San Francisco, a commercial and cultural center in California is one of the most visited cities in the US drawing over 25 million tourists annually. The city has numerous attractions and sites that are incredibly popular with sightseers, vacationers, and day-trippers. Some of the most well-known landmarks of San Francisco include the Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Pier 39, Lombard Street, and Alcatraz Island.
One good way of discovering the city, particularly if you’re a first-time visitor, is to reserve a San Francisco hop-on hop-off bus ticket online. You’ll be able to jump on jump-off at more than 20 stops and cover multiple attractions based on the San Francisco sightseeing bus route you choose. For instance, if you opt for the red route or the San Francisco open-top bus day tour, you’ll be getting down at/get up from 16 stops.
Apart from soaking in the sweeping deck-top vistas of the San Francisco cityscape, you’ll be updated about the attractions through a recorded commentary in multiple languages.
Attractions to Explore with Hop-On Hop-Off San Francisco Bus Tour
1. Fisherman’s Wharf
Nearly all San Francisco double-decker bus tours include the Fisherman’s Wharf as a significant place of interest to be covered. Not only is the Fisherman’s Wharf a very well-known neighborhood in San Francisco but also a very popular tourist spot. The bustling neighborhood is well-connected with the rest of the city by cable carlines and tramcars.
You can take a ferry or a sightseeing boat from the Fisherman’s Wharf here to Alcatraz or the Bay Area. Often referred to as San Francisco’s ‘Little Italy’, the locality abounds in historic sites and also has several restaurants and shopping centers.
2. Exploratorium
If you’re visiting San Francisco with your family or close friends then make it a point to visit the Exploratorium. An interactive and fascinating science museum, the Exploratorium lays out around 600 participatory exhibits. The Exploratorium is a perfect embodiment of how to render the study of science engaging and fun.
Originally the museum was located within the Palace of Fine Arts’ premises but got its independent location from and onwards 2013.
3. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
The flaming orange-red Golden Gate Bridge is by far the most significant landmark of San Francisco, spanning 2.7 km across. The Golden Gate Bridge which gets its name from the Golden Gate Strait links the city’s northernmost end with the Marine County. The suspension bridge with its bright orange arches and towering steel girders is easily the city’s most photographed landmark.
The bridge is regularly used by commuters for plying to Bay Area and also by millions of tourists for heading to nearby attractions. One excellent way (and also very affordable) of soaking in the sights and sounds around the bridge is by choosing a San Francisco double-decker bus tour.
4. Alcatraz Island
Often referred to as The Rock the Alcatraz Island houses the erstwhile federal penitentiary sharing its name with the island. At one time the prison incarcerated infamous criminals including George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Al “Scarface” Capone. However t, the island also holds a lot of tourist appeal not only because of the prison but also because of an age-old lighthouse, bird sanctuary, and a Civil War stronghold.
5. Lombard Crooked Street
A fascinating and captivating street the Lombard Crooked Street which starts from the Presidio Boulevard is famous for its 8 precipitous hairpin bends. The intriguing and sharp hairpin bends are on the Russian Hill section, and the landscape around every bend is breathtaking. Lombard Street was created with multiple hairpin bends as paving a straight path would’ve made the road very precipitous.
Well-manicured gardens and Victorian-style houses on both sides of Lombard Street make the road incredibly scenic.
6. Aquarium of the Bay
The aquarium of the Bay teeming with local marine organisms is one of the most visited attractions in San Francisco that kids will find entertaining. Tunnels constructed from toughened transparent glass, extend to more than 300 feet inside the aquarium, and you can walk down the entire length. The tunnels hold near 750,000 gallons of saltwater, and more than 22,000 marine organisms that you can see up close.
The Aquarium of the Bay is situated close to Pier 39 another tourist hotspot, between Beach Street and Embarcadero.
7. San Francisco Botanical Garden
When you become exhausted following a hectic San Francisco open-top bus tour, you can take a break at Botanical Gardens. You’ll simply love to while away the hours inside the San Francisco Botanical Garden, thanks to the scenic, verdant surroundings. Situated within the Golden Gate Park, the botanical garden sprawls across an area of nearly 55 acres, and contains about 9,000 plant species.
Some of the exotic flora including the cloud flora-, conifer, elevated palm, and magnolia species have been sourced from Southeast Asia, South America, and Central America.
8. San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center
Thrown open to the public in 1920, the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center can accommodate 7500 individuals. As one of the biggest performing arts centers in the US, SFWMPAC houses 7 distinct performance auditoriums for performing arts. The San Francisco War Memorial and Performance Arts Center serves as a venue for operas, recitals, plays, receptions, theaters, and many other forms of performing arts.
This performing arts center has immense historical importance as the Charter of the United Nations was signed inside the Herbst Theater.
Why Should You Take San Francisco Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour?
There are several good reasons why opting for a San Francisco double-decker bus tour makes practical sense, especially if you’re planning a short trip:-
- You can choose from a variety of tickets that offers you the opportunity to view most of the top attractions and also enjoy extra explorations without any additional expenses
- See the sights and attractions at your convenience
- Detailed digital audio commentary in 10 languages
- Guided walking tours
Tips to Make Your Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour in San Francisco Enjoyable
- Research the sites you want to visit so that you can explore the top attractions and yet have sufficient time to view the other sites
- To make the most of your trip to San Francisco combine a hop-on hop-off journey with a walking tour
- Look for a combo package that lets you hop-hop on-off at will and gives you free entry to key attractions
- Dress up according to the weather
- Travel light (keep only travel documents, credit cards, and loose change with you)
Best Time to Take Hop-On Hop-Off San Francisco Bus Tour
The best time to take a hop-on-hop-off in San Francisco is during fall that lasts from September to November when the city is less crowded. You can also visit during the spring season when it’s less rainy and temperatures are milder.
