Cruises and Boat Rides in San Francisco

One of the activities that you can't miss to include in your list of things to see and do in San Francisco is a good boat ride. From short one-hour rides to excursions to Alcatraz Island, San Francisco offers great attractions to visit from the sea.

If so far you have been excited about the idea of getting on a cruise, ferry or catamaran to see San Francisco from the water, then stay and read all the recommendations I have for you.

This type of tour takes you around San Francisco Bay and its most interesting places for a little more than an hour and a half.

This tour is one of the most complete that you will find by boat, despite its short duration. It takes place during the day and the itinerary depends on the company you hire your experience with.

What I can assure you is that it is a tour that has no waste from start to finish. You will board the ferry on the coast of San Francisco to the pier, and from there you will make a complete route to the surroundings of Angel Island. You will pass under the Golden Gate Bridge, where you can take some amazing postcards to remember.

Arriving at Alcatraz Island, you will have the opportunity to look at the island from all angles while listening to a tour specially made by guides of the island who will tell you about the most iconic experiences of the escapes from what was once a maximum security prison.

This tour is an activity that I recommend you to do with your family, friends or your partner. As a last option I would suggest you to take the kids, considering the amount of terrible stories you will hear when you go through Alcatraz.

Details of interest

• Price: You can get this option for a price starting at 43 euros per person. Children under 4 years old get in for free.
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Means of transport: You have to get to the pier on your own. The ride around the bay is by ferry.
• Advantages of this option: Among the advantages of this experience is the fact that it is suitable for people in wheelchairs. Children can travel on the boat, as long as they are on the lap of their representatives. Assistance pets are allowed on board. Transportation is available nearby.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Food and soft drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages, are not included in the price. Although they can be purchased on board for an additional price.

A sunset sail on the bay is one of the things to see and do in San Francisco at night that is impossible to miss. There is nothing better to start your evening in San Francisco than taking a romantic and peaceful sunset tour on a sailboat.

Of course it's also a great plan to do with friends or your family. Part of what you will see on this tour is the sunset over the bay and how the lights of San Francisco come to life as the night progresses. Generally the duration of this tour is short, because its main purpose is to take you to see the most spectacular views of the sunset from the sea.

Details of interest

• Price: From 109 euros per person.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• Means of transport: You will have to get to pier 39 on your own, for this you have at your disposal the public transport service. Once at the pier you will board a sailboat to continue the tour.
• Advantages of this option: Assistance pets are accepted. It is possible to travel with children and take cars, although children cannot travel in the car. Alcoholic beverages are served only for people over 21 years old. There will be a maximum of 18 passengers on board.
• Disadvantages of this tour: It is not suitable for wheelchair users. The trip may be cancelled due to bad weather and without prior notice.

This is a ride that lasts about three hours and is undoubtedly one of the most exquisite boat trips you can do in San Francisco. It is an evening in which you can enjoy an intimate dinner and then a special dance aboard a cruise ship cruising the bay.

During the ride you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Angel Island, you can also see Shark Island and Sausalito. Of course you will also be able to see Alcatraz while on board. But undoubtedly what puts the finishing touch to the experience is the moment when you cross the Golden Gate at sunset. Definitely a unique experience.

Among the dishes that you can enjoy on this night tour are citrus salad or clam chowder in the best English style. If you want appetizers you can choose an artisan cheese board from San Francisco, or a portion of salmon cakes accompanied by yogurt and lemon sauce.

Details of interest

• Price: From 148 euros per person.
• Duration: 3 hours.
• Means of transportation: You will have to get to the pier on your own, once there, you will board a sailboat to complete the route.
• Advantages of this option: Includes three-course dinner, as well as drinks such as iced tea, hot tea, water and alcoholic beverages. It is wheelchair accessible. Tables are assigned in advance.
• Disadvantages of this tour: The dress code is strict and you cannot wear jeans. The experience may be cancelled for not filling the minimum quota of passengers or for bad weather.

In the daytime, there is nothing better to tour around San Francisco than taking a sailboat ride around the bay. The tour is short, so you can just see the most interesting places in the bay without spending too much time on it.

This is an ideal tour if you are passing through the city. It is definitely an activity that I would include among the activities to see and do in San Francisco in one day. In just an hour and a half you will have the chance to see from the sea iconic places like Angel Island, Alcatraz and Sausalito.

This experience differs from the bay cruise because this is a fast pass, where more people are allowed and where you will not know in detail the stories surrounding the old Alcatraz prison. This fast ride will give you a different perspective of the city and will let you take many pictures, especially of the Golden Gate.

Unlike the cruise that focuses on telling you all about the monuments you will see, I recommend this tour among the things to see and do in San Francisco with children, and they love to embark on an aquatic adventure where they are not overloaded with information.

Interesting details

• Price: From 56 euros per person.
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Means of transportation: You must get to the pier on your own, luckily you have many transportation options nearby. Once at the pier you will embark on the sailboat, on which you will finish your hour and a half adventure.
• Advantages of this option: It offers you audio guide in several languages. You can take baby carriages. Assistance animals are allowed on the trip.
• Disadvantages of this tour: It is accessible only for manual wheelchairs, but the restrooms are not wheelchair accessible. Drinks and meals are not included but you can purchase them on board. You cannot bring drinks or food from outside the boat.

The bridge to bridge cruise is a great option. It is a tour of an hour and a half in which you can cross the San Francisco Bay from bridge to bridge. Not only the Golden Gate Bridge provides great attraction to the picturesque area, but also the Bay Bridge.

Not only will you be able to enjoy the great panoramic view of both bridges, but you can also appreciate Alcatraz Island, Treasure Island and AT&T Park. All of them are must-see attractions in San Francisco. While you make the trip you can enjoy an audio experience about all the construction and engineering details of both bridges.

Details of interest

• Price: From 43 euros per person.
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Means of transportation: You will have to get to the Embarcadero on your own, using either public transportation or private car. Once you arrive at the pier, you will board your cruise ship to complete the trip.
• Advantages of this option: Commentary and guide in different languages, including Spanish. Crew trained to provide medical attention to passengers in case of emergency. It is fully accessible for people in wheelchairs. Assistance pets are allowed. You can board with baby carriages. Maximum 14 people per trip.
• Disadvantages of this ride: Drinks and meals are not included, although you can purchase them for an additional cost on board.

A quiet ride on a Catamaran is what you need after an intense day doing the best bike tours in San Francisco, or touring the city on foot, public transportation or private car. The point is that in this hour and a half tour you will have the opportunity to look at the Golden Gate and other attractions of the bay.

If you are lucky, you may even see the sea lions that are in the bay resting or basking in the heat during the summer weather. During the tour around the entire bay you will be able to see the most breathtaking sunsets while cruising by interesting tourist sites such as Alcatraz Island.

It is a tour that you can do with family, friends or with your partner to appreciate the lights that flood the sky of the city, which are part of the best views of San Francisco. The tour is ideal to close the day on a high note or to open the night on the right foot.

Details of interest

• Price: From 75 euros per person.
• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Means of transportation: You must arrive on your own at the pier to board the catamaran. There is public transportation that goes right to the pier. Once you board the catamaran you can continue your trip on it.
• Advantages of this option: Audio guides available in different languages, including Spanish. It includes a complimentary drink and you also have the possibility to buy others on board. Assistance animals and baby carriages are allowed.
• Disadvantages of this tour: You must bring your own headphones to listen to the audio guide. Drinks or food brought from outside the ship are not accepted. The acceptance of wheelchairs is partial, because it is necessary that they are manual to adapt to the boat.

This is an experience expressly dedicated to the chilling stories of Alcatraz. On this cruise you will depart from the San Francisco pier and go all the way around the island, where you will be able to see it from every possible angle.

The purpose of this adventure is to know each of the stories that flood the place. This tour is different from others because it focuses only on the stories that haunt Alcatraz Island. In addition to the cruise, you will have the opportunity to disembark on the island and get to know the old prison from the inside.

Details of interest

• Price: Depending on the tour you hire, you can get it from 93 euros.
• Duration: From 2 to 4 hours.
• Means of transportation: You must get to the pier on your own. From there you can board the ferry and continue your trip to the island.
• Advantages of this option: It is suitable for people in wheelchairs. Seats are available for children and babies. Strollers are accepted.
• Disadvantages of this tour: Drinks and meals are not included, but can be purchased on board the ferry.

Depending on the type of tour you hire, it will have a longer or shorter duration. In the case of day boat tours, they are usually one and a half to three hours at the most, if it is a quick tour.

You also have the opportunity to hire a half-day cruise that will take you around the entire San Francisco Bay and important places around it. In case you choose a night tour to see the sunset, you have to take into account the departure time.

Generally, sunset boat rides last a little over three hours, although it also depends on what is included. If you hire a simple ride just to watch the sunset, it can be just an hour and a half. But if you opt for one that includes dinner and dancing, it can last up to three or three and a half hours.

The best advice I can give you to make your boat ride a success is to arrive at least 20 minutes before departure in order to be able to board on time. Another thing you have to take into account is the clothes you will wear. Regardless of the weather, I recommend wearing a sweater to protect you from the strong winds at sea.

The weather in the water is usually colder, no matter if it is summer or winter, that's why my recommendation is to dress in layers and closed shoes, this way you avoid excessive cold when you are in the sea. Anyway I recommend you to be aware of the weather when you visit San Francisco.

Also regarding the strong wind, you can not forget to take your sunglasses, no matter if it is summer or winter, you always have to take with you to these boat trips, your good sunglasses. If you are traveling with children, try to bring something to entertain them during the trip.

If you or the children tend to get seasick or nauseous on a boat, the best choice is not to take the boat ride option. But if you still know this, it is advisable that you do not eat any main dishes before or during the trip, so you avoid unpleasant sensations in your stomach.

Taking a boat tour in San Francisco is a must-do activity. It is always exciting to go to San Francisco and embark on a cruise that takes you sailing from bridge to bridge. You can 't deny that the experience of seeing Alcatraz is unique and of course it is worth hiring a boat ride to get there.

Besides, the city of San Francisco looks much better from the sea. Especially if you go at night, this tour will leave you postcards to remember. The lights of the whole city breaking the darkness of the night is a spectacle that only from the sea you can see.

Another attraction that is best seen from the water is definitely the San Francisco Bay Bridge, which connects the city with Oakland. The light show that illuminates the cables of the bridge can only be seen at its best from a boat.