San Francisco

Straight to the Gate Access: San Francisco Bay Sunset Cruise

Badge of ExcellenceSan Francisco, USA
San Francisco Bay Sunset Cruise

Overview

Bypass the line and head directly to the gate with your prebooked tickets. This sunset cruise takes you across San Francisco Bay with outstanding views of the city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. Relax while background music sets the tone. Watch the sunset or select a twilight cruise during winter months.
  • Views of the city skyline, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Cruise the bay when the sun sets and views light up.

What's Included

  • 2- hour sunset cruise (summer months) or twilight cruise (winter months) of San Francisco Bay
  • "Straight to the gate" access
  • Gratuities
  • Full bar is available onboard to purchase drinks and snacks.

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

  • Red and White Fleet San Francisco Bay Cruises
    Pier 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) Please come to our location 20-30 minutes prior to departure.

Start time

07:00 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Make your way to the pier at Fisherman's Wharf in time for your chosen departure time (depending on the season). Listen to relaxing background music and watch the sights pass by on San Francisco Bay.

All cruise vessels operate on bio-diesel — a renewable energy source —  and offer heated indoor spaces or outdoor viewing decks. There is no assigned seating or formal dress required during this casual, relaxing evening cruise.

Sunset Bay Cruise: If you embark during late March through early November, you’ll watch the sun setting over the the Pacific Ocean as you cruise toward the Marin Headlands and past the Golden Gate Bridge. Glide past Alcatraz, Angel Island and the San Francisco Bay Bridge.. On your return to Fisherman's Wharf you'll see many more notable sights, including the Presidio, the Marina District and Fort Mason.

Twilight Cruise: In the winter, the cruise makes the most of San Francisco’s spectacular city lights on a twilight tour. After the sun sets over the horizon, you'll glide past San Francisco's modern skyscrapers, historic landmarks, the infamous Alcatraz Island and both the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoy the illuminated skyline — an unmissable San Francisco view.

Red and White Fleet

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Golden Gate Bridge (Pass By)

San Francisco Bay (Pass By)

Marina District (Pass By)

Fort Mason Center (Pass By)

Coit Tower (Pass By)

Salesforce Tower (Pass By)

San Francisco Bay Bridge (Pass By)

Yerba Buena Island (Pass By)

Treasure Island (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Please note: In November, December, January and February, tour departs at 5:30pm for the Twilight Cruise and will not see the sunset. There is no commentary on this cruise.
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Please come to our location 20-30 minutes prior to the departure time.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 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 good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Miroslav_H
Perfect evening in mid-March! We got to see the sunset as well as the lights after dark. The views were spectacular and the trip was well-worth the expense! We would definitely recommend and look forward to doing this again!

Reviews

4.5
1,295 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 1,295 reviews
Going under bay and golden gate bridge
Lois_N, Mar 2024
Great staff, answered questions we had. Chilly outdoors so dress warm. Very romantic evening for couples, especially if you want to cuddle
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it excellent and had a nice romantic evening. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
Best Bay Experience Possible
Karla_T, Mar 2024
Exactly the experience I imagined-plus. It was an amazing experience to travel under the bridges, so close to Alcatraz and along the city line. Would recommend. Fantastic crew-so helpful/cheerful!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it excellent especially enjoying Alcatraz and capturing stunning pictures of San Francisco, both bridges, and Alcatraz. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
2024 FABULOUS NIGHT at Peir 43 1/2
Lisa_A, Mar 2024
My group of 4 are traveling here from Iowa. We came for a wonderful time and we did e a try that. Thanks for providing us a very memorable experiance
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying Alcatraz and capturing stunning pictures of San Francisco, both bridges, and Alcatraz. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
Spectacular views of the Bay Area at night!
Miroslav_H, Mar 2024
Perfect evening in mid-March! We got to see the sunset as well as the lights after dark. The views were spectacular and the trip was well-worth the expense! We would definitely recommend and look forward to doing this again!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying the city lights and capturing stunning pictures of San Francisco, both bridges, and the sunset. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
Sunset Cruise SFO
Jo_O, Feb 2024
Fab thing to do great cruise around the harbour seeing the three main sites -golden gate&bay bridges and up close to alcatraz island - plus seeing the city scape light up as it gets darker as you come back in - value for money for 1.5hrs i thgt was outstanding Must do when in San Fran
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying Alcatraz and capturing stunning pictures of San Francisco, both bridges, and Alcatraz. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
Must do
Karen_G, Feb 2024
Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Franisco at night was beautiful. This was our first time in San Franisco and we did the most with the time we had.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge! Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
I don’t do reviews
Angela_J, Feb 2024
Beautiful experience, would highly recommend. It started off with a gorgeous sunset. And ended with Oakland and San Francisco being lit up with lights.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying the city lights and capturing stunning pictures of San Francisco and Oakland! Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
I loved cruising under...
Benjamin_L, Feb 2024
I loved cruising under the bridges. I loved seeing them up close and the city from far away. And the music set a nice atmosphere.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying Alcatraz and capturing stunning pictures of the San Francisco bridge! Glad you enjoyed the music too! Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
It was a great...
Dontrell_G, Feb 2024
It was a great experience. I wish they would allow to smoke on the open water and offer more food items.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful!
A trip to remember
Jared_B, Feb 2024
Very nice trip really cool that you could bring your own food. Had a really nice dinner with my girlfriend. Very nice views of the city. Would totally do it again.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the cruise! We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful, especially enjoying the San Francisco views. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
GORGEOUS
BLANCAMARIAE_S, Jan 2024
So much fun a beautiful! Take thus awesome tour you won't regret it! Very fun and an awesome experience!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
We're thrilled that you found it amazing and beautiful! Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable moments.
Terrible experience with Viator
Sandeep_S, Jan 2024
They are selling lies. I was told this was a wheelchair accessible cruise. It’s not. All I asked was please show me a pic of the bathroom that is wheelchair accessible and they did not. There is no way to access the deck without stairs. Misinformation and full of lies. Don’t do this.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience you experienced during your cruise. It is disheartening to hear that the information provided did not align with the actual accessibility of our facilities. We deeply regret any misunderstanding and the frustration it may have caused. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to addressing this issue promptly. We will investigate the miscommunication and take the necessary steps to ensure accurate information is provided to our guests. Please accept our sincere apologies for falling short of your expectations.
Beautiful sunset cruise
Madhumitha_B, Jan 2024
One of the beautiful evenings in SFO. We had a great time seeing the sunset! We enjoyed seeing the cruise. It was economical too.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you had a beautiful evening in San Francisco.
Fantastic experience! Highly recommended!
Renee_F, Jan 2024
This was our first Bay cruise. I loved the different prospective it gave of the San Francisco skyline, the bridges and Alcatraz! The music that was played during the cruise was fantastic! I found myself singing and dancing between pictures! Thank you for an awesome experience!
Response from Host, Jan 2024
You are very welcomed! So glad to hear you had such a great time and enjoyed the music! Thank you for the positive feedback!
Twilight Cruise
Chantel_T, Jan 2024
Brought my granddaughter she lived it and was excited the whole time! Being said, the experience was more than I expected the staff and crew were great! Music was good to make the trip fun and in motion live when the history portion was included Want to come back with family and include the Alcatraz tour!
Response from Host, Jan 2024
So glad to hear that you and your granddaughter had a great experience! Looking forward to seeing you again with the whole family!
Underwhelming
Lucy_V, Dec 2023
I would do a hard pass on the twilight cruise in the winter as the sun has already set by the 5:30 pm departure time, the Golden Gate Bridge is not illuminated and all we did was sit on a boat and cruise for an hour. When we went, there were freighters in the way so we could not get close to the Golden Gate Bridge, so we turned around and headed back. All we saw was the San Francisco skyline illuminated. For the amount paid, I would do something else. It was rather underwhelming.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
We appreciate your feedback about the twilight cruise and apologize for the underwhelming experience. We regret the timing and visibility issues you encountered. Your insights are valuable, and we will review our scheduling and routes to improve future experiences.
Special!
Amy_S, Dec 2023
This tour offers breathtaking views of the city, bridges, and Alcatraz. It is well-organized and definitely worth the price.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! We work hard to ensure our guests have a great experience. So glad to hear you had a wonderful time!
Red and White Fleet Ferry
Elijah_R, Dec 2023
Missed The Departure Time, But Better Luck Next Time. Had A Great Time At The Piers Still and Ate Good Food.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
We are sorry that you missed your departure. Your tickets are good for 365 days. Please just come to our box office when you would like to reschedule.
Didn’t make it :(
Paula_S, Dec 2023
I couldn’t make it due to heavy traffic and encountering a few crashes. I hope to go back to San Francisco and try to book it again.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
We are sorry that you encountered heavy traffic. Not to worry...your tickets are good for 365 days so just let us know when you want to go out on your cruise and we can move your reservation.
Beautiful Night San Francisco Skyline
Taswana_R, Dec 2023
It was a beautiful night to see the San Francisco skyline. So many great photos ops and a friendly crew and helpful. A must whether visiting or a Bay Area native.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
So glad to hear you had a great time! Thank you for your wonderful comment and recommendation!
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From $58.00

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 2 hours
  • Mobile ticket

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