Bike the Golden Gate Bridge. Read my tips before you book the bikes!

Riding a bike across across the Golden Gate Bridge is great fun! Here are my tips on the best ways to do it: how to rent the bikes, how to choose a tour, and tips for taking the ferry back from Sausalito.

Many visitors say this is one of the best things they did in San Francisco. You can experience the Golden Gate Bridge up close, and get a birds-eye view of the beautiful bay and city skyline.

After crossing the bridge, you have the option of riding down into the charming town of Sausalito, to browse the quaint shops and enjoy fresh seafood…and the delectable ice cream shops.

Another cool thing: when you’re ready to return to San Francisco, you can hop on a ferry in Sausalito (with your bike) and enjoy one of the prettiest boat rides in the world.

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Two Ways to Bike Across the Bridge

• Do it yourself; rent bikes and go with a map.
• Do a guided bike tour across the bridge.

Most people rent the bikes and go, but the guided tours can be a lot of fun, too.

Rent bikes to cross the Golden Gate Bridge

There is no shortage of bike rental places in the city, especially around Fisherman’s Wharf where the self-guided tours often start. You’ll see the bike kiosks and offices all over the wharf. But which one to choose?

I looked into this for my own ride across the bridge, so I’ll share what I discovered. There are some really good deals on renting the bikes;-)

San Francisco Bike Rental Companies

There are lots of bike rental companies in San Francisco, and at least 9 of them provide bikes to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and ride down into Sausalito.

It’s pretty overwhelming comparing all the prices and reviews, but I spent some time on it and came up with what I think are the four best options for renting bikes.

Bike rental tips in a nutshell:

1. With Basically Free Bike Rentals, you really can get the bike rental for free! The best deal in town and highly rated. (See below.) Temporarily closed.
2. The other companies are pretty similar to one another in price and reviews, but you can save up to 20% by booking online rather than just renting them on a walk-in basis at the offices on Fisherman’s Wharf. (See below.)
3. Get 50% off on full day bike rentals through Goldstar.com. It’s free to sign up at goldstar.com and check for availability.
4. Check Groupon for some amazing discounts, up to 80%.

#1: Basically Free Bike Rentals.

Unfortunately, this shop is closed due to Covid.

Information below is about when they were open, and we hope they will be again at some point.

Is it really free? In a way, yes. And they have great customer ratings as well.

How does it work? You rent the bike, and they give you a voucher to spend the entire amount on anything at the Sports Basement store. Pretty cool!

The bike rental office is at 2568 Jones Street, at Fisherman’s Wharf, and there’s a big Sports Basement store at Crissy Field, on the route to the bridge, where you can use your voucher. They have a wide variety of things to buy, not just sports equipment, so it shouldn’t be hard to find something you want.

How can they afford to rent bikes for free? It’s the same company. Renting the bikes brings people to their Sports Basement store.

This is the company I ended up choosing. The bikes were in perfect condition and the staff was pleasant and easy to work with. Plus I got some nice stuff at the Sports Basement Store (it’s huge).

Tip: the bikes need to be returned by 6 pm to their rental office in Fisherman’s Wharf. But if you don’t make it back by then (e.g., if you take a later ferry from Sausalito), you can still return them to the Sports Basement store at Crissy Field, which is open till 9 pm (8 pm weekends).

See basicallyfree.com for more info and booking. (Tip: it’s also 20% off if you book online.)

#2. Book online to get a discount. The following companies rent bikes for the day in the $26 to $40 range for the standard mountain bike (after the discounts, which range from 10% to 25% for booking online):

• Basically Free Bike Rentals (bikegoldengatebridge.com)
• San Francisco Bicycle Rentals (bikerentalsanfrancisco.com)
• Unlimited Biking (unlimitedbiking.com)
• Sports Basement Presidio (sportsbasement.com)
• Blazing Saddles (blazingsaddles.com)
• Bay City Bike (baycitybike.com)
• Alcatraz Bikes and Tours (alcatrazbikesandtours.com)
• Extranomical Tours (extranomical.com)
• Bike and View (bikeandview.com)

All of the companies listed above have rental offices at Fisherman’s Wharf (except Bike and View, and Sports Basement), convenient for picking up the bikes, plus the Blue and Gold ferry from Sausalito brings you back to Fisherman’s Wharf so you can easily drop off the bikes.

Sports Basement is the rental company that is closest to the bridge, at 610 Old Mason Street. This could be a good choice it you don’t plan to go on to Sausalito, either for lack of time, or because you have younger children who may not be up for such an extensive bike ride.

If you plan to turn around at the end of the bridge and ride back, instead of taking the longer trip down to Sausalito and returning on the ferry, you’ll have less distance to travel to return the bikes to the Sports Basement. Plus, you’ll skip the hill in Fort Mason and have a fairly short ride up to the bridge.

Unlimited Biking, at 757 Beach Street in Fisherman’s Wharf, has possibly the cheapest rental price at the moment, with a low price guarantee. See bike rentals for current info and booking.

Most of these companies also rent electric bikes, and have seats for kids, trailers, and other accessories. Check with the individual companies for more info.

I didn’t include bike rental companies that are farther away. You can also rent bikes near Golden Gate Park and the Ferry Building, but that makes for a much longer bike ride.

#3. See what Goldstar has. Goldstar has half-priced deals on a ton of San Francisco activities and tours. It’s free to sign up, then you can check out what they have. See goldstar.com.

#4. Check out Groupon deals. There are usually some steeply discounted deals on bike rentals here (and lots of other things). They come and go, but I’ve seen $4/day bike rentals here; hard to beat! Worth checking out. Go to Groupon and search “bike rentals”.

Now that Basically Free Bike Rentals isn’t available, I would start my search here.

Should you rent an electric bike?

Most of the companies offer a variety of bikes to rent, including electric bikes. Do you need an electric bike to get up the hills on the ride to the bridge and Sausalito?

The short answer is…maybe. Depends on your fitness level and how you feel about pushing bikes up hills;-) The route is pretty much flat all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge from Fisherman’s Wharf…with three exceptions.

There’s a pretty steep hill just as you leave Fisherman’s Wharf and enter Fort Mason, but it’s not terribly long. You may have to get off and push it at least part way there, but most people don’t have a problem with that. And there’s a long, steep hill right after the Warming Hut at Crissy Field; most people will have to push part of the way (or the whole way, like me). Finally, there’s a long (but not steep) hill climbing up to the Battery East trail.

The bridge itself is actually a slight hill, but they don’t allow you to use the electric mode on the bridge. That’s not a problem, since the incline to the center of the bridge is mild.

Once you’re across the bridge, it’s downhill all the way to Fort Baker. But the worst hill of all is between Fort Baker and Sausalito. This is a serious hill; see photos below under the Ride to Sausalito. At that point, I really wished I had chosen the electric bike! But you can also avoid it by taking the “old” bike route into town (see map of bike route below).

Besides, electric bikes are a lot of fun to ride! They’re more expensive, but the trip would certainly be a lot easier. The hills would be effortless, and you could enjoy the scenery a bit more.

You have to be at least 16 to ride them, and you can’t use the electric boost on the bridge itself (which you wouldn’t need, anyway). I have an electric bike and love it; perfect for San Francisco hills!

That being said, when I did the ride, I was not in particularly good condition and had to push the bike up the hills, but I was able to do it and had a great time anyway.

Note: electric bikes aren’t allowed on the Golden Gate Ferry from Sausalito to the Ferry Building, but they are OK on the Blue and Gold Ferry to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Golden Gate Bridge guided bike tours

On these tours, a guide takes you to the Golden Gate Bridge, across the bridge and down into the town of Sausalito. You’ll hear about the history of the sights you’re passing and interesting tidbits along the way.

When you get to Sausalito, you’re free to explore the shops, galleries and restaurants and then return on the ferry with your bike to San Francisco.

The guided tours over the bridge all seem to run around $65.

Viator has a highly rated one for $65; with this one you can choose either a regular bike or electric bike. See Guided Bike Tour for info and booking.

Tip: Get tickets 50% off.

It’s often possible to find these bike tours for 50% off, from either Goldstar or Groupon.

Goldstar often has tickets for the guided Golden Gate Bridge bike tours for $27.50. It’s free to sign up, then you can check to see what they have available. See Goldstar for more info.

Groupon also has some good deals on these tours, when available. See Groupon.

Other than Goldstar and Groupon tickets, the best deals I saw for the guided tours were:

• Viator’s bridge tour for $55.
• Blazing Saddles for $52 (blazingsaddles.com, 20% off if booked online).

Want to combine a visit to Alcatraz with a bike tour of the Golden Gate Bridge? Do a 3-hour, guided bike tour the first day, then visit Alcatraz the next day. One way of getting Alcatraz tickets when they’re hard to find! See Alcatraz/bike tour for more info and booking.

The Golden Gate Bridge bike ride…

When you get your bike, you’ll also be provided with a helmet and bike lock; some of the companies provide a route map, but that’s not really necessary.

Do you have to wear a bike helmet? California law requires that anyone under 18 year old must wear a bike helmet; for adults it’s optional. Parents and guardians of minors are responsible for making the kids wear the helmets. All the rental companies provide helmets, but adults don’t have to use them.

How long is the ride across the bridge?

The bike ride from Fisherman’s Wharf, across the bridge and down to Sausalito is 8.5 miles. It’s hard to estimate the time, because it depends on how often you stop and how well you can pedal up the hills!

When we did the ride, it took us 2.5 hours to get to Sausalito from Fisherman’s Wharf. We took our time, taking photos, admiring the views, resting, and pushing our bikes up the hills;-)

Golden Gate Bridge bike ride distances:

• Fisherman’s Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge: 4 miles.
• Riding across the bridge: 1.7 miles.
• From the bridge to Sausalito: 2.8 miles.

The ferry ride back to the city takes around 30 minutes.

Riding to the bridge…

The typical bike ride starts in the Fisherman’s Wharf area where most of the rental places are. (See maps below.)

The Route: from the rental office, you ride to the western end of Fisherman’s Wharf, past Aquatic Park, then into Fort Mason (where the first hill awaits).

The route takes you through Fort Mason, then you join the bike path that runs all along the waterfront almost to the bridge. There’s a nice, long flat run past the San Francisco Marina and Crissy Field.

Then the route turns left and goes up to the trail leading to the Golden Gate Bridge.

It’s not that well-marked here. You’ll find the route behind the Warming Hut at the end of Crissy Field. Take the left turn and go up another steep hill (aptly-named Long Avenue). There are a couple of small signs at the turn telling you you’re headed for the bridge.

One more longish grade …

Then an easier path to the bridge…

Maps of Bike Route to the Bridge

There are options for scenic detours on the way, like the Palace of Fine Arts (beautiful buildings from the Pan Pacific Exhibition in 1915) and a run down to Fort Point and one of the most beautiful views of the bridge. (See my tips on how to get to all the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge.)

For a map of the bike route from the bridge to Sausalito, see below.

Biking across the bridge

There are two sidewalks on the Golden Gate Bridge used by cyclists: the East Sidewalk, facing the bay, and the West Sidewalk, facing the ocean. The bridge has a schedule for which sidewalk is open to bicycles.

Bike Schedule

Weekdays:

Daylight to 3:30 pm, east sidewalk.

3:30 pm to dark, west sidewalk.

Weekends and holidays:

Daylight to dark (all day, in other words), west sidewalk.

The bridge is open to cyclists 24 hours a day, but after dark, the gates are locked and riders have to push a button to get buzzed in.

Pedestrians must use the east sidewalk, and share it with bikes on weekdays.

Tips for biking crossing the bridge.

• Dress warmly in layers, even if the day is warm. It’s cold and windy up there!
• Weekends and holidays it can get crowded; go early.
• Pick your time for the view you want: bay or ocean. The bay view includes the city skyline, Alcatraz, & Angel Island. The ocean view includes the Marin Headlands and the entrance to the bay.
• If you use the West Sidewalk, you won’t have to wrestle your bike down and up the steep stairs to take it under the bridge to the bike path.

Biking to Sausalito

You don’t have to ride to Sausalito; you can always just turn around and ride back across the bridge. But if you have the time, I highly recommend the ride down to Sausalito. The views are great, and Sausalito is a fun place to visit.

When you get off the northern end of the bridge, you will be following a path that goes under the bridge and taking a scenic route down the hill into Sausalito.

This is a newer route, safer for bikes, with less traffic and prettier views than the previous Alexander Avenue route. The Alexander route avoids the steep hill in Fort Baker but puts you in traffic with the cars with no shoulder to ride on.

Biking with Kids

If you have kids with you that are a bit unsteady on bikes, then the trip down to Sausalito may not be the best idea. There’s one really long uphill climb between Fort Baker and Sausalito which will require pushing the bike for many people, and probably most kids.

There are also some steep downhill places and you’ll be riding with traffic on narrow, winding roads once enter the town. But if they can handle their bikes reasonably well, they should be fine.

Finding the Bike Path (after the Bridge)

The bike trail to Sausalito starts at North Tower parking lot, on the western side of the bridge.

Crossing the Bridge on the East Sidewalk: you’ll arrive at the Vista Point parking lot. From there, you’ll need to cross under the bridge via an underpass to get to the North Tower Parking lot (aka the Trailhead).

Take a sharp right as you enter the parking area at Vista Point, and you’ll see the steep stairway going down to the underpass.

The Underpass. This maneuver with a bike requires some agility and strength. There’s a long stairway down and another long one back up again. Next to the steps there is a narrow metal ramp to wheel your bike.

The tunnel goes right under the bridge, which is pretty cool (and loud if a truck is passing overhead). You’ll come out at the North Tower parking lot.

At the North Tower parking lot, there’s a sign painted on the pavement showing you the way to the Sausalito bike path. At the edge of the lot, you’ll see the beginning of a bike trail and the sign for Sausalito.

Crossing the Bridge on the West Sidewalk: you will already be at the North Tower parking lot. Find the signpost for the bike route to Sausalito, and enjoy!

The Ride from the Bridge to Sausalito

Follow the bike path downhill, pass under the bridge and coast down to Fort Baker. Great views of the bridge along here!

The bike route takes you through Fort Baker, formerly a military fort, and home to a hotel, restaurants, a yacht club and a very popular children’s museum, the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

There are signs in Fort Baker that direct you to Sausalito, so it’s easy to find your way through it.

The Hill. As you leave Fort Baker, there is a really long, steep hill! I wasn’t expecting it, and it was quite a climb. Some folks (fit, younger ones, lol) seem able to cycle up it, but it’s a challenge. I had to push my bike the whole way up.

Eventually you reach the top, and then it’s an easy ride downhill to Sausalito (but narrow and winding). At the bottom, you’ll find yourself on the Bridgeway, the main street in Sausalito.

It’s a flat ride along Bridgeway; after a couple of blocks, you’ll be at the ferry landing. The ferry area has bike racks (free in winter, $3 for valet bike parking the rest of the year). There are also more bike racks further along the same street (free ones).

The Trident restaurant, which you’ll see as soon as you come down the Bridgeway, has free bike racks for people eating there.

The current bike route to Sausalito

The Old Bike Route to Sausalito

The “old” route down to Sausalito follows the road into town that the cars use, along Alexander Avenue.

I see many people using that route; it’s still an option. On the map above, you would be picking up Alexander Ave near the freeway exit and staying on it all the way to Sausalito.

Pluses: it’s shorter, more direct, downhill pretty much all the way (biggest plus), and avoids the monster hill climbing up from Fort Baker.

Minuses: it’s more dangerous because you’re riding with the cars all the way, down a narrow, winding road, with no bike lanes. Also, you miss some great views of the Golden Gate Bridge (going under it, then riding close to it) and a look at pretty Fort Baker.

Better for experienced riders who don’t mind some added risk.

What to do in Sausalito…

The main street with shops and places to eat is Bridgeway, and the houses and residential streets climb up the steep hills behind it.

There are lots of small shops in the town that sell all sorts of interesting things. It’s a fun place to wander around and browse. There are some local art galleries to check out, as well.

If you want to see more than the quaint downtown, you can ride your bike farther north along the main street, Bridgeway, look at the cool houseboats, and check out the very unique Bay Model up the road (a huge, working model of the entire system of waterways for the Bay Area).

Restaurants. Sausalito is a great town for food, as well. They have a Scomas seafood restaurant (sister to the one in Fisherman’s Wharf) sitting on the water in a pretty wooden building at 588 Bridgeway.

The Trident is another good seafood restaurant, also with great bay views, which has an interesting history. This was a famous hangout for 60’s rockers, and was originally owned by the Kingston Trio. It still has its original hippie decor. (Ask the staff to point out the table where Janis Joplin used to sit.) 558 Bridgeway.

Many people swear Sausalito has the best ice cream in the area. Lappert’s is the place most people head for. They have over 260 flavors in their creative repertoire, so their selection changes frequently. 689 Bridgeway.

Tips for taking the ferry back

The tickets for the ferry aren’t for any specific sailing; they are good for 90 days (Golden Gate Ferry) or forever (Blue and Gold Ferry), but there are no reserved places. People line up for each ferry, first come, first served, but the ferries are large enough so it’s rarely a problem getting on for pedestrians.

There are two lines for boarding: people with bikes and those without bikes.

With a bike, it’s not quite as easy, as there’s only room for a limited number of bikes. Most of the year, it’s not a problem, but in high season the ferry fills up with bikes. Ditto for holidays and spring break. But there’s a solution; see below.

1. Taking the right ferry. There are two ferry companies that run between Sausalito and San Francisco.

The Blue and Gold Ferry goes to Pier 39 and the Golden Gate Ferry goes to the Ferry Building. If you need to return your bike near Fisherman’s Wharf, make sure you take the Blue and Gold Ferry. If you rented a bike near the Ferry Building, you would take the Golden Gate Ferry.

2. Lining up early. The ferry rarely fills up for pedestrians, but there can be long lines to board in Sausalito, especially towards the end of the day. The ferry is first come, first served.

They suggest being at the dock 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. In busy seasons with a bike, 30 minutes is not enough; you may have to wait for the next ferry.

We did the ride during spring break, got there 20 minutes before departure, and there were already way too many in line to get on the next ferry. I recommend getting there an hour before sailing during the busy seasons to be sure of getting on.

Travelers with bikes board before those without bikes, though sometimes they alternate, and people with bikes get off the ferry last, after the pedestrians.

3. Buying the tickets. There is no staffed ticket office in Sausalito. It’s called a ferry terminal, but there’s no building, just a dock. You can purchase tickets online for either ferry, or buy the tickets on the boat (Blue and Gold Ferry) or from the ticket machine at the Sausalito dock (Golden Gate Ferry).

Golden Gate Ferry. You can buy your tickets from a ticket machine near the dock. If you’ve already purchased the tickets online, you can show either the printout or the confirmation on your mobile phone for your ticket when you get on. Either way, you have to buy your ticket before you board. You can also buy the tickets at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Blue and Gold Ferry. You can buy the ticket after you get on the ferry (there’s no ticket machine for these at the dock). There’s a cashier on the boat who sells the tickets (cash or credit cards). You don’t need a ticket to get on the ferry, but you do need a physical ticket to get off. If you bought your ticket online, you can show your confirmation number, either with a printout or using your cell phone, to get your paper ticket from the cashier on the boat. But there’s a long line on the boat to get the paper tickets!

Avoid the ticket line on the Blue and Gold Ferry. We spent 10 minutes of the ferry ride standing in that line, and it’s a beautiful trip! There are two ways of avoiding standing in line after you get on the ferry:

1. Both ferry lines accept each other’s tickets (except Golden Gate no longer accepts the Blue and Gold tickets purchased online). So if you buy a Golden Gate Ferry ticket at the machine at the Sausalito dock, you can use it to get off the Blue and Gold Ferry.
2. You can also buy the ferry tickets in person in San Francisco before you go, at the Blue and Gold ticket office to the left of Pier 39.

4. Reserving a space for your bike in advance. There’s a limit to the number of bikes the ferry can carry, which is a problem with the large crowds in summer, especially late afternoon. They board the bikes first come, first served.

There used to be an online system for reserving a space for your bike, but it appears to have disappeared. Hopefully they’ll start that again!

Sausalito ferry schedules: see Blue and Gold Ferry & Golden Gate Ferry.

The ferry ride from Sausalito to San Francisco is about 30 minutes.

It’s a good idea to check when the last ferry leaves Sausalito on the day you plan to go (e.g., in winter, the last Blue and Gold Ferry leaves Sausalito at 5:35 pm).

Ticket prices for one way, Sausalito to SF:

Blue and Gold Ferry: $12.50 ($7.50 for 65+ and 5-11 yrs).

Golden gate Ferry: $12.00 ($6.00 for 65+ and 5-18 yrs).

Note: if you are going in the other direction, San Francisco to Sausalito, on the Blue and Gold Ferry, you do need a paper ticket to board the ferry. You can buy the tickets at the Blue and Gold booth at the left of Pier 39. If you purchased the tickets online, you will need to pick up a paper ticket at the pier at the same booth before boarding.

Curious about how they built the bridge? See Golden Gate Bridge history.

For tips on where to park when you visit the bridge, see Golden Gate Bridge parking.

More to explore…