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Union Square, San Francisco

Union Square, San Francisco: Our most recommended tours and activities

San Francisco: Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour

1. San Francisco: Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour

Hop aboard a sightseeing bus for a tour of the City by the Bay and delve into the fascinating history of San Francisco and its legendary landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf. The hop-on-hop-off route stops at the main points of interest all around San Francisco.  Experience the diverse culture, beautiful parks, stunning architecture, and picturesque views from the top of an open-air sightseeing bus. Hop off anytime and create your customized itinerary at your leisure. Explore 3 routes depending on your ticket purchase and enjoy photo stops at the Golden Gate Bridge on each route. Sit back and enjoy the ride as you cruise through the city on an open-top bus. Learn about the unique history of San Francisco while passing through Chinatown, Union Square, Civic Center, and Alamo Square. Enjoy the hop-on hop-off service at your leisure for a full day. Choose the 48-hour ticket to choose either a free bike rental or admission to the USS Pampanito. Take a deep dive into the history of this WWII submarine or cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge and into Sausalito. You have the freedom and flexibility to choose your own San Francisco adventure.

SF: Alcatraz Ticket w/ 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Night Tour

2. SF: Alcatraz Ticket w/ 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Night Tour

See the best of San Francisco with this combined hop-on-hop-off ticket and Alcatraz Island visit. Explore the island of Alcatraz and enjoy 2 days of sightseeing with insightful commentary from a live guide. Tour the famous prison that has played a role in jailhouse folklore and the historic evolution of the West Coast. Learn more about the 14 unsuccessful escape attempts by over 30 prisoners and their fates. Your Premium Big Bus hop-on-hop-off pass is a great way to see the sights of San Francisco. Listen to commentary by live English-speaking guides, or enjoy pre-recorded audio commentary in 10 languages. Your 2-day ticket includes a full day of unlimited hop-on-hop-off and a 1-hour panoramic night tour. Explore one of San Francisco's most fascinating neighborhoods on a fun and informative walking tour of Chinatown. The tours are offered daily, and you can ask an agent for locations and time schedules. Also included are a bonus 1-hour bike rental (with the purchase of a 1-hour rental) and Players Arcade Drink and Game Tokens. Hop-on, hop-off tour stops include: Stop 1: Corner of Jefferson & Mason StreetStop 2: Holiday Inn Northpoint b/w Jones & ColumbusStop 3: Washington Square - Columbus & Union StreetsStop 4: Embarcadero Center - Corner Clay & Battery StreetsStop 5: Ferry Building - Market St b/w Stuart & Spear StreetsStop 6: Union Square South - Geary St across from Macy’sStop 7: Hilton Hotel - Corner Mason & Ellis StreetsStop 8: Civic Center - Fulton St b/w Larkin & Hyde StreetsStop 9: Alamo Square - Corner Fell & Pierce StreetsStop 10: Haight Ashbury - Haight & Shrader StreetsStop 11: Golden Gate Park - Music Concourse Drive Golden Gate ParkStop 12: Golden Gate Bridge- North Vista PointStop 13: Palace of Fine Arts - Richardson & Francisco StreetStop 14: Marina Neighborhood - Lombard & Fillmore StreetsStop 15: Lombard Street Corridor - Lombard & Gough StreetsStop 16: Union Square North - Post & Powell StreetsStop 17: Chinatown Gate - Grant and Bush StreetsStop 18: Portsmouth Square - Kearny & Clay StreetsStop 19: Pier 35 Cruise Terminal - The EmbarcaderoStop 20: Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf (then return to Stop 1)

Yosemite Valley 3-Day Camping Adventure

3. Yosemite Valley 3-Day Camping Adventure

Spend 2 nights camping in the world famous Yosemite Valley outside of San Francisco. You will travel in an eco-friendly biofueled vehicle, and all camping gear is provided to lighten your load. All you need to bring is a sleeping bag and enthusiasm for the Californian wilderness. Don't worry if you've never camped before. The camping and cooking equipment is provided, using quality tents. Everybody is expected to participate in the set-up and break-down of camp, and a professional guide will be there to ensure a positive camping experience. You will camp at comfortable campsites that have hot showers and modern facilities. Swimming is available nearby. Food is also provided, but there will be no chefs! You will get the chance to cook over campfires, and you will also be the waiters, dishwashers, and of course the guests! The fare is all-you-can-eat and very tasty, and is a mixture of chicken, beef, and vegetarian. Day 1: On the morning of your first day camping, your guide will meet you downtown at the corner of Mason and O'Farrell Streets in front of the Hilton Hotel at 08:15. Once out of San Francisco, cross the Central Valley and head through gold country on your way to the mountains. Before reaching Yosemite Valley, hike down for a picnic among the giant sequoia trees, the largest living things on Earth. Meals on the first day are not included in the tour price, but you will have an opportunity to get food en route to the park. Depending upon group interest and logistics, you may visit any of the 3 sequoia groves. The hike through the giant sequoias is pleasantly shaded and brings you right up close to these massive wooden monuments, some of which are more than 1,000 years old and measure up to 30-feet wide and 300-feet tall. Continue into the park on a 90-minute guided tour, and descend into Yosemite Valley, the most famous and photographed part of Yosemite, thanks to the work of photographer Ansel Adams. While in the Yosemite Valley, your guide will give you an orientation to the park, as well as an explanation of the itinerary and options for the next 2 days. After some free time in Yosemite Valley, head for the campsite to set up camp, ending the day with drinks around the campfire as you decide what to do with your next 2 days in the park. Day 2: Rise early and prepare breakfast and lunch, clean up camp, and head off in the van for a fun day full of hiking, sightseeing, and exploring. Usually the second day is reserved for exploring Yosemite's High Country. A group hike to May Lake and Mount Hoffman is generally the highlight of the day, depending upon snowpack. May Lake is a picturesque example of a High Sierra lake. If you want more of a challenge, you can continue past May Lake to Mount Hoffman. Located at the geographic center of the park, Mount Hoffman is a non-technical hike that rewards you with a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountain landscape. At the end of the day, head back to camp for dinner and time to unwind by the campfire. Day 3: Day 3 is a free day, where the itinerary is based on the interests of the group. Normally the tour heads back into Yosemite Valley, where you can choose one of a number of great hikes, rent a bike, or relax in the shade by the emerald green Merced River. After a full day in the park, head back to San Francisco, arriving around 21:00. In May, June, and early July, you have the option of joining a whitewater rafting trip on the Merced River, depending on snowpack. This Class III-IV adventure can be added to your Yosemite Escape adventure for only $140-$160.

San Francisco: Small-Group Sonoma Wine Tour with Tastings

4. San Francisco: Small-Group Sonoma Wine Tour with Tastings

Discover Sonoma Valley and some of its best wines on this small-group, full-day tour. Learn about the history and traditions of winemaking in the region from your expert guide and taste wines from 3 wineries. Your adventure begins with a pick-up from your hotel/accommodation in downtown San Francisco. Get to know your travel companions for the day as you head out of town and across the Golden Gate Bridge. Learn about the region from your friendly and knowledgeable guide and sample many of the delicious wines that have made Northern California a world-renowned wine-producing region. Travel with a small group (limited to 13 people) to three of Sonoma's finest boutique wineries and spend approximately one hour at each winery. This journey also includes a stop in scenic Sausalito, a stop at the Golden Gate Bridge, and a lunch stop (lunch not included) in the historic town of Sonoma where you can select from one of the many fantastic restaurants on the square. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a walk into the past at Mission San Francisco Solano. After the final winery stop of the day, relax as your guide drives you back to your accommodation in San Francisco.

San Francisco Ghosts: Gold and Ghouls Tour

5. San Francisco Ghosts: Gold and Ghouls Tour

Set off on a San Francisco ghost tour through different sites around the San Francisco downtown area. After meeting your guide embark on a 1-hour tour through Nob Hill. Perfect for first-time visitors and locals alike, this tour is a great way to see the amazing sites of the affluent neighborhoods while getting a feel for the city's ghostly atmosphere.  See a side of the city seldom witnessed. Take a walk past haunted hotels, streets, clubs, and office buildings. Learn about the ancient Mayan secrets of the Sutter buildings, the famous tragedies that haunt The Westin St. Francis, and the devastation and heartbreak that followed the great earthquake of 1906, which has literally and figuratively haunted the city for over a century. Find out about the terrible night that leads to Fatty Arbuckle's blacklisting from the film industry. After the gold rush of 1849, San Francisco became a beacon of hope and prosperity, but not everyone can strike gold, and inevitably, many people seeking fame and fortune found tragedy instead; their stories are likely to disturb and frighten you. These events throughout history continue to have an impact on the area, and the accounts you'll hear on this tour reveal that these hills have just as much horror as happiness.

San Francisco: Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour

6. San Francisco: Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour

Enjoy a panoramic night tour of San Francisco on a 1-hour long tour from the San Francisco Visitor Center at Fisherman's Wharf to the Presidio. Uncover spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge from Marina Green and Crissy Fields. Reach the top of California Street to see Grace Cathedral and historical Nob Hill. Then head downtown to capture the city skyline, Bay Bridge, and AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Cross the Bay Bridge for stunning views of the city from Treasure Island. Once the bus returns to the city, continue along the Embarcadero and admire the lights of the Port of San Francisco. Along the way, discover the history and culture of the city through unique, engaging audio commentary, available in 10 languages. At the end of your tour a courtesy shuttle will take you back to Union Square.

San Francisco: The Haunt - Ghost Hunting Walking Tour

7. San Francisco: The Haunt - Ghost Hunting Walking Tour

Prowl through Gold Rush-era neighborhoods after dark, armed with ghost-hunting tools to seek out paranormal activity in San Francisco. The Haunt is San Francisco’s real ghost-hunting excursion, with storyteller guides sharing dark tales of the city’s haunted past. Meet by nightfall in the Jackson Square Historic District, a Gold Rush-era neighborhood of eerie Victorian architecture. Your tour guide will outfit everyone with an E.M.F. meter that you’ll use throughout the paranormal investigation. From there, enter the old neighborhood, hearing about the forgotten graves and ships buried beneath. Down quiet alleyways, learn of the destruction of the Great Earthquake of 1906, and the residual hauntings that still plague the neighborhood. At any point, you might detect E.M.F. activity, and you'll investigate further using tools such as dowsing rods and a Spirit Box. In Chinatown, hear of the tragedies that mark the neighborhood’s past, including the true crimes whose energies still linger, from a mysterious death in a historic theater to the city’s biggest massacre at the Golden Dragon. End the investigation with a ceremony to honor whatever spirits joined the group with a ritual to ensure that nothing follows you home.

San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

8. San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

Experience the best of San Francisco on this fun and unique tour. The 3-hour adventure features clips from over 50 of the most famous movies ever filmed in San Francisco. Actors-turned-guides lead you on an interactive tour of the city, as they match clips with locations right outside the bus and share their wealth of San Francisco and cinema knowledge. You’ll see even more of San Francisco on this tour than you would on a normal city tour. See the key neighborhoods: Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Nob Hill, Union Square, Alamo Square/Painted Ladies, City Hall, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, The Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, and Pacific Heights. This activity is also fun and interesting for kids. The route includes locations from The Princess Diaries, Full House, Dr. Doolittle, George of the Jungle, Hulk, and X-Men 3. Locations include: • The house where Robin Williams' family lived in Mrs. Doubtfire • Various locations from the famous chase scene in Bullitt • The park where the Tanner Family enjoyed a picnic during the opening credits of Full House • The building where Christian Slater questioned Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire • The high school attended by Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries • The damaged park steps from the car chase in What's Up Doc?

San Francisco: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Golden Gate Bay Cruise

9. San Francisco: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Golden Gate Bay Cruise

Make your way around San Francisco with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket. Hop off to explore the city's best highlights or stay on the double decker to enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the city for two hours. Combine your ticket with a 1-hour Golden Gate Bay Cruise to sail around the famous San Francisco Bay. Golden Gate Bay Cruise Arrive at Fisherman's Wharf and look for the red and white colors of the "Red & White Fleet" to find your boat. Sail past the lively neighborhood of North Beach and take advantage of the bar onboard with drinks, snacks, and merchandise. Admire the famous swimming clubs of the Aquatic Park and the historic vessels at Hyde Street Pier. Enjoy idyllic views of Crissy Field and The Presidio of San Francisco before the stunning image of the Golden Gate Bridge comes into view. Cruise straight under the bridge as the sun shines and waves lap against the boat. Travel past the wildlife reserves of the Marin Headlands to reach the shores of Sausalito, once home to the Flower Children. With Angel Island State Park to your left, finish your cruise outside the infamous Alcatraz prison. Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Exchange your voucher at any of the bus stops and get ready to discover the city of San Francisco. Discover local parks and architecture as you listen to the digital commentary, available in 10 languages. The route of the hop-on hop-off bus includes stops at iconic landmarks from Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, Golden Gate Bridge, and Little Italy. This flexible approach to sightseeing allows you to enjoy your day at your own pace.

San Francisco: Electric Bike Day Rental

10. San Francisco: Electric Bike Day Rental

See San Francisco in an ecologically conscious way, while comfortably negotiating the city’s famous hills with your electric bike. With your all-day rental bike, cruise along the car and pedestrian-free waterfront of San Francisco Bay and ride along the city’s bike paths. Enjoy a brand new fleet of bikes that provide an active way to experience San Francisco. Take the less-traveled routes through the city on a self-guided tour. Feel the e-Moto battery kick in as you pedal, propelling you towards your destination. The electric bikes have a range of 16-20 miles on a full charge and feature a full-comfort seat, hand shifters, and brakes. Bike through Golden Gate Park and along the coast, through the Headlands, into Muir Woods, or to Mt. Tam. Take a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. From the bridge, take in the views of the bay, the ocean, and the San Francisco skyline.

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Other Sightseeing Options in Union Square, San Francisco

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What people are saying about Union Square, San Francisco

Overall rating

4.4 / 5

based on 2,252 reviews

My mom & I had only 2 days in SFO & love to binge watch TV. Obviously, we booked this tour & it was great! We got more out of it than we expected. There was a TV screen inside the van & we always saw a short clip of the movie, then drove by where the scene was filmed. I was very impressed by the amount of movies shown since I did my own quick Google research and found only about 10 movies Now, we’ve got a whole to-binge-list with movies shot in a place we’ve already been to. Bryan, our guide, is a kind person who answered a lot of our questions & made stops to take pictures when we wanted to. We saw all big sights of SFO! Can recommend it 100% ☺️ The only thing I just want to mention in order for everyone to have a good time: my mom has kind of a sensitive belly when e.g. being in a plane, boat or in this case a vehicle with a lot of movies on the screen and the typical roads of SFO. So just in case, you are also having some troubles, might bring a motion sickness medicine with you.

Easy to navigate. The big bus stop made collection super simple. The audio tour at Alcatraz is really well put together, booking in advance is a must. Recommend packing extra layers for the night tour if you plan to sit on top of the bus, the wind chill is next level. Overall a great experience - highly recommend.

I really enjoyed the tour. About an hours walk. We go up some of the hills so be ready for that. The tour guide Jamie was cool. Really got into the details and was overall a great tour guide. Maybe next time I’ll do the extended tour.

The staff was friendly and made it fun! San Francisco is beautiful at night, you won't be disappointed.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and learned quite a bit about the history of SF.