Which San Francisco Bus Tour Is Best?

This post compares the different San Francisco bus tours available, including themed tours, night tours, Alcatraz combination packages and more.

Disclosure: While we think you should take one of our free walking tours, we understand this isn't optimal for everyone. Therefore, we have put together a list of the best bus tours in the city.

Our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text

HOP ON HOP OFF SAN FRANCISCO BUS TOURS

There are currently two different hop-on hop-off bus tours in San Francisco: Big Bus Tour and Skyline Sightseeing.

These open-top bus tours make stops at all the most popular sites and attractions in the city, so you can jump off and explore at your own pace.

Once you're done looking around at one location, you can hop back onto the bus and head to your next destination.

If you're looking for a convenient way to get around town, these services are an excellent option to consider.

For more information, make sure to read our full post covering San Francisco hop on hop off bus tours.

SAN FRANCISCO CITY TOURS

Unlike hop-on-hop-off bus tours, these full-service tours take you on a guided journey of the city making some stops for photo opportunities.

Some of these tours take you to one or two destinations in and around the city, while others will have several stops.

DYLAN'S TOURS

One of the most popular tour companies in the city, Dylan’s Tours offers several different combo tours which include an exploration of the city and surrounding areas such as Sausalito, Alcatraz, and Muir Woods.

Most of their services are offered via minibus, but they also have electric tuk-tuk tours and bike tours you can take in and around San Francisco.

Depending on which tour you choose, you can expect to see sights in North Beach, the Mission, the Castro, Pacific Heights, and more.

The local guides and small group size really set these tours apart. Hop on hop off San Francisco bus tours only include audio commentary, so the live commentary from local guides is definitely a nice touch.

San Francisco, Muir Woods, and Sausalito Tour

$129 Adults | $69 Children
Additional $15 entry fee for Muir Woods for guests 16 years or older.
Departs daily at 9:30 am
Duration: 5 hours
Purchase tickets or learn more.

San Francisco, Muir Woods and Alcatraz Tour

$175 Adults | $119 Children
Additional $15 entry fee for Muir Woods for guests 16 years or older.
Departs daily at 8 am
Duration: 9 hours
Purchase tickets or learn more.

Reviews of Dylan's Tours

There’s a reason why Dylan’s Tours is ranked as the #1 Outdoor Activity in San Francisco (read the reviews).

Guests report back with very positive reviews, saying that the tour is an “awesome way to see the sights.” A few negative reviews can be found, but not many.

The intimacy of the tour, as well as the high quality of the guides, is repeatedly praised by visitors who traveled with Dylan’s Tours.

TOWER TOURS

Tower Tours offers a wide range of trips throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

You can take a trip through San Francisco, head up north to California Wine Country to see their wineries, take a boat to Alcatraz, or even go far inland to explore Yosemite!

One really convenient feature bonus is that Tower Tours offers free pick-up from most San Francisco hotels.

See their full list of San Francisco tours. We recommend that you start with their Grand City Tour.

You can expect to see sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, The Castro, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 45, and other iconic landmarks or famous neighborhoods.

Their tours are not technically hop-on, hop-off tours since the buses don't stop at all the main attractions.

However, on some tours (such as their trips to Muir Woods or Yosemite Valley), you can get off the bus to walk around for a while, experience the outdoors, and snap some pictures.

Prices:

Grand City Tour

$60 for Adults (Ages 12 - 59)
$40 Child (Age 5 - 11)
Free for kids under 5.
Tour departures: 8:40 am (April to October) and 2 pm (November to March)
Duration is 4 hours.
More info and to book.

Reviews of Tower Tours

Tower Tours has received a 4 out of 5-star rating on TripAdvisor for its high-quality service.

As with many other highly rated services on this list, most of the complaints from customers are too random to even be worthy of mention.

Most reviewers had a blast on this bus tour, so chances are that you’ll have a good time as well!

Tower Tours also offers combo packages and tours outside of San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO LOVE TOURS

For those who didn't experience San Fran's Summer of Love in 1967, San Francisco Love Tours takes you on a ride to the past.

This 2-hour tour brings you back to the era when Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead were playing in the Bay area.

Learn about beatniks like Alan Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac who sipped drinks at Vesuvio Cafe across the street from City Lights Bookstore.

Price:

$85 per person (regardless of age).
Purchase tickets here.

Reviews of the Magic Bus Tour

The Magic Bus is one of the highest-rated tours on this list. They have received an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars on both TripAdvisor and Viator.

There are very few negative reviews, and those that are negative typically complain that it simply wasn’t the kind of tour they would enjoy.

This really is an eclectic option, so make sure you’re actually interested in the concept of traveling back to the ’60s before you get your tickets.

For those of you who lived through those interesting times, this is a fantastic way to relive your experiences.

Alternatively, if you just want to take a trip back in time, sign up and enjoy the ride!

Lucky Tuk Tuk Tours

If you’re looking for a unique tour of the city, these outings are an interesting alternative to other San Francisco bus tours.

A Tuk Tuk is essentially a modified electric motorcycle that has been extended to provide seating for up to 5 people (on average). Think of it as a modern rickshaw!

These zippy vehicles can get around the city with ease, and thanks to their size you can rest assured that each Tuk Tuk tour will include more personalized attention from your guide/driver.

Each tour includes multiple opportunities to jump off and take a close look at important landmarks in the city, so they’re actually very similar to a hop-on-hop-off service.

The Lucky Tuk Tuk Tour company offers two tours either as public or private outings in San Francisco.

You can expect to see sites such as Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Park, the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, Alamo Square, the Painted Ladies (Victorian Homes), Union Square, North Beach, Chinatown, Lombard Street, City Hall, and more on their city tours.

Private VIP San Francisco Tuk Tuk Tour

Tickets (Jun - Aug): $320 per Tuk Tuk
- Per Person Average: $64
Tickets (Sept-May): $320 per Tuk Tuk
- Per Person Average: $64
Availability: Daily at 9 am, 1 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Purchase tickets or learn more.

SAN FRANCISCO SHUTTLE TOURS

When it comes to full-service bus tours, few are as good of a value as San Francisco Shuttle Tours.

This company prides itself on offering premium shuttles to many major landmarks and locations in the Bay Area.

Although this is not a hop-on-hop-off tour, the bus stops at various locations such as The Palace of Fine Arts, The Grace Cathedral, and Lombard Street.

Each stop lasts for between 10 and 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to explore the area with the help of a guide.

In addition to their city shuttles, they also offer trips to Wine Country, the Muir Woods, Alcatraz, and Yosemite.

This is a great option for anyone who wants an excellent guided tour of the San Francisco area.

Tickets:

5-Hour Premium City Tour
- $199 per person
- Includes a Ferry Bay Cruise
- Only private tours are available as of September 2022
- Purchase tickets or learn more.

Reviews of San Francisco Shuttle Tours

San Francisco Shuttle Tours has a 4 ½ out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor.

Of the negative reviews that exist, most of them take issue with scheduling problems.

Aside from these complaints, it would appear that most of the other concerns about this service are too random to represent enough of a pattern that it would be worth mentioning.

Most guests absolutely adored their Shuttle Tour, and it’s safe to say that this is one of the higher-rated bus tours in San Francisco.

NIGHT BUS TOURS OF SAN FRANCISCO

One of the best ways to experience San Francisco is by discovering the skyline at night.

In addition to the options listed below, both hop on hop off San Francisco companies offer night bus tours as well.

THE LOVE NIGHT TOUR

This 2-hour tour may be more expensive than the others, but it is sure to be an experience you won't forget.

The tour bus is a 1970s Volkswagen Bus, decked out as it would have been in the era of hippies.

The tour is a very small group of just 6 guests so you'll get to know one another as you get to know the city.

You will cover all the major sights of the city: Fisherman's Wharf, Marina District, the Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Haight & Ashbury, the Castro District, Mission District, Chinatown, Little Italy, North Beach, and more.

Best of all, because this is a small vehicle, you will get to drive down Lombard Street, the curviest street in the world!

Price: $85 per person. You must have a minimum of 2 people in your group but no more than 6.

Tours run every night at 7:30 pm. Purchase tickets here.

ALCATRAZ TOUR PACKAGES

Many of the tour companies listed above also have packages that include a ferry ride to Alcatraz Island.

If you’ve ever wanted to visit this historic high-security prison, these combo deals are a good way to save some money while seeing as much of the Bay Area as possible.

In addition to the options below, there are also a few hop on hop off San Francisco bus tour combo deals that include admission to Alcatraz.

Read our post covering Alcatraz tours for more details about the attraction.

These combination packages are mostly useful for convenience, especially when tickets on the Alcatraz Cruises website are sold out.

At times, these packages might even be the only way to get tickets!