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If you want a full write up of what to expect on this tour, you can also visit this page. In this case, I reviewed my time with the Red and White Fleet. You head west past several SF sights including Fort Mason, the Marina District and the Palace of Fine Arts. Not to mention the most famous bridge in the world, and an equally infamous island prison. If you’re a traveler from overseas, note that you’ll need to leave a tip (typically 15-20%) at restaurants and bars.
Local Currency & Tipping Customs
My final entry for my list of the best San Francisco bay tours is all of the special event cruises. There are several throughout the year for holidays, but three dates offer an extra special experience. Even though there are fewer people around at this time, I find this one of my favorite times to head out whale watching.
Top Sights & Attractions for Cruises to San Francisco
The lure of California continues to persist centuries after settlers ventured “out West” to widen America’s boundaries. No place better manifests the promise of California than San Francisco. San Francisco cruises offer travelers on a Pacific Coast cruise a chance to experience the Bay Area for themselves.
Whale Watching
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The Dinner Dance Cruise is the first on my list from Hornblower. This company features San Francisco boat tours that I would consider are more for special occasions. This floating wine bar is a blast and allows you to sip on your local wine as you soak in the views from around the SF Bay.
San Francisco's Top Tours
A trip to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without an afternoon in Chinatown, a 24-block stretch of shops, restaurants, markets, and historic sites. Take a walking tour or strike out on your own to sip traditional Chinese tea or order dim sum as you explore the oldest Chinatown in the United States. It only runs once a night and the time changes by season to give you the best chance to catch the sunset. The great thing is all of the boat companies work together (you will hear them on the radio) to ensure passengers on all of the boats get the chance to see whales during the cruise. I also wanted to add this one because these are some of my favorite San Francisco boat tours.
Recommended Experiences in San Francisco
San Francisco cruises are incredibly popular, with over 300,000 passengers passing through this port of call every year. You can find luggage storage at Pier 39 within the California Welcome Center, just 0.4 miles away from Cruise Pier 27. Bigger than New York’s Central Park, Golden Gate Park is over 1,000 acres of natural beauty enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. On your excursion to Golden Gate Park, visit the Japanese Tea Garden or the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Check out the de Young Museum for an afternoon of fine arts.
Special Event Cruises
Discover the most iconic sights of San Francisco on a hop-on, hop-off tour. Sit back and relax in the comfort of one of our open-top buses, as an entertaining audio guide tells you about the city’s unique history. South of Pier 39 is the Westfield Mall on Market Street which houses over 170 shops, restaurants, and major department stores for you to find whatever you might need. Head north to explore Chinatown before making your way back to the cruise port. Cruises to San Francisco have the unique benefit of a well-kept cruise port. You can reach the James R. Herman cruise terminal via public transportation or simply walking from Pier 27.
Wine Tasting on the Bay
You can catch one of these San Francisco bay tours several times a day. The boat cruise leaves from Fisherman's Wharf and starts out along the northern waterfront. In 1892, seventeen-year-old Thomas Crowley launched the first of many companies which would one day be a fixture of the San Francisco Bay. Using $80 he had saved, he purchased a used Whitehall rowboat, and started a business supplying the ships at anchor in the Bay. Within Golden Gate Park is Stow Lake, a manmade lake perfect for renting a rowboat or paddle boat to from one side to the other.
The waters right outside the bay are very active all year long with migrating whales, dolphins, dozens of birds and other sea animals. However, you will cruise through the bay to get to and from the ocean. One of the things to keep in mind with the Hornblower cruises is that they pick up at Pier 3, which is closer to the Ferry Building and NOT near Fisherman's Wharf.
If the timing of this cruise works for you, I would select this one over the standard 60-minute bay cruise as it gives you some great insight into Alcatraz. This one is very popular, but it only runs a couple of times a day. The Twilight or Sunset Cruise is offered by the Red and White Fleet. You will also cruise past Treasure Island and the Ferry Building. So, it offers a little more fun on the water for just a few more bucks per ticket. They are also usually flexible with timing too on which San Francisco boat tour you can board unless it's a really busy day.
The other thing to note about these bay cruises is they do require that you dress up a little bit. No jeans are allowed, and they require business casual dress. You can also head out past the Golden Gate Bridge to get in some whale watching while you are here or take a special cruise to watch the fireworks on Fourth of July or New Year's Eve. Our two-hour sunset cruise is the perfect way to cap off a day in San Francisco. Ever wanted to see the California sun drop slowly into the Pacific Ocean, framed by the majestic Golden Gate, from the middle of San Francisco Bay? Instantly recognizable through the California fog, walk or bike the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
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You can also enjoy a drink or two on board (available for purchase at the bar). There is also a musician on board playing some light music in the background. The Twilight Cruise is offered during the winter months (roughly early November through mid-March). It's called a Twilight Cruise since the sun will already be down by the time the cruise is underway.
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