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, 43 1/2, 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)

Departing from Pier 43 1/2 in the heart of Fisherman's Wharf, you'll sail past the San Francisco skyline and view the lively neighborhood of North Beach and San Francisco Maritime National Park.

Fort Mason, the Great Meadow (Pass By)

As you head west toward the Golden Gate Bridge, cruise along Fort Mason

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 travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 400 travelers

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 travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Make sure you take a jacket if you want to stay upstairs!

Dress warm I would say regardless of the time, it's going to be cold.

Reviews

4.5

1,000 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,000 reviews

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.

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!

The viewing was great but...

Michael_M, Mar 2023

The viewing was great but I really enjoyed the guided tour as well. We learned lots of interesting things about SF.

Nice experience!

Petra_G, Mar 2023

We were blessed with a beautiful sunny morning, sothe view was great. The cruise started sharp on the hour. They gave us what they offered :)

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for the 5 stars!

Beautiful view. The...

Cindy_G, Feb 2023

Beautiful view. The audio has a lot of details. We went on a clear sunny day. Everyone kept saying it was a great day for it.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us.

Very soothing experience...

juju, Feb 2023

Very soothing experience with great narration and phenomenal views of the SFO skyline. Learned historical information about the city.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

We are thrilled to hear that you had a very nice, soothing experience. We look forward to you coming back again someday!

My 2-11-23 experience

Sheila_E, Feb 2023

The experience was really nice and gave me what I desired. My only concern I could not hear the story and when i asked for a headphone, the guy in charge did not want to give them to me, but eventually did. I did not understand the resistance since he was gladly handing them out to everyone else

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you for your feedback. The headphones are meant for our non-English speaking guests so that may have been why the crew member was hesitant to give the device. Sorry for an inconvenience this may have caused.

Tour

Ritesh_C, Jan 2023

Easy check in and cheaper to purchase ticket online rather than booth , boat left within time limits and it was a smooth ride along the bay

Response from Host, Feb 2023

We are glad to hear that you had an enjoyable time. Thanks for going out on the bay with us!

Unforgettable

Timothy_H, Jan 2023

The views from the cruise are breathtaking! The crew was very helpful and informative. This was the highlight of our trip. If you’re in the area you can’t miss this cruise!!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you! Experiences like this are why we do what we do day in and day out. We love creating memories with our guests!

Cruise

Devin_B, Jan 2023

Back of ship was best. Thanks That is all I want to say! I should not have wasted my time doing a review since it is asking me to say more!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Glad you had a good cruise! Thank you for taking the time to give us a review.

Nice experience

fortnitesucks650, Dec 2022

Highly recommend it great experience and great costumer service it was great just wear something cozy because it gets windy and cold

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Must take cruise for anyone visiting San Francisco

Bhagirath_G, Dec 2022

We had a great experience with the Red and White tour boat cruise in the San Francisco Bay. Everyone enjoy the cruise to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Alcatraz.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you!!

Great experience

Veronica_R, Dec 2022

The boat was beautiful and the ride was very smooth. We enjoyed learning about the history of the Golden Gate Bridge and about Alcatraz

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you! We are glad that you enjoyed your cruise with us!

Nice tour of the Bay

Nattie, Dec 2022

Well organized tour and a great way to see the Golden Gate bridge up close. It was pretty chilly the day we went. Most people went inside after we passed below the bridge.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you for your feedback. We are happy that you had an enjoyable time!

San Francisco Best

Andre_B, Dec 2022

Dress warm. Commentary was loud and clear. Bartender was(she) very nice. I would recommend this tour and come back again.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you for cruising with us!

Enjoyable ride! Great to add on itinerary.

Michelle_L, Dec 2022

Staff was very pleasant from the boarding dock and onto the boat. Very clean and neat. There are different levels and seating arrangements you can choose. Whether you want to be in doors or out, low or high to get a different view. Enjoyable ride as the speaker educate about the scenery.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you very much. We take a lot of pride in our vessels and are glad that you noticed. Thanks again for cruising with us!

Wonderful experience

Quinsika_S, Dec 2022

It's a wonderful experience being on this tour. So much beauty around yourself with lot of history. Even my toddlers enjoyed the tour.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

We are so happy that you and your family enjoyed your cruise. We have had some beautiful crisp, clear days lately. It was so nice that you were able to enjoy it.

...