Golden Gate Bridge Tours, Compared
Start with the free option
I spent six summers on a bike-rental counter at Fisherman’s Wharf, and the question I heard most at nine in the morning was some version of “how much is the bridge?” The answer is nothing. You walk across on the east sidewalk, 1.7 miles each way, between 5:00 am and closing, with no ticket and no booking. The only money the bridge itself collects is a car toll, southbound only, taken electronically. So before you book anything, know that the free walk competes with every tour on this page. What a tour buys you is a view the sidewalk cannot give: the underside of the deck from the water, the deck itself on a saddle with a downhill into Sausalito, or the whole strait from a small aircraft.
Under: three boats from the Wharf
All three cruises leave from Fisherman’s Wharf and all three pass under the span at mid-strait, where the deck sits 220 feet above the water. Two are motor boats from Pier 43½, at the corner of Taylor Street and the Embarcadero behind the big crab sign. The one-hour Golden Gate Bay Cruise goes under the bridge and round Alcatraz with a handset audio guide in 16 languages. The 90-minute Bridge to Bridge Cruise adds the Bay Bridge at the other end of the waterfront. The third is a sailing catamaran from Pier 39, Gate J, next to the sea lions, with a live crew instead of headphones and no wheelchair access. The cruise comparison takes the three apart in detail.
Across: two guided rides to Sausalito
There is no bike rental at the bridge. Both guided rides start at Fisherman’s Wharf, about four miles from the bridge along a waterfront path that stays flat until the climb through the Presidio. One meets at 2661 Taylor Street and the other at 2800 Leavenworth Street, a few blocks apart. Both take three hours, both cross on the sidewalk, and both end in Sausalito, where you eat lunch and take the ferry back to Pier 41. Both allow an electric bike for riders 13 and over. The differences are in the stops, the deposit and how the ferry ticket is handled, which is what the bike-tour comparison is for.
Over: thirty minutes in a seaplane
The one aerial option is a 30-minute flight in a small seaplane with six seats, every one of them at a window. It takes off from the water at the operator’s base in Mill Valley, north of the bridge, and flies over downtown, the bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, Tiburon and Sausalito. An optional shuttle from Fisherman’s Wharf has to be confirmed at least 24 hours ahead. Two things set it apart from everything else here. It is non-refundable once booked, with weather postponements at the operator’s discretion, and it has a weight limit of about 260 lb per seat. The seaplane close-up covers who it does and does not suit.
All six tours
Durations are printed on each card. Prices change by date, so I do not print them; the booking page shows the live figure for the day you pick.
Under the bridgeSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (1-hour)
Both bridgesSan Francisco: Bridge to Bridge Cruise (90-minutes)
Under sailSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge Catamaran Cruise
Across by bikeSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito Cycling Tour
Bike or e-bikeSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge Guided Bike or eBike Tour
From the airSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge Seaplane Tour
One of each altitude, side by side
If you are choosing between an hour on the water, three hours on a bike and half an hour in the air, this is the table to read. Accessibility and cancellation are where they differ most.
| Under the bridgeSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (1-hour) | San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito Cycling Tour | San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge Seaplane Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 1 hour | 3 hours | 30 minutes |
| Where it starts | Pier 43½, Fisherman’s Wharf | 2661 Taylor St, Fisherman’s Wharf | Mill Valley seaplane base |
| How you see the bridge | From the water, 220 ft below the deck | From the sidewalk, on a saddle | From above, every seat a window |
| Good for | Families, short on time | Active visitors, a Sausalito lunch | Six or fewer, no fear of heights |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible | You pedal; e-bikes for 13 and over | Not wheelchair accessible |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Free up to 24 hours before | Non-refundable once booked |
| Book this | Book this | Book this |
Under the bridgeSan Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise (1-hour)
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Where it starts
- Pier 43½, Fisherman’s Wharf
- How you see the bridge
- From the water, 220 ft below the deck
- Good for
- Families, short on time
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before
San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito Cycling Tour
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Where it starts
- 2661 Taylor St, Fisherman’s Wharf
- How you see the bridge
- From the sidewalk, on a saddle
- Good for
- Active visitors, a Sausalito lunch
- Accessibility
- You pedal; e-bikes for 13 and over
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before
San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge Seaplane Tour
- Duration
- 30 minutes
- Where it starts
- Mill Valley seaplane base
- How you see the bridge
- From above, every seat a window
- Good for
- Six or fewer, no fear of heights
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Cancellation
- Non-refundable once booked
Summer mornings are foggy more often than not. The bridge usually clears late morning or early afternoon, so book a cruise or a flight for after lunch and use the morning for the Wharf. September and October are the clearest months.
Check dates for the bay cruise
The one-hour bay cruise is the tour I point people to when they have a single free hour and a family in tow. Pick a date below to see the departures that are still open.
Can’t make these dates?
Browse more Golden Gate Bridge tours with live availability and pick one that fits your day.
If the choice is between the water and the saddle, read cruise versus bike before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a ticket to see the Golden Gate Bridge?
No. Walking across is free, needs no booking and uses the east sidewalk from 5:00 am until 6:30 pm in winter or 9:00 pm in summer. The tours on this page sell a different vantage point, not access. The is-it-free page lists what is and is not free.
Which tour goes under the bridge?
All three cruises do: the one-hour bay cruise and the 90-minute Bridge to Bridge cruise from Pier 43½, and the sailing catamaran from Pier 39. The cruise comparison sets them side by side.
Can I bike across the bridge without a tour?
Yes, and cyclists have toll-free access 24 hours a day. There are no rentals at the bridge, so you rent at Fisherman’s Wharf or in the Presidio and ride the four miles out. The sidewalk rotation by time of day is on the bike-across page.
Which of the six can be cancelled?
Five of them allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. The exception is the seaplane flight, which is non-refundable once booked, with any weather postponement at the operator’s discretion.