The San Francisco Experience Tour

An incredible 3 in 1 experience

Tour 1 — Deluxe City Tour

Your tour of this magnificent city begins at Fisherman’s Wharf, home to crab boats and the fishing fleet and some of the best seafood restaurants in the world.  From the Wharf, you will travel past the Hyde Street Pier, National Maritime Museum, Ghirardelli Square, and Lombard Street.  From the Wharf, residential neighborhoods spread out in every direction, covering the seven hills that make up the city.  Traveling through the Marina District, you will pass the Palace of Fine Arts and the Presidio of San Francisco, a former Army garrison now turned into a National Park.

The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco’s famous icon, comes into view. This is the first stop on your tour, and you will have ample time to take photos. Following the rugged coastline west of the bridge, your tour will take you through forested parklands and upscale scale residential neighborhoods. You will pass the famous Cliff house and Ocean Beach before entering San Francisco's playground, Golden Gate Park. The park encompasses 1,017 acres, it is three miles long, one-half mile wide, and stretches from the Pacific Ocean into the center of the city. Home to many museums, gardens, and outdoor recreation activities, the park boasts 6,000 varieties of plants. As you travel through the park, you will see the recently restored Conservatory of Flowers and Japanese Tea Garden.

Leaving Golden Gate Park, you will travel through the Sunset District’s orderly row houses. Built on sand dunes as the city expanded westward, these neighborhoods have a diverse ethnic population, ranging from Russian and Eastern European to Chinese,Korean, and Japanese. The district’s most prominent landmark is the red Sutro Tower, which provides television and radio service to the city. Turning onto a winding boulevard, you will climb to one of the highest points in the city, Twin Peaks. From this vantage point you will have a 360°panoramic view of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay communities (weather permitting). Descending Twin Peaks, you will begin your journey back across the 49-square-mile city, passing Victorian homes, vibrant shopping streets, the Civic Center (City Hall, Opera House, Library, and Asian Art Museum), Financial District, Chinatown (one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia), and North Beach.

Tour 2 — Alcatraz Island Tour

Alcatraz and history go hand in hand. Once home to some of America's most notorious criminals, the federal penitentiary that operated here from 1934 to 1963 brought a dark mystique to the Rock. The presence of infamous inmates like Al "Scarface" Capone, and the "Birdman" Robert Stroud helped to establish the island's notoriety. To this day, Alcatraz is best known as one of the world's most legendary prisons.

Many people, though, are unaware of the wealth of other stories to be learned on the island. Alcatraz is now home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife, and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds. Civil War-era buildings dotting the island give insight into the 19th century when the island served as both a harbor defense fort and a military prison. You can also see visible reminders of the American Indian Occupation that started in 1969 after the prison closed, highlighting an important milestone in the American Indian rights movement.

Come experience the beauty, history and infamy of Alcatraz on the San Francisco Bay. You'll be astounded by what you learn and see.

Tour 3 — Aquarium of the Bay Tour

The Aquarium of the bay facility boasts 300 feet of crystal clear acrylic tunnels holding 700,000 gallons of carefully maintained bay water that sustains approximately 20,000 animals, from octopuses to eight-foot native, seven gill sharks.  Visitors are treated to mesmerizing walls of jellies and a chance to touch bat rays, skates and “splash zone" animals. In its’ fifteen year history, over seven million guests, including more than 100,000 school children, have visited the Aquarium.