Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BUS TOURS
To my mind, the high prices of the hop-on, hop-off buses don't match what you
get. You can re-create their routes easily on a series of $1.50 city buses, armed only
with a map and rubber-soled shoes. And in general, the information given is not
as fluently presented or well-researched as on the walking and bus tours discussed
below. But I know they have their devotees, so here's some information on each.
City Sightseeing San Francisco
(
%
866/641
-
8687 or 415/447
-
8442; www.
citysightseeing.com)
sends its open-top double-decker buses along two routes,
both with a commentary. The Downtown loop ($27 adults, $21 kids; 90 min.)
sticks to everything from Fisherman's Wharf and east (Financial District, Nob
Hill, Union Square, North Beach, and Chinatown), while the Golden Gate loop
($22 adults, $17 kids; 75 min.) focuses on the Presidio, Marina, Palace of Fine
Arts, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The first loop is useful for hitting the major
tourist sights, while the second loop goes to fewer greatest hits, but the ones it
does visit require wheels to reach. Both loops stop at Fisherman's Wharf and in
North Beach, and both say they're good for 24 hours' use. (Be wary of that claim:
You can hop on and off the buses, yes, but on slow days, there may be only two
departures, which means if you're on the second one, you won't have an opportu-
nity to hop on again until the next morning. Make sure you understand the day's
schedule before buying your ticket.) The Night Loop bus, which runs weekend
evenings at 6pm, is not a good value—it costs just as much as a day run but only
lasts an hour. You can buy a 48-hour pass on all three loops for $65 adults, $35
kids, which is quite a lot of cash. This company is well-established and operates
in dozens of cities, particularly in Europe.
With departures every 30 minutes,
Open Top Sightseeing
(
%
877/332
-
8689;
www.opentopsightseeing.com; $28 adults, $14 kids 4-15; 9am to final departure
at 5pm daily),
employing double-decker buses, is a bit more useful. Buying online
saves $4 off the price above, but you don't need to make reservations. You can leap
on and off at 14 stations around town; the entire loop, which is narrated, takes
about 90 minutes if you don't get off. Tickets are valid for 2 days, but if you board
after 3pm, you'll get a third day to make up for the time you missed.
GUIDED TOURS
You could honestly have a complete sightseeing experience of town based exclu-
sively on tours run by qualified guides who love the city, and what's more, many
of them are free. These are by no means all of them, but they're some of the best,
and ones that get you up close to local life.
Don't forget to dress warmly on any walking tour. The weather can change
rapidly here. Also, no heels. You never know when a steep incline is waiting just
around the corner.
Note:
Beyond the tours discussed below, I also recommend the excellent offer-
ings of the San Francisco Parks Trust (p. 116).
Do not miss the opportunity to take one of the 89 absolutely free walking tours
offered in rotation by
San Francisco City Guides
555
(
%
415/557
-
4266;
www.sfcityguides.org),
a simply terrific volunteer organization that runs up to a
