Incredible Adventures offers an array of tours from San Francisco. Northern California is our home, and we’d love to show you around! Whether it’s a trip to Yosemite, Muir Woods, Napa or Sonoma Wine Country, or Whitewater rafting, you can be sure of a unique and flexible tour experience.

While you’re in the city, make sure you check out everything San Francisco has to offer: hop on hop off San Francisco city tours can take you around the city and over the Golden Gate Bridge, while catamaran sailboats and ships can take you UNDER the bridge and around the islands in the bay!

Check out Alcatraz and tour the famous prison, stroll through Golden Gate Park (including the newly-rebuilt Academy of Sciences), or walk along the waterfront and explore Pier 39 and the iconic Ferry Building. You can rent a bicycle or a little yellow GoCar or a Segway, and the city’s your oyster!

…and while you’re at it, try some local oysters!

We offer a variety of activities and attractions on our San Francisco city tours that are sure to complete your visit. Come explore with us!

Incredible Adventures can also custom design a Private San Francisco Charter in one of our Biofueled Mini-coaches to accommodate your family, group of friends, or organization.

A Little History About San Francisco

The city of San Francisco is now the second most densely populated city in the US (after New York). San Francisco is well known for its steep hills, fog, cable cars, Victorian homes, liberal attitudes, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

San Francisco was founded in 1776 by Spanish colonists. The first city establishments were the Presidio and the Mission Dolores (Mission San Francisco de Asis). In 1848-1849 the California Gold Rush brought great population growth to San Francisco, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time. California officially became a state in 1850, and San Francisco was well on its way to developing its infrastructure. Banks were established, railroad tracks laid, Victorian homes constructed, and the cable cars started running. The Chinese immigrant workers created Chinatown, city leaders planned for a public park to be built (Golden Gate Park), and Levi Strauss and Domingo Ghirardelli opened for business.

SF's World-famous Earthquake

The great earthquake and fire in April of 1906 devastated more than 75% of the city. Thousands died, many lost their homes, and the downtown was nearly decimated. However, the city was quickly rebuilt with improved infrastructure, and in 1936, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed, connecting the city to Marin county to the north. Around the same time, the Bay Bridge connecting to the East Bay was also completed. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed bridges in the world, and is painted “international orange” to help alert ships in foggy weather.

During the 50s and 60s, San Francisco started its journey to becoming the center of liberal activism in the United States. Hippies set up shop in the Haight Ashbury, the gay rights movement took hold in the Castro district, and the Democratic party has controlled city politics since the 1970s. In 1980, the city rolled out one of the earliest curbside recycling programs in the country. The environmental ethics in the city remain strong today with mandatory food composting, green building, solar energy, and recycled cooking oil programs in place.

San Francisco's High Standards of Living

Since the 1990s, the information technology and startup industry has grown dramatically, fueling the city economy and development and leading to a high standard of living. In fact, San Francisco has the second highest quality of living in the United States.

Many neighborhoods have been gentrifying as a result, but the international flair that characterizes the “City by the Bay” remains due to many immigrants coming over from Asia and Latin America.

Exploring San Francisco's famous neighborhoods

The neighborhoods of San Francisco are colorful, diverse, and walkable/bike-able. It is the second most walkable city in the States. The city also has an extensive public transit system connecting its neighborhoods to the downtown center and to each other.

The historic streetcar F line runs from the Castro district all the way down Market Street to the Embarcadero and then makes a turn north towards Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. Numerous public parks exist throughout the city, the biggest and most well-known being Golden Gate Park, providing for many opportunities for outdoor recreation and enjoying the mild climate that San Francisco experiences.

About Our San Francisco Guided Tours

Welcome to our San Francisco tours! So much thought goes into making our experiences so much more than just a San Francisco sightseeing bus. SF is home of Alcatraz, cable cars, a vibrant arts scene, and, of course, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. At Incredible Adventures, our family-run team is nestled in the heart of the Golden City and we’d love to show you around on our San Francisco tours.

Let’s start with The Rock. Not that Rock, but Alcatraz. The famous prison closed in 1963 and remains a fascinating site of protest and history. If you dare, join one of our San Francisco guided tours of Alcatraz by night. Working the night shift gives you access to areas not open to the public by day. Enjoy the 15-minute ferry under the Golden Gate’s arches and witness the dramatic sunset over San Francisco’s skyline before doing a brief stint inside.

The city is your oyster, especially for foodies! San Francisco’s waterfronts offer a delectable array of local flavors to try. From Pier 39’s lip-smacking clam chowder and basking sea lions to the Ferry Building’s farmers market full of local produce, you’ll have to save room in your suitcase for delicious local wines and edible souvenirs.

Our hop-on hop-off bus tickets give great views from the doubledecker bus around the city’s most popular sights, including Chinatown, the former hippy haven of Haight-Ashbury, the picturesque Painted Ladies, and more!

See the city through the eyes of a local with our San Francisco sightseeing tours

Not only do we know the city like the back of our hand, but we also offer excursions from San Francisco to our favorite Northern California landmarks. If you’re looking for a sublime slice of the great outdoors, check out our flexible and unique tours of the mighty Yosemite, Muir Woods, or the delicious Napa and Sonoma Wine Country.

Maybe you fancy yourself a tech whizz? Join one of our tours from San Francisco to Silicon Valley and visit the birthplace of global companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google. Once you’ve toured the Google Campus and snapped a selfie at the Facebook ‘like’ sign, visit the Computer History Museum. Get into the nostalgic groove by playing Pac Man and Atari, and marvel at the scale of the first mega-computers.

Even More San Francisco History

San Francisco is known for its iconic steep hills, fog, cable cars, Victorian homes, and the famous arches of the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll no doubt be familiar with the city’s landscape, so let’s look a little deeper at its history.

Founded in 1776 by Spanish colonizers, San Francisco’s first city establishments were the Presidio and the Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores).

The city’s population boomed during the California Gold Rush (1848-1855) with prospectors migrating across the globe to find fortune.

California officially became a state in 1850 and, with the goldrush invigorating the economy, San Francisco was pelting full steam ahead to develop its infrastructure. Banks were established, railroad tracks laid, Victorian homes constructed, and the famous cable cars started running. A busy few years, right?

In 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed, connecting the city to Marin County to the North. Now, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most photographed bridges in the world, known for its “international orange” color that helps alert ships in foggy weather.

During the 50s and 60s, San Francisco bloomed as the center of liberal activism in the United States. Hippies set up shop in Haight-Ashbury, the gay rights movement took hold in the Castro district, and the Democratic party have been in control of city politics since the 1970s.

Since the 1990s, the information technology and startup industry has flourished, with Silicon Valley fueling San Francisco’s economy and development. Just a 45-minute ride from the city, this desert tech hub has launched services we couldn’t imagine life without. Google it if you don’t believe us!

All San Francisco Tours

Two people wearing helmets and sunglasses ride bicycles on a path near the Golden Gate Bridge, with clear blue sky and water in the background, perhaps enjoying a day that includes a Sausalito tour or an adventure through Muir Woods.
Nature Tour

Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour with Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour

FromUSD$199
Enjoy beautiful sights and stunning panoramic views as you cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge. Then, explore Muir Woods National Monument and the picturesque seaside village of Sausalito on this exciting full-day tour.
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A sailboat named "adventure cat" sails under the golden gate bridge on a sunny day during a San Francisco Bay sailing tour.
Sailing Tour

San Francisco Bay Sailing Tour + Alcatraz Night Tour

FromUSD$170
Enjoy an adventurous sail on the bay on our relaxing catamaran cruises which are the perfect way to see the breathtaking cityscape. Afterwards, explore notorious Alcatraz Island on a night tour full of legendary tales.
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A seaplane tours docked on a calm body of water at sunset in San Francisco.
Nature Tour

San Francisco Seaplane Tours

FromUSD$299
Join Incredible Adventures on one of our San Francisco seaplane tours for the best view of the Bay Area. Find out more about this amazing experience.
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Photo of Lombard Street: a highlight of our San Francisco 2 day itinerary
City Tour

2-Day San Francisco City Tour + Alcatraz Tour

FromUSD$170
On this 2-Day hop-on hop-off city tour, you'll learn about San Francisco’s different cultures, exciting architecture, beautiful nature, and history from the early Spanish settlers to the Gold Rush and present day. Your package includes Alcatraz and several additional tours.
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Sailboat with passengers cruising near the golden gate bridge at sunset on a San Francisco Bay sailing tour.
Sailing Tour

San Francisco Cruise Tour

FromUSD$60
With day and sunset San Francisco cruise tours, Incredible Adventures offers the kind of sailing experience you’ve always dreamed of! Find out more…
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A woman on a tour in California's Yosemite National Park, gazing out over a body of water with an island in the background.
City Tour

San Francisco Bay Cruise + Alcatraz Night Tour

FromUSD$129
Enjoy a wonderful day cruise in San Francisco Bay! Glide along the city’s breathtaking waterfront, under the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, and then explore notorious Alcatraz Island on a night tour full of eerie ambiance and legendary tales and stories.
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A boat sails near Alcatraz Island on a hazy day, offering tours to Muir Woods and Sausalito.
City Tour

Alcatraz Day Tour + San Francisco Bay Sunset Cruise

FromUSD$139
Explore Alcatraz Island then later that evening, board a biodiesel-powered ship for a relaxing and fun-filled cruise of the San Francisco Bay, with sunset views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, and the San Francisco skyline!
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