San Francisco excursion package

[Momma Rene]

We have a very late flight from San Francisco and I am wondering how the bus tour that picks you up at the cruiseport and tours San Francisco and then brings you to the airline works.  Has anyone done that Princess tour?

[skynight]

23 minutes ago, Momma Rene said:

We have a very late flight from San Francisco and I am wondering how the bus tour that picks you up at the cruiseport and tours San Francisco and then brings you to the airline works.  Has anyone done that Princess tour?

Pier to Golden Gate Bridge

Vista Point Stop

Drive through Houseboat Community to Downtown Sausalito

Free time in Sausalito

Sausalito to San Francisco Ferry Building

Free time at Ferry Building

Ferry Building to SFO Airport

Is this the tour? It's 4 1/2 hours. Probably begins around 9:30/10am. Actual details will be provided on your tour ticket. You will clear immigration/customs, and pick up your bus at the pier. Your luggage will be loaded on the bus and you will visit the sites mentioned. When you get to the airport you will be dropped off at the terminal and retrieve your luggage from the bus. 

[Momma Rene]

3 hours ago, skynight said:

Pier to Golden Gate Bridge

Vista Point Stop

Drive through Houseboat Community to Downtown Sausalito

Free time in Sausalito

Sausalito to San Francisco Ferry Building

Free time at Ferry Building

Ferry Building to SFO Airport

Is this the tour? It's 4 1/2 hours. Probably begins around 9:30/10am. Actual details will be provided on your tour ticket. You will clear immigration/customs, and pick up your bus at the pier. Your luggage will be loaded on the bus and you will visit the sites mentioned. When you get to the airport you will be dropped off at the terminal and retrieve your luggage from the bus. 

I am new to the area.  Wondering what is in Sausalito and the Ferry Building.  Also need to know if they drop everyone off together or if they bring you to the different airline carrier areas.  I am a handicapped and worried about the walking.

[Mary loves to travel]

I live in the Bay Area, born in SF.  

That’s not a bad itinerary considering they take care of your luggage and drop you off at the airport when you’re done. 

 

At Vista Point, weather cooperating, you’ll have a nice view of the bridge and the bay.  I still stop there with out of town guests and enjoy it myself every time. 

You’ll drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.   It’s very pretty in Sausalito with nice shops.   

Back across the lovely Golden Gate, to the Ferry Building which has many upscale food stalls.   

 

Youll have a nice time, see some of the sights, get lunch and maybe some loaves of sourdough bread to take home with you.  

 

Sounds like a winner.  

 

Mary

[Mary loves to travel]

Also I’m sure they’ll drop you at your airline terminal.  SFO is just too big for them to drop everyone in one place 

[shepp]

4 hours ago, skynight said:

Pier to Golden Gate Bridge

Vista Point Stop

Drive through Houseboat Community to Downtown Sausalito

Free time in Sausalito

Sausalito to San Francisco Ferry Building

Free time at Ferry Building

Ferry Building to SFO Airport

Is this the tour? It's 4 1/2 hours. Probably begins around 9:30/10am. Actual details will be provided on your tour ticket. You will clear immigration/customs, and pick up your bus at the pier. Your luggage will be loaded on the bus and you will visit the sites mentioned. When you get to the airport you will be dropped off at the terminal and retrieve your luggage from the bus. 

 

That would still leave the OP with many hours to kill at SFO. And Sausalito is nice enough, but not what people think of when they imagine San Francisco. (OK, you do see the Bridge, but that route puts you on the bus through boring neighborhoods for a large proportion of the time.) A better plan might be to store their luggage at the nearby (Uber-able) Pier 39 welcome center (not sure about the hours), then either grab a HOHO bus to show them around or get a Muni bus pass for the day. Grab a taxi to a museum or two. Or they could just hang around the tourist stuff at the Wharf. Then pick up the bags and a take a SuperShuttle, rideshare, or BART to SFO. It does require some coordination and a bit of effort, but that's what I'd do if I had a day to kill and had never been here before. 

Edited October 29, 2018 by shepp

[Mary loves to travel]

1 minute ago, shepp said:

 

That would still leave the OP with many hours to kill at SFO. And Sausalito is nice enough, but not what people think of when they imagine San Francisco. (OK, you do see the Bridge, but that route puts you on the bus for a large proportion of the time.) A better plan might be to store their luggage at the nearby (Uber-able) Pier 39 welcome center (not sure about the hours), then either grab a HOHO bus to show them around or get a Muni bus pass for the day. Or they could just hang around the tourist stuff at the Wharf. Then pick up the bags and a take a SuperShuttle, rideshare, or BART to SFO. It does require some coordination and a bit of effort, but that's what I'd do. 

 

I agree that there are many “do it yourself” options, that are more flexible.    

What you describe would also be a great day.  

 

The key for the OP I think will be comfort level in doing it all on their own, and if there are particular things they really want to see.  

 

I’ve had long days when debarking; in Vancouver we did our own thing; in Port Canaveral we did a similar “bus tour that ends up at the airport”.   We were glad each time of the choice we made 😊

 

mary

 

[trbarton]

Another suggestion would be to rent a car where you can see & go wherever you want & return the car at the airport. You could time things right & enjoy a nice meal at Fisherman’s Warf. 

 

I also live in the city & with my suggestion you have your luggage in you car & you can spend as much time as you wish in different places. Remember to leave NOTHING in view in your car. 

 

Tom😎

[shepp]

48 minutes ago, trbarton said:

Another suggestion would be to rent a car where you can see & go wherever you want & return the car at the airport. You could time things right & enjoy a nice meal at Fisherman’s Warf. 

 

I also live in the city & with my suggestion you have your luggage in you car & you can spend as much time as you wish in different places. Remember to leave NOTHING in view in your car. 

 

 

Thing is, that kind of rental wouldn't come cheap.  A Budget rental from the Embarcadero office returned to SFO would be around two hundred bucks for the day, and that doesn't include gas or the cost and considerable hassle of finding parking. For that kind of money they could Uber everywhere, grab a taxi to the airport, and still have cash left over. (And not have to deal with driving around the City at rush hour.) If they wanted to spend time in Golden Gate Park and drive to the Bridge, even to Sausalito, a rental might make good sense. But if they want to see Chinatown, the Wharf, the Cable Car, and other tourist hotspots, less so. 

 

I just checked the Pier 39 Welcome Center and it unfortunately closes at 7. They'd have to pick up checked luggage by then.

[JWUC]

Be careful about a rental car. There have been a lot of car break-ins in the San Francisco area. If you do rent a car, make sure that nothing is left in plain sight. Also, you probably want to keep your wallets/purses and passports on your person. Also be very mindful of your environment. There has also been a lot of stolen cell phones.

 

San Francisco is a beautiful city, but you need to be a little street smart.

[skynight]

Ferry Building

Originally people coming to S.F. by train would depart across the bay. They would then board a ferry that took them to S.F. There are numbered stalls (still visible) where you could retrieve your luggage.

Today there is still some ferry service, but the terminal is mostly shops, and places to dine. There are both indoor and outdoor areas. It's actually just a short walk from pier 27 where you disembark the ship.