Known for its colorful people and eccentric lifestyles, San Francisco is a tourist destination, even for people who live in other parts of California. It’s a small city, but there is a lot to see and part of the Bay Area’s quirky charm is the ability to explore it in interesting and offbeat ways.

Sailboat

More than just dry land, the Bay area is beautiful from the water too. Touring the area by sailboat provides a different perspective, people don’t often think of seeing the city from the sea. During the summer months a cruise around the bay is both a refreshing and unique way to enjoy the bayside landmarks of San Francisco.

Double Decker Bus

The California cousin to the double deckers of London, still painted bright red but topless to enjoy every bit of the California sunshine. These tours provide a second story view of the city you can’t get any other way. This is a great way to see some of the larger attractions of the area, just remember the busses are limited by their size. Some of the best places found in any city are off the beaten double decker bus path.

Walking

For a city situated on such steep terrain there are a plenty of areas in SF that are best explored on foot. Subtle nuances of the city can be lost when from seen the road. Whether you take a guided walking tour or decide to just go get lost on foot, there is enough art, architecture and history to forget about your feet for hours.

Duck Tour

The Duck is an amphibious vehicle built by the US military during WWII for use transporting troops over land and water. Today they make an interesting way to see the sights then hit the water and tour from the Bay without moving an inch. Perhaps not the most comfortable ride, but a duck tour of San Francisco is sure to be a unique and interesting experience.

Helicopter

Seeing any city from the air is exciting, but San Francisco with its dramatic geography, lovely buildings and bay-spanning bridges is quite spectacular from a birds eye view. This option costs a little more than most, however much more can be seen from the air in two hours than on land. Not only is the view amazing, but a helicopter ride is an adventurous way to enjoy tourism.

Motorized Cable Car

One of the most well known landmarks of the bay area are the cable cars, unfortunately these classic icons are limited by the tracks that carry them. Luckily some of the trollies have jumped their tracks and found themselves some wheels. Hop on a vintage trolly car and see the sights that interest you the most, regardless of tracks. Motorized cable car tours are a fun way to enjoy the San Francisco of today with a little splash of yesterday.

Antique Car

A more personal way to see the city sights, in a smaller vehicle much better suited to handle steep hills than tour buses. The small scale allows tourists a wider variety of sights to see and a much more personalized tour. The city has a rich history and many of the main attractions are historical landmarks. Arriving in a vintage car is a fun way to enhance your historical adventure.

Segway

Perhaps one of the most interesting ways to see this city, the segway allows tourist to enjoy being outside without dealing with tired legs. Whether you’ve never been on a segway or you’re an old pro, there is a tour to suit your skill level. With the segway tourists are not limited to the street, they can stick to pedestrian areas and bike trails for a more complete tour. Truly, the best part about them is that you don’t have to walk up a single hill.

Limousine

Given the choice, many people would opt to take the grand San Francisco tour from the back seat of a limosine. Tinted windows don’t make it that much harder to see the sights. This is the perfect option for a romantic getaway in the city for two, or a small group of friends. Just be sure you get yourself a good driver because not all roads in this city are limo-friendly.

GoCar

The GoCar eliminates the need for tour guides altogether by using technology to show tourists around, call it tourism with a high-tech edge. This option gives the tourist total control over the journey and points out interesting things along the way. Small and easy to maneuver this is a good set of wheels to get around the city while the onboard GPS keeps you from loosing your way.

They Are All Good For Something

Whichever tour you want to try be sure to do your research. There will be limits to what you can see with each tour. Try utilizing several of the options for the most comprehensive tour of San Francisco around. The only problem with having all of these options may just be having to pick one.