Gray Line San Francisco · San Francisco
A four-hour coach tour with a guide that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge to Vista Point and stops at Lands End and Twin Peaks. It's the classic big-company tour: dependable route, lower price, bigger vehicle.
Gray Line's Grand City Tour starts at 8:40 a.m. from Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf in an air-conditioned coach with a guide. It goes through Cow Hollow to the Palace of Fine Arts, crosses the Golden Gate Bridge for a photo stop at Vista Point, then heads through the Presidio to Lands End, through Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury, and up to Twin Peaks if the weather allows. It finishes with short stops at Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square, so you can pick where you get off.
It crosses the bridge and stops at Vista Point on the Marin side, which the VW tours don't do. The stops are longer than on the VW tours too: 10 to 15 minutes each. Add-ons at checkout include a bay cruise (from $105 with the tour), Aquarium of the Bay entry or a four-hour bike rental.
The 4.2 rating reflects a few logistics complaints: guests who couldn't find the right bus at pickup, and a morning fog that hid the views. Bring your voucher, look for the Gray Line staff, and treat Twin Peaks as a bonus. If you want a smaller group, Skip the Bus covers a similar route in a van.
Check in with your voucher at Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf.
Through Cow Hollow to the Palace of Fine Arts (10 minutes), then across the Golden Gate Bridge to Vista Point.
Through the Presidio to Lands End for 15 minutes on the ocean side.
Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury, then Twin Peaks for 15 minutes, weather permitting.
Back through the Castro, the Financial District, Chinatown and North Beach. Get off at Fisherman's Wharf or Union Square.
★★★★★Very nice tour, very calm, nice big comfortable bus, unlike other tours i took on this vacation. Don was very knowledgeable, and made things clear of what was expected. Beautiful close-up look at the Golden Gate bridge. Twin Peaks was a very nice view [...]
★★★★★Michele was a great tour guide and was very knowledgeable about the city's history. Tour is pretty much as advertised and we had sufficient time at each stop for pictures and bathroom breaks. Great value for the price and worthy of a fair tip at the end.
★★★★★Learned a bunch and got great pictures. Got tips of other places in San Fran to visit. Our friends ages ranged from 60 to 82. Would highly recommended to all age groups
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Yes. It crosses the bridge and stops at Vista Point on the Marin side for photos.
At 8:40 a.m., from Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf. It lasts about four hours.
Yes. The option with a bay cruise costs from $105. Aquarium of the Bay entry and a bike rental are also on offer.
Guests say it is: a big comfortable coach, longer stops and restrooms. Our comparison guide covers the alternatives.
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Four hours by coach, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to a Vista Point photo stop.
Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Open-Top TourAn open-top double-decker on an 18-stop loop, 24 to 72-hour passes, recorded audio, the lowest price.★ 4.1 · 24 to 72 h pass · from $56
Skip the Bus: San Francisco by VanFour hours by van with nine stops, adding Lands End, Fort Point and Sutro Baths; 10 guests at most.★ 5.0 · 4 hours · from $129
Afternoon Small-Group City TourAn afternoon tour with Union Square hotel pickup, four stops and up to 14 guests.★ 4.6 · 3.5 hours · from $79