise. Guests are assigned an Alcatraz boat and on the SAME DAY a Golden Gate Bridge sightseeing boat. Guests will be allotted enough time to experience both attractions. Our tour is designed to be an easy package to experience two of the most popular attractions in one day. Relax as we pass along San Francisco’s breathtaking waterfront, passing under the Golden Gate and around Alcatraz! Learn the history of San Francisco Bay with open-air viewpoints and observe local marine life such as sea lions and more. Audio narration is provided. Guests will be assigned by us an AM Alcatraz/afternoon boat or AM Boat Tour/PM Alcatraz based on our reserved voucher times. Golden Gate Cruise (roughly 1-1.5 hours) will be provided on various open air boat companies We will designate your time slot as guests do not pick their time slot.

Experience some of the Bay Area’s top attractions on this Alcatraz and Muir Woods tour that also includes a stop in Sausalito. At Muir Woods National Monument, stare in wonder at the coastal redwoods, some of the tallest trees on Earth. Soak up the charm of seaside Sausalito, and experience Alcatraz in one of two ways—admission to the prison, which includes the ferry ride to Alcatraz Island and the audio tour.

Tread in the footsteps of world-champion sailors on this 2.5-hour America’s Cup Day Sail on San Francisco Bay. You’ll board a high-speed International America’s Cup class yacht and take a turn on the official race course from the 2013 competition. With a skilled sailor in charge, you’ll take your turn as crew working the sail trim controls and even have a chance to skipper the boat. After departing from San Francisco’s famous Pier 39 you’ll take to the Bay and cruise beneath the magnificent Golden Gay Bridge. There’s no better way to see the Bay than this sailing trip with USA 76.

Learn stories behind the Bay Area's most notorious former federal penitentiary on a fascinating 'Escape from the Rock' cruise. Board a boat for a journey through the bay while listening to audio recordings (available in several languages) from ex-prisoners and guards about daily life on 'The Rock.' Learn about the Birdman of Alcatraz and the infamous 1962 'Alcatraz Escape,' and come to know why Alcatraz instilled fear into the hearts of even the worst-of-the-worst criminals. Tours are accessible on any of your own wifi-enabled iPads, smartphones or other devices. This ticket allows you to skip the box office line and go straight to the gate.

Tour San Francisco with Go City and enjoy admission at more than 25 popular San Francisco attractions and activities - all on one digital pass. Choose an All-Inclusive Pass valid for 1-,2-, 3- or 5-days and visit as many attractions as you like, all while saving as much money as possible on your vacation. Please note: Enjoy the extra flexibility in case your travel plans need to change: All passes are valid for two years from purchase date and only become activated with your first attraction visit. After activation your pass will be valid for the remaining number of days purchased.

Most tours offer access to the Golden Gate Bridge by bike or bus, and both can be a hassle. This Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge Express Visit from Fisherman's Wharf lets you explore the Golden Gate Bridge by foot and visit Alcatraz Island, too. You'll ride round-trip to the bridge from Fisherman's Wharf and then take the ferry to Alcatraz.

Take away the stress and uncertainty from booking an Alcatraz tour with this package that includes Alcatraz ferry tickets and a 90 min guided walking tour of Chinatown and North Beach. Get practical tips from your guide on visiting Alcatraz then follow them through the heart of the largest Chinese community in the Western World. This is the perfect way to spend half a day in San Francisco enjoying some of its quintessential experiences with the help of a local who is on hand both to guide you and sort out logistics.

Combine a full-day bike rental with tickets to Alcatraz in a single package. Head out to Alcatraz on the ferry with your prepaid ticket; buying in advance avoids sold-out days or times, which are frequent. Tour the island with your included 3-hour audio tour, then head back to San Francisco where you can explore further on your own via bicycle.