See San Francisco’s top attractions from the water on this 1.5-hour tour by rigid inflatable boat. Your guide will provide gear to keep you dry and warm as you take off from Pier 39. Pass the infamous prison of Alcatraz, Coit Tower, the Presidio and glide under the Golden Gate Bridge while your captain provides insightful narration. Numbers are limited to 12 people to keep this small-group tour as intimate as possible.

Discover San Francisco’s top sites on a 1.5-hour bay tour by rigid inflatable boat
See Coit Tower, Alcatraz, Fort Point and other popular attractions
Hear narration on board from a captain
Enjoy special gear to keep you warm and dry while sightseeing

What's Included

Professional guide
Live commentary on board
Weather gear (West Marine jacket & Helly Hansen pants)

Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Bay Voyager
I, Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
We are located at Gate “ i ” ( i as in INDIA) on the West side of PIER 39, down by the world famous sea lions.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
It is recommended to dress in layers, including warm socks, gloves, camera, lip balm, and sunglasses
Minimum age is 5 years
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
You must arrive 30 minutes prior to departure to get suited up, safety instructions & Boarding.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

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

Reviews

5.0

285 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 285 reviews

Great experience!!! Worth the $

Liliana_F, Feb 2023

Loved it! Was worth the $. Had a blast and want to do it again when I come back! The captain was great and friendly. Was a great experience.

Was my fourth trip…really...

Sarah_D, Sep 2022

Was my fourth trip…really great! A special View on San Francisco combined with a lots of fun! Could only recommend!

Great experience!

Adam_M, Jul 2022

Amazing views and an amazing guide! Such a great way to view the bay and the city. Would definitely do the tour again.

We covered so much area...

VictorIa_F, Jul 2022

We covered so much area in a small amount of time. Words of advice ladies, don’t bother with your hair!

Brilliant tour

Mark_G, Apr 2022

Amazing experience, Capt Charles was brilliant. Great way to see the bay and more fun for kids with it being a speed boat

We did a 90 min tour with...

Steven_A, Mar 2022

We did a 90 min tour with Captin Charles yesterday. Firstly he was lovely to meet, did a through safety briefing. We got on the boat and it didn't dissapoint. We had a fantastic trip he gave excellent commentary was enthusiastic and knowledgable .. We even sang happy birthday to one of the other passangers. Let us stop by the sea lions for us to look! Would 100% recommend this trip to really see the bridge and bay its it's best light. Thank you Captin Charles.

Best tour of San Francisco on the water

Amanda_M, Oct 2021

Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, selfie of golden gate, seeing a navy ship coming in for fleet week. Having experiences of seeing things up close & personal that you would never see. Enjoyed the history. Captain Charles was extremely knowledgeable and fun!!

No grace

Leslie_B, Oct 2021

The gate is confusing. We waited @ gate 1 and it it’s @ gate I (i). They refused to help rebook or refund. The Viator lady even told us it was gate 1. Very upsetting. If they are making the same mistake- a little grace would have been appreciated. This event has No refund - think twice

Great Customer Service

Anna_B, Aug 2021

Unfortunately due to mechanical issue/fishing line, the boat was not able to run and we had to cancel. Captain Charles kept us informed and also took the time to make other great recommendations for us. Although we were not able to go on this excursion, I would still recommend it based on the service and also after reading all the five star reviews. Thank you Captain Charles!!!

Amazing SF bay boat adventure

Michael_B, Aug 2021

Great time! Exciting adventure. Fun. Very educational … even for a local who lived in the city for 12 years. Charles is very professional and friendly. He is very clear in explaining things. He is very cool under pressure. It had to be very frustrating when a fishing line got caught in the propeller and had us stranded under the Golden Gate Bridge. Although his boat will likely be sidelined for the rest of the season, he didn’t miss a beat, calling in the necessary help and allaying fears of the passengers on board. He didn’t even waste time, and while we waited, he continued to give us great information about the history of San Francisco Bay. He fully refunded the trip although honestly I was already satisfied with the experience we had at that point. When he’s up and running again, I highly recommend this SF bay boat adventure for locals as well as out-of-towners. My 12 year old daughter and I had an amazing time!

An Enjoyable and Fun Experience

Shawn_D, Jul 2021

A must do boat tour when in San Francisco. Captain Charlie was fantastic, knowledgeable, and funny. We felt very safe for the entire boat ride. Even during the fast and exciting moments. Having the ability to take a selfie directly below the Golden Gate Bridge was most memorable. Highly recommend this wonderful boat excursion.

Awesome tour around San Francisco Bay

John_K, Mar 2020

The trip was amazing. Seeing the giant houses on the coastline, riding under the Golden Gate Bridge, and the various ships all along the bay was nothing short of incredible. The captain's details about all the various sights we saw was fantastic. Speeding really fast along the bay only made the tour even more awesome. I would recommend the cruise to anyone, simply great.

Cindy & John from Florida

John_G, Aug 2018

Excellent trip! Brian was a great captain! We highly recommend this trip! You will see so much and it was so fun!

Best cruise on San Francisco Bay

John_G, Aug 2018

Brian was very knowledgeable and friendly. We went to Golden Gate Bridge to Bay Bridge. Would highly recommend this tour!

Best way to see the Golden Gate!

Robert_C, Aug 2018

Captain Charles was awesome. Very personal and knows all the history of the area. Truly he loves his city!

Awesome experience. Captain Charles was...

Paul B, Mar 2018

Awesome experience. Captain Charles was very knowledgeable and made it fun for everyone!

Brilliant boat tour speed, sights...

Louise L, Sep 2017

Brilliant boat tour speed, sights and informative too, what more could you want? Captain Charles is a great host of the tour. Would highly recommend.

My 9 yr old grandson and I had the...

Jeanne S, Aug 2017

My 9 yr old grandson and I had the best time ever on our boat tour! We learned so much and what an incredible way to see San Francisco! We even saw several humpback whales! Captain Charles was the best so knowledgable, answers all our questions and takes terrific pictures for us! We are locals in the Bay Area and we would recommend this tour to everyone! Anyone can get on those 2-3 story ships, but this is so much better and any age can experience this tour safely, comfortably and you will never forget it!!!

Fantastic trip around San Francisco...

Jayne N, Jul 2017

Fantastic trip around San Francisco bay with Chares, our very knowledgeable and friendly captain. Worth every penny. Not as touristy as Alcatraz, but probably more to see and more enjoyable.

Excellent tour! Fantastic views of...

Mark E, Sep 2016

Excellent tour! Fantastic views of SF, the Golden Gate Bridge and the experience of going out on a RIB is awesome!