San Francisco
Sightseeing Tours

San Francisco sightseeing tours can be by helicopter, walking, eating in Chinatown, touring the gay area, tours of Haight-Ashbury, or bay boat trips to the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

In the swinging 1960s, San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district was renowned for people taking trips, and visitors taking a more conventional trip to the city today can still book a Flower Power sightseeing tour.

There are also helicopter tours, tours to sample the food in Chinatown, Gray Line bus tours, historical walking tours, gay tours, and boat tours around the famous bay. Some of the best San Francisco sightseeing tours include the following.

San Francisco Helicopter Tours

San Francisco Helicopters offer the chance to see Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and other San Francisco tourist attractions as they've never been seen before – on an exciting helicopter tour complete with choreographed music. Or combine a chopper ride with dinner on a yacht in San Francisco Bay – or a trip out to Napa Valley.

Our Pick of the Guides

Boat Tours Around San Francisco Bay

Some Sample Boat Tours

A range of boat tours which take visitors under the Golden Gate Bridge and out to almost touch Alcatraz are available from the Blue and Gold Fleet. They operate out of Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf and also offer high-speed 30-minute RocketBoat tours.

Also on Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 43½ are the Red and White Fleet with Golden Gate Bay Cruises, California Sunset Cruises, and others. Boat trips around the bay are among the most popular of San Francisco sightseeing tours, and rightly so. Don't miss it.

Gay Tours of San Francisco

Cruisin' the Castro was founded in 1989 and offers historical walking tours of San Francisco's main gay district, the Castro, as well as special Harvey Milk tours, including Harvey Milk's former residence, and the City Hall where he was California's first openly gay politician, and was eventually tragically murdered.

The Magic Bus

Take a Music Trip on the Magic Bus

Read our page about one of the best experiences we've ever had in San Francisco - a San Francisco Music Tour on the Magic Bus.

Food Tours of San Francisco's Chinatown

Some of the Chinatown Tours Available

Check the Wok Wiz website for details of what the New York Times has called "One of the best tours in San Francisco". There's a choice of tours, ending with or without a dim sum lunch, and all taken by Chinatown residents who really know their stuff. Explore not just restaurants and food stores but architecture, herbalists, temples, shops, and Chinatown's own Farmers' Market. There's also a totally food-focussed tour, called I Can't Believe I Ate My Way Through Chinatown. Delicious!

Also see our page on San Francisco's Best Chinatown Restaurants.

Walking Tours of San Francisco

The Victorian Home Walk Tour

Try the San Francisco Historical Walking Tours, led by long-time resident Jay Gifford or his colleague Shonna Sinclair, who's lived in the city for almost 25 years. They'll show you Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow, where tour buses are not permitted, and you'll get to see the outsides and insides of some of San Francisco's fabulous restored Victorian homes.

The Hippy Gourmet runs the Haight-Ashbury Flower Power Walking Tour several times a week, seeing the sites associated with musicians like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and Joni Mitchell.

San Francisco Bus Tours

Two of the Many Gray Line Bus Tours Available

The Gray Line company has a choice of city tours, some with lunch or a bay boat trip included, some without, some Deluxe bus tours, and others to places around the city like the Wine Country. They also have a range of tours in several foreign languages: French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, German, and Korean.

Other San Francisco pages

Touring Alcatraz
Touring Alcatraz, the former island prison, is one of the best things to do in San Francisco and attracts over 1.5 million visitors a year.
Best Romantic Hotels in San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel brings you the best romantic hotels in San Francisco, many with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and in the heart of the city.
San Francisco Music Tour on the Magic Bus to Haight-Ashbury
Take a San Francisco Music Tour with Magic Bus, a trip through the musical past to Haight-Ashbury, the City Lights Bookstore and the Summer of Love.
San Francisco Best Chinatown Restaurants
San Francisco has some of the best Chinatown restaurants in the USA, and its Chinese restaurants provide superb dining. Here are our top eating places.
San Francisco Airport Hotels
San Francisco Airport hotels include a Grand Hyatt, La Quinta, Westin, Marriott, Super 8 and bayfront hotels ranging from budget to 5-star luxury.
Best Time to Visit San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel’s advice on the best time to visit San Francisco, covering the weather and climate from month to month and season by season.
Best Golf Courses in San Francisco
The Pacific Coast Highway Travel guide to the best golf courses in San Francisco for all budgets and skill levels, including courses close to the city center.
Visiting Golden Gate Park
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on visiting Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and seeing its museums, gardens, lakes, buildings, and even bison!
Cheap Flights to San Francisco
Cheap flights to San Francisco with Southwest Airlines, Virgin America, SkyWest, JetBlue and other airlines from Los Angeles, San Diego, and Seattle.
San Francisco
Information about San Francisco, including what to see, where to stay, where to eat, and links to sources of information including the official visitor website.
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Ten Reasons to Visit San Francisco's Chinatown
Pacific Coast Highway Travel picks ten reasons to visit San Francisco's Chinatown ranging from food and fortune cookies to historic landmarks and shopping.
Best Museums in San Francisco
The best museums in San Francisco include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum and Exploratorium.
Photos of the Golden Gate Bridge
A selection of the best Photos of the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website, for travel and photographic inspiration.
Alcatraz Famous Inmates
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Perfect Day in San Francisco
A perfect day in San Francisco would include Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Haight-Ashbury, and the California Academy of Sciences.
Ten San Francisco Dishes and Drinks
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Ten Best Things to Do in San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel lists the ten best things to do in San Francisco, including Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf.
Free San Francisco Kindle Guide to Free Attractions
101 free San Francisco attractions and things to do are in the Kindle guide, 101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco, in the Travel Free eGuidebooks series.
Your Insider's Guide to San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's book review of Insider's Guide to San Francisco guidebook by Jill Loeffler, publisher of the San Francisco Tourism Tips website.