Audio Guides
2 days
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$85
per adult
Skyline Sightseeing
Skyline Sightseeing
3.5
City ToursHop-On Hop-Off ToursSightseeing ToursBus ToursDay Trips
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Offering Hop On Hop Off Double-Decker Bus tours of San Francisco, Alcatraz Tickets, Sausalito, Wine Country, Yosemite National Park, Monterey and more. We also offer discounts on many other San Francisco Attractions.
Tours and Tickets by Skyline Sightseeing
Bus Tours
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$90
per adult
Audio Guides
2 hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$100
per adult
Audio Guides
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$150
per adult
Travelers talk about
(422 reviews)
(123 reviews)
(148 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
3,876 reviews
Excellent
1,542
Very good
802
Average
406
Poor
394
Terrible
733
mayorphx
NE Ohio54 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
Purchased both a Downtown tour and Golden Gate tour at our recent visit. They were very helpful while purchasing our tickets and offered a free shuttle back to Union Square.
The Downtown tour was very informative and the guide was a lot of fun. The next afternoon we boarded the sold out bus and was informed by the driver/guide that traffic was heavy and advised riders they should get off. As it was one of the last buses of the day everyone stayed on. The guide was very cynical and the tour was not enjoyable. The guy should not be working with the public.
Too bad because we had very good impression the first day.
The Downtown tour was very informative and the guide was a lot of fun. The next afternoon we boarded the sold out bus and was informed by the driver/guide that traffic was heavy and advised riders they should get off. As it was one of the last buses of the day everyone stayed on. The guide was very cynical and the tour was not enjoyable. The guy should not be working with the public.
Too bad because we had very good impression the first day.
Written January 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aaron J
San Jose, CA21 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
I think overall this is a good company with reliable service. Seeing San Francisco by open-top bus is a great way to get around, but don't count on getting any fantastic historical information or new insights into the area. The busses run every 20-30 minutes, so you can easily hop off for a quick walk around the neighborhood, or an extended stay in the area (lunch, museum, boat ride, etc).
The "tour guides" (separate from the driver) hang out on the top deck with a microphone, and they'll talk about things as you go past them. Some guides are better than others - you get to experience a variety if you do hop on and off a few times throughout the day - but for the most part it's, "Over there is the..." and, "If you look to your right, you'll see..."
Yes, obviously, that IS what I see. A chinese restaurant? A museum?! You don't say!
As a local Californian who spends many, many weekends in San Francisco, we figured it was about time we took one of these double-decker busses. There are 3 lines:
1) The "Downtown" tour - this is great if you want to see the main tourist areas of SF, *except* the Golden Gate Bridge -- shopping (Union Square), the Ferry Building (good food and boutiques), North Beach (aka, "Little Italy"), Chinatown, etc.
2) The Golden Gate Park tour - this will take you out to GGP (bigger than NYC's Central Park, I'll have you know!) and all of the wonders that it holds - Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, the de Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences (GO!), and more. Along the route are great stops such as Noe Valley and Haight-Ashbury.
3) The Golden Gate Bridge - Sausalito tour. Any trip to SF must - absolutely *must* include a trip to, and possibly over, the GGB. Pedestrian access on the bridge is permitted, so there's nothing that says you have to take a bus if you're not renting a car, but from the majority of the rest of SF's "touristy" spots, the GGB is a bit of a haul. Taking the bus over and into the cute little town of Sausalito ain't a bad day, no sir.
Unfortunately, there's not any one tour that covers ALL of the highlights of SF for an out of town traveler (coincidence? I think not.), but fear not - City Sightseeing has you covered with a "4 in 1" tour that gets you access to all 3 bus tours, plus a ticket out to Alcatraz for one price. If you have only 1 weekend in SF for the rest of your life, this is without a doubt the way to go.
Otherwise, I recommend you chose a tour that suits your style of travel -- Are you a shopper? A museum hopper? A midnight toker? Wait, that's a song...nevermind. A photographer? No matter which, you really can't go wrong in SF - it's a world-class city. There's just so much to see within its 49-square-miles, it's impossible to do it all in 1 day (or on 1 bus tour). Depending on which tour you chose, and which tour guide you get, the Hop On / Hop Off experience might be your dream vacation or anti-climactic, but no matter which, SF won't disappoint.
Pack lightly, bring the stroller if you have a little one, dress in layers (yes, even if it's summer - we just had high temps in the 60's in July recently), and charge those camera batteries. Otherwise, hop on, hold on, and go for it.
The "tour guides" (separate from the driver) hang out on the top deck with a microphone, and they'll talk about things as you go past them. Some guides are better than others - you get to experience a variety if you do hop on and off a few times throughout the day - but for the most part it's, "Over there is the..." and, "If you look to your right, you'll see..."
Yes, obviously, that IS what I see. A chinese restaurant? A museum?! You don't say!
As a local Californian who spends many, many weekends in San Francisco, we figured it was about time we took one of these double-decker busses. There are 3 lines:
1) The "Downtown" tour - this is great if you want to see the main tourist areas of SF, *except* the Golden Gate Bridge -- shopping (Union Square), the Ferry Building (good food and boutiques), North Beach (aka, "Little Italy"), Chinatown, etc.
2) The Golden Gate Park tour - this will take you out to GGP (bigger than NYC's Central Park, I'll have you know!) and all of the wonders that it holds - Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, the de Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences (GO!), and more. Along the route are great stops such as Noe Valley and Haight-Ashbury.
3) The Golden Gate Bridge - Sausalito tour. Any trip to SF must - absolutely *must* include a trip to, and possibly over, the GGB. Pedestrian access on the bridge is permitted, so there's nothing that says you have to take a bus if you're not renting a car, but from the majority of the rest of SF's "touristy" spots, the GGB is a bit of a haul. Taking the bus over and into the cute little town of Sausalito ain't a bad day, no sir.
Unfortunately, there's not any one tour that covers ALL of the highlights of SF for an out of town traveler (coincidence? I think not.), but fear not - City Sightseeing has you covered with a "4 in 1" tour that gets you access to all 3 bus tours, plus a ticket out to Alcatraz for one price. If you have only 1 weekend in SF for the rest of your life, this is without a doubt the way to go.
Otherwise, I recommend you chose a tour that suits your style of travel -- Are you a shopper? A museum hopper? A midnight toker? Wait, that's a song...nevermind. A photographer? No matter which, you really can't go wrong in SF - it's a world-class city. There's just so much to see within its 49-square-miles, it's impossible to do it all in 1 day (or on 1 bus tour). Depending on which tour you chose, and which tour guide you get, the Hop On / Hop Off experience might be your dream vacation or anti-climactic, but no matter which, SF won't disappoint.
Pack lightly, bring the stroller if you have a little one, dress in layers (yes, even if it's summer - we just had high temps in the 60's in July recently), and charge those camera batteries. Otherwise, hop on, hold on, and go for it.
Written July 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phyllis B
Salt Lake City, UT118 contributions
Jan 2019
I paid for the City and Sea Adventure tickets in advance for my daughter and me. When we arrived, we were able to take the bus tour of San Francisco, but not the boat tour I had paid for. We LOVED the bus tour, which gives patrons a little history of each area of San Francisco, with an excellent view from the open-top bus roof seats. We were allowed to "Hop on and Hop off" and another bus came along regularly to carry us on our way through the rest of the tour. When we went to the boat tour area, we were told that the company had recently changed owners. To get our harbor tour ride, we were told we had to make our way to the main office in a different location. Our other choice was to request a refund, although it didn't sound like it was likely we would receive it. I suggest that if you're interested in these tours, you schedule separately or wait until you arrive to get current information directly from the company.
Written January 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so sorry to hear you were unable to take the boat portion of your package, but we are happy to hear you enjoyed the bus portion. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
Written February 27, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Heidi P
Salem, OR9 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
It was terrible- first of all it is the big bus company. First the website said they were open until 6:30 but no. Then we were told it stopped at 6pm, NO actually the last bus was at 5pm. We were leaving the Palace of Fine Arts to be able to make one more stop. We waited for a hour (maybe more) for the bus to come. It was so late and with the last bus at 5pm we missed seeing the museum. It was a huge waste of tim and money.
We have used big bus in many different cities and Never had this kind of horrible service.
We have used big bus in many different cities and Never had this kind of horrible service.
Written April 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Howard I S
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Couples
Went on the Skyline San Francisco “Bus and Boat Adventure” tour. Tours themselves were fine but would not do that again with Skyline. Their information after booking, was so awful that that my wife and I spent 90 minutes of our one day in SF just trying to find which bus and boat was ours. No phone number to call and they didn’t answer our texts. The boat part was especially bad. Skyline has no actual presence on Pier 39–they partner with other vendors. After checking with multiple vendors, the person at the pier information center made some calls and eventually figured it out and sent us to the right place which was blocks away. A huge waste of time! Additionally, the availability of the boat times conveyed on their website was also misleading. Talked about hourly departures but when we got there we only got two time choices, neither being ideal. If I were do do this again, I’d book with one of the tour vendors on the pier.
Written February 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KevinTorontoCanada29
Toronto, Canada86 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
BEST WAY TO SEE THE CITY and GREAT GUIDES
This gives you a GREAT OVERVIEW of the main landmarks in the city
The people who talked in the mic were EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGABLE
- you could see the city and get all kinds of INTERESTING FACTS about the city
PRACTICAL
1. We purchased the 48 hour ticket: STRONGLY RECOMMEND: 24 hours isn't long enough
- on all bus lines and also allowed us to go on the night tour of the city
- check web in advance to get discount tickets
2. DRESS WARM as San Francisco can be windy and the top of the bus gets a little more than on the street
3. We went on a NIGHT TOUR in April and they will give you a blanket to borrow for during the tour
This gives you a GREAT OVERVIEW of the main landmarks in the city
The people who talked in the mic were EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGABLE
- you could see the city and get all kinds of INTERESTING FACTS about the city
PRACTICAL
1. We purchased the 48 hour ticket: STRONGLY RECOMMEND: 24 hours isn't long enough
- on all bus lines and also allowed us to go on the night tour of the city
- check web in advance to get discount tickets
2. DRESS WARM as San Francisco can be windy and the top of the bus gets a little more than on the street
3. We went on a NIGHT TOUR in April and they will give you a blanket to borrow for during the tour
Written May 2, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wayne12367
Auckland Central, New Zealand69 contributions
Whilst visiting San Francisco we purchased a 2 day pass for the 4 loop hop on hop off bus tours from City Sightseeing. Our reason for opting for this company was for the coverage that the 4 loops offered. The first trip was the downtown loop and this was done in a double decker bus. This turned out to be most unsatisfactory because unless you were on the open top deck you could see nothing. The commentary provided by the guide was very poor and extremely loud for the passengers sitting downstairs. On the lower level once all the seats had gone any additional passngers had to stand thus blocking any view for those seated. The bus was old and not very clean. However on day 2 when taking the Golden Gate Sausalito loop there was a major improvement in the bus and guide. The bus was an open single level and no passengers were allowed to stand. The guide was execellent and provided an interesting and comic commentary. This tour was 200% better that our first experience with City Sightseeing and met our requirements.
I would not use the company again and would look for other options when visiting San Francisco..
I would not use the company again and would look for other options when visiting San Francisco..
Written October 7, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eden R
5 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
Do not use this company!! I can’t stress that enough. My 5 friends and I bought tickets for a tour to Muir Woods 2 months before going to San Fran. We were told to arrive at 9 am to get on the bus (that was supposed to be a Hop on Hop off bus/ Double Decker bus. When we arrived, it was just a regular van) that was supposed to take us over the Golden Gate Bridge, through Sausalito and to Muir Woods. We got there to redeem our vouchers and were told to go get on the bus that was parked across the street. When we got there, we quickly realize that there is definitely not enough room for all of us, plus the 20 other people who were in line ahead of us. And sure enough, there wasn’t. They told us that they could either give us a refund or we could get on another bus that goes around the entire city of SF, drop us off at the Golden Gate Bridge, get on another bus that will take us across the bridge into Sausalito. The bus that was supposed to pick us up in Sausalito was supposed to be there at 12 pm. Well by the time we rode the bus all the way around the city, scrambled around to find the other bus to get on, we still had 2 hours to kill in Sausalito on a Sunday morning, when nothing is open.
Keep in mind, this trip was originally supposed to be over and done with by 12:30 pm at the latest and it was now turning in to a entire day trip. When you plan to spend 4 days in SF, you can't afford to spend 7 extra hours on a trip you only planned to be 4 hours long. So frustrating.
We finally got to Muir Woods and when we got back to Sausalito, we missed the Ferry (which we already paid for) so our only options were to either pay more money to get on a different bus or wait 1.5 hours for the next ferry.
The most annoying part of this whole thing is that they do this every single day! They sell more tickets than there are seats on the bus and then end up making $5 from every person who didn't get a spot on the bus. They knew exactly what to do and didn't skip a beat. I even asked if this was just a fluke mistake or if this happens regularly and she avoided the question.
Luckily my friends and I are young and have good attitudes so we decided to laugh it off after being very frustrated for a while and we made the best of it. But it was not ideal and pretty disappointing. I would suggest you try and find another tour to Muir Woods. Good luck.
Keep in mind, this trip was originally supposed to be over and done with by 12:30 pm at the latest and it was now turning in to a entire day trip. When you plan to spend 4 days in SF, you can't afford to spend 7 extra hours on a trip you only planned to be 4 hours long. So frustrating.
We finally got to Muir Woods and when we got back to Sausalito, we missed the Ferry (which we already paid for) so our only options were to either pay more money to get on a different bus or wait 1.5 hours for the next ferry.
The most annoying part of this whole thing is that they do this every single day! They sell more tickets than there are seats on the bus and then end up making $5 from every person who didn't get a spot on the bus. They knew exactly what to do and didn't skip a beat. I even asked if this was just a fluke mistake or if this happens regularly and she avoided the question.
Luckily my friends and I are young and have good attitudes so we decided to laugh it off after being very frustrated for a while and we made the best of it. But it was not ideal and pretty disappointing. I would suggest you try and find another tour to Muir Woods. Good luck.
Written March 21, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JannineT
21 contributions
Having been on city sightseeing tours in Europe, I didn't hesitate to book a Muir Woods and Sausalito tour with them for during my trip to San Francisco. Alas it was a decision I came to regret.
Whilst booking the tour online was quick, simple and easy, everything else was a lot of effort, highly disorganised and stressful. I had to practically plead to be given a more convenient time slot for the tour; the website talks about three trips per day yet only one was offered until I made enquires. Having received an email advising they'd had to transfer us to an alternate tour company due to their bus having technical problems, we were put on a far earlier tour (with no apparent alternative) and then - having arrived at the city sightseeing tour office - were initially made to believe we had missed our tour when the attendant said "you were on the 7:45 tour" - this was the time we'd been told to arrive at their office! We only had been told to go their office because we'd pre-paid for the Sausalito ferry, something they seemed to have forgotten when initially contacting us about the reorganisation of the tour. If that wasn't bad enough, having been shuttled to the alternate carrier (Grayline), they had no record of us and we had to spend a stressful and upsetting 45 minutes waiting on their wait list to find out if they had space on their buses which their records showed as being full! It seems something must have gone wrong somewhere as their second bus ended up being practically empty so possibly City Sightseeing had made a block booking but not passed on names?! The tour, when on it, was brilliant but could have done without all the stress and hassle leading up to it however.
Whilst booking the tour online was quick, simple and easy, everything else was a lot of effort, highly disorganised and stressful. I had to practically plead to be given a more convenient time slot for the tour; the website talks about three trips per day yet only one was offered until I made enquires. Having received an email advising they'd had to transfer us to an alternate tour company due to their bus having technical problems, we were put on a far earlier tour (with no apparent alternative) and then - having arrived at the city sightseeing tour office - were initially made to believe we had missed our tour when the attendant said "you were on the 7:45 tour" - this was the time we'd been told to arrive at their office! We only had been told to go their office because we'd pre-paid for the Sausalito ferry, something they seemed to have forgotten when initially contacting us about the reorganisation of the tour. If that wasn't bad enough, having been shuttled to the alternate carrier (Grayline), they had no record of us and we had to spend a stressful and upsetting 45 minutes waiting on their wait list to find out if they had space on their buses which their records showed as being full! It seems something must have gone wrong somewhere as their second bus ended up being practically empty so possibly City Sightseeing had made a block booking but not passed on names?! The tour, when on it, was brilliant but could have done without all the stress and hassle leading up to it however.
Written May 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am so sorry to hear about your disappointing trip with Muir Woods. Unfortunately due to the new National Park regulations we are unable to operate our shuttle times any longer. Thank you for sharing your feedback. We hope you will try us again in the future.
Written June 6, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bayso001
Saint Paul, MN51 contributions
No. Just don’t do it. This is a disreputable company without any accountability to its customers. Move on to a tour with better reviews. I’m sure Muir Woods is a wonderful place but alas, I never saw it. We waited at the pick up spot( after verifying the correct time and place) and the company whiffed on picking us up. They left without us and then didn’t answer the phone when we called to find out where the bus was. And their were two families waiting! Then they refused to make good. We lost a precious half day of vacation in San Fran because this company is not reliable- and spent HOURS on the phone just trying to get our money back- forget them giving us comp tickets! Never again will I consider this company.
Written April 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ana_ur_alb
31 contributions
Hola. Hemos comprado un pase de un día para el bus. No entendemos el inglés y lo de los idiomas en el bus que nos hemos montado era falso. Me gustaría saber cómo funciona lo de los idiomas, para no perder el único día que tenemos en San Francisco.
Solemos coger el autobús donde vamos normalmente y nunca hemos tenido este problema.
Travel662081
Penticton, Canada
Any antique markets? craft markets? food markets? End of Sept/beginning Oct 2018.
Thanks,
Maria
Inspiration632135
5 contributions
I didn’t see any.
What is the frequency of the busses on a weekday?
LydandMike
13 contributions
I think this info is on the website and you can also track the buses live from the website. We never waited more than about 15 mins for a bus. Hope this helps.
Dana S
Ashton, ID46 contributions
where is the best and cheapest place to park to go on the 1 day hop on hop off bus tour?
Mary Ann D
Bellmore, New York158 contributions
We didn't have a car in San Francisco either, but there is an app I use called "Best Parking". Change the location to San Francisco, add your arrival date and time and it will show you garages and cost.
Jrecmc2014
1 contribution
Can I take my toddler on the bus without a car seat? Can we bring a stroller on the bus?
Jazmin L M
11 contributions
Based on the experience I had during spring break, strollers should be left completely folded on the first floor and then the families went to the upper deck to enjoy the full experience of sightseeing. I saw families with toddlers with no car seats at all in the upper deck as the experience is hop-on hop-off.
I would suggest to call the company to check the rules about the use of car seats if safety is a concern. I hope this helps.
Patricia T
San Antonio, TX
where do we board the bus going from san Francisco to Sausalito
Juma007
13 contributions
You board this bus at the Golden Gate Bridge stop.
The Sausalito bus goes over the bridge and does a loop of the town and takes about an hour and a half and drops you back off at the Golden Gate Bridge stop.
Patricia T
San Antonio, TX
where can I board the tour bus going from san Francisco to sausalito
David W
United Kingdom13 contributions
You get the red route bus to the Goldwn Gate bridge and then change to the shuttle bus that takes you over the bridge to Sausalito. Beware though that they cancel these shuttles a lot without telling you until you are there.
Jenna H
25 contributions
If we purchased the option with the Alcatraz tour, when does our 3 days to use the bus start? Does it start before? Or does it start the day of our Alcatraz tour?
TTravel33
Friendswood, TX38 contributions
I think it starts the day you booked the bus to start. The Alcatraz is totally separate (although purchased together- you will find that out).
Maurizio G
Rome, Italy98 contributions
Salve a tutti!
Dal 07/08 al 11/08 sarò a San Francisco e volevo informazioni su quale, come e dove prendere i biglietti per il Bus Sali e Scendi, visto che ho letto in diversi forum, pareri discordanti tra diverse compagnie ( pochi bus, orario ridotto, ecc. )
Vorrei prenderlo per 48/72 ore e possibilmente con audioguida in italiano.
Grazie mille.
Ps. Già possiedo i biglietti per Alcatraz.
Christian W
San Francisco5 contributions
Greetings!
The best way to get information about our tours, prices, hop on hop off locations, routes, & frequency to compare would be our website at city-sightseeing.us
Skyline Sightseeing - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Skyline Sightseeing Information
Excellent Reviews | 1,426 |
|---|---|
Very Good Reviews | 741 |
Skyline Sightseeing Photos | 957 |