7 Best Small Group Tours In San Francisco (+ My Favorite)
Looking For The Best Small Group Tours To Go On In San Francisco?
As a half Californian (my mom is from here), I’ve spent many summers in the state of California and finally got to check San Francisco off my bucket list a few years ago while exploring the city on a few different small group tours, and while big bus tours can be a convenient and cheap way to explore a city, small group tours are definitely the way to go in San Francisco to access more parts of the city and have a better, more personalized experience.
🌁 7 Best Small Group Tours In San Francisco
Before visiting San Francisco, everyone I talked to had such bad things to say about the city (mostly safety-wise), but my experience here couldn’t have been better, especially with one particular small group tour I went on (the first one listed below):
1. SF Expeditions – my favorite
Pickup: Fisherman’s Wharf
5.0 ⭐️
Price: $100-130
Max Number: 6
Paul’s almost private SF Expeditions small group tour was the best tour I went on in San Francisco because of his extensive knowledge of the city and his kind, friend-like attitude, plus all the typical sites he stops at (or drives past) and the special access places he gets into (like the Lucasfilm Lobby).
Pros:
- knowledgeable and friendly (like exploring with a friend)
- small vehicle with more access
- drive across the Golden Gate Bridge
- helpful tips about the city (like tourist traps to avoid)
- special admittance to the Lucasfilm Lobby
- reasonable price
Cons:
- back row seats not as easy to see out of
- no backseat windows that roll down
2. San Francisco Love Tours – most unique tour
Pickup: Fisherman’s Wharf
4.9 ⭐️
Price: $85
Max Number: 7
Since the Summer of Love and hippie “revolution” started in San Francisco, riding around in a painted 70s-era VW listening to 60s-70s music is a fun way to explore this city, though my personal experience wasn’t the absolute best with them.
Pros:
- fun theme
- great music
- clear roof windows
- great view of the Golden Gate
- multiple tour times
- small group
Cons:
- doesn’t stop at Haight-Ashbury (which I think it should since this is the hippie center)
- varying tour guides (some good, mine was bad)
- my guide didn’t charge his phone so we didn’t have music
- middle seats aren’t good
- short tour (few out of the car stops)
- van is decorated but tour guides aren’t dressed up
3. Best Bay Area Tours – best nature tour
Pickup: Fisherman’s Wharf/Lombard Street/Union Square/SOMA
4.9 ⭐️
Price: $210-230
Max Number: 15
If you don’t have much time and just want a peek, a day trip to Yosemite from San Francisco is definitely worth it, though they are a little bit bigger than some of the other small group tours.
Pros:
- hotel pickup
- one of the state’s best national parks
- nature and hiking
- reasonable price
- incredible views
- excellent guides
Cons:
- very long (about 14 hours)
- things can close or become inaccessible due to weather, etc.
- medium sized group
- may feel rushed to try and fit everything in
4. GoCar San Francisco – do yourself tour
Pickup: Fisherman’s Wharf
4.5 ⭐️
Price: $97-312
Max Number: 2
If you don’t want to follow a group or be stuck on a schedule, GoCar San Francisco is one of the best tours to drive yourself around and see all the sights in a small talking car.
Pros:
- go at your own pace
- follow along with a guided GPS
- free to go off on your own
- lockable trunk
- completely private
- multiple languages
- multiple tour lengths
Cons:
- must wear helmet
- crowded, steep, and sometimes confusing streets
- large (refundable) security deposit
- must be at least 21
- additional collision damage waiver fee
- beat up looking cars
- car maintenance issues
- fairly expensive
- technology malfunction issues
➡️ If staying in San Francisco seems too expensive, it is pretty easy to stay a little outside of the city in somewhere like San Jose (where the famous Winchester Mystery House is located) and easily get into San Francisco for the day
5. San Francisco Tour Co. – luxury van option
Pickup: Fisherman’s Wharf
5.0 ⭐️
Price: $99-109
Max Number: 5
San Francisco Tour Co. offers a similar city tour (about 4 hours long), but it’s one of the most intimate small group tours with a maximum of 5 passengers.
Pros:
- easy way to see city highlights
- friendly guides
- unique view of the Golden Gate
- luxury van
Cons:
- most attractions seen from inside the car
6. Dylan’s Tours – best combo tour
Pickup: Fisherman’s Wharf
4.9 ⭐️
Price: $129-189
Max Number: 15
Dylan’s Tour is one of the longest small group tours available in San Francisco because it also includes a visit to the Muir Woods natural area, the town of Sausalito, and an optional Alcatraz add on.
Pros:
- more areas covered
- friendly guides
Cons:
- medium sized group
- extra fees
- short time touring the city
- weather can effect Muir Woods admittance
7. Extranomical Tours – wine country tour
Pickup: Union Square/Fisherman’s Wharf
4.7 ⭐️
Price: $179-259
Max Number: 14
If you’ve already seen the sights in the city of San Francisco, get out north of the city to both the Muir Woods natural area and the famous wine country area with the Extranomical Tour.
Pros:
- redwoods
- three wineries
- long tour
- hotel pickup
Cons:
- extra fees
- fairly expensive
- bus conditions
- medium sized tour
- weather can effect admittance to Muir Woods
- time feels rushed
👉 Why Small Group Tours Are Best In San Francisco
Big bus tours can be a popular and cheap way to explore most big cities, but they’re not a good option here in San Francisco because they can’t reach certain places due to the size of the busses and the steep, narrow streets of the city.
Small group tours are much better in San Francisco because you’re traveling in a smaller car that can reach more areas (like driving down the famous Lombard Street, the crooked street), plus they’re much more personal than big bus tours.
*️⃣ Tip: outside of tours, getting around San Francisco using Uber is a good, safe option (compared to taxis), but it can get expensive fast
🔁 Sum Up: San Francisco Small Group Tours
Since San Francisco streets are steep, sometimes narrow, and a bit confusing (with all the cable cars and trolleys), driving yourself or taking a big bus tour isn’t ideal, while small group tours are less stressful, more personal, and allow access to more places that big busses can’t fit. I highly recommend Paul’s SF Expeditions tour for the most personal Bay Area experience.
