SF Open-Top Hop-On Hop-Off: Golden Gate & City Views
See San Francisco’s top sights the easy way with Big Bus Tours. We offer the most comprehensive tour with over 17 hop-on hop-off locations spanning from the Golden Gate Bridge for panoramic views of the Bay, to Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy fresh clam chowder and watch sea lions at Pier 39. Explore Chinatown’s bustling streets, admire the Painted Ladies’ Victorian charm, and experience the counterculture history of Haight-Ashbury. Stop at Union Square for shopping or unwind in the green spaces of Golden Gate Park. With one full route covering all major attractions, you won’t need to change buses or worry about directions. Hop on and off at your own pace, while onboard commentary provides stories and tips to bring the city to life. Highlights: Unlimited hop-on hop-off access at 17 stops across San Francisco Cross the Golden Gate Bridge on an open-top bus for unbeatable views Learn about the city with engaging onboard commentary Flexible tickets that let you explore at your own pace
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
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Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Michele_R, 10/18/2025 12:48:41 PM
Great for taking advantage of a short trip as a solo traveler (spouse was at Dreamforce). The bus takes you around the city, and you can jump on/off at any time. The only thing that the trip didn't mention is: how long the bus runs (I had no idea) and how frequently the bus picks up, which appears to be every 15 mins. This would have helped decide length to stay at stops.
Jazmine_c, 10/16/2025 11:55:41 AM
Good service.. staff and driver are friendly.. i alwayss get a ride in this bus everytime i went for trip anywhere around the world.
Madison C, 10/15/2025 8:33:53 PM
The audio while on the bus is very informative of buildings and local history! My only wish is that it went later as we got a later start and didn’t get to finish the whole tour after visiting the couple stops we wanted to see including the That’s So Raven house in Haight Ashbury and the Mrs.Doubtfire house on Steiner. Rated 4 stars, although I can admit it was our own poor time management that lead to us missing out on part of the tour.
63Suns, 10/14/2025 8:01:31 PM
Rock hard plastic seats are hugely uncomfortable unless you're just going a few stops. Driver friendly and helpful. 85% of your time is in stop and go city traffic so be aware. Some useful places to stop and visit. Drawback is that if you want to get back to your starting place the full loop is 2.5 hours. If you know where you want to go do Uber or Waymo. If you want a 2.5 hour narrated bus ride on hard seats this is just the (expensive) ticket.
Laura_W, 10/13/2025 12:17:36 PM
Awesome views! Saw a lot!! Worth every penny. Our driver was fun and humorous. Checked off many of our places to see!
louise_c, 10/13/2025 12:29:58 AM
Loved seeing San Francisco by bus - gives you a taste of where you would like to visit. We liked union square so went back there.
KAREN_S, 10/12/2025 12:28:30 PM
Loved this. Took the sunset tour the night we got in, did the hop on and off Saturday. Was great and easy to use
Robert_D, 10/11/2025 12:30:57 PM
Avoid 3rd party vendors. Mediocre support, more expensive, times and dates not accurate, customer service slow. Website not responsive. We got confirmation of our purchase(they took our money okay) but we couldn’t down load the copy of the ticket we needed to board the bus. Driver was gracious enough to let us on the bus where we could ride to the main office to get that straightened out.
Evelyn_H, 10/9/2025 10:49:57 AM
The whole experience trip was awesome… Viktor was very knowledgeable, we learned a lot about Yosemite…I will remember the trip to my friends ❤️
Travel00998471718, 10/8/2025 2:35:09 PM
John Slater was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and informative. He is very approachable and made it easy to understand all the different packages. I am reviewing mainly because I was impressed with his outstanding service. The driver of the first bus at the Union Square pickup point was a bit unsteady.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Aquarium by the Bay is located on the San Francisco waterfront on PIER 39
- Half-Day Wine Tour visits 2 wineries and the town of Sausalito; transportation by comfortable, a/c motorcoach
- Hop-on Hop-off tour ticket is valid for use during operating hours for 24 or 48 hours after first use.
- Wheelchair accessible, please call ahead for arrangements
- Two ways to activate tickets: 1. Download and open the Big Bus app. Tap "Add Booking" and enter your booking reference. On the day of travel, open your ticket and press "Activate" then show your activated ticket to the driver at any stop along the route. Plus, use the app for route information and live bus tracking. 2. Redeem voucher and activate with Big Bus staff at Stop #1 - Big Bus Tours Visitors Center at 99 Jefferson St (corner of Jefferson and Mason Streets, or with any driver at any stop along the route.
No departure point available
Redemption
Two ways to activate tickets: 1. Download and open the Big Bus app. Tap "Add Booking" and enter your booking reference. On the day of travel, open your ticket and press "Activate" then show your activated ticket to the driver at any stop along the route. Plus, use the app for route information and live bus tracking. 2. Redeem voucher and activate with Big Bus staff at Stop #1 - Big Bus Tours Visitors Center at 99 Jefferson St (corner of Jefferson and Mason Streets), or with any driver at any stop along the route. Sunset Tour: Tour departs at Stop 1 - Big Bus Tours Visitors Center (99 Jefferson St). No tours on July 4th, Thanksgiving, Dec 24th and Dec 31st. For wheelchair accessibility needs, contact the Visitor Center 24 hours in advance for schedule, +1 855 854 8687 Download the Big Bus app for city information and live bus tracking.24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund