Powell and Market Cable Car Turnaround

Powell and Market Cable Car Turnaround

Powell and Market Cable Car Turnaround
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Top ways to experience Powell and Market Cable Car Turnaround and nearby attractions

The area

Address
Neighborhood: Downtown San Francisco
How to get there
  • Powell St • 1 min walk
  • Powell St • 2 min walk
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • CPaM68
    Texas817 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A manual operation just like in the old days
    If you're visiting San Francisco for the first time, riding the cable car should be on your to-do list. One of the routes runs from Union Square near downtown to the Fisherman's Wharf. At the intersection of Powell and Market streets (Union Square) you will find the end/start of the cable cars route. When a car gets to this point, in order to go back the opposite way, the driver and conductor have to manually push the car to turn it around so it can head the other way. You can buy your ticket at a little booth over to the side, but just be ready to stand in line for a while, since generally there is a line of people waiting to get on board.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written March 26, 2024
  • Jota2015Ce
    Madrid, Spain9,752 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historic tram.
    Beginning of one of the tourist tram routes that connects the center with the port. It is usually very busy as it is the head of the town, emptier first thing in the morning or at night. You have to ride it because it is one of the icons of the city and the route, if you can do it standing up and outside, is very fun and has fantastic views. The ticket can be purchased from the driver himself, at the ticket office next door, and is included in the Muni pass.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 6, 2024
  • Francis b.
    Issy-les-Moulineaux, France229 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Typical and touristy!
    No need to add my photos, you've already seen everything. The Cable car line is full of history for this hilly town and it is a priority attraction for sure. However, I doubt that it will be a daily means of transport for the inhabitants because the comfort there is rudimentary. Car cable drivers are true masters in their field. Beyond turning around at the end of the line, you have to handle 3 huge handles to get around. That's nice to look at.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 18, 2024
  • Koenigralph ⛑👑⛑️
    Wollerau, Switzerland8,029 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Belongs to SF like the Subway to NY
    Interest is high and the lines are long. Everyone wants to sit in front , outdoors, if possible still on the running board. I prefer to sit comfortably inside. The ride is fun because of the undulating ascents and descents Ambiente: cool Price / performance: USD 8 for single trip . Day ticket USD 13 To recommend: Yes, but recommend the terminus "Powell & Hyde
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 25, 2024
  • Eva T
    United Kingdom5,875 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't give up when it's a longer row of people
    We did use this start/end cable car turnaround often during our stay in the city as our hotel was not far from it. Sometimes there was a longer row of people waiting for the ride but believe me it's worth to wait. Our experience was that the cable cars are starting every 15/20 minutes. And it was like special short theatre performance to watch the driver with helping staff member turn the car manually.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 20, 2024
  • The_Concierge_8
    Trinidad and Tobago3,814 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Buy a 1-day Passport here & get a 10% Ghirardelli coupon! Best place to see world's last manually-operated cable cars!
    Probably the easiest place to see many of the cable cars. Most people stay downtown in the Powell / Market streets and Union Square area. You really cannot miss the iconic cable cars as you will hear them before you see them. And the turnaround is the absolute best place to see several of the cable cars sitting on the line waiting their turn. You will also see them push them onto the turntable and push them by hand onto the outbound line. This happens at least once every 15 to 20 minutes so just show up at the turnaround and wait. Then jump on! You can buy your day passport from the ticket booth here. It's the best way to get the 1-day passport which not only doubles as a great souvenir of your trip to San Francisco but also has a 10% coupon for use at Ghirardelli on the inside of the passport....which you will no doubt be making use of! Put aside whatever preconceptions you have about riding the old cable cars and just do it. Yes, you've got to use some strength to hold on up and down steep hills. Yes, they do go bump and things in your body will shake, rattle and roll like you haven't experienced before! Yes, you will sometimes feel like you're on a runaway roller coaster and fear for your life. Yes, if you stand on the outside you'll have to suck in your tummy whenever another cable car or bus passes you by! Yes, it may be an unsafe mode of transport by modern standards and there are no seat belts so hold on to your little ones. But you live once. So just do it! Because we're lucky to even have the ability to ride these beautiful historic cars. More than 150 years they've been running. You imagine folks back in the day in their waistcoats and hats riding these very same trolleys. It's so nostalgic and romantic! Protected by law and who knows how much longer we'll get to enjoy them. So just do it!
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written September 27, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,005 reviews
Excellent
426
Very good
358
Average
160
Poor
29
Terrible
32

Thomas V
Oakland, CA19,081 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
The tourists are back and that is a good thing. They line up here to take the historic Cable Cars over Nob and Russian Hills to Fisherman's Wharf and back again. You can buy your ticket at a little booth over to the side. But sometimes there is a long line to board. The ride is classic and fun and lets you see a lot of lovely parts of the city. This turnaround is in the heart of downtown.
Written August 14, 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.

Lottelli
Wirral, UK2,931 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Look, you won’t be missing much but it is quite interesting!

The turn around table spins round to ensure the cable cars are facing the right way. Then they are pushed by hand off the turn table and to their stop. Its interesting to see
Written November 5, 2022
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.

TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN7,767 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
Cable Cars are an iconic feature of San Francisco and should be experienced if visiting San Francisco. So much fun to stand along the side platform as the cable car makes it way up and down the steep city streets. The Powell and Market Cable Car Turnaround located near busy Union Square is a great place to catch a ride. You can ride on the Powell/Hyde Line all the way to Fisherman's Wharf. $8 for a single ride but just $13 for an all day pass that includes not only the cable cars but also the historic street cars that travel along the Embarcadero. You will need to download the App to get a Muni-pass
Written May 8, 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.

timetraveller_20110
Hastings, UK126 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
We travelled from Fisherman’s Wharf to Powell Street and returned a couple of hours later.
The drivers are great fun and enhance the experience of the car ascending and descending San Francisco’s steep hills. Try to get an open air seat if you can!
Not to be missed!
Written March 27, 2022
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.

Reslimpan
Rayong, Thailand3,743 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Solo
At the end of the line for the cable cars there is a turnaround, where the cars turn on dime. I was surprised to see that this was a manual operation just like in the old days. Once the turn around the cable car is ready to take you across the city.
Written July 3, 2022
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.

Prem Rao
Bengaluru, India166 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
You can't visit San Fran and not take a ride in the cable car! There are two main routes in the City. We took the one that takes you from Powell and Market all the way down to Fisherman's Wharf. You get a nice ride and pass by beautiful views of the busy city.Tip: In case you wish to take photographs, you are better off not sitting in the covered space but outside! It's interesting to see the turntable where the cable car switches directions before its next trip.
Written March 5, 2020
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.

Renee R
Ottawa, Canada269 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We took the iconic ride from fisherman‘s wharf down to union station. The staff were patient and entertaining. The ride itself passes many well known corners such as the crooked street Lombard and views of the bay. You will marvel at the skill of the drivers on the steep inclines as well as descents.
Written January 30, 2020
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.

Karim Maarouf
Cairo, Egypt955 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
The cable car is an icon of San Francisco. This is the start station near Union Square and takes you all the way to the end at Fisherman's Wharf. The best way to buy a ticket is from the MUNI app. It's much cheaper that way. A tip while riding: don't wait in line at the turnaround station, head up the street a bit and ride from there. You will wait much less.
Written January 15, 2020
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.

Thomas V
Oakland, CA19,081 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Lately I've been surprised at how thin the crowds have become. I've been used to very long lines here, lines of people waiting for the start of the Powell cable car line. But now lines are short. Lots of characters in this area, music and preaching.
Written March 3, 2020
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.

Jschuller
Lexington, KY74 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
Getting on the cable car here gives you the most bang for your buck. It is the longest and prettiest ride. It stops right at Lombard street and then all the way down to Fisherman’s wharf. Wait at the front of the line until you get the right front seat and standing spot. People will stand right in front of you so get the best spot.
Written October 31, 2021
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.

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Powell and Market Cable Car Turnaround - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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