The Powell/Mason Cable Car turnaround was an absolutely outstanding experience! Watching the manual turnaround is a San Francisco staple, but the ride itself was the real star. The operator was incredibly kind and friendly, making the trip even more special by letting me ring the bell for my birthday! It was such a unique, personal touch that I'll never forget. The ride up and down the steep hills offers some of the best views in the city and a cool, vintage breeze that you just can't get anywhere else. If you're looking for an iconic and memorable way to see San Fran, this is it. High quality service and a total blast! read more

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This is the better of the two lines in my opinion. Especially if you get on from Fisherman's Wharf. I highly recommend not getting on at the Union Square end as it is infinitely busier than the other end. Especially if you get there in the morning. This route hits some great hills with excellent views of the city & bay as it goes up the hills as well as stops at Chinatown and Lombard Street. Just know that there are not on/off privileges. My only 'complaint' is that the employees here really take their time. but that's not exclusive to this line. No one working here appears to be in a rush at all to get cars on their way. You can especially see this down at the Fisherman's Wharf end where there is often a line of cars waiting to be turned around, loaded, & sent back on their way. read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great fun riding the cable cars. Cost is 8 dollars each way and you can even pay with your Clipper card. Here is a tip that DOES WORK. When attempting to board the cars in Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf.....do not stand in that long line. Beat the crowd by walking up to the first stop the cable cars makes & you'll be able to board with ease, as they do not stuff the cars to full capacity, Everyone must sit or hold on from the outside. However, at the first stop, passengers can hop on & stand inside. You can thank me later for this nugget! read more

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The Mason Cable car line is the shorter of the 3 lines. It travels from Union Square through North Beach to Fishermans Wharf. Since it is public transportation, they do run on a schedule, so please remember that when you are waiting in line. I think people just assume that the cars will move every 2 minutes. I would suggest riding them early in the morning (7 AM) or late at night (9-10 PM) because most people will be back at the hotels. It will be quiet and you can see the lights in the city. read more

Me and my friend were trying to get to Fisherman's Wharf so we decided to take the cable car. We got on from the Powell street cable car turnaround. The wait was about 20 minutes. If we wanted to get on the Powell / Hyde cable car, the wait was much longer. Tickets costed $9 one way for each adult. We paid the exact amount in cash on the spot. The ride was slow. I thought it was boring because I was just sitting in the cable car watching the buildings and cars pass by. It felt no different than being in a car or bus. They had stops along the way similar to bus stops where people could get on and off. As more people got on, it started to get crowded and people were holding onto the poles from the sides which blocked off the views from the people that were seated. There was an elderly man that was trying to get on at one of the stops and I was happy to give up my seat for him. Instead of sitting, I was now holding onto one of the poles from the side which became the exciting part of the ride to me. I loved hearing the sounds of SF, feeling the breeze hit my face and being able to see the views of SF all around me. I felt like if I didn't hold on for dear life, I would fall off the cable car. There were cars driving or parked on the street that looked like they were inches away from being in an accident with the cable car. I didn't think there was much to see on this route. The first half of the ride was seeing the downtown businesses and the second half was mostly passing by residential areas. The only places I recognized was Union Square in the beginning and seeing Coit Tower from a distance towards the end. It took about 20 minutes to complete the route and Fisherman's wharf was a few blocks walking distance up ahead. read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Powell / Mason cable car - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Yikes. I've had 2 different experiences on this thing. First time was so cool and amazing and obviously a must-do for first time visitors of San Francisco. My first experience a few years ago was super cool. The driver was really chill and it was an evening experience so SF was lit up and beautiful and I believe we had a day pass. 2nd experience which was just a few days ago was really disappointing, especially because it was my daughters first time, the driver was so freakin rude to everyone, I get there's rules but you can also enforce rules and just be polite instead of saying "excuse me are you deaf, what did I say" or "put your backpack in the front that's not a suggestion" or "and people wonder why we have attitudes on here" I mean he was really out of hand. One of the ladies actually was deaf so after he figured it out he didn't even apologize. They should tell you that if you don't get a day pass it's just a 1 way to the other side of the city and your on your own when you get dropped off. Instead of paying another 24$ to be taken back where we started, just get an Uber for 10$ instead to take you back. That's what we did. I think the experience depends on your driver.. read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - 24$ for a 1 way ride - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I wrote about the Powell/Hyde line previously, so I'm going to write about the Powell/Mason line today. This is a good cable car line to take if you want to see more of Chinatown/North Beach area. It will also take you closer to Pier 39. In terms of value for your touristy dollars, it's ranked #2 out of 3 in my book as the view is not as nice, but everyone's opinion differs. I highly recommend you take the Powell/Hyde cable car if you are only taking the cable car once, but if you have a bit more money to spend, take all 3 lines and decide for yourself. Scam Alert: Do not buy tickets off another person on the street. Cable car ticket is only valid for 1 trip. The ticket is more like a souvenir. Only buy it from MTA stations kiosk for the pass (different options) or you buy a one time ticket from the cable operator once you board the car. If you have a monthly Clipper card, all Muni transit (including the cable car) is included in the price. read more

Had an amazing ride to pier 39 this morning on the Cable cars. Really nice folk working on them and they seem as safe as can be. Authentically bumpy and loud these are a staple of San Francian life and should be appreciated and cherished. Much love for No. Cali! Thanks for reading! read more

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This line is fun to take, we used it a lot while visiting San Francisco, since it takes you to Union Station and and Fisherman's Warf. The drivers are on the rough side, so you need a thicker skin when deaking with them. It is $8 to take the famous cable car (need to do it at least once while in town), we used our Visitor's Passes. This isn't a reliable source of transporation, but you can use it a few times. It is fun, you can get great views around and it is an adventure! I even got a cable car X-mas ornament with Poweel/Mason because.... San Francisco! read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It wasn't the smoothest ride, but, glad I got to try it. It is one of the oldest form of public transportation.

Line times can very but totally loved the ride. We stopped at the cable car museum which is free. Both sitting inside and outside is fun. The drivers are usually friendly. Make sure you keep your ticket handy for the conductor. read more

The Powell and Mason line runs from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf. This line takes a slightly different route to get to Fisherman's Wharf than the other Hyde line. Both lines are worth taking the rides, if time allows it's good to have one up and the other one down. read more

When you're asked about things that remind you of San Francisco, most common answers are Golden Gate, clam chowder, and cable cars. That's right, no visit to the Golden City is ever complete without hopping on to these cable cars that take you to the wonderful places around. This particular station is located just outside the Powell/Market Bart station. You won't miss it because you'll see right away a long line of people waiting at this turn around station. I heard wait time could take as long an hour but you got to do whatever other tourists do. Designated as a National Historic landmark, these cable cars has been ferrying people since 1873. They run from 6am through midnight. Fare is $7 each way which can be bought at ticket booths, the car conductor, or through the Muni app. So what are you waiting for? read more

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I've lived in San Francisco basically my whole life, and I never bothered to ride a cable car until recently. Don't get on the cable car at the two terminals! The lines there are crazy long with tourists. Instead, follow the cable car route and get on one of the stops instead! Great experience and I would definitely ride one again! read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's overrated, but you just have to take it once. It's really about the wait time, otherwise, most people would rate this a 5 stars. After twice giving up on the Powell Hyde line (we were told 1.5 wait time from where we were standing), we probably waited around 45 minutes for this one. We got the all day pass, but in the end, we only rode one cable car, and a few times on the streetcar, so we probably overpaid at $13. Probably better to pay cash for cable car, and I think you get a physical ticket, which would have been nice as a souvenir. The ride itself again is a 5 star. Even as you're thinking to yourself, why are people going so crazy over this ancient cable car to pay so much and wait so long, it was fun going from fisherman's wharf to 5th and market street (i think). Pretty cool that it can make it up those steep hills, and then going downhill and going "wheeee". read more

One of those things where you should do at least once, riding a cable car in San Francisco will complete your tourist experience! We purchased our tickets for $7 on a weekend afternoon and waited in a fairly long line for half an hour. The cable car doesn't leave until another car arrives. When a car arrives, the employees need to manually rotate and push the car around to face the opposite direction. When we got onto the car, we missed the mad rush to sit in a seat so we ended up hanging off the side of the pole. Some close moments while riding the car as a few trucks were parked a little too close to the line. Seems ok for adults but pay special attention if children are hanging off those side poles. An interesting throwback experience with these antiquated cable cars in the city of cutting edge technological advances! read more

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I was shocked by how rude the driver was to several passengers!! I can only assume he has a union that protects him from being fired and he knows it. In any other service organization that kind of poor behavior would never be tolerated. I am not going to ever ride the cable cars again and it will be a long time before I choose to return to San Francisco for a vacation. I hope other American cities don't let public employees behave that way. read more

This was truly a friendly and fun experience! Well one of the conductor seemed a little bit grouchy, it was almost comical like the rest of the conductors knew to expect it... We didn't let his big personality rain on our parade. In fact, we found it was a little bit entertaining. Anyhow, everybody was friendly, courteous, and helpful. This was definitely a highlight of our trip. We should've sorted out the trolley/cable cars on the first day of our trip that would've saved our feet and possibly some time. When we return to San Francisco we will be riding the cable cars again. We use the Muni app and bought an all day pass. read more

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First time in San Francisco - Gotta ride one of the famous trolley cars! Yes, very touristy, but come on!!! You wouldn't leave SF without trying fresh baked sourdough...would you? If so, you might just get home and regret it. So here's the 411 from a non-local. Do NOT wait in line at the super busy, major pickups like Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf! Simply walk down a few blocks to the car's next stop and it is pretty easy to just hop on. The cost is supposed to be $6 p/p per trip (or you can buy a day pass); however, the few times I jumped on and traveled just a few blocks I was never charged or didn't see a place to insert the fee...and the people who jumped on next to me didn't pay or flash a pass either???...I was very willing to pay and either stood right next to the conductor/brake man each time. Hum. I dunno. Not encouraging trying to sneak a free ride...I was so excited I actually didn't realize I failed to pay until I walked away from the tracks. Tiny bucket-list item - checked! read more

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Powell/Mason Line...I took you when I first moved to the Bay Area. And now here I am again with you and my sister and niece who visited. Catching from the turnaround at Fisherman's Wharf, as I did so long ago was perfect. No crowded lines. We bought our tickets and waited for the next cable car so that we could get the seats that we wanted. We rode it down all the way to the end at Powell. No fog, so the view riding down was beautiful. At the end, I told my sister and niece to look at the long line at the Powell turnaround. Both of them were happy that we didn't have to wait that long. read more

When you say San Francisco, you will most definitely think of its infamous cable cars! Even before coming here, I was really excited to be on one. This line starts in Union Square on Powell Street at the turnaround. The line gets busy early morning like we did for little to no wait! The ride up to Fisherman's Wharf is about twenty minutes total and I thought it was really fun going up and down the hills. The conductors were really friendly and pointed out the neighborhoods we're currently in and historical spots along the way. You may either sit on the seats or hold on tightly to those poles. I say do both! Tickets are available on their Muni App or you may purchase them at the booth. read more

Sadly, a cable car experience is a touristy thing to do in San Francisco, so we had to do it, but was it worth the time and money? Definitely not. The cost for a one way ticket on the cable car is $6. We didn't go very far and the ride was not very long. We found it to be expensive, especially since we waited OVER AN HOUR for a cable car before we could board it. What we found ridiculous was that there were FIVE cable cars in queue but they were all sitting there and not moving. We waited and waited until finally, 45 minutes later, the cable cars started rolling our way. We thought finally!!! Until, four out of the five cable cars were broken. So we had to wait and wait some more. We didnt even know how they were broken since they don't run on electricity or gas! When we finally got seated, we found that the conductors were not really friendly. We were hoping for a better experience. Unfortunately we set our expectations too high. We highly recommend getting an all day pass at $14 per day. That way you can take unlimited rides on both the MUNI buses, streetcars, and cable cars. We were able to pick up our passes at the info both in the baggage claim area at SFO airport. We didn't bother to take the cable car back to where we initially boarded since we waited so long the last time. To save time, we hopped on the F-line MUNI streetcar (from Fisherman's Wharf) to Embarcadero and transferred MUNI line trains there. The streetcar was so much better than the cable car. read more

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First time to SF and this was by far the highlight. Not only was it beautiful but the drivers were some of the friendliest and most hilarious guys. We all joked that it must be a requirement to be a comedian. They were so patient with all the tourist. I really loved this part of my trip. Not to mention the beautiful ride!! And how this drivers keep their cool when cars pull out in front of them on the hills!! Some of these reviews are mind blowing to me. I thought this was the best of SF. read more

Waiting for the cable car is pure hell. San Francisco obviously does not care for tourists. If they did they would not allow hundreds ( maybe thousands) of people to stand in the hot sun for hours while empty cars just sit there. The cable cars are very poorly managed. read more

A San Francisco must! When in San Francisco, if you hadn't already, you must experience a ride in a San Francisco's historic cable cars. Although this isn't my first time riding in a SF trolley this is my first time riding with my teen. We stood behind the looping line on Powell and Market Streets in Union Square on New Year's Eve. There were two trolleys that takes the passengers to the final stop at Fisherman's Wharf. The signs are painted directly on the car. Each were marked with either a yellow sign (Powell-Mason Line) or a red sign (Powell-Hyde Line). We ended up riding the Powell-Hyde Line which begins at the Powell Market turntable and runs over Nob and Russian hills before ending at Aquatic Park near Ghirardelli Square. Our wait time was approximately one hour in the cold but it didn't bother my daughter... she was excited to ride the cable car for the first time and just seeing the look on her face once we were able to board the trolley was priceless to me. She wanted the full experience and chose to "hang on" to the special poles provided on the outside of the car. Wheee! and off we went! There was a conductor that collected payment once the car was moving. Cash Only. $7/each for me and my daughter (even though it said $5 one-way on their website). The gripman running our cable car was funny and entertaining as he cracked jokes while running our car up and down the hilly streets of San Francisco. Fun experience for me and my child! Review #0635 read more

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We were leaving Fisherman wharf area and wanted to take the cable car towards downtown. We waited on line for about 30 minutes. My friend was pissed that she didn't get a spot by the open area to look outside. LOL. I just squeezed my head out to look from time to time and it was more fun enjoying it from the side. The ride was cool and entertaining watching other tourists get their pics for the gram. LOL. The old school feel and sounds of cable car was fun and we eventually got our pictures once the ride ended. This is definitely something I would do again and try and get a spot on the open side and stick my head out a little. hee hee read more

Waited an hour to board the trolley while the drivers sat there doing nothing. Not worth it.

So...I did it. I rode the historic Powell/Mason Line Cable Car. I was told this is a must do in San Francisco and for $7 you can ride it to your destination. We picked up the cable car at a stop close to our hotel, so the line wasn't crazy long and it was a Sunday afternoon. There's not much to say here. Its a cable car. Do it when you are in San Francisco. :) read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It is really cool that everyone can ride these rolling pieces of history. It feels like being on a tv show or a movie. They are a great value as a tourist as an activity. They are one of San Francisco's best known images (along with the Golden Gate Bridge). There are two lines that go to the Fishermans Wharf. They both end fairly close together so I suggest just jumping on whichever comes along first if you are going to Fisherman's Wharf. This one ends in the middle of the tourist zone by Cost Plus. If you are going to Powell street its the same spot for both. This is the line that goes closest to China town, is best for access for North Beach. the two lines split by the Cable Car Museum. Tips; avoid the lines, they are always at the end stations, ride like a local, walk up the line a few blocks and catch it at the next stop. You have to move fast to jump on. You will also probably wind up standing and hanging off the side (it's the best way to ride in my opinion) read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a piece of San Francisco history and a prominent feature of the city's image around the world. In all my visits to SF I have never been in this cable car. Finally I decided it was time to take a ride up the hill from Fishermans Wharf as I was meeting some friends at Union Square. At $7 a ride not something I will do very often. It's part of the public transport system and really expensive in my opinion. The cars are quaint and I liked watching the driver push and pull on levers and so on. It was filled with a lot of tourists on the way up and a lot of drunk tourists on the way down ;-)) you have to do it, just to say you have done it :-) take a selfie hanging off the car and be done with :-)) read more

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San Francisco is iconic for a few different things, cable cars being one of the main focal points as a vehicle of public transportation. We took the cable car from the harbor just west of Fisherman's Wharf to downtown SF of Powell and Mason. There was a small line of people waiting to board, and one way tickets were $7 a piece. The cable car took us up the steep hills from the harbor and up to the top of Lombard Street, where we had wonderful views of the city. The venture continued as people were hopping on and off and we made our way to the downtown area, consisting of numerous shopping malls and stores. Fun little ride through the city, definitely worth a shot if you're visiting! Best, Charlie read more

I've seen so many images of the cable cars on TV that I pictured being able to stand and hold onto one of the poles as we rode through the city. Seeing J. David H's pics from his ride on the Powell-Hyde Line only confirmed my expectation. Because we didn't get on until the Mason-Pacific stop, all of the pole positions were taken. We walked up to the stop just as the cable car arrived. The gripman barked for us hop on and move behind the line so that he could keep going. It was confusing because we were thinking, "Is someone going to take our money or not?" There were so many people on the car that we had to squeeze in. While standing I didn't have a very good view of things outside the car like the architecture and views of the bay. I did get to watch the gripman at work though. I had no idea operating the car was such a physically demanding task. He used his full body weight to maneuver the gears, rocking and pumping levers. He did everything short of sticking his feet through the bottom of the car (à la Fred Flintstone) to brake the car. He worked hard for the money! When the ride ended we finally flagged down the operator to buy one-way tickets. I saw a few of the people who hopped on when we did get off without paying. I doubt there was intent to defraud; they were probably just as confused as we were. We didn't have to deal with the 1-2 hour waits I read about in other reviews, but we did miss out on a good portion of the ride by getting on where we did. Next time I would arrive early to miss the crowds and get on at the beginning of the line to enjoy the full experience. I think you're almost obligated to ride the cable cars when you're in San Francisco. With no wait and at a cost of $7 person, our one-way trip was totally worthwhile. read more

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Oh, how fun! What good, classic fun! Well, sort of. I understand that people *may* use the cable cars to get to and from points around the city, but they really are a great tourist attraction. The people running them don't necessarily view them that way though. Lots of barking of directions and things of that nature ("how many in your group," "move over,' "you can't stand there," "go inside"). For someone unknown to traveling on one of these things - agh! Overwhelming1 That aside, how fun! I think everyone should ride a cable car for the experience. You might not get the best views, depending where you are, but enjoy it. Take it in. Don't worry about "the best picture." Enjoy the experience! read more

Really, this isn't Mr. Roger's neighborhood. Good things always come to those who wait, so don't start complaining about the most enjoyable ride of your life while waiting for this cable car. I suggest you go in pairs. One stays in line. One takes photos and goes shopping. Once you're up to catch the car, then you ride along together. Seems pretty legit to me! Also, I don't think you'll ever find a Vietnamese Bob Dylan serenading you while you wait. It's pretty much City life. read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Long wait to ride at this stop station. One of the first ones ever built in San Francisco that you can actually see the employees who run the trolley move and maneuver the trolley on the right track. We were expecting to pay but for some reason riding to Chinatown was free!! The true tourist experience in San Francisco! read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is so much fun. It's a great way for a tourist to get to see the city and not have to worry about the driving! I wouldn't really rely on this for actual transportation, as it took sooo long to get on this thing. We waiting maybe an hour to get on. But, once we did, it was fun fun fun! They had me sitting right by the guy who pulls all the levers that make the trolley go and stop. He was a bit short and loud when yelling at some of the tourists who were hanging off the side or trying to get crazy selfies. It was for their own good, because these things do come pretty dang close to the oncoming traffic! It was a good value for the price of the ticket, and was completely fun! The Powell Mason line takes you along some scenic views, which is really beautiful. It's really worth a trip! read more

Of course when you think about SF, cable cars come to mind. It's an iconic feature of the city and a major tourist attraction. Sure it's fun the first time you go on and definitely the kids love riding on it. But they usually jam pack you into the cable car and the workers are constantly yelling rudely at everyone or ringing their bells telling other cars in their way to move. Way to ruin the fun mood of touring the city. With the long lines to get on the car, the lack of space or room to move around in the car, and $7 each way, this isn't the most cost efficient, convenient or comfortable way to get between Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf. I got my fix on the cable cars as a kid, don't think I would ride it every time I'm in SF. read more

Very inefficient system. Already a lot of cars arrived at the starting points (4 of them!) but don't start and ticketing systems is manually and so inefficient. it's so slow. Expensive. Not fit for Japanese. read more

You will have to wait a very very very long time to hop on to one of the car. On the other hand if you don't care on riding one of these, the best way is to just wait and see the drivers partially switching the lanes manually at the end of the line. Which was quite interesting. Overall nothing crazy to be wasting time on if you are limited on the number of days in San Fran. read more

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I have been to SF numerous times and been on cable cars a few times before. Nevertheless, today's experience was the WORST of all travels I've done, and ALL thanks to this man who should not even have a job. He was being extremely rude (I have never ever never experienced someone like him though I have worked with customer services for many years and I've seen it all). When I got off the car, I was so upset and I asked for his name, but no one on the car would tell me. So I asked him and informed him that I was going to report him after he asked me the reason, his exact response was, "I'm not telling you my name. You are not my problem. Go get a life and fuck yourself." This man probably has driven the car for the 1000th time but it's probably someone else's first time. He should not have a job that dealing with regular people on a daily basis and he should not have a job period. I would not recommend anyone to get on a cable car as long as he's one of the employees because you might have just paid to get treated like shit. read more

Cable Car - Powell/Mason Line - This man should not have a job. - Cable Cars Near Me - San Francisco, California