We booked this through Virgin Holidays and have been on several Big Bus Tours around the world. Generally, we find the tours informative and interesting, the staff helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and San Francisco staff were no exception (apart from one person in the redemption centre – cheer up!).
We had a three-day, two tour and Alcatraz Tour ticket. The red route takes you around San Francisco, the parks, across the Golden Gate Bridge (where you can go to Sausalito on the Green Route) and back towards Fisherman’s Wharf. We went on the Green Route the day after the power had been restored from the Wildfires just to have a look around – which we would recommend to others if you have time and want to get away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours. A mention is required for Patrick who made this little part of the tour enjoyable with his sense of humour, anecdotes and informative commentary.
There are times on the Red route where you can go a few streets with not much to see – but that’s just how it is in a big city.
The Alcatraz tour took place from Pier 33 and we sailed out at 1pm. There are multiple sailings throughout the day, there and back. When you are on the island – you are able to explore at your own pace and leisure but there is an audio tour of the cell block and guided tours / talks if that’s more your thing. It is worth a visit. We spent about three hours on the island exploring but also taking pictures of SF from another angle.
Overall, if you are in SF for a few days and want a quick tour around – this ticks the box.