San Francisco has some seriously incredible attractions like Alcatraz, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Fisherman’s Wharf. While there is no shortage of tourist attractions in San Francisco, there is a shortage of flat terrain to walk on. That’s because San Francisco is the hilliest city in the USA and the world’s second hilliest city! So you may be wondering what the best way to get around the city is to save yourself from hiding how out of breath you are from all the hills. While there is plenty of public transport in the city, a hop-on hop-off bus in San Francisco may be the answer you’ve been looking for.
In this article, we’ll outline the best hop-on hop-off bus tours in San Francisco, as well as share tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your ticket. So let’s hop onto it already (pun intended)!
These are the best hop-on hop-off buses in San Francisco:
- Big Bus San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
- Skyline Sightseeing San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
How Do San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours Work?
A hop-on hop-off in San Francisco works as easy as 1,2,3! Once you have purchased your ticket for your chosen bus company, all you have to do is make your way to one of the many bus stops, show your ticket, and jump on board. All of the hop-on hop-off bus tours in San Francisco have their stops outside of popular tourist attractions, so you’re never too far from a bus stop. The double-decker, open-top bus will make several stops outside other attractions, which you can opt to hop off and check out or stay on the bus and listen to commentary about passing attractions and the city. You can hop on and off as much as you like with unlimited access for the day or days you purchase.
Best Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours in San Francisco
Below we have listed the top two San Francisco hop-on hop-off bus tours. But before you choose which one to book with, you will want to ask yourself what you’re looking to get out of a ticket, as that will play a role in finding the best ticket and bus company for you. Perhaps you don’t have a lot of time in the city and you want to see all the attractions in one day, or maybe you want to use the hop-on hop-off bus as a way to conveniently travel between attractions. It’s best to figure out how you want to use the buses now and keep that in mind when you’re trying to pick a ticket!
Big Bus San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Big Bus is easily one of the most recognizable open-top buses in San Francisco and one of the most popular. The company offers a fleet of double-decker buses, all with open-tops and pre-recorded commentary on the city’s history, culture, and architecture in 10 different languages and with free headsets. There is also free Wi-Fi on board so you can connect to their free app or pull up mobile tickets for your next attraction.
Routes of the Big Bus Tour in San Francisco
Big Bus tours in San Francisco have one route for hop-on hop-off, and that’s the Day Tour (Red Route).
On the Red Route (Day Tour), you’ll stop at several well-known attractions, like Golden Gate Park, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Pier 39 (Fisherman’s Wharf). The bus takes roughly two hours and 10 minutes to complete the full Red Route and has a bus frequency of 15 minutes, meaning you’ll never have to wait long for a bus to arrive!
Red Route (Day Tour):
- Duration: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Frequency: Every 15 minutes
- First bus: 10 a.m.
- Last bus: 5 p.m.
- Stops: Big Bus Tours Visitors’ Center, Embarcadero Center, Ferry Building, Union Square South, Redemption Center/Hilton Hotel, Civic Center, Alamo Square, Haight Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, North Vista Point/Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Marina/Cow Hollow, Lombard Street, Pier 35/Cruise Terminal, and Pier 39.
Tickets for the Big Bus Tour in San Francisco
Big Bus offers two different types of tickets, an Essential Ticket and an Explorer Ticket. Several attractions and tours can be purchased as part of a combination ticket and tickets can be booked online on their official website on third-party seller websites such as GetYourGuide. We recommend the ladder as tickets purchased through GetYourGuide are 100% refundable up to 24 hours prior to your visit. On the official Big Bus website, refunds will only be allotted if the buses are not running due to weather conditions or internal company issues. GetYourGuide also offers a “Reserve Now, Pay Later” feature which is perfect for those who aren’t ready to pull the trigger on tickets but want to be guaranteed one if they decide to go. Tickets are the exact same price on both platforms, so you’ve got nothing to lose by booking your Big Bus tickets through GetYourGuide!
One thing that sets Big Bus tours apart from the rest of the big bus fleets is their added bonuses with tickets. Both Essential and Explorer tickets for Big Bus include a free walking tour of Chinatown and a bike rental offer of one free additional hour with the purchase of a one-hour bike rental from Blazing Saddles. This offer is available on both the official website and on third-party seller websites.
It should be noted that little ones under the age of three years old will not be required to have a ticket and can ride the bus for free. Child tickets are available for kids aged three to 12, but kids 13 or older will need to have an adult ticket.
- The Essential Ticket: The Essential Ticket allows you to enjoy unlimited hop-on and hop-off bus rides for one calendar day, along with a free walking tour of Chinatown and the bike rental offer. Essential Tickets start off at $65.70 for adults and $56.70 for children. Purchase tickets or learn more.
- The Explorer Ticket: The Explorer Ticket is a two-day unlimited pass that includes a free walking tour of Chinatown and the option to use the bike rental offer or get free admission to the USS Pampanito. Prices for the Explorer Ticket start at $76.50 for adults and $67.50 for children. Purchase tickets or learn more.
Buy Your Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tickets Here
Tourist Passes That Include Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tickets in San Francisco
Tourist passes are an excellent way to save yourself precious time and money while on vacation. Each pass works in a similar way where you group attractions and tours together to form one ultimate pass for your vacation in San Francisco. Both passes below include a one-day hop-on-hop-off ticket with Big Bus.
- Go City All-Inclusive Pass: You can save up to 50% off attractions and tours by bundling your fun with a Go City All-Inclusive Pass. This awesome tourist pass allows you unlimited access to over 30 activities, tours, and attractions in the city, all for one low price. All you have to do is pick how many days you would like the pass to be valid for, and then you’ll have unlimited admittance to attractions like the Aquarium of the Bay, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and the California Academy of Sciences. The Go City All-Inclusive Pass can be purchased for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days, and the base price for a one-day pass starts at $99 for adults and $94 for children.
- The Sightseeing Pass: The Sightseeing Pass is another excellent tourist pass that can save you up to 50% off attraction tickets and tours. Passes can be purchased for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 days and it includes access to attractions and tours like the USS Hornet – Sea, Air and Space Museum, a Sacramento Rock the Yacht Cruise, and Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze. You’ll also receive special discounts at select stores, restaurants, and businesses like Bloomingdale’s, Currency Exchange International, and Local Tastes of the City Tours. A one-day Sightseeing Pass starts at $74 for adults and $51.80 for children.
Skyline Sightseeing San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Skyline Sightseeing’s bus tours in San Francisco are another great option. They have been operating in San Francisco for over 20 years and were the first company in the city to import double-decker, open-top buses straight from London! So if you’re looking for a company with loads of experience in the business, this is it. Unlike Big Bus, Skyline Sightseeing provides live guides on board to answer questions and share interesting tidbits about the city and its history. Free Wi-Fi is available on-board and commentary is also available in 10 languages!
Route of the Skyline Sightseeing Bus Tour in San Francisco
Skyline Sightseeing offers one hop-on hop-off route (Red Route) with 20 stops along the way at some of the city’s top attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf, Alamo Square, and the Palace of Fine Arts. If you want to ride the full route as a tour, it will take you roughly two hours to see all the sites. If you’re looking to enjoy the hop-on hop-off benefit, then keep in mind buses run every 30-60 minutes.
Red Route:
- Duration: 2 hours
- Frequency: Every 30-60 minutes
- First bus: 10 a.m.
- Last bus: 5 p.m.
- Stops: Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown/North Beach, Embarcadero Centers, Ferry Building, Union Square, Hilton Hotel, Civic Center, Alamo Square, Haight Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Marina/Cow Hollow, Lombard Street, Pier 35/Cruise Terminal, and Pier 39.
Tickets for Skyline Sightseeing Bus Tour in San Francisco
Tickets for Skyline Sightseeing open-top bus in San Francisco can be purchased as a one-day or two-day pass. Both ticket types can be grouped with other attractions on the official website or on GetYourGuide. Regardless of whether you choose a one- or two-day pass, you’ll get the added bonus of a free walking tour of Chinatown!
Skyline Sightseeing does not require infants under the age of three to have a ticket as they can ride for free. Kids aged three to 12 will need a child’s ticket, while kids 13 or older will need to purchase an adult ticket.
- One-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: The One-Day Ticket allows unlimited access to the Red Route bus along with the free Chinatown walking tour. Tickets for a One-Day Ticket start at $72.99 for adults and $62.99 for children. Purchase tickets or learn more.
- Two-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: The Two-Day Ticket will give you two full days of unlimited access to the Red Route, as well as the free Chinatown walking tour and a free bike rental. Two-Day Tickets start at $84.99 for adults and $74.99 for children. Purchase tickets or learn more.
- Two-Day Ticket + Alcatraz: One of the best deals with Skyline Sightseeing is their Two-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Ticket plus a ferry to (and from) Alcatraz with a self-guided audio tour. You will get the added bonus of the free Chinatown walking tour plus the option of a free two-hour bike rental or admittance to the USS Pampanito, plus access to the Skyline Sightseeing Night Tour (Blue Line). This Two-Day Hop-On Hop-Off pass plus Alcatraz ticket starts at $156.99 for adults and $104.99 for children. Purchase tickets or learn more.
Buy Your Skyline Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Tickets Here
Benefits of a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour in San Francisco
There are several benefits to choosing a hop-on hop-off bus, especially in San Francisco. Firstly, a hop-on hop-off allows you the flexibility to visit attractions at your own pace and with an all-in-one transportation ticket, budgeting is made that much easier. Especially since you won’t be at the mercy of Uber, taxis, or parking lot fees if you rent a car. You also won’t have to worry about navigating the trams or buses as the hop-on hop-off maps and interactive real-time apps make it effortless to get around. Plus, you can access the apps using onboard free Wi-Fi. Of course, another benefit is that you are saving yourself the hassle of walking the city’s several steps and steep hills, which is especially draining (and sweaty) in the summertime. You’ll still get a great introduction to the city to help you get your bearings on the bus, but you’ll save yourself an exhausting workout (this is a holiday, after all).
Double-decker bus tours in San Francisco also allow you to see all the iconic landmarks in the city in one tour and provide interesting facts and stories about the city and architecture. If you book with one of the hop-on hop-off bus tours listed above, then you’ll also get a free walking tour of Chinatown or other benefits that just can’t be matched by other tour companies and transit options. Lastly, you just can’t beat the photo opportunities from the open-top deck as you’ll be fully immersed in the city and its surroundings!
Tips for Taking a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus in San Francisco
We here at Road Affair want you to have the most enjoyable experience when taking double-decker San Francisco tour buses, which is why we have created this quick tips section.
- Know which attractions you want to visit in advance so you can pick the perfect ticket, tourist pass, or combination ticket.
- Review your ticket in advance so you know what is and isn’t included.
- Download the app(s) or take screenshots of the schedule and routes in advance.
- Plan your day out in advance so you know which stops to hop on and hop off.
- Pack lots of water and sunscreen for the summer and warm clothes for the winter.
- Check the weather in advance in case it might rain.
- Try not to ride the bus during peak traffic hours as the route might take longer.
- If you have some spare time, ride the entire route without getting off so you can experience the full tour.
- If there is a live tour guide, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- If you’ve booked a ticket that includes an attraction make sure you don’t have to book a timeslot in advance.
- Start your day off early to get the most use out of your ticket.
Well there you have it, you’re now an expert on the best hop-on hop-off tour buses in San Francisco. Armed with your newfound knowledge, you should be able to find the perfect ticket for your Golden Gate City itinerary!
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