San Francisco · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
16 reviewed
Good self-guided tours fill up fast in San Francisco, and the best ones go first. Ranked below are the 15 best, with current prices and what sets each apart, so you can book before the calendar closes.
Ferry to Alcatraz with an official ticket and self-guided app audio. See Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, plus SF skyline views.
“Needs to be an awareness of the flies. I understand they are harmless but the wait for the boat and whilst on the boat was not a nice experience due to the amount of flies”
Skip the line for Alcatraz admission and an official ferry from Pier 33, plus a start-to-finish companion audio tour and optional night access.
“Great experience and wonderful day overall, however it was double the price of the standard ticket for the exact same experience.”
Prebooked Alcatraz ferry and prison audio tour, with optional Bay cruise or bikes for Golden Gate views. Flexible, self-paced, and very memorable.
“Alcatraz was great to see but, the flies were terrible. We wish we were warned. They did furnish fans which helped. Overall a good experience.”
Self-guided San Francisco cable car tour with the Pintours App, letting you pause, skip stops, and see Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach.
“Never thought I would actually do this, but we had some extra time in SF and we truly enjoyed it. SF is coming back lol”
Bike the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and Tiburon with self-guided maps and a car-free waterfront route. From $16.
Ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz with official admission and a start-to-finish audio tour, plus an after-dark option for fewer departures.
“Many sections were closed off and the audio tour was somewhat underwhelming. There was pretty scenery along the way but not something I would do again.”
Self-guided electric bike rental in San Francisco with route ideas, easy hill rides, Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito in a day.
“freundliches Personal beim Bike Verleih in zentraler Lage moderne Ebikes, sehr empfehlenswert :) Gutes Preis/ Leistungsverhältnis”
Self-guided e-bike ride from Fisherman’s Wharf across the Golden Gate to Sausalito with helmet, lock, map, and flexible return.
“Wonderful experience, great way to see San Francisco and cross over the Golden Gate Bridge. We loved it.”
Private 2-hour Alcatraz app-guided tour from Pier 33 with ferry ride and island admission, plus smart tips for smooth timing.
“Definitely a great way to see Alcatraz, extra tour is interesting, you get to see all the viewpoints as well”
Rent a custom-fitted bike in Union Square and ride at your own pace to Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Presidio, and more for one day.
“Bikes worked well, good service during pick up and drop out”
Drive Sonoma to Napa with location-triggered audio stories, offline maps, and free stop sights, all for one low group price.
“Wonderful for our purposes! Inexpensive, informative and fun! The app guided us through both Sonoma and Napa, we stopped where we wanted and learned a lot about the history of the area and about wine. We also discovered some unexpected stops like the geyser and petrified forest!”
Self-guided Highway 1 audio drive from San Francisco to Santa Monica with offline GPS, location-based stories, and a one-year ticket.
“It's easy to get off the route if you aren't constantly looking at the screen as directions are minimal. Gives some good information about sites but no clear direction given to navigate to them. I ended up purchasing a competitive app that had much better navigation.”
App-guided Alcatraz visit from Pier 33 with an included ferry ride and ticket, plus cellhouse audio at your own pace.
“I loved this tour so much, alcatraz is so awesome and cool to see, it’s just like the movies, recommend this provider”
Solve clue puzzles through San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury in an offline phone game, self-paced for about 1–2 hours.
“It was a quick, fun way to explore a different part of the city. It really wouldn’t take more than an hour if you put your mind to it, but we stopped and shopped and had a drink or two along the way!”
Self-guided VoiceMap audio walk along San Francisco’s Embarcadero and piers, explaining sea-level change and storm surge risks.
“This was not so much about San Francisco as it was about global warming and and rising waters! My friends who downloaded the talk had their audio cut out and fade out mid sentence”
