City tour prices: October 2026

How much do San Francisco city tours cost in October 2026?

$56 to $129 per person, depending on the vehicle and the length.

The open-top bus is cheapest per ticket and the four-hour van tour the most expensive. Per hour of touring, the Gray Line coach is cheapest (about $17) and the two-hour VW tours cost most: you pay for seven seats and a live guide.

Which San Francisco tours are on sale right now?

Vantigo's VW bus tour ($103.20, regular $129) and the Red and White Fleet bay cruise ($35.10, regular $39).

Both show a crossed-out regular price on the listing. Vantigo's discount is the bigger one: about $26 per person, so $52 for a couple. That brings the highest-rated VW tour (5.0 from 836 reviews) close to the Love Tour at $99, and $21 above the shorter Painted Ladies tour.

Sales end without notice. If Vantigo is your pick, book with free cancellation and keep the option open; you can cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund.

Three hours in a vintage VW bus, max 7 guests, five photo stops, on sale from $103.

★ 5.0 · 3 hours · from $103

Explore the Vantigo VW bus tour → Tour details

How much should you tip on a San Francisco city tour?

$15 to $20 per person on the VW tours, the amount the operators suggest. Tips are not included in any tour price.

Vantigo's listing suggests $15 to $20 per passenger, and so does the Painted Ladies Tour Company. San Francisco Love Tours asks for 15% to 20% of the price, or at least $10 per person. Gratuities are listed as not included on the Love Tour, the Movie Sights tour, Skip the Bus, Gray Line and the afternoon tour.

For two people on Vantigo, that turns $206 into roughly $236 to $246. Budget it before you compare a guided tour with the $56 bus ticket, which has no guide to tip.

Do kids pay less on San Francisco city tours?

On some. Big Bus, Gray Line, Vantigo, the Movie Sights tour, the afternoon tour and the cruise have child rates; the Painted Ladies tour, the Love Tour and Skip the Bus charge one price for everyone.

The age bands differ. Big Bus counts children as 3 to 12, Vantigo and Gray Line as 5 to 11, the Movie Sights tour and the cruise as 5 to 17, and the afternoon tour as 0 to 16. Vantigo takes no children under 5 on the shared tour, and Skip the Bus starts at age 5. The Love Tour charges infants a full ticket and asks you to bring the car seat.

Our guide to tours with kids goes through each one.

Is public transport cheaper than a city tour?

Yes: a 1-day Muni Visitor Passport is $15 and covers cable cars. Cable car single rides go up to $12 on 4 January 2027.

The SFMTA fares page lists the 1-day Visitor Passport at $15, and a single cable car ride at $9. From 4 January 2027 the single ride costs $12, per the SFMTA approved budget. Details are in our cable car fares post.

What the pass doesn't buy is the route. Getting from the bridge to Twin Peaks to the Painted Ladies by Muni takes most of a day, without anyone telling you what you're looking at.

What else should you check before you pay?

Confirmation times, minimum group sizes and the meeting point. No tour here includes hotel pickup except the afternoon tour.

Two listings, the Painted Ladies tour and the afternoon tour, confirm within 48 hours, not instantly. Vantigo, the Painted Ladies tour and the afternoon tour need at least three guests to run; if they don't fill, you're offered another time or a refund.

Every tour on our list has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. That makes booking the sale price now low-risk: our hop-on hop-off vs guided guide can help you choose in the meantime.

Frequently asked questions