Looking for a fun way to see San Francisco’s top attractions – take a Hop-on-Hop-Off Bus Tour. It’s a great way to see the city’s sights, especially if you have a limited amount of time and want to see as much as possible. One of the first things we do when we travel to a new city is to take a narrated double-decker bus tour – you can hop on and off at your leisure or just stay on board and then go back to the places that you want to spend more time visiting. All buses are air-conditioned and offer free onboard wi-fi.
This is a wonderful time of year to visit the City by the Bay. Choose a 1 or 2-day City Loop Pass.
Hop-On Hop-Off Tour Bus stops at these fun San Francisco attractions:
- Fisherman’s Wharf – one of SF’s top tourist attractions. Enjoy tastes of San Francisco – sample some of the local street vendors’ “crab and shrimp to-go”
- Ghirardelli Square – chocolate lovers won’t want to miss this. And their hot fudge ice-cream sundaes are the best in town. You can also catch a cable car from here
- Cow Hollow – walking distance from Lombard Street; the crookedest street in the world
- Golden Gate Bridge – see stunning views of SF’s skyline and Alcatraz island
- Golden Gate Park / California Academy of Sciences – if time permits, visit SF’s de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Gardens and/or rent a boat at Stow Lake
- Haight Ashbury – famous and unique SF neighborhood was ground zero for the 1960s Hippies. It’s a fun area to walk around and people-watch
- Civic Center Plaza / City Hall – get your culture fix. The area is home to the Asian Art Museum, Davies Symphony Hall, and the War Memorial Opera House
- Union Square – the heart of SF’s shopping and theater district. Union Square has trendy shops, upscale boutiques, major department stores, theaters and is within easy walking distance to Westfield Shopping Center (the largest urban shopping mall this side of the Mississippi)
- Chinatown Gate – look for the green pagoda gate on Grant St at Bush. SF’s Chinatown is one of North America’s oldest and largest. Reportedly the largest in the nation (NYC’s Chinatown runs a close second), it’s a fun place to explore
- North Beach / Little Italy – we love this cosmopolitan neighborhood! It’s filled with quaint cafes, great restaurants, fun bars and some of the best people-watching in the city. If you have time, walk over to the Cathedral, Coit Tower and Lombard’s Crooked Street.
- Alcatraz Landing – book a ferry from here and enjoy a ride across the bay to Alcatraz Island, once an infamous Federal Penitentiary and home to Al Capone, “Machine Gun” Kelly and Robert “The Birdman” Stroud.
- Pier 39 / Aquarium of the Bay – Pier 39 is one of SF’s top tourist attractions. Expect crowds year-round
- Sausalito Loop (included with 2-day All Loops Pass) – South Vista Point at Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito
