Ride a double-decker sightseeing bus to San Francisco's most famous landmarks with a choice of 2 different passes. Explore the city's 49 square miles, including stops at big-name attractions like Pier 39, the Palace of Fine Arts and Union Square. Go at your own pace, hopping off at any of 16 stops, exploring at your leisure, and then hopping back on when you're done. Choose the Premium pass to include a night tour or a Deluxe pass for an additional 24 hours of hop-on-hop-off and a night tour.

Travel around San Francisco on a double-decker bus, hopping on and off at any of its stops with your ticket
Upgrade to the Premium pass to include a night tour
Upgrade to the Deluxe pass to include an additional 24 hours of hop-on-hop-off and a night tour
Flexible, fun and family-friendly way to make the most of your time in the city!

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

There’s no better way to see world-famous San Francisco landmarks — including a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge — than by an open-top Big Bus!

What's Included

Hop-on Hop-off bus tour
Chinatown Walking Tour (with selected Tickets)
The Flyer OR 7D Experience (if option selected)
Souvenir earbuds provided
Buy 1 hour bike rental get 1 hour free from any Blazing Saddles shop

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Start time

Opening hours

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

View tour option

What To Expect

Embark on a seamless San Francisco adventure with a hop-on hop-off bus tour, eliminating the need for car rental. Start from any of the 15 conveniently located bus stops on the route, such as the tour route start point of Fisherman's Wharf.

The double-decker sightseeing bus follows the Red Route, offering 15 stops across 19 significant points of interest. Highlights include Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park, along with attractions like Madame Tussauds and Aquarium of the Bay. Choose to hop off to explore these sites at your leisure and then hop back on, or simply enjoy the full route from the comfort of the bus.

For those with tickets including a walking tour, delve deeper into Chinatown's rich culture in the afternoon.

Conclude your hop-on hop-off experience with the freedom to further explore San Francisco independently. If you have a 2-day pass, you can take advantage of the extra time to discover the city at a more relaxed pace.

Day Tour - Red Route

15 Stops

19 Points of Interest

Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Operating Schedule: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Every 15 Minutes Customers are advised to visit the Big Bus website or to download the Big Bus app to see the most up to date bus stop locations and timings. For live bus tracking on the day of travel - please download the Big Bus App in advance of arrival.

99 Jefferson St

329 Columbus Ave

Ferry Building

280 Geary St

201 Mason St

90 Fulton St

944 Fell St

1816 Haight St

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point

211 Richardson Ave

2101 Lombard St

1599 Lombard St

Embarcadero

Pier 39

Points of interest passed by on this route

Pier 39

The Embarcadero

Haight-Ashbury

Union Square

Civic Center

SS Jeremiah O'Brien

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

Golden Gate Bridge

Washington Square

Lombard Street

Chinatown

Alamo Square

Golden Gate Park

Big Bus Tours

California Academy of Sciences

Madame Tussauds

Aquarium of the Bay

Ferry Building Marketplace

San Francisco City Hall

Panoramic Sunset Tour - Blue Route

1 Stop

5 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 hour

Operating Schedule: Departs at 6:30pm This tour is not a hop-on, hop-off

Big Bus Tours San Francisco

Points of interest passed by on this route

SS Jeremiah O'Brien

Madame Tussauds

The San Francisco Dungeon

Ferry Building Marketplace

Pier 39

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
1-day tickets will be valid for same day use. Tickets claimed after 3pm will be valid for 24 hours from time of redemption.
Wheelchair accessible
Night tour operates on a first-come, first-served basis, so try to arrive early to secure your seat
Stroller accessible
Night Tour is not a hop-on hop-off tour
Service animals allowed

Wheelchair accessible, please call ahead for arrangements
Daytime Tour: Show your paper or mobile voucher to a member of the Big Bus staff at any of the stops along your route to redeem.
Near public transportation
Night Tour: Redeem vouchers at the start of the tour at Stop 1 Big Bus Tours Visitors' Center, 99 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133, No tours on July 4th, Thanksgiving, Dec 24th and Dec 31st.
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

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Q:Do I have to go to a central location to redeem my ticket for the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:For the day tour, you can simply show a printed or electronic version of your ticket at any of the stops to board the bus. For the night tour, you must redeem your ticket at 99 Jefferson Street, San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf.

Mar 2021

Q:What time is the last bus on the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:The last bus departs Stop #1 - San Francisco Visitor Center at 5:00 pm.

Mar 2021

Q:How will I know which stop(s) to use during the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:Our live guides and pre-recorded commentary will communicate upcoming stops. You can also download our free App for more information on routes and times, and what to see and do at each stop location.

Mar 2021

Q:Is the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour wheelchair accessible?

A:Yes, we operate wheelchair-accessible vehicles with lifts that can accommodate up to 650 pounds however, not all vehicles are equipped. If you require an accessible vehicle, please let us know in the "Special Requirements" box at checkout.

Mar 2021

Q:Can I bring a pet with me on the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:No pets are allowed on board the bus, except ADA service animals.

Mar 2021

Q:Can I bring food or drink with me on the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:No food or alcohol is permitted onboard the bus. Non-alcoholic drinks in screw-top bottles are permitted.

Mar 2021

Q:Can I bring luggage on the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:No, luggage is not permitted onboard the bus at this time.

Mar 2021

Q:How often does a bus arrive at each stop during the Big Bus San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Tour?

A:A bus arrives approximately every 30 minutes.

Mar 2021

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

3,605 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 3,605 reviews

Great Day Bus Tour

Phil_H, Apr 2024

Great tour, and really useful for all the keys stops. The commentary was clear and concise with enough information to take away. Well worth it!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for the feedback, the 4-star review and for joining us!

Great service but unfriendly drivers

Bernice_S, Apr 2024

This is a great way to discover the whole city - we just stayed in for the whole trip day one then hopped on and off on day two. First driver was great but some of the others were unfriendly to the point of rude - but more customer service wouldn’t go amiss ..

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your feedback, and our apologies for the driver issues. We will let our operations staff know so that we can continue to improve our guest service. We appreciate the 4-star rating!

Refund please.. do not bother booking..

Jordanna_S, Apr 2024

Experienced nasty staff, late departures in which didn’t allow for times to align for what we had booked. Full buses & no point using the bus as they couldn’t even care to ensure that everyone was treated well & on the bus within where they had lined up; allowed 6 people on from the back of the line over 20 plus who had been waiting in the cold for over 30 minutes. We would like a refund for the tickets as we got one bus ride and that was all. Absolutely ridiculous the lack of organisation of the buses & how disrespectful the staff are.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We would like to apologize for your bad experience with us and for letting us know. You can reach us directly at sfreservations@bigbustours.com and we will let our management team know. Sincerely, Big Bus Tours San Francisco.

Big Bus Hop On/Hop Off San Francisco Tour is Great.

Jeff_T, Apr 2024

Very fun and easy way to see much of San Francisco. Excellent audio tour info also. well worth it. would recommend it to all. Enjoy.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thanks, Jeff T! We're happy that you enjoyed the tour and appreciate your feedback. Hope to see you again!

We had 1 driver that was...

Sandi_B, Apr 2024

We had 1 driver that was very rude to passengers about boarding or going upstairs. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable experience. Would recommend that people take the full trip around before hopping off so they can better judge walking distances at locations of interest.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello Sandi B, Our apologies for the impolite driver, but glad to hear that you were still able to enjoy the tour. If you would like to let us know any more details about your experience, you can email us directly at sfreservations@bigbustours.com. Thank you for the 4-star rating!

Easy way to get around and see the sites

Ann_F, Apr 2024

A great way to see and hear about San Fran. The walking tour of China Town was interesting and we enjoyed listening to Bianca

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We appreciate your 5-star review and for letting us know about our helpful staff member, Bianca! We hope you enjoyed your stay in San Francisco and look forward to you joining Big Bus Tours again!

Excellent! Enjoyed the...

LORIA_G, Apr 2024

Excellent! Enjoyed the tour. Learned a lot of San Francisco history. I liked you can hop on and off.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for letting us know that you enjoyed the tour and we hope you enjoyed your trip to San Francisco!

Great Tour of San Francisco

Peter_R, Apr 2024

Another very inexpensive and informative thorough Tour through an unfamiliar city. The Drivers were very friendly and helpful.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for the great feedback and 5-star rating! We hope you can join Big Bus Tours again on your next trip.

The bus driver made a...

Edward_H, Apr 2024

The bus driver made a special stop for us at Ghirdelli Sqare. Loved the view at the Golden Gate Bridge

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for the nice feedback and for the 5-star review!

Fun way to see San Francisco!

Matthew_H, Apr 2024

What a fun way to see San Francisco! The only down side is having to use the headphones to hear about the city. Not as personal of a tour. It is still fun to drive around the city and get on and off where you would like to. Our favorite memory is driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. The day we went it was so cold and windy!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for the 5-star review!

Only positive the drive over the bridge. If your short of time then do it this way. Otherwise walk or cycle it.

karen_b, Mar 2024

The staff selling the tickets are helpful and pleasant. The tour gives you information about san francisco. Whilst on the tour it will say for example' two blocks away is .......' Lots of the sights it says you see it only passes the end of the road. Often it tells you information about places of interest after you've oassed it. For example Janis Joplin House and Jimi Hendrix. Once the tour is out of sync with the sights it continues to be, therefore half the sights you miss. At some stops you're told this stop is for China Town or Painted Ladies,but your a 2 block walk. People get off and then walk in the wrong direction. The massive positive is going over the golden gate bridge and back..takes all of 2 min drive each way.. this is one of the few tours that does it. If you have time explore and find the sights you want to see yourself.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for the feedback. We apologize for the out-of-sync audio and that our stop locations were difficult to navigate. Thank you for the input - Sincerely, Big Bus Tours.

All talk not showing enough as most behind trees or walls

Stephen_M, Mar 2024

Was glad to get off the bus, most viewing locations were behind trees or walls, it was all talk poor sight views

Big bus fun

Charlene_M, Mar 2024

This is a must. Great views, you ride across the Golden gate Bridge. You can get off at any stop and look around then just hop back on the next bus. It is really a inexpensive way to get around and you also learn history. They have video as you ride.

Hop on the bus for a great tour of San Francisco!!

Darlene_L, Mar 2024

Great option for seeing the city highlights. We had a 15 hour layover for a flight and booked this tour. Hop off, hop on feature makes it easy to see multiple places in a shorter period and no hassle of driving

Everything on the ride...

Jose_L, Mar 2024

Everything on the ride was excellent. The quickest way to see San Francisco for sure. Very recommended

fantastic

James_k, Mar 2024

it was all great everything was in great detail. It was everything I imagined. I would do it again. That's enough

Amazing trip and completely worth the price!

Gerard_J, Mar 2024

Love it! Must do if it’s your first visit! Got to see all the most important spots in San Fran. Drivers were amazing. Try to do it on a nice day, not too hot or too cold for the best experience.

The Ticketing experience...

Priti_K, Mar 2024

The Ticketing experience was very painful. We reached one of the stops and were asked to go to Big Bus office at Jefferson Street to get a physical ticket. I requested the driver to look me up on his system as the Ticket confirmation from Viator said Paper printout was enough. We were forced to go to their office. Spent $20 fr no reason and the staff said we are not responsible as Viator is a third party. Lesson learnt..always book thru the company's website. The bus otherwise is Good

Great Experience

Linda_A, Mar 2024

Great experience well run every 20 min depending on traffic. Most of the drivers are friendly and welcoming. I would like to mention JFK of San Fransisco Big Bus he was jolly and kept us informed of all the stops.

Efficient & well done

Susan_J, Mar 2024

Really good audio tour and lots of options and helpful staff at drop offs to direct you to the places you want to see

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