The Powell/Mason Cable Car Turnaround is at Taylor and Bay Streets. It's the northern end of one of…read moreSan Francisco's famous cable car lines. Since these cars can't go in reverse, they use a wooden turntable to turn the nine-ton cars around 180 degrees so they can head back to Union Square. You can actually watch the gripmen and conductors push the cars by hand, which is pretty cool. For years, when I first moved to San Francisco, I used to catch the cable car here every morning and ride it all the way to the very end at Market Street, then walk to work. I did that just because it was fun, not because it made my commute faster or shorter! Over time, I got to know the cable car operators who worked the early shifts and many neighbors who also took the cable car to work, and we often chatted and shared a few laughs while waiting. We also enjoyed live performances from street musicians. It is a fun ride, especially for visitors and their families who take the cable car as part of their San Francisco visit experience.

Great tourist experience riding the cable car. They are beautiful original works of engineering…read moreart. The vistas and buildings along the way between Fishermans wharf and market are gorgeous. Only downside is side is the long long wait in queue. They took ages to load every act. I am sure there is a valid reason for the delays between departures ( the cars were there waiting). But it was a pain to wait. Perhaps a sign saying the cars go every 15 mins might have helped.

We bought the daily pass through the Muni Mobile app. In retrospect, it was worthless. The driver…read moredidn't look at it and the reader by the back door didn't work. Most people just came on without showing anything. The buses run frequently and ours were clean. Expect to stand as ours were mostly full to the point where getting off was a chore.

Goes from wharf north Beach loops ..union square ..disappears after ...harrison highway ..mystery…read morebus ..runs frequently ..easy to use..hop on

Go early! I recommend going early on the first ferry to the island. Customer service was…read moreprofessional and friendly. We arrived around lunch to the island and it was packed! Also, I recommend bringing snacks and drinks because everything at the landing, on the ferry, and on the Rock is pricey. Highly recommend visiting!

What an amazing place to visit with amazing view of the city. The ferry ride was short, about…read more10-15 minutes with breathtaking views of the bay! Plus it was a sunny day, we were able to see the entire bay and golden bridge without any problems...the entire tour takes about 2-3 hours with audio tours available. A lot of history to learn from here, kids were happy to see this place. Restrooms are available as soon as you arrive the island and throughout the island. It's an island with hills, may not be very friendly with tourists with mobility issues. I think last ferry service to leave the island is around 4:30pm, please check the ferry schedule as soon as you can in case it changes from time to time. I learned that night tour is available, but I don't know if I want to do that... might be a little creepy...

Traveling by ferry is such a wondrous experience…read more So traveling by ferry to the island of Tiburon is the only way to travel there! The Golden Gate Ferry ride offers spacious quarters, amazing views, and good snack and beverage choices. There are cozy chairs inside or comfortable chairs on either outside deck (deck levels dependent on which ferry boat you get). There are cell phone charging stations by several seats if you bring your charging chord. And staff and riders alike always seem overjoyed to be sharing the experience with you. I take this ferry several times a month sometimes during the week and weekend to visit family. This is truly a unique and quintessential Bay Area experience worth having.

Took the ferry to the giants game last night. It's the only way to go. We avoid gas, bridge toll…read moreand parking. Worth the ticket price. But the best part is the staff. They are so kind and accommodating. I think the bartender is my fav. He very professional especially dealing with the intoxicated people on the return trip.

I needed help merging my Clipper Cards, and I was treated like a moron. I don't even want to share…read morethe issue because it will just piss me off. I got it kinda resolved. But Fu*k'um. And I'm sure they feel the same about the. Let them.

Always helpful. However if you have questions or need assistance regarding being overcharged for a…read moreride on for example Golden Gate Transit bus system when the Clipper system is down and you cannot tag off. You can remedy that IF you have the Clipper card on your phone OR you call the Clipper customer service number. I know this because I had to deal with such a situation and resolved it successfully by calling the customer service number. I do not have the Clipper card app on my phone by choice.

They will give you tickets immediately for the next tour however there is no guarantee you will be…read moreon it, apparently this their version of 'first come first serve', which they happily remind you is plastered everywhere. In their version of 'first come first serve' you will get tickets to 'a' cruise but you will inevitably be waiting because there is a queue and they dont actually issue tickets for the time you asked for when you go to the ticket counter, i was surpised that i came in and voila there were tickets for the next cruise leaving in the next 15 minutes, how lucky was I? Apparently not so lucky cause there were a out 400 people waiting at the pier. I was told i could 'possibly' make the cruise leaving in 1 hour and 15 minutes, so all they guarantee is a seat and not the time..this absolutely sucks for people who want to visit other places too cause you dont know when ur turn to go on the cruise will come

Of all the times I've been to the Bay/Oakland, I've never taken the Ferry until now. If you've…read morenever been and not sure how it works, let me tell you what to do to make it way easier on yourself on your first Ferry ride. 1. Download the app SF Bay Ferry 2. Look at the schedules. Tip if you're taking the Ferry to the SF Giants game, look for the baseball next to the schedule. This Ferry line drops you off right at the ballpark with very little walking. 3. After the game, look for the Special Events Ferry, that takes you back to Alameda/Oakland after your late night event. 4. Pay via apple pay or load your credit card 5. Cost is $4.00 That's It! Super Easy When arriving in San Francisco, you'll arrive at Gate G which is close to Mission Street. There is a Marketplace at the Embarcadero with shops, restaurants, cafes, and photo ops. The ride was quicker than I thought and the breeze and views are way cool. I got some great shots. There's a lower and upper deck on the Ferry and concessions on the lower level that serve alcohol, coffee, soda, specialty drinks and snacks. There is a place for bikes but be educated knowing that passengers with bikes are the last to embark and depart off the Ferry. Staying in Oakland is way better and taking the Ferry to SF is fast and convenient. Feel free to add me as a friend and follow for more reviews and travel tips. See you some more on Yelp 2026

What a weekend. We drove to Jack London Square to hop on the Ferry…read more Parking-We parked in the garage, for all day on Sunday June 21, 2026 it costed $20. Still a better deal than driving into SF, paying the bridge toll, gas, ect. It cost around $5.10 to go from Jack London Square to the Ferry Building. That's a real deal. You don't have to worry about parking when you get to SF and if your destination is the Ferry Building then it's perfect. They drop you off at the Ferry Building. Bathrooms- They have a bathroom at the Ferry Station. The women's restroom was ok. It was well stocked and even had soap. On the way home the Men's room was locked. That put a damper on this for my Husband and Father. They do have bathrooms on the Ferry too so you aren't too far from a restroom. Tickets-Figuring out how to pay for the ferry was a challenge. In the past you pay at the snack counter. That wasn't the case on this ferry ride. If you have a clipper card it's easy and half the price. Before you jump on the Ferry there are clipper card kiosks that you just tap and go. A good amount of people used their clipper cards. Those without a clipper card you are on the honor system. Finally we figured it out. If you enter on the 1st level you go to the front of the Ferry and there is a ticket table there where a nice women will take your money. You can pay credit or cash. The price is the same. We sat right in front of the ticket table and very few people actually bought their tickets on board. Knowing that it's half the cost by using a clipper card is the way to go. I have one, but I'm not sure where it is and I didn't think to bring it. The ride. I was happy surprise how smooth it was. The only time you really feel the movement is when they are turning around. Other than that it's like cruising on glass. Seating-There was more than enough seats on our ride. The seats that went first are the outdoor seating. That really filled up. On the other hand the indoor first and second level seating was plentiful. Most seats are 3 across, but the ones in the center are 4 across. We were a group of 4 so we sat in the center section on the way home. On the way there we sat at a table that was 4 across. Concessions- They have a whole bar and sacks. They have beer and hard liquor. The ride is so short that we didn't partake. The Route- The ride is direct from Jack London Square to SF Ferry Building. On the way home we stopped in Alameda. Taking the ferry was a great experience for our family. No one got seasick so all was well. We got to the Ferry around 20 minutes early so we sat on one of the many benches. Without knowing the line got super long. I was afraid we won't make it on the ferry and it would fill up as we were not in the front of the line. We made it on the ferry and there was plenty of room for a lot more people. If you are going to the Ferry Building I highly reccomend the Ferry.

Today was our 1st experience on the Cable Car's of San Fran. We loved it! We got confused at 1dt on…read morewhere to catch the car but ended uo waiting in the linen at Union Station & riding to Hyde st, right across from Hyde st pier. On the ride back, OMG we got the surprise of a lifetime with a free mini concert by TRAIN! THANK YOU!!!! We were literally like 15 ft from them as they played a few songs. We road scooters up just after they started but got to here like 4 songs! We road back to Union Square, it was totally worth the $60! We bought the round trip through the app! If your wirh a larger family or want round trip I highly recommend the app & 1 day pass. 1 way trip is $9 but the all day on/off all the muni transit & cable cars was only $15 each. Oh yeah, if you get in without paying, they'll stop & out you off! Get to walking! Someone tried to use an expired ticket in the app, they stopped like a block later to make them get off!

On my recent weekend in San Francisco, I went on a cable car for the first time in about 15 years…read more So, we were staying at the Intercontinental Hotel down by Union Square, and the cable car station is located right around the corner, about 2 blocks away. That is one of the starting points for the cable car, and we were trying to get to Chinatown. When we arrived on a Saturday morning around 10am, there was a line. It did take us about 30 to 45 minutes to get onto a cable car, but they were moving steadily, and picking up passengers. Once we got on board, however, we noticed that the line had gotten even longer behind us, so we were glad we came when we did. We took the car uphill on the Powell/Hyde line, and told the engineer that we were trying to get to Chinatown. It was pretty much a straight shot uphill on Powell, and then we exited on Jackson Street, which was exactly where we wanted to be in the Chinatown neighborhood. Because we had bought a day long pass, we were able to use it throughout the day. We also had downloaded the Muni mobile app to see where the location of the cable cars were. I was excited to sit on the outside seat, and see the cars going by, other cable cars, and folks on the street waving hello. If you are nervous about the outside-facing cars they do have indoor seating as well. This iconic San Francisco tourist attraction, very unique, cannot be done anywhere else in the country. I highly recommend going on it.