Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge is a must for tourists to the San Francisco Bay Area. The bridge's panoramic views, which encompass the City of San Francisco, Alcatraz Island and Sausalito, and its ease in accessibility make it a leisure time favorite.
Walk the 1.7 miles from one end of the bridge to the other for views of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island and the City of San Francisco itself. Walkers can bring their dogs with them as long as the dogs are well-behaved and remain on their leash. Walking across the bridge is free of charge. Look for interesting facts posted along the bridge route.
Bike across the bridge using your own bike or take a guided bike tour of San Francisco with companies like Blazing Saddles and Bay City Bike. After you complete your trip across the bridge, continue biking around the bay into the towns of Sausalito and Tiburon. Enjoy a good meal and a little shopping before taking the ferry back to San Francisco. The ferry is included in the tour. Guided tours are about three hours long, but bikers can keep the bike and continue on their own until the end of the day. Helmets are required and included.
Take a bus tour of the City of San Francisco and get off at the Golden Gate Bridge which is one of twenty stops along the route. You can get off either at the north or south end, walk across the bridge, and pick the bus up again on the other side. Buses rotate around their loop about every 20 minutes. This is a great way to not only see the bridge, but the City as well. Some tour bus companies allow you to ride for two days for the price of one.
Enjoy a casual meal or snack at the Bridge Cafe, which serves muffins, sandwiches, salads and Starbucks coffee. The cafe is located on the southeast side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Take a stroll to the Fort Point Overlook for a different view of the bridge. Admire the Strauss statue--Strauss was the engineer of the bridge. Finish the ministroll by skipping through the floral gardens. All of these attractions are located on the southeast side of the bridge.
Go shopping at the gift center, located on the southeast side of the bridge in the Roundhouse building, just behind the Strauss statue, to pick up photos, books and videos.
