Alcatraz, Muir Woods & Sausalito tour from San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge, redwood forest, bay town, and a former federal penitentiary in one day

A guided full-day tour from San Francisco takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods National Monument (where you spend 80 minutes among the tallest trees on Earth), then to Sausalito's waterfront, and finally to Alcatraz Island with ferry passage and audio guide in your choice of 12 languages. Hotel pickup is included. Groups stay under 14 people.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each5 stops

1. Palace of Fine Artspassing by
2. Presidiopassing by
3. Golden Gate Bridge10m
4. Muir WoodsEntry included1h 20m
5. 13th ArrondissementEntry included3h

Golden Gate, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Alcatraz

• Ride from hotel to Golden Gate Bridge
• Listen to narrated city tour
• Drive through the Presidio
• Stop at Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
• Drive to Muir Woods with scenic views
• Explore Muir Woods for 1 hour 20 minutes
• Visit Sausalito waterfront and shops
• Drive to Pier 33, Alcatraz landing
• Take ferry to Alcatraz Island
• Tour Alcatraz Island
• Return ferry to Pier 33

The experience

The day starts at 8 AM with pickup from your downtown or Fisherman's Wharf hotel. Your driver narrates the route through the city: passing the Palace of Fine Arts (built in 1915 to celebrate the Panama Canal's completion) and the Presidio, where you'll see the Tunnel Top Gardens and Crissy Field, once an Air Force base during World War II. The narration continues as you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, opened in 1937 and painted orange-red to cut through the fog. A stop at Vista Point on the bridge's north side gives you time to photograph the span, the bay, Fort Baker, and the San Francisco skyline.

From there, the route heads to Muir Woods National Monument, just 12 miles north of the city. You'll spend one hour and twenty minutes walking among the Coastal Sequoias: the tallest trees in the world. These ancient redwoods once covered much of North America. Today they survive only along the California and Oregon coasts. Most were destroyed by fire and logging by the early 20th century, but Redwood Canyon remained untouched due to its isolation. The forest floor is home to deer, turkeys, chipmunks, and squirrels. Bottled water is provided.

After Muir Woods, you drive to Sausalito, a small town on Richardson Bay with views of the water, islands, bridges, and yachts. Time there is yours to spend: art galleries, souvenir shops, and seafood restaurants line the waterfront. The driver then takes you back to Pier 33 in San Francisco, where you board the ferry to Alcatraz Island. The federal penitentiary operated there from 1934 to 1963 and held some of the most notorious prisoners in American history. An audio guide in one of 12 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin, Russian, or Japanese) is included with your Alcatraz ticket. You can spend as much time on the island as you want, but don't miss the last ferry back.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from downtown San Francisco or Fisherman's Wharf.
• narrated drive through the city, the Presidio, and across the Golden Gate Bridge with a photo stop at Vista Point.
• entrance fee to Muir Woods National Monument.
• 80 minutes in the redwood forest.
• free time in Sausalito.
• official Alcatraz Island ticket and ferry passage.
• audio guide at Alcatraz in one of 12 languages.
• bottled water.
• professional guide speaking English throughout.

Information

Lasts 8h, runs every day at 08:00, from US$ 159 per person, with a live guide in English and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 28

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.2 with pickup ›

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (17 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Child (under 17)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by A Taste of SF Tours

Is this one for you?Small groups of up to 14 people work well here because the guide can manage the pace across three very different stops (a city drive, a forest walk, and an island tour) without anyone feeling rushed or left behind. If you want the major sights north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge in a single day without renting a car or piecing together separate tickets, this combo tour holds it together.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 17).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the tallest trees I'll see at Muir Woods?

Muir Woods is home to Coastal Sequoias, the tallest trees in the world. You'll spend 80 minutes walking among them. These ancient redwoods now survive only along the California and Oregon coasts, having once covered much of North America.

Does the tour include the ferry to Alcatraz and entry to the island?

Yes, the official Alcatraz ticket and ferry ride are included. You'll board at Pier 33 in San Francisco and can spend as much time on the island as you want before catching the last ferry back.

What languages are available for the Alcatraz audio guide?

The audio guide at Alcatraz comes in 12 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin, Russian, and Japanese.

Will I have time to eat or shop in Sausalito?

Yes, after Muir Woods the tour takes you to Sausalito, where you have free time to visit art galleries, souvenir shops, and seafood restaurants along the waterfront before heading to Alcatraz.

Is hotel pickup included, and what time does the tour start?

Hotel pickup from downtown San Francisco or Fisherman's Wharf is included. The tour departs at 8 AM.

What will I see while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge?

The tour stops at Vista Point on the bridge's north side, where you can photograph the Golden Gate Bridge itself (opened in 1937), the San Francisco Bay, Fort Baker, and the downtown skyline. The bridge's distinctive orange-red color was chosen to remain visible in fog.