When friends suggested we hire bikes and ride across the Golden Gate bridge I thought they were joking. Hello, we’re in the city of killer hills and traffic. A pleasant day of cycling in San Francisco hadn’t sprung to mind.
When planning a visit to San Francisco with your partner, you might be thinking of a classic San Francisco itinerary exploring on the trans or some romantic things to do in San Francisco with your other half.
Our San Francisco bike tour
It turns out San Francisco is cycling friendly and everyone’s on a bike.
From commuters in suits and hire-a-bike tourists to pro-cyclists, this city zealously embraces the bicycle – ones with good gears.
So having picked up our bikes, helmets and a map, we’re heading to the Bay in San Francisco.
The pace is fast.
We’re hurtling along bike lanes and if I don’t keep up I’ll be left behind but I soon find the rhythm and move more confidently with the flow.
We leave Fisherman’s Wharf and cycle along the marina and through a park that has been converted from a former air base.
The fog has lifted and riding along on what has become a balmy, summer’s day, we are layer stripping. With more space and less traffic, we’re now easy riding.
We stop more than once to take photos of ourselves posing with the Golden Gate Bridge behind us.
At the base of the bridge on Golden Gate Promenade we prepare for a steep climb.
Some of us, having figured out the gear system and zigzag method to ease the climb, cycle up the hill to the bridge.
The rest of us, well me, gets off and pushes the bike up.
There is a reward at the top. There before me stretches the Golden Gate Bridge.
I’m about to ride across one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
This technical masterpiece, spanning three kilometres, opened in 1937 after a four-year struggle against relentless winds, fog, rock and tides.
The single suspension span, anchored by art deco twin towers, crosses the Golden Gate strait from San Francisco to Marin County.
From the path, shared by cyclists and pedestrians, the view is spectacular all the way.
As we look across the Bay, I’m convinced that San Francisco is indeed, the most beautiful city in the world.
Across the bridge, we coast our way downhill to the little Mediterranean style seaside town, Sausalito.
Its up-to-the-minute dining, galleries, boutiques and laid-back spirit have long attracted international travellers and locals.
We browse around before choosing a sidewalk café to lunch in the sun.
Sausalito is also the gateway to Californian wine country, redwoods and the wild northern coast.
To return we load our bikes on to a ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf, cruising right past Alcatraz, the former prison island.
Alcatraz Island is 2.4km offshore and often referred to as ‘The Rock.’
It was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a prison in 1868 and a federal prison from 1933 until 1963.
In 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and a historic landmark in 1986.
The island is now managed by National Parks and open for tours.
You can catch a ferry to Alcatraz from Pier 33, near Fisherman’s Wharf.
We ride our bikes back to the hire shop.
Tired, sunburnt and euphoric we catch a tram back to our apartment after an incredible day of cycling the Bay.
San Francisco Bike Tours
1- Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Bike Tour
Combining a cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge with a visit to Alcatraz is the perfect way to explore San Francisco. The three-hour San Francisco bike tour starts at Fisherman’s Wharf.
The tour includes a ferry ride across San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Prison, which was a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963. This is where Al Capone and other famous criminals were held.
2- Hire a bike go it alone
3- Take a three-hour sunset bike tour around San Francisco
Book your San Francisco bike tour here
Plan Your Trip
Rent A Car – Find the best car rental rates at Discover Cars. They compare car hire companies to provide you with the best deal right now.
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