Left Coast Tours
Left Coast Tours
4.5
City Tours • Multi-day Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours
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About
We’re an independent Bay Area company offering two daily tours with our San Francisco City Tour (3.5 hrs) and Muir Woods + City Tour (6 hrs). Experience beautiful San Francisco with its many iconic views and neighborhoods including Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury, the Painted Ladies and the Golden Gate Bridge. Explore the ancient Coastal Redwoods, the tallest living beings on our planet, by strolling through the majestic old-growth forest of Muir Woods. Local unscripted San Franciscan guides share the city they love and its idiosyncrasies in a luxurious 11 passenger Mercedes Sprinter van. Photo stops include the Palace of Fine Arts, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Twin Peaks overlooking the entire city. Soak in the spectacular views while learning about the unique history of this unconventional cosmopolitan city and its eclectic mix of characters. We also offer custom tours and a California Adventure Tour. Under new ownership as of July 2018. We look forward to meeting you on Left Coast Tours!
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
657 reviews
Excellent
494
Very good
76
Average
27
Poor
25
Terrible
35
TamGA75
9 contributions
We loved our guide & the tour! Our group was small, 6 people. I personally like a smaller group because we can move faster & see more. He kept our attention with intriguing historical information while also taking us places some of the larger buses couldn't go. He was friendly & attentive, also stopping off at a great place to eat. So many opportunities for lovely pictures!!
Written May 28, 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.
FellowTraveler166798
2 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
I was initially a little hesitant to book this tour after seeing reviews that the company had closed. But when I saw a posting that said they had reopened under new management, I decided to give it a try. I was glad I did. The booking was super easy and was a great price. The van is really nice and comfortable and Barry knows a lot about the city and is very accommodating. It was great to be able to get out and take pictures along the way and stop at sites I didnt even know existed in San Francisco (as well as all the must see sights). I would highly suggest this tour. My only recommendation is to take a cab to the meeting location. We were staying in a hotel near Union Square and thought we could easily walk to the location since it was less than a mile away. The meeting place is in a rough part of town. Save yourself some anxiety and get a cab there.
Written August 12, 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.
Anne G
1 contribution
Aug 2018 • Friends
If you want to see the sights in San Francisco/Marin, Left Coast Tours is the way to go! The tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable about the city and have interesting trivia tidbits for every neighborhood. They're super charismatic and personable, so it feels more intimate than your run of the mill city bus tour. Speaking of- the bus is not too big, but not too small and super comfy. We left right on time and arrived back safely on schedule. There are photo ops along the route and bathroom breaks as well. Highly recommend checking them out!
Written August 10, 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.
Robert M
Cornwall, Canada4 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
2 stars only because of the stops. Under the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Muir Woods, Sausolito and Twin Peaks gave us the chance to see the beautiful sights of the city....and to get out of the 'gd' van.
And this is where things to fall of the ralls. Owner is not the organized. He told us to be outside our hotel at 8:00. We were there, he called at 8:03 asking where we were. Seems he was downtown. He did not have his phone numbers and his customers coordinated. So we were 1/2 late starting.
The van is dreadful. It should be driven into the bay. 10 seats, and if you are not in the front 2 rows, you aren't seeing ANYTHING. Considering most of the tour is in the van, seeing out the windows is rather important. It was almost impossible.
The tour guide adds NOTHING to the trip. Not that I dress very well, but I'd think someone dealing with the public might at least wear a clean shirt. His commentary was not informative and was actually quite annoying. I would have preferred the radio.
At times we would hear that a landmark was approaching, but he'd never tell us which side of the road he was on. Seems he might have been pointing to side, but when you are in the back, you can't see anything.
But the creme to la creme was the drive back from Muir Woods. Driving the hills and curves at too high a speed left me with a queasy stomach...and I have a cast-iron stomach. Got off to see the Painted Ladies, and I looked to my left to see one of our tour friends throwing up into a garbage can...Seems I wasn't the only one.
We didn't have a car so having someone drive us to the sights was a bonus. But it wouldn't have taken much for this to be a 5 star experience. Be on time, change your shirt, drive carefully, get a decent vehicle that you can see out of, and HIRE a tour guide.
And this is where things to fall of the ralls. Owner is not the organized. He told us to be outside our hotel at 8:00. We were there, he called at 8:03 asking where we were. Seems he was downtown. He did not have his phone numbers and his customers coordinated. So we were 1/2 late starting.
The van is dreadful. It should be driven into the bay. 10 seats, and if you are not in the front 2 rows, you aren't seeing ANYTHING. Considering most of the tour is in the van, seeing out the windows is rather important. It was almost impossible.
The tour guide adds NOTHING to the trip. Not that I dress very well, but I'd think someone dealing with the public might at least wear a clean shirt. His commentary was not informative and was actually quite annoying. I would have preferred the radio.
At times we would hear that a landmark was approaching, but he'd never tell us which side of the road he was on. Seems he might have been pointing to side, but when you are in the back, you can't see anything.
But the creme to la creme was the drive back from Muir Woods. Driving the hills and curves at too high a speed left me with a queasy stomach...and I have a cast-iron stomach. Got off to see the Painted Ladies, and I looked to my left to see one of our tour friends throwing up into a garbage can...Seems I wasn't the only one.
We didn't have a car so having someone drive us to the sights was a bonus. But it wouldn't have taken much for this to be a 5 star experience. Be on time, change your shirt, drive carefully, get a decent vehicle that you can see out of, and HIRE a tour guide.
Written March 19, 2016
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.
Avtar M
Edmonton17 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
I purchased a Groupon for this tour after reading reviews on it; this was not exactly what I had expected. The tour was very rushed and was not able to really enjoy much as it felt like we were just driving around. The driver would start a story and would go off on tangents, seemed to be all over the place. Talked a lot about sports and how expensive the town was. Some of the comments he made were inappropriate and offensive regarding gender, race and sex. We didn't cover some of the sites that were listed on the itinerary. Overall, this was a bit disappointing.
Written March 9, 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.
Emem O
Chicago, IL16 contributions
Mar 2016 • Friends
First this tour began by me calling to confirm our tour at 1:30 PM (supposed to meet at 2:30 PM) to be met with Steve (the person who I set up with immediately after purchasing the Groupon) stating he did not have any tours set up for today and that he needed to check his schedule and call me back. Upon calling me back he stated their was a system glitch, even though I never used the system to book, that mixed up the scheduling.
Anywho, we set up for pickup at Park 55 Hotel in downtown San Francisco and he tells me to park a block away for cheaper parking which worked. Upon entry to the van my friend and I immediately noticed a slight mildew/sweat smell that was nauseating. We overlooked it and started our tour. Steve began the tour with history that was not as entertaining or informative as I would have liked. He made crass and inappropriate jokes a majority of the tour which honestly made it seem as if he has issues with people of varying ethnicities, social classes, and financial class. He did cover a lot of the important areas that allowed for great picture taking but overall his professional ability was severely lacking.
He had his phone on loud ringer that rang nonstop while we were touring and when I asked him to shut it off so that I could record a video and the ringer wouldn't interrupt he said he would for only a minute and would turn it back on right after which is exactly what he did. All the while telling myself and my friend (his only two passengers) that it was his friends texting him about setting up a poker game for the evening. There were so many things he did and said that honestly had me looking at my friend like this can't be real. But would I advise it NO. The only reason he received a second star and a poor vs. a terrible rating is because he was able to take us to great points to get some good pictures out of the deal.
Anywho, we set up for pickup at Park 55 Hotel in downtown San Francisco and he tells me to park a block away for cheaper parking which worked. Upon entry to the van my friend and I immediately noticed a slight mildew/sweat smell that was nauseating. We overlooked it and started our tour. Steve began the tour with history that was not as entertaining or informative as I would have liked. He made crass and inappropriate jokes a majority of the tour which honestly made it seem as if he has issues with people of varying ethnicities, social classes, and financial class. He did cover a lot of the important areas that allowed for great picture taking but overall his professional ability was severely lacking.
He had his phone on loud ringer that rang nonstop while we were touring and when I asked him to shut it off so that I could record a video and the ringer wouldn't interrupt he said he would for only a minute and would turn it back on right after which is exactly what he did. All the while telling myself and my friend (his only two passengers) that it was his friends texting him about setting up a poker game for the evening. There were so many things he did and said that honestly had me looking at my friend like this can't be real. But would I advise it NO. The only reason he received a second star and a poor vs. a terrible rating is because he was able to take us to great points to get some good pictures out of the deal.
Written March 14, 2016
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.
Christina W
West Virginia31 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
We rode with the owner Steve. We bought a tour to see the city of San Francisco. We did ride through the Presidio, and to Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge. After this visit, Steve headed to cross the bridge. After crossing, Steve asked what we wanted to do. The consensus was that we wanted to go to the Vista Point overlooking the city. There was a good bit of traffic going into the overlook point, but there was an incredible amount of traffic on the opposite side of the road going back into the city, which was apparent to everyone but Steve... Steve decided that we were going to see the town of Sausalito instead. (Actually saying, "We're going to Sausalito whether you want to or not.") He dropped us off for ice cream, and after leaving Sausalito, we sat in traffic returning to the city for over 2 HOURS! During our wait in traffic, which could have been avoided, Steve did a phone call interview for a new driver, during which he told the person on the other end that his customers were cranky because they didn't see very much. All we wanted was to see what was in the city, not outside of it. He said we would have been mad if he didn't take us across the bridge, but that isn't what the tour was supposed to be, just inside the city! Additionally, he said he had been a cab driver before owning this business, so he should have known what the traffic would have been like on a Saturday evening.
Just take the Big Bus Tour or hop on the trolley and google what you want to know. This is the worst tour I have ever taken, and was a huge waste of valuable vacation time.
Just take the Big Bus Tour or hop on the trolley and google what you want to know. This is the worst tour I have ever taken, and was a huge waste of valuable vacation time.
Written July 11, 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.
Christine A
Cape Coral, FL5 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
If you want to see all that San Francisco has to offer and learn about San Francisco lore, then look no further than Left Coast Tours. Our guide, Jeffrey, was upbeat, intelligent and knew the ins and outs of SF. We took the four-hour tour which went by in a flash. That’s because Jeffrey kept us interested with stories and humor. We learned about the painted ladies (I won’t give it away), and Fort Point on top of which the views were spectacular. We then crossed the Golden Gate bridge and went to a vista where we could see the different landmarks of San Francisco. Jeffrey took us through the Castro, Presidio (and even told us how to bike across the bridge, get lunch in Sausalito, then ferry back), Pacific Heights, Chinatown, North Beach, the Tenderloin, Haight-Ashbury and the financial district among others. He was incredibly knowledgeable, answering all of our questions. By the end of the tour, we felt as if we’d known him for years. The brand new Mercedes van was extremely comfortable both in temperature and ride. The only regret we have is not taking this spectacular tour earlier in our visit to SF so we could zero in on the neighborhoods that we wanted to explore further. We highly recommend this tour. Don’t miss it.
Written August 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.
Gisele V
San Francisco, CA3 contributions
Jul 2018 • Friends
I had previously taken a tour with this company and it was enjoyable and extremely entertaining, so when my sister was visiting I decided to book them again. Initially, when searching for their booking site it looked like they had closed, but luckily I had our previous guide's (Jeffrey) contact info still in my phone. Turns out they had briefly closed and have re-opened under new ownership/management now.
Our driver for my most recent tour was Barry, who provided an equally great tour as the last with lots of juicy historical details. Additionally there are a couple of lovely improvements that I noticed with the new ownership:
**The van is really nice. The seats are leather and clean, plus there is room to stand instead of hunkering to your seat. The windows are much bigger and tinted so it reduced the glare/heat and increased what we could see.
**Booking this time around also seemed more seamless and clearly communicated.
Really glad that they are still around and looking forward to taking my next visiting relative/friend on a Left Coast Tour!
Our driver for my most recent tour was Barry, who provided an equally great tour as the last with lots of juicy historical details. Additionally there are a couple of lovely improvements that I noticed with the new ownership:
**The van is really nice. The seats are leather and clean, plus there is room to stand instead of hunkering to your seat. The windows are much bigger and tinted so it reduced the glare/heat and increased what we could see.
**Booking this time around also seemed more seamless and clearly communicated.
Really glad that they are still around and looking forward to taking my next visiting relative/friend on a Left Coast Tour!
Written August 6, 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.
mana7003
Wilkes-Barre, PA1 contribution
Jul 2018 • Family
I found out about Left Coast Tours from the Groupon. We thought it would be a small group tour but we end up getting our own private tour. We had truly wonderful experience. Mercedes Van was brand new and very comfortable. Our Driver and guide Jeffrey was very friendly and funny. He was eager to provide superb service. Jeffrey was truly knowledgeable about San Francisco and its History. He took us to every important landmark and made appropriate stops for us to take plenty of pictures, Often Jeffrey volunteered to take our group pictures. Our 4 hour tour lasted almost 5 hours. Jeffrey also helped us to pick a restaurant to celebrate my son’s birthday. He dropped us off at our desired destination instead of taking us back to the pickup place. We indeed had amazing time that day.
If you really want to see San Francisco book private tour with Left Coast Tours and request Jeffrey to be your driver.
Thank you very Much Jeffrey for this marvelous experience.
If you really want to see San Francisco book private tour with Left Coast Tours and request Jeffrey to be your driver.
Thank you very Much Jeffrey for this marvelous experience.
Written August 4, 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 have a few question 1. do you have some programs to visit, Alcatraz, Muir woods National Monument, and Golden Gate Bridge? In 2 days? how much for these 3 places?
Left Coast Tours
San Francisco, CA13 contributions
we don't really do alcatraz but we do custom private tours and charge $600 per day
steve
Angela B
Burleigh Heads, Australia155 contributions
I have a few questions
1. Where do you go ? Sights
2. Price
3. Duration
None of this is stated anywhere!
Your reviews sound great but nothing is specific?
Can you help.
Stu S
Boynton Beach, FL50 contributions
Basically, it was a tour of the 12 neighborhoods of San Francisco. We saw the Golden Gate Bridge from beneath it. Their literature said we would go across the bridge and tour Sausalito, this never occurred. The tour was about 2 1/2 hours.
