San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour (Essential)

We bought a two day ticket to give us the freedom to move around the city. The bus picked us up from the cruise terminal and we took seats on the top deck. After two stops a man came up and said we had to get on the bus behind. We got off and were told to go to the end of a very long queue. We refused saying that we should be first on as we had already been on. The man said we had been on a shuttle not a HOHO bus. I disagreed and held my ground. After arguing back and forth we were let on in front of the queue. Our friends who had gone to the back of the queue didn’t make that bus. The so called shuttle” that picked us up looked like a “real bus” Not a good system and handled very badly by the staff

Terrible bis ride...No air down below, all buses were packed. Sucked sucked sucked

So much fun! This is a must do for visitors. Very reasonably priced for a two hour loop around the city, over the bridge and back. Dress warm, the cold wind over the bay is vicious! We hopped off in Chinatown/North Beach to walk around, it was easy to find our pick up place with the app we downloaded. The audio guide was helpful.

My opinions - So, it was a little late in the day - 2:30 - and we got a reduced fare, as we were told the last tour ended around 6:00 p.m. We waited about 45 minutes for the first bus to pick us up at the fisherman's wharf. Frankly, the driver/tour guide was way too loud and obnoxious to us. We had to get off after two stops because we could not stand the noise and a couple of other passengers did the same. We waited about 45 minutes for another bus, and we were told it was the last bus of the day. The driver did not give the tour - it was tape recorded but actually gave us some interesting information. However, the bus physically was on its last legs. If it had shock absorbers, they were not working. Not very clean either. We bounced along trying to listen to the tape for the next 12 or so stops, just to get back to the wharf which was nearer to our hotel. We have been on hop on hop off tours in Europe which were ok. This was just a waste of money and time and physically painful.

The ride was great to get all the landmarks in and get around the city, the instructions left much to be desired…from a lack of communication to differences in confirmation codes between one company and the other other…the driver on our bus did his part and was really good to help us…prob would not buy online in the future.

Absolutely worth it to get a lay of the land! You get to see the financial district, shopping areas, the bay, pier 39, go across the golden gate and back- and it’s SO windy up top! The audio option helps get more info, they provide headphones, and a pamphlet. Easy to book, worth the money, and it takes about 3ish hours but flies by! Also beware sun burn if riding up top

Had a great time. Saw lots of sites. Hop on hop off was and excellent way to see the city.

City Sightseeing San Francisco Hop On – Hop Off Bus Service Is Not Dependable Our family of five learned the hard way how the City Sightseeing San Francisco Hop On – Hop Off bus service is not dependable. Our first disappointment came when two of the “route attractions” advertised on the handout maps and on the company website were cancelled without notification. Our group was informed how stop number thirteen provided access to the museums of Golden Gate Park. However, we were not informed how it was the only stop from which the museums could be accessed, or how stops number fourteen and fifteen were no longer available. It was not until the bus varied from the map and turned away from Golden Gate Park and announced the next stop was number sixteen at Haight Ashbury, did our group and a number of other customers realize the stops we were interested in were no longer available. It was a rather long walk back to the California Academy of Science which was our destination for the afternoon. This one failure to properly communicate the change in the bus route might have been forgivable. However, when later in the afternoon our group wanted to complete our Hop On – Hop Off bus tour, our driver decided to curtail the tour when our group of five were the only passengers left on the bus. He traveled on Columbus Avenue to skip stops numbers three, four, five, and six in order to proceed directly to stop number seven to drop us off. When I complained about not getting to see the other stops, I was informed how stops number five and six were only a five-minute walk along The Embarcadero and our group should walk it! This is not my idea of dependable customer service. When the route is changed, I expect clear communications regarding the nature of the changes and how those changes impact to my plans. I want to know in advance any stops which have been cancelled. I certainly do not want to be told I can walk to see route attractions I have already paid to see. I strongly recommend visitors to San Francisco travel on the Big Bus B Hop-On Hop-Off service since it follows its map and conscientiously stops at the advertised attractions.

The hotel location was excellent. Right next to the Warf and Pier. In case it’s applicable to you and your stay, parking was $30 a night, no Air Conditioning (just a small window) and they don’t supply wash cloths. Other than that it was affordable.

This city is BIG! Keep that in mind, you will not be able to do all of the stops in one day, impossible! We try to do a few stops and still could not see our short list of stops. There’s traffic and significant distance between attractions. We have done several hop-on, hop-off tours in other cities and this one was the most overwhelming because the attractions are so far apart! Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on the top was the highlight.

Excellent. Great day. Busses ran very frequently.

It was good for getting us to places that were a little more difficult to get to. It was great using this on our first full day in San Francisco to see the various districts for the first time. We were stuck in very slow-moving traffic around Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge. As it was getting late and dark during the winter months, we chose not to stop at the second half of the stops before our stop at Union Square. First tip: even though it was a sunny day with clear blue skies and sitting on top was fantastic for getting close to the beautiful building tops of San Francisco, it got quite cold after 3 p.m. in winter. Second tip: it is very windy on the Golden Gate Bridge – my son’s beanie was blown off but, fortunately, ended up in another passenger’s lap. The bus stops at a rest area for photos of the Golden Gate Bridge but does not wait; you have to catch the next bus after getting off for photos. There was quite a long wait to start at Union Square. The closest stop to Lombard Street was still quite a walk away, so we chose not to make a stop there and postponed seeing Lombard Street until the next day, using a cable car to get there instead. Due to the popularity of the seats upstairs, it was quite difficult to get a seat upstairs.

Well worth the money to see around San Francisco. The experience of going across the Golden Gate Bridge was surreal with the blue sky & fog. It also gave us an opportunity to see some areas that we were advised not to walk around. It took us to many locations that we otherwise may have found difficult to get too. Staff were very nice.

Enjoyed our time on the big Red Bus loads of insight about the city and we were very comfortable on our trip. We are very happy with the service.

Hi, did the tour yesterday, went to some great landmarks in san fran, unfortunately it will spolied by the driver who did the whole trip commentry in a bizarre rap/style ...couldnt understand a word he said, but otherwise ok.

This bus company offered so many iconic SF spots! We live locally and took family on this hop on hop off so they could see what’s happening we’ve come to know and love in SF. We EVEN went across the Golden Gate Bridge! You won’t be sorry…

I have done hop on/off buses all over the world. Unfortunately this one had half of the upstairs seats the audio didn’t work. Until some people got off we couldn’t move so missed half of the information.

Overall, it was one of the best parts of our trip. I need to do more research on your different tours because the one I purchased was a 24 hour tour but yet the bus only run from 10 AM to 6 o’clock and there’s a separate tour for nights. Also, I’m glad I came prepared with my paper ticket because they were unable to scan my phone.

We have enjoyed these bus tours in the past but found this one lacking in information of the areas history. there were large gaps in the commentary. Staff were helpful and pleasant. The highlight was the golden gate bridge stop. Great views of the bridge

Bought a hop on hop off ticket with Big Bus via Tripadvisor. The bus stops directly in front of our hotel, but tripadvisor tikets needs to go to first stop to enter. So had to buy an additional taxi ride. Don’t use tripadvisor. - buy directly with Big Bus

Although the bus ride and tour was very good we had an issue with the Big Bus company to accept the Viator pass. No idea why but thankfully we were there early enough to get it sorted. Lesson - it’s easier, cheaper and more reliable to buy direct than to use Viator.

it was a great way to see the city in 1 day. the stops were the major sights it’s so accessible. the arrival of the bus gives you time to go around.

Loved the numerous landmarks and attractions the tour provided. It was a terrific day. We loved the experience. Enjoyed the bus being punctual and allowing us to se numerous things.

BEWARE!!!! This is NOT a 24 hour ticket as stated. I purchased my ticket at 1pm expecting it to be valid until 1pm the next day. No, only valid from 1pm until 6pm when the last bus runs. So a 5 hour ticket and they will not refund or reschedule even though I called 2 minutes after making the purchase.

Great way to learn about city with clear commentary. Unexpected drive across Golden Gate Bridge. Staff helpful and sorted out a problem as I couldn’t get WiFi on my phone to retrieve the tickets

Needless hassle to get tickets: After buying tickets on sftourcompany.com, which is the tour bus's corporate website and cheaper than on tripadvisor.com, I received a confirmation email that said that I could use it to redeem tickets an any tour bus stop. I showed my email at the Union Square bus stop in San Francisco, and the ticket person said that he couldn't issue tickets until I received a second email with a QR code. After telling him that I had purchased the tickets over an hour ago, he said that it could take up to 3 hours to receive this email, since it was coming from London. (Huh?) After 10 minutes of arguing, he printed out our tickets. By the way, the second email never arrived. Do not use sftourcompany.com to buy tickets for this.

Well worth Getting on ,it takes all around San Francisco ,you can hop on & off all round the city ,Fishermans Wharf ,Chinatown ,Union Square & many more stops . Stay on & it takes Across the Golden Gate Bridge .

It’s really a ‘must do’ as it is such a great way to accustomise yourself to the city, whilst having the option to jump off of you want to …… whilst picking up some great info via the audio on the headphones. They don’t start until 10am, which feels a little late if you’re like us and like starting your day early but we just caught up with one later in the day when we needed a break from walking, The stops are appropriate, and well spaced out - the busses are supposed to be 15mins apart but we found this a bit hit and miss, so don’t depend on it.

Email not sent, unable to get ticket, no QR code sent , had to pay again to be able to get on the bus— disappointed w/ Tripadvisor

We had multiple drivers and the end of the night, Raphael was the best, loved him! So friendly and happy at the end of the trip- very refreshing! Loved the info through the earbuds they give you. Love that I can check multiple hot tourist spots off the list in one loop! Big Bus is a fantastic time!

Highly recommended! I’m a local and this was a fantastic way to see the city and learn a little bit of history. Blake and Francisco made sure that we had a memorable girls day in San Francisco!

Complete rip off. Rough riding hard plastic seats. Better to use other tour vendors. Alternately get transport to specific venues.

This way of getting to see the highlights of San Francisco worked really great for us. We drove in from Palo Alto easy access, parked at pier 39 which was safe and well located. Walked a short block to the ticket office. Hop on and hop off we headed out, got off at what interested us. Enjoyed the ease it offered.

We booked this tour thru our Royal Caribbean cruise ship (Shore Excursions). This was the worst experience we have ever had on a tour. It was the hottest day, 10/1/2024, and just getting off of the ship and standing in a huge line for this tour was very unorganized. We finally get on the bus and the bus driver said there was no A/C even though there were A/C vents. He said using the A/C prevents the tour bus making it up the steep hills in SF. There were not any windows we could open on the bus so there was absolutely no air flow at all on the bottom level of the bus. The bus driver was extremely rude & disrespectful when people complained about it being so hot. He never announced any of the stops that were listed on the map. Since it wasn't listed on the map, we asked which stop we could get off at for the Fish Market. He never answered our question. We never got off of the bus like many other on this tour. It was the most hellish 2.50 hours on this tour. Once we got back onto the ship, we complained to the Shore Excursions representative and only received a 50% refund. Our suggestion to anyone wanting a tour of SF, choose another tour company!

Great time was had by all! Fun tour with an excellent tour guide! Will was informative and fun! Would recommend to anyone planning on visiting San Francisco!

You get to see all the highlights. But the narration is a recording which is not always in sync with your location. The trip across the Golden Gate Bridge was extremely windy, as in my phone nearly blew out of my hands. A warning would have been nice.

I went on a guy's trip with my brother and brother-in-law to visit San Francisco to catch a baseball game. We went on the Hop-On-Hop-Off buses in San Francisco. It was a great adventure. I think the greatest highlight was the crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge. However, it was cloudy and foggy. I recommend wearing a sweater, hat, or pair of jeans to keep your head and ears warm. The bus does stop at a rest area for people to get off and take pictures. Just remember that the bus does leave to continue its routes. Every 15 minutes the buses pass by to pick up groups and individuals to return to their destination where the tour starts.

The bus tour is good, however you need to get off at a lot of stops and walk a fair way to see the ‘sights’. I personally think it’s expensive for what you get.

The fact that we can see all the great wonders of SF so easily Getting off and on the bus at our own time schedule worked for us. Bus drivers were friendly and helpful

Excellent experience to see the highlights of San Francisco and to hop on/off. The bus does a wonderful tour of SF an gives you in-depth knowledge of the city history.

Disappointed that the stops weren't really near anything that we were interested in. Would have liked to have been be able to get off at the Lowell cable cars but the nearest stop was quite a trek. Also the crooked road at Lombard was a long way from the stop and in the opposite direction. Have been on other hop ons in other cities and they have been much better 😕

I think Big Bus Tours are a good idea to see touristy parts of any city. We enjoyed all the sights, especially crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge! (Caution, if you’re sitting on top, it will get very windy) We decided to ride on the bus for the whole loop (about 2 1/2 hours to see the jest of it) we started late, so we missed the chinatown tour at 1 pm. TIPS: don’t lose the actual ticket they print out for you, or will cost you $15. Let the people off the bus first or the driver will yell at you. They will definitely ask for tips. Some drivers are better than others. There are free headphones and pamphlets. CONs: At the last stop, you will have to get off the bus and wait for another bus. These buses are so old, they can’t continuously operate more than once. There were 2 lines and we ran into racism getting on the bus ( not from Big bus tour) A “Karen” accused us of cutting in and calling us names, when in fact we were right there waiting for the same bus. This was the worst part of our San Francisco trip. I think the lines could be better organized in front of their office and make sure they help people get on the bus so there’s no fights or nasty accusations.

It’s alright, the driver wasn’t friendly at all, as a local I can only imagine how intimidating it might be for tourists to be greeted by a rude driver as such, especially for those who don’t speak English well. And we were given the option to select Chinese audio tour when we booked (my mom needed it) but there was no Chinese audio tour available when on board…

The Hop On bus experience is always wonderful because you touch all of the good points in the city without having to worry about parking or driving

Doug was a fabulous tour guide. He was very informative and funny. Took easy to walk routes too. Got to sample freshly made fortune cookies too. I'd definitely recommend this tour in San Francisco.

Very imformative tour. Not a long wait for buses. Drivers friendly. Nice to sit on the top when the weather was nice

Fantastic hotel with great amenities and surrounding attractions. Easy check in process with bonus incentives

Driving through the Golden Gate Bridge was amazing especially in an open top bus. One thing I recommend is bring gear for the weather.

The staff seemed knowledgeable enough yet no one told us how to plan the walking tour. We got on the VERY first bus of the day yet missed the tour as we were 6 minutes late to getting to stop 2. Very disappointed. Won't do that again! Beware before you sign up for this tour.