If you’ve never been to San Francisco and are planning a trip for the first time, chances are you will want to get some sightseeing in at Fisherman’s Wharf. WharfPass offers a frugal option for tourists wanting to cover a lot of ground on their stay as it offers passes to many of the Wharf’s main attractions and tours. WharfPass updated its features this year and now offers transportation tours available in multiple language narration, appealing to the city’s international visitors.
How it works:
WharfPass is a two day activity pass granting you access to six different attractions and tours with multiple options per category. I snagged a couple of WharfPasses on my recent trip to the city and found it to be a great deal (and money saver) allowing you to experience a lot of the area’s most popular attractions. Because your pass is good for two days beginning the day you first use it, there is plenty of time to take advantage of all of the activities offered. Take a look at what you’ll get:
Your choice of one of the following Sightseeing Tours:
- “Ride the Duck” Land and Sea Tour (Definitely a unique experience, you’ll just have to see it to believe it!)
- Open Top One Day Hop On/Off Tour (With stops at over 20 locations and the ability to explore the city at your leisure, you’ll see all of the city’s major sites.)
- Gray line Sky View Trolley 2 Hour City Tour (San Francisco’s only open-top motorized cable car tour highlighting Chinatown, The Painted Ladies, Golden Gate Park, Golden Gate Bridge and more.)
- Super Sightseeing One Day Hop On/Off Tour (See the city at your own pace as you ‘hop on and hop off’ at your favorite stops.)
- City Sightseeing Downtown 2 Day Hop On/Off Tour (See the Ghirardelli Square, City Hall, Union Square, Chinatown, the Financial District, North Beach, PIER 39 and more.)
Your choice of one of the following Sightseeing Bay Cruises:
- Blue & Gold Fleet 1-Hour Bay Cruise Adventure (Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz and Angel Island on this narrated tour)
- Red & White Fleet 1-Hour Golden Gate Bay Cruise (See all the Wharf’s sites and listen in with headphone narration available)
Your choice of one of the following Wharf activities:
- Two Hour Bike Rental
- 30 Minute Go Car Rental
- Historic Cable Car One Way Ticket
And your choice of one of these Wharf activities:
- Aquarium of the Bay
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum
- U.S.S. Pampanito Submarine Tour
Choose one of these Wharf activities too:
- Wax Museum
- S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien
Annnnd… your choice of one of these Wharf activities:
- Boudin Bakery Museum and Tour (Getting a whiff of their fresh baked sourdough while walking by is enough to pull you in.)
- Players Arcade Tokens
My favorite attractions were the Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge and getting an up-close view of Alcatraz and, of course, the Wax Museum. The boat was more spacious than I would have imagined and a full-bar was available for cold beverages, snacks, and much-needed hot drinks. The tour was narrated and offered interesting tidbits of the city and bridge’s history. On a foggy day, it is incredibly chilly on the water so make sure you bring a jacket (I learned the hard way!).
Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise Adventure
View of Alcatraz from our cruise
Though it was a foggy day, we were still able to get a peek at the Golden Gate Bridge while sailing underneath.
Spending the afternoon in the company of celebrities and founding fathers of our country at the Wax Museum was also a fun treat. On a weekend, I was surprised that the museum wasn’t at all crowded and was a nice escape from the mass of people visiting the city over the weekend. From Beetlejuice to the Mona Lisa… everyone was here!
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
The Mona Lisa – since it’s very dark in the museum, it is hard to get a great shot of yourself if you’re using flash. Note to self: bring a better camera next time.
I appreciated that there were several different options for sightseeing tours and many of them are hop on/hop off allowing you to see the city at your own pace and deeper explore your favorite areas on your own. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum was also a memorable experience that everyone should visit at least once – lots of laughs, hands-on activities, and oddities in there.
The WharfPass can be purchased here online or from participating attractions and visitors centers throughout the city’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The pass is available for $69 for adults and $41 for children (ages 5-11), saving you a wad of cash at the end of the day. For a breakdown of your savings, visit this link. To stretch your buck even further, you’ll find pages of sightseeing, shopping, and dining discount coupons at the back of your WharfPass book for various shops and restaurants around the Wharf.
To learn more about WharfPass, visit wharfpass.com.