Amanda Olynik

Exploring San Francisco by hop on/hop off bus

The Solo Scale:

This is the peak ‘make your own schedule’. You can make an in-depth plan, or you can play it by ear depending on what stops seem the most intriguing.

Are you already a convert to the hop-on/hop-off bus tour exploration (maybe reading about some of the tips and perks of it in this article helped sway you)? If you’re headed to San Francisco, it’s a great way to see the city!

The main company that runs the hop on/hop off is Big Bus Tours. The starting point where you can buy your tickets (if you don’t want to purchase them from the bus itself) begins near Fisherman’s Wharf. If you want to maximize your time, you should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the first bus at 10AM, as the line can get long, and they do stagger the departures.

TRIP TIP: Just because you’re in a bus doesn’t mean you’ll get to avoid traffic. Even though we departed after rush hour, the first few stops took longer than I expected because of the traffic. If you’re going to do the tour, budget more time than you expect it to take, by at least 50%.

From there, there are a total of 16 stops (including the first). Every fifteen minutes, you’ll get a new bus, but keep in mind that seating is first-come, first-served. As a result, you may be able to get back on a bus, but might not get the best views. Don’t leave yourself stranded either! Keep an eye on the last pick-up times, as it may be different depending on which stop you’re closest to.

As you set out, here are some of the stops you have options to hop off at. Bolded are the ones that I was stopped at to explore on my last trip. On that day, I began from the first stop at 10:30 and finished just before my dinner reservation at 5PM:

  • North Beach / Chinatown
  • Embarcadero Center
  • Ferry Building
  • Union Square South
  • Hilton Hotel
  • Civic Center – I stopped here at Arsicault Bakery for a light brunch and then enjoyed the vibes around the Civic Centre, including people attending for ceremonies, Zumba on the lawn, and the many flags billowing outside the Center
  • Alamo Square
  • Haight Ashbury
  • Golden Gate Park – I stopped here and went into both the DeYoung Museum as well as the Japanese Gardens. It was a bit of a longer stop and while there were a lot of kids on field trips. Still, I had an amazing time and I never felt like I was stuck in the middle of a crowd
The view from the top of the De Young Museum.
  • North Vista Point / Golden Gate Bridge
  • Palace of Fine Arts – Here, I made the stop to wander through Presidio Park and go see the Walt Disney Family Museum
Inside Presidio Park with the Fine Arts Museum in the background
  • Marina / Cow Hollow
  • Lombard Street
  • Pier 35 / Cruise Terminal – This was my last stop, as I had a dinner reservation to get to
  • Pier 39

TRIP TIP: Make a dinner reservation near a stop to get “free” transportation. that way you don’t have to use a rideshare of public transport to get to your dinner restaurant of choice!

This is definitely a full-day affair. In fact, it could be a multi-day option. You’ll be stuck in a lot of traffic, so it’s not quite a cheat code to getting around the city quickly. It is a good option if you don’t want to plan stop to stop and want to have the option to have regular transportation arrive to pick you up through the day.

If you’re going to be in San Francisco for the first time and you want a good starter guide, I heartily recommend this as a jumping off point — or maybe it’ll be what you opt for because it simply gets you around efficiently without having to do taxis and rideshares. Either way, check out what you can see, plan your day, and decide whether a bus tour in San Francisco is right for you.

Discover more from The Single Traveller

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply