Table of Contents
Sign Up for Your Bike Tour
Your San Francisco vacation is incomplete without a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. The iconic landmark deserves more than a quick drive or a distant view from the freeway. Fortunately, there are bike tours of the bridge and they are well worth your time! Blazing Saddles is one of the tour companies offering guided bike tours across the bridge, and if you wander down to Fisherman’s Wharf you’ll come across their kiosk and super friendly staff ready to answer all of your questions. Sign up at the kiosk or online and get ready for your adventure!
Arrive for Your Tour by Cable Car
The main location where you sign in, pick up your bikes and meet your guide is conveniently located near Fisherman’s Wharf at the end of the Powell/Hyde Park cable car line. From the Powell/Market St. station near Union Square, catch a ride on the cable car to Blazing Saddles. Stand on the outside of the car for the memorable Rice-a-Roni experience! Be sure to allow plenty of time, as the cable car line can be quite long. I recommend 2 hours lead time. I was lucky enough to have a tour guide let me join her group so I could skip the line. Solo travel has its privileges! Despite the long line, you know you can’t leave San Francisco without a ride on the historic cable car so why not combine the two most recognizable landmarks into one spectacular day!
Don’t worry if you need to skip morning coffee to get in the cable car line. There is a Starbucks across the street from Blazing Saddles where you can fuel up, grab a snack for the ride and make a last-minute bathroom stop.
What to Expect for Your Bike Tour
If you’ve spent any time in San Francisco you know there are hills (lots of them) and the guided bike tour is no different. The tour starts with a fairly flat stretch along the bay followed by a brief stop and introduction from the guide. You’ll start up again and immediately get the blood pumping with the steepest hill of the ride. The good news is it’s short and there’s a break when you level out. Plus, you always have the option of walking your bike up the hill. This isn’t the Tour de France and no one expects you to be in peak physical condition.
The guided tour is designed for all fitness levels and to provide an informative and educational experience. My guide did a fabulous job of blending historical and pop culture tid bits while providing his personal recommendations for dining and sight seeing. Check the Blazing Saddles site for additional tour details.
Exploring Sausalito
Of course, crossing the Golden Gate on the sidewalk/bike path is the highlight of the tour and with the benefit of a bike vs. a car you can stop to enjoy the view of the bay and for photo ops. Once over the bridge you’ll begin the descent into Sausalito. It’s about a ten minute downhill ride into the picturesque and bustling seaside town. This is the end of the guided tour and your tour guide will provide a few suggestions for lunch spots in town. I stopped at Joinery and enjoyed a salad topped with their signature rotisserie chicken and washed it down with a cold beer on the outdoor patio. Sausalito has a cute downtown area with many local shops and restaurants so if you like shopping make sure you allow time for that.
If you’re feeling ambitious after lunch hop back on your bike and visit the marina famous for its houseboats and continue on to Tiburon for a return ferry ride. If you’re feeling REALLY ambitious ride back the way you came, returning over the bridge. Most riders decide to jump on the ferry in Sausalito and return to San Francisco while relaxing with a cold beverage and enjoying the sights of the harbor and of Alcatraz as you return to Fisherman’s Wharf.
Bonus tips:
There are precious few Alcatraz tour tickets available through the official site and they sell out months in advance, but you can purchase combo packages through Blazing Saddles that include the guided bike tour and Alcatraz tour.
The main Blazing Saddles location is a block from Ghirardelli Square so be sure to stop by the Ghirardelli store and receive a free chocolate square.
