Forget the big double-decker buses — the happiest way to see San Francisco is cruising its hills in a lovingly restored vintage Volkswagen van. Vantigo, the city’s original VW bus tour company, packs 14 famed districts into a 3-hour ride, with photo stops at postcard spots like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz viewpoints.
Along the way, your local guide spins tales stretching from the 1849 Gold Rush to the rise of Silicon Valley, with a loving detour through 1960s counterculture. It’s storytelling with the windows down and the breeze in — equally magical for first-timers and longtime locals, according to its near-perfect 4.98-star rating from more than 830 reviews. Tours start at $103.20, and the small group size keeps everything personal.
Book this tour on Viator — seats in these vintage vans fill fast, especially on sunny weekends.
Photo: Viator.
