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Marin Headlands

Marin Headlands: Our most recommended tours and activities

San Francisco: California Sunset/Twilight Boat Cruise

1. San Francisco: California Sunset/Twilight Boat Cruise

Enjoy sunset views as you sail on beautiful San Francisco Bay. See important landmarks, including Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. In the winter months, take in the serene twilight views instead. Along the way, view numerous National Historic landmarks and San Francisco sights, including Coit Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid, St. Peter, Paul's Church, and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. As the sun begins to set over the Marin Headlands, cruise past Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the shorelines of Tiburon, Belvedere, and Sausalito. Watch the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, as you sail west towards the Golden Gate. On your way back to Fisherman’s Wharf, see many more famous sights, including the Presidio, the Marina District, and Fort Mason.

San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise

2. San Francisco: Golden Gate Bay Cruise

Cruise around the Golden Gate Bay on a boat tour. Enjoy informative commentary, see sights like Alcatraz Island, and purchase food and drink from the onboard bar. Launched in 1939 as part of the Golden Gate International Exposition, this 1-hour cruise has been a highlight of any visit to San Francisco for over 75 years. With 8-14 departures daily from Fisherman's Wharf, you will sail along San Francisco's breathtaking waterfront, under the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, and close to the notorious Alcatraz Island. Discover San Francisco's fascinating history, brought to life through audio commentary broadcast in 16 languages via personal headphones. Look out for wildlife along the way, including pelicans, sea lions, and even dolphins and whales. Sail past the lively neighborhood of North Beach, the famous swimming clubs of Aquatic Park, the historic vessels at Hyde Street Pier, and San Francisco Maritime National Park, before heading west towards Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoy views of Crissy Field and the lush hillsides of the Presidio, before cruising under Golden Gate Bridge. Steam back into the Bay, traveling past the wildlife reserves of the Marin Headlands, and the legendary town of Sausalito, once home to the 1960s’ flower generation. With Angel Island State Park to your left, cruise around the infamous Alcatraz. After a full hour of exciting sights, the barking sea lions at Pier 39 welcome you back to Pier 43 1/2. A full bar with drinks, snacks, and merchandise, including logo wear, is available at reasonable prices on board the iconic red and blue sea vessels.

San Francisco: 1-Day Bike Rental

3. San Francisco: 1-Day Bike Rental

Decide where you want to ride and then head out from Fisherman’s Wharf to discover the sights of San Francisco. You’ll be outfitted with a current-model bike, helmet, front handlebar bag and rear gear rack, map, and route instructions. Just tell the local staff how many miles you wish to ride, and they’ll show you a great route that includes all the best sightseeing stops the Bay Area has to offer. Your tour will take you on bike paths and over mostly flat terrain. You’ll receive a guide that provides recommendations on favorite local rides. You can keep the rental bike for the whole day.

From San Francisco: Muir Woods Guided Bus Tour

4. From San Francisco: Muir Woods Guided Bus Tour

Hop on board a bus tour of Muir Woods. Experience the awe and wonder of one of California’s oldest redwood groves as you stroll through dedicated paths of 1000-year-old redwood trees. Your tour will begin with a 45-minute, fully-narrated scenic drive that heads across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and into coastal mountains on the Marin Headlands. Arrive at Muir Woods National Forest where you will be provided park entry tickets and have 1.5 hours to explore the park at your own pace - maps detailing walking trails will be available at the Muir Woods Visitor Center. After exploring the park, enjoy a scenic drive to the coastal town of Sausalito. This beautiful seaside Mediterranean-style town offers a wide selection of distinctive boutiques, restaurants, parks, cafés, and unique art galleries. Guests may choose to depart from Sausalito and return on their own via ferry or remain on the bus and return to a designated drop-off point within San Francisco.

San Francisco, Sausalito and Muir Woods Small Group Tour

5. San Francisco, Sausalito and Muir Woods Small Group Tour

Take a small-group day trip by bus around San Francisco. See the Golden Gate Bridge, spend time at the Muir Woods National Monument, and enjoy lunch in picturesque Sausalito. Meet outside Fisherman’s Wharf at your chosen tour time. After a brief roll call, you’ll board the bus and travel to your first stop. Over the next 6 hours, you’ll be treated to stories about the neighborhoods, diversity, and geography of the area.  You will exit the bus at several stops for photo opportunities and exploration, enjoy lunch in Sausalito, and then spend over an hour in the beautiful Muir Woods National Monument. At the end of your amazing adventure, you’ll be dropped off at the same location where you boarded the bus.  Here are the places you will explore (photo stops noted by *): • Fisherman's Wharf - One of San Francisco's most popular destinations. From beautiful old shipyards to Boudin's Bakery and the smell of fresh clam chowder, Fisherman's Wharf has it all • Chinatown - Boasting the largest Chinatown in the United States, this 24-block mecca is bustling with energy, amazing food, and unique shops that give this area its charm • North Beach - Voted as one of the USA's ten great neighborhoods, North Beach is best known as the home of Little Italy. From delicious restaurants to authentic sidewalk cafes and bakeries, you will feel the charm of San Francisco as soon as you arrive • Pacific Heights* - Offering one of the most scenic outlooks in all of Northern California, Pacific Heights is home to Billionaire's Row, featuring the estates of politicians, tech titans, and other San Francisco celebrities  • Presidio - Former military base, now a beautiful park that includes Crissy Field, Fort Point, Lucasfilm's headquarters, and the Walt Disney Museum • Golden Gate Bridge - Declared "one of the 10 wonders of the modern world," the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognized symbols of San Francisco • Muir Woods* - Muir Woods National Monument is home to some of the oldest and most beautiful trees in the world. Many consider this stop to be the highlight of their trip. The National Monument entry fee is an additional expense to the paid on the day. • Fort Point* - Located just beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point gives you a front-row seat to the Bay and is a great photo stop. This former military fortification was used during WWII • Sausalito* - Located just across the Golden Gate Bridge, this artistic enclave has the setting and beauty of a European Mediterranean town. Enjoy your lunch on the San Francisco Bay

Guided Private Wine Tour to Napa and Sonoma Wine Country

6. Guided Private Wine Tour to Napa and Sonoma Wine Country

Embark on a wine tasting adventure with a local, expert guide on a one-of-a-kind private wine tour to Napa and Sonoma Wine Country. Enjoy the exclusivity of having a tour guide and vehicle all to yourself and your group. Enjoy the convenience of getting picked up at your accommodation or a location in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma or Napa. Your experienced tour guide will work with you to create a customized itinerary (see sample itinerary) that suits your exact interests and preferences as well as your budget. Typically, you and your group will visit 3-4 wineries depending on travel time, where you would like to go, and how much time you would like to spend at each location. With over 1000 wineries to choose from, your group will not be short on options. Explore endless possibilities from family-run operations with rustic tasting rooms or a larger winery with gorgeous landscaped gardens. You can even do a cave tour for an additional cost and elevate your wine country adventure. Discover the many scenic towns in Napa or Sonoma or both that offer lunch options to satisfy all tastes and preferences.  Relax and reflect on your day as you get dropped off at your preferred drop-off point in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, or San Francisco.

San Francisco: Private Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour

7. San Francisco: Private Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour

Escape the busy city life and head to Muir Woods National Monument to spend a half-day on a privately guided tour of one of the only groves of historic coastal redwoods in the area. Stop in the seaside village of Sausalito where you’ll see stunning views of San Francisco. Choose from a morning or afternoon tour and begin your coastal journey by getting picked up at your hotel, accommodation, or any other location of your choice in San Francisco. Head north across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge for the 30-minute drive to Muir Woods. Along the way, learn about the historic old-growth coastal redwood trees (Sequoia Sempervirens).  Once you reach the park, you and your group will have about an hour and a half to wander, hike, and witness the magnificence of some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world on your own. Afterward, drive to the quaint, seaside town of Sausalito for a one hour stop to explore and take in some of the best views of San Francisco. From Sausalito, your tour guide will drop you off back to your hotel, accommodation, or elsewhere in San Francisco.

San Francisco: Private Muir Woods, Sausalito Half-Day Trip

8. San Francisco: Private Muir Woods, Sausalito Half-Day Trip

Explore some of the most iconic landmarks just outside of San Francisco on a private car tour. Head out of the city to visit Muir Woods National Monument, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Marin Headlands with your guide. Leave crowded tour groups behind and go at your own pace. Travel in style and comfort as you make your way north of San Francisco on your private adventure. Sit back and relax as you watch the bay area pass by through the car's windows, taking in the region's delightful landscape. Benefit from a private guide and driver who can bring you to wherever you wish to visit. Some iconic locations include the Muir Woods, where you can breathe in fresh, forest air to your heart's content. There, walk through a trail along Redwood Creek and see the natural beauty of this magnificent location, with trees over 350-feet high. Make your way to Marin Headlands just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. Marvel at one of the best views of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean coast. Stop by Point Bonita Lighthouse, Ridge Battery, Hawk Hill/Battery 129, and Fort Baker for pictures. Head to the charming coastal city of Sausalito with its pastel houses. Meander through the main street where there are many art galleries, shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and a stunning panoramic view of San Francisco, Alcatraz, and the Bay area. Return back to San Francisco with your camera and your mind full of marvellous memories.

Sausalito: Norcal Coastal Tour

9. Sausalito: Norcal Coastal Tour

This deluxe 60 minute flight will begin with a take off from the sea base in the lovely bayside village of Sausalito just across the Golden Gate Bridge. Traverse the lovely Marin county on your way out over Tomales Bay where Sir Francis Drake himself likely landed over a century ago.  Then, it's on to Point Reyes National Seashore, looking for frolicking porpoise and whales along the way until you round the breathtakingly scenic Point Reyes Lighthouse. Continue along the incredible Northern Californian coastline above Highway 1 and finally back over the legendary Golden Gate Bridge itself. Fly above Crissy Field, downtown San Francisco, AT&T Park - home of the Major League Baseball World Champion San Francisco Giants and then over the infamous island prison of Alcatraz. Finally, your flight will be completed with a pass by the historic Angel Island - the immigrant gateway to the west and a smooth landing back in Sausalito’s Richardson Bay. At checkout, you may choose to meet your tour at the Seaplane Base in Mill Valley or you may choose to book a roundtrip shuttle service from Fisherman's Wharf.

San Francisco: Muir Woods and Marin by Land, Air and Sea

10. San Francisco: Muir Woods and Marin by Land, Air and Sea

Discover the scenery of Muir Woods, the Marin Headlands, and San Francisco Bay by land, air, and sea. Savor an included lunch with sparkling wine, then wander around Sausalito at your own pace before taking the ferry back to San Francisco. After pickup at your hotel, drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to the nearby wilderness of Marin County. Arrive early at Muir Woods National Monument, before most visitors, to experience the serenity of the grove. Spend at least an hour under the canopy of redwoods in Muir Woods, and marvel at trees over 250 feet (76 meters) tall and more than 1,000 years old. By going early, enjoy a better chance of seeing black-tailed deer, chipmunks, coyotes, or even wild turkeys. Next, drive back out through the rolling green hills of the Tamalpais valley into the Marin Headlands, where roads cling to the cliffs and red-tailed hawks soar in the sky. Explore abandoned military bunkers with beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline in the background. Then, head to the seaplane base in Sausalito for a 30-minute seaplane flight along the coast. Soar over the Golden Gate National Recreation, retracing your morning adventure over the Marin Headlands, then turn left over the legendary Golden Gate Bridge. Continue on above Crissy Field, Downtown San Francisco, Oracle Park, and the infamous island prison of Alcatraz. Finally, end your flight passing by the historic Angel Island – the Immigrant Gateway to the West – before landing back in Sausalito’s Richardson Bay. On your return to solid ground, pop the cork on a sparkling wine toast and enjoy a locally sourced, organic lunch in the Marin sunshine. After lunch, get dropped off in Sausalito to discover the village’s arty shops, funky houseboats, and charming cafes on your own before boarding a ferry back to San Francisco’s Pier 39.

Other Sightseeing Options in Marin Headlands

Want to discover all there is to do in Marin Headlands? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Marin Headlands

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 2,661 reviews

My experience was great! The team was friendly! We departed at 1 which was great because the sun was just doing through. I’d suggest travelers to book afternoon departures if they want better views. However, the bay is beautiful in any weather condition. Checking in is quick and mindless and onboarding is easily accessible, especially for families with strollers. Parking and surrounding eateries are also easily accessible. 10/10 recommend!

Our driver was Patrick. He was funny, a lot of fun, and very informative on the ride to and from Muir Woods. We really enjoyed the whole tour. The redwood trees were HUGE, and beautiful, and I wanted to take home some seedlings, but the gift shop there didn't sell any. But I think my neighbors would be unhappy having such huge trees near their property, even though they'd be gorgeous.

The cruise was excellent!! Great views and audio tour, and the hot chocolate that was available for purchase was delicious. Highly recommend

It was a fantastic ride with a lot of information provided in a fun way, soundtrack and all! We LOVED it!

Really enjoyed this Was recommend to anyone coming here Worth the cost