Explore one of California's most iconic settings from the beauty of San Francisco Bay. This narrated Golden Gate Bay cruise journeys alongside Alcatraz and Angel Island State Park, past the shores of Sausalito and beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. You can choose to view the sights from inside your boat or out on deck.

Cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge and by Alcatraz Island
North Beach, Sausalito, Marin Headlands, Angel Island State Park
Comfortable indoor and outdoor seating
Open ticket gives you the flexibility to choose any departure time

What's Included

One-hour cruise
Multilingual audio-guide in 16 languages
"Straight to the gate" access

Gratuities
Food and drinks. There is a full service bar onboard to purchase drinks and snacks.

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Red and White Fleet
Pier 43 5, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Please enter in Google Maps: "Red and White Fleet" or "Pier 43 1/2, San Francisco" for exact location and directions. Pier 43 ½ ticket booth (corner of Taylor Street and the Embarcadero)

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your Golden Gate Bay cruise departs from Pier 43 in the heart of San Francisco's popular Fisherman's Wharf, home to many of the city's seafood restaurants. As the boat makes its way out into San Francisco Bay, you'll have great views (as long as the notorious Karl the Fog stays away) of the San Francisco skyline, as well as the bustling North Beach neighborhood and the waterfront Maritime National Park.

Over the next hour you will cruise the waters of San Francisco Bay on a guided tour, meandering west along Fort Mason and past the Marina District — which took a hard hit in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake — en route to the Golden Gate Bridge. Make sure and look up when sailing beneath the bridge's massive 4,200-foot (1,260-meter) span: it's a photo-worthy view that few people get to see.

Turning around in the waters where the Pacific Ocean meets the bay, you'll return east past the Marin Headlines and the harbor town of Sausalito, a favorite day getaway spot for San Francisco visitors. Continue alongside Angel Island State Park, often called 'The Ellis Island of the West,' and then cruise past the Alcatraz Island, home to the legendary former federal prison.

Heading back toward Fisherman's Wharf, soak up great views of the impressive San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Coit Tower, a tall and slim concrete monument named for the eccentric Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an early 20th century-patron for the city's firefighters. Fisherman Wharf's famous sea lions will undoubtedly be barking their welcomes as your cruise returns to port.

Tickets are flexible, so the departure time and date of this round-trip day cruise are up to you (meaning if you've planned ahead but your flight into SFO is late, you can simply catch the next cruise, or even one on the next day. Tickets are valid up to one year from the original booking date). All cruise vessels include indoor and outdoor seating, public restrooms, and a seasonal snack bar. Audio narration is available in multiple languages.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Pass By)

Fort Mason, the Great Meadow (Pass By)

Marina District (Pass By)

Golden Gate Bridge (Pass By)

Marin Headlands (Pass By)

Angel Island State Park (Pass By)

Alcatraz Island (Pass By)

San Francisco Bay Bridge (Pass By)

Pier 39 (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Boat crew are trained to provide first aid and CPR support, and first aid kits are readily available on all vessels
The main deck of each vessel are fully wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
All cruise vessels offer indoor and outdoor seating, restrooms, and seasonal snack bar service.
Vessels operate on biodiesel - a renewable energy source.
The award-winning audio narration is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian and Vietnamese.
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 400 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Julie_S

All the detailed information the narrator gave the us, it was very interesting and insightful. The accommodations were perfect, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. It was a beautiful sunny day, as almost every day in San Francisco, so we were able to see Alcatraz and the bridges perfectly.

Reviews

4.5

1,023 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,023 reviews

Beautiful scenery

Evangeline_B, May 2023

I loved the view, the experience and learning Interesting learning about Alcatraz. Definitely will return.

Awesome tour!

Lisa_K, May 2023

The most memorable parts of the tour was seeing the Golden Gate Bridge close up and seeing Alcatraz, in addition to the awesome views of the city.

Best boat ride in SF

Robert_l, May 2023

The ride was great. Especially going under golden gate and going right by alcatraz.. this was my second time going and already thinking of going back lol..

unforgettable experience

Ramanuj_S, May 2023

very polite staff, and lovely cruise under the Golden Gate bridge and around Alcatraz island. Unforgettable

The beauty of San Francisco

Samuel_A, May 2023

Boat cruise along San Francisco Bay provides over-all views on the beauty of San Francisco. The thrill of driving uphill & downhill experienced feels like i’m in a roller coaster. Haha. It was a very satisfying experienced worthy of promoting it to friends. Until next time. Godspeed.

Fun and informational

jamie_N, May 2023

This is a lot of fun for our group ages 13 to 75! It is the Perfect amount of time and very informational.

Response from Host, May 2023

We are glad you had a good time with your group! Thanks for spending time with us!

A must do attraction!!!

Tiffani_A, Apr 2023

This was an amazing ride! They have a full bar, clean and modern restrooms, the kids loved it and it was so enjoyable. Breathtaking views and a great history of San Francisco included! I would do it again and again! So worth it!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you so much for your glowing five-star review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing ride. It's great to hear that the kids loved it too and that you found the history of San Francisco included in the tour to be interesting. We're honored that you would do it again and again and find it to be so worth it. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to see you again soon for another unforgettable experience.

Lots of fun. Friendly...

Bonnie_Z, Apr 2023

Lots of fun. Friendly staff. Great value for the money. Great way to see San Francisco. My grandson liked seeing Alcatraz up close. Enjoyed the stories

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us! We're thrilled to hear that and your grandson had lots of fun together. I'll share your kind words with our staff.

Seeing the Golden Gate...

Bradford_R, Apr 2023

Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge up close and passing around Alcatraz. It was a truly amazing experience

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Its great to hear that you had such an amazing experience. Thank you so much for spending part of your day with us.

1 hour boat trip

Sarah_L, Apr 2023

Really good trip takes about 1 hour straight to the Golden Gate Bridge and goes around Alcatraz island great for photos

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a really good trip with us and that the one hour journey straight to the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz island provided great opportunities for photos. We hope that those photos will serve as lasting memories of your experience with us

EXCELLENT

Danilo_G, Apr 2023

It was amazing! Our first trip on a ferry was very memorable. I hope to come back soon! excellent…..

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience with us. We appreciate your kind words and hope to see you back soon for another excellent trip.

Nice.

Marisol_A, Apr 2023

Everything went smooth and scheduled. Boat was nice and relaxing. Drinks selection was great. Nice day outside.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you very much for your kind words. We are happy to hear that you had an enjoyable cruise.

SF bay boat ride

Joe_M, Apr 2023

Unforgettable experience. Friendly welcoming staff. Only thing I could say is maybe have audio throughout the boat. I could only hear the narration in certain areas

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a great experience and that our staff made you feel welcome! We're always looking for ways to enhance our guests' experiences, and feedback like yours helps us to do just that.

Nephew’s 18th birthday

phileda_k, Apr 2023

It was nice. They should have more food options nachos and cheese, a hotdog machine or something lol.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on your recent experience with us. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your time with us! We appreciate your suggestions regarding the food options. We're always looking for ways to improve our offerings and provide more choices for our guests. Thank you again for your feedback and for choosing to spend your time with us. We hope to see you again soon!

Average

Mirna_V, Apr 2023

It was average. Boat was old unkept and needed cleaning. They didn’t explain the audio when we embarked so I didn’t know till much later in the trip

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent boat tour experience. We're sorry to hear that your experience was not up to your expectations. We strive to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and maintenance for our boats. We'll be sure to address this issue with our team. We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us to identify areas where we can improve our service. We hope you'll give us another chance to provide you with a more enjoyable tour experience in the future.

Great for sharing with family

Jessica_L, Mar 2023

Alcatraz view is the best part. Peaceful and nice. One small detail is I needed the guide in a different language but nobody assisted.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the stunning views and peaceful atmosphere. We're sorry to hear that you were not provided with the language assistance that you needed during your visit. We understand how important it is to have access to information in a language that you're comfortable with, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The staff, narrator, and...

Glory_J, Mar 2023

The staff, narrator, and experience was neat. The weather was cold and windy but the cruise was still comfortable.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you found our staff and narration to be neat and that you had a comfortable cruise despite the cold and windy weather. We understand that weather conditions can sometimes impact the enjoyment of the experience, but we're glad that we were able to provide a comfortable and enjoyable trip nonetheless. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back soon for another great experience!

The Sights

Angela_J, Mar 2023

Getting on the boat and the anticipation of seeing the bridge. The tour operator should have canceled or rescheduled the tour because the weather was foggy and I couldn’t see the sights.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

We are sorry that you were disappointed that Karl the fog made an appearance. Unfortunately, he has a mind of his own. As long as it is safe for our passengers and crew, we operate our cruises in the sun, fog and rain. We appreciate your feedback and invite you to come visit again on a sunnier day.

Absolutely amazing,...

DEVIN_J, Mar 2023

Absolutely amazing, despite the weather! We will definitely be using red & white fleet again on our next trip to SF! With love,

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience with us. Our team works hard to provide exceptional service and a great experience for our passengers, and we're glad to hear that we were successful in doing so. We appreciate your feedback and are honored that you'll be choosing Red & White Fleet again on your next trip to SF. We look forward to welcoming you back and providing another unforgettable experience!

Do it! You won't regret it.

Maria_V, Mar 2023

Staff was friendly and helpful The whole experience was wonderful. I love the history recording to learn about the SF area.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful experience with us and that our staff was friendly and helpful. We take pride in providing exceptional service to our passengers, and we're glad that we were able to do so during your visit. Additionally, we're glad that you enjoyed the history recording and were able to learn more about the SF area. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another great experience in the future!

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