San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

Wondering how this all really works? It’s Movie Magic! No, actually a good deal of hard work and effort goes into ensuring perfect timing between driver and guide. 

You watch the clips on one of the movie screens on the bus, and we drive by the location at the same time. We’ve been known to pay extras to give you the true-life experience by recreating these scenes. Our 23-passenger theater-on-wheels is designed to provide the ultimate movie tour experience and the ability to get to locations that other larger bus companies cannot.

Worried about not getting what you may see on a standard city tour? You will see even more of the city on this tour, as you go through San Francisco’s key neighborhoods: Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Nob Hill, Union Square, Alamo Square/Painted Ladies, City Hall, Financial District, Golden Gate Park, The Presidio, Fort Point, the Golden Gate Bridge (we stop on the south side for some fantastic photo opportunities) and Pacific Heights.

Why do we separate the role of driver and guide? We think this is essential to the city tour experience on many levels, particularly the safety of our guests. Go ahead – ask other tour companies if they comply with this San Francisco MTA regulation regarding narration by driver:

The San Francisco Transportation Code prohibits tour bus drivers from providing narration while the tour bus is in motion. In order to provide narration during a tour, tour bus operators must hire a separate, non-driving tour guide.

We have separated the role of driver and guide since Day 1 of our operations, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. When we started these tours, this regulation was not mandated. However, this was the way we chose to do business; to have the guide 100% focused on the guests’ experience, and the driver 100% focused on guests’ safety. We’re glad the SFMTA also recognized this need for driver focus.

Looking for something family friendly and want to enjoy a tour that’s also fun and interesting for kids? The route includes locations from Princess Diaries, Inside Out, Full House, Dr. Doolittle, George of the Jungle, and X-Men 3, among others. Our guides love to bring the magic of movies to life for kids of all ages. We are family-owned and family-friendly.

What about pictures of these famous movie locations and city landmarks? We have 2 official restroom breaks along the tour as well as several short breaks to take advantage of photo opportunities. One of our favorite photo stops is at Fort Point, where you can take in the full immensity and majesty of the Golden Gate Bridge.

What will we see on the tour?

Here’s a quick laundry list to help answer some other frequently asked questions:

• Meeting location is directly in front of the Red and White fleet terminal on Pier 43 ½. 
• San Francisco Movie Sights City Tours are three hours long.
• Tours run rain or shine, but we suggest you dress appropriately for the day’s weather as we do make several stops for photo opportunities.
• For children ages 5 to 17, you must purchase a reduced price child ticket. Children 4 years old and younger may attend for free but will not be guaranteed their own seat and may need to sit in the lap of a parent or guardian. Please let us know if you will be bringing any young children when purchasing your tickets. 
• There is no food and drink included as part of the tour, but feel free to bring something of your own to eat/drink if it is neat and you’re sure to remove all garbage from the bus at the end of the tour. However, alcohol is prohibited on the bus.
• Most street parking is limited to one hour, so we suggest using one of the nearby parking garages. There are a number of garages near the main pickup location at Fisherman’s Wharf.  We also suggest the use of SpotHero.com (www.SpotHero.com) to help find parking locations.

We use a 23-passenger bus which is our luxury theater-on-wheels with big screens and surround sound specifically designed to provide the ultimate movie tour experience and the ability to get to locations that other larger bus companies cannot.

• Tours are three hours long.
• Our tours run rain or shine, but we suggest you dress appropriately for the day’s weather as we do make several stops for photo opportunities.
• For children ages 5 to 17, you should purchase a reduced price child ticket. Children 4 years old and younger may attend for free but will not be guaranteed their own seat and may need to sit in the lap of a parent or guardian. Please let us know if you will be bringing any young children when purchasing your tickets.
• There is no age requirement. Please note that children under the age of 5 are free, but must stay in a parent’s lap if open seats are not available.
• We adore dogs, but know they will not be comfy on our tours; however, we can work with you to make accommodations for service dogs.
• There is no food and drink included on the tour, but feel free to bring something of your own to eat/drink if it is neat and you’re sure to remove all garbage from the bus at the end of the tour. However, alcohol is prohibited on the bus.
• Most street parking is limited to one hour, so we suggest using one of the nearby parking garages. There are a number of garages near the main pickup location at Fisherman’s Wharf. An option to obtain 2 hours of free parking at the Pier 39 parking garage is available here:

Worried about not getting what you may see on a standard city tour? You will see even more of the city on this tour, as you go through San Francisco’s key neighborhoods: Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Nob Hill, Union Square, Alamo Square/Painted Ladies, City Hall, Financial District, Golden Gate Park, The Presidio, Fort Point / base of the Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Heights.

Want to enjoy a tour that’s also fun and interesting for kids? The route includes locations from Princess Diaries, Full House, Dr. Doolittle, George of the Jungle, Hulk, and X-Men 3, among others. We are family-owned and family-friendly.