On this electric bike tour you’ll experience San Francisco’s most essential sights in one unforgettable adventure. The awesome tour route features a full ride on the Golden Bridge and includes SF’s best landmarks, parks, neighborhoods, Victorian architecture, and hidden gems along the way. We’ll even have a picnic in the park, with epic panoramic views.
Why choose this electric bike tour?
You want the best overview of San Francisco and the most special Golden Gate Bridge experience, from an awesome local perspective.
Bike Tour Details
Highlights
- Full ride across the Golden Gate Bridge
- Exploration of SF’s grand Golden Gate Park
- Picnic lunch in the Presidio
- Ride SF’s best neighborhoods and best bike routes.
Parks you’ll explore
Golden Gate Park
A natural wonderland where locals go to play, this gorgeous oasis is 25% larger than Central Park, full of beauty and history to discover.
The Presidio
This once formidable military base has now been transformed into a sprawling parkland with epic views and houses the Golden Gate Bridge.
Crissy Field
Once an airfield during the dawn of flight, this flat waterfront expanse on the bay gives you striking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz
The Food
Cafe Bun Me
SF’s best bahn mi sandwich shop. If you’ve never had one of these Vietnamese masterpieces, think a great baguette with fancy cut vegetables and a variety of grilled meat, veggie, and fish fillings. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Dynamo Doughnuts
SF’s finest donut shop, with a park kiosk. All organic, with awesome flavor combinations.
Hometown Creamery
Some of SF’s most irresistible ice cream served out of a custom VW van in the park.
Neighborhoods you’ll visit
SoMa
Home to the Dandyhorse shop, this large and quirky neighborhood is home to SF’s tallest buildings, best coffee roasters, startups, and many of the world’s major tech companies’ world headquarters.
Duboce Triangle
This charming neighborhoods is one of SF’s smallest. It’s full of historic architecture, a great park, and more dogs and bikes than you’ll find anywhere else in the city.
Lower Haight
This neighborhood is home to the famous Wiggle bike route, SF’s best small record stores, and finest beer bars.
Haight Ashbury
The legendary neighborhood was made famous by Hippie movement and Summer of Love in the late ’60’s. Full of SF’s grandest Victorian architecture (and ‘painted ladies’), quirkiest shops, and best vintage stores. Located right next to Golden Gate Park.
The Richmond
A diverse neighborhood with some of SF’s best food. We’ll stop at Clement Street., the main business district, which is like a 40-block long more diverse Chinatown packed with local goodness.
The Presidio
The country in the USA’s 2nd densest city. Mostly brilliant parkland, the Presidio is also full of cool old officer housing and WWI era military buildings that have been restored. Well see epic bay and ocean views here, as we picnic and ride to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Marina
This super polished bayside neighborhood is full of Villa-like homes and art deco architecture. This part of town has its origins in the 1915 World’s Fair, with Palace of Fine Arts still standing on the edge of the hood.
Fisherman’s Wharf
We’ll ride the very the edge of the Wharf, the tourist heart of SF, along the cool Aquatic Park and past Ghirardelli Square.
Russian Hill
A fancy, hilly neighborhood with taller residential buildings and an old school SF feel. Russian Hill is home to the fabled, extra crooked Lombard Street.
Civic Center
Home to SF’s main public square and grandest urban buildings including our stunning city hall, symphony, ballet, public library, and Asian Art Museum.
Included
- Custom-built electric bike for easy pedaling – ride the best!
- Wireless-audio guide system so you don’t miss a thing while we explore.
- Super knowledgeable longtime local guide for the safest, best possible biking experience.
- Immersive iPad photo & video experience that brings stories and history to life.
- Tons of authentic local tips and advice on things to do before and after the tour. Pure gold!
- Dessert: Donuts or ice cream from SF’s best local spots.
Not Included
- Lunch – We’ll order ahead from one of SF’s best sandwich spots. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are available. Cash only.
- Drinks – our snack stop will include an opportunity to pick up great coffee, tea, or another delicious beverage. Treat yourself!
- Gratuities – consider tipping your guide for great service so they can make rent. 🙂
Skill Level & Safety
We characterize this tour as easy–moderate. Physically this ride is easy.
Moderate = you should be comfortable riding a bike. Our bikes are easy to ride and we give you plenty of time to get comfortable before departing.
Notes about this tour and why it’s easy-moderate: the ride requires that you navigate several hills, some of which are steeper. Our bikes are well suited and safe for this terrain. Your expert local guide will take you on quiet back roads and official bike routes the entire time, but you will have to share the road with cars at times.
Safety: We take safety seriously. There is an extensive pre-ride safety briefing and we provide the best quality helmets. See our safety page for more detailed information.
Questions: If you have any questions about the difficulty of this tour or if it’s right for you, please contact us, we’re happy to help!
Photos
Route Map
Click to go full screen ⬇︎
Elevation Profile (click to expand)
The Electric Bikes
Have more fun and never worry about the hills on our easy to ride ebikes.
We lovingly custom-build each electric bike to give you the best, safest, and most fun ride around. We promise they’ll be the best bike tour bikes you’ve ever ridden and a cut above anything else offered in SF. All our bikes are unique (like you!) but have the cool features you see below.
Itinerary
Arrival and Introductions (25 mins)
Here, you’ll receive an overview of the route and a safety briefing, get fitted to the bikes, and go on a test ride. Once you’re comfortable, you’ll be ready for your adventure
Downtown to Local SF and famous biking (20 mins)
Ride SF’s most-biked road, Market Street, past famous tech world headquarters and historic U.S. Mint to SF’s most famous and beloved bicycle route, the Wiggle. Along the way, we’ll explore the charming Duboce Triangle and Lower Haight neighborhoods, full of historic architecture.
The Haight to Golden Gate Park (30 mins)
We’ll zoom uphill into one of SF’s most legendary neighborhoods, the Haight Ashbury, epicenter of the 1960s hippie movement. In the Haight, you’ll explore the city’s quirkiest business district and grand Victorian architecture and see SF’s finest “Painted Ladies”.
Golden Gate Park to the Presidio (35 mins)
Discover the most beautiful, historic parts of our grand urban park, including the Conservatory of Flowers, the DeYoung Museum, and the California Academy of Science. We’ll roll into Richmond District neighborhood and pick up lunch at SF’s best Bahn Mi sandwich shop. Then, it’s just a short ride to our picnic spot in the Presidio.
Lunch to the Golden Gate Bridge (45 mins)
Enjoy a tasty lunch at the aptly-named Inspiration Point with sweeping views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, the San Francisco Bay, and Napa County. Next, we’ll roll through the lush cypress, redwood, and bunker-lined roads of the Presidio. Then, the grand reveal: the single most epic view of Golden Gate Bridge know only to in-the-know local cyclists. This supreme panoramic view is framed by the Pacific Ocean, Land’s End, the Marin Headlands, and the Farallon Islands (and whales (!) on the clearest days).
Golden Gate Bridge Ride & Exploration (35 mins)
We’ll get up close and personal with our grandest landmark as you take a spin onto the Bridge for the best views and photo ops. You’ll learn the fascinating history of the Bridge’s engineering and construction. The incredible views continue as we roll down the bike path and connect to Bay waterfront for another Bridge view featuring iconic Ft. Point.
Crissy Field to Ft. Mason (30 mins)
Ride the waterfront bike trail along Crissy Field with panoramic Bay views, to the last remaining building of the 1915 World’s Fair, the grand neo-classical Palace of Fine Arts. We’ll cruise through the pristine Marina neighborhood to the top of Ft. Mason for our last look at the Golden Gate Bridge, out to Sausalito, and majestic Mt. Tamalpais, the highest point in Marin County.
Ghiradelli Square to City Hall and the shop (30 mins)
Roll on down to Aquatic Park where you’ll get an up close view of Alcatraz and Ghirardelli Square at the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf. We’ll connect with the local’s side of town via a cool urban bikeway through the posh Russian Hill neighborhood. Minutes later, we’ll arrive at the Civic Center, home to SF’s grand City Hall and other titan buildings paramount to the city’s art and culture. Then, it’s just a short hop back to the shop.
Reviews
Matthew Nyholm
A true San Francisco adventure
Our self-guided tour was a true San Francisco adventure, from the views, architecture to landmarks to mural culture, and of course, food! The electric bicycles were in excellent shape and made riding so easy and fun. Nick at Dandyhorse also answered many questions we had, and sent us away with additional info he had prepared about the city for the rest of our stay. Thanks Nick!
Emma Rao
Quirky places, amazing food, stunning street art, and incredible views!
This self-guided bike tour was a fantastic way to explore the best of the Mission district and other cool neighborhoods – I would never have discovered the quirky places, amazing food, stunning street art or learned about the history of the place without Dandyhorse’s guidance. Plus we got to catch some incredible views along the way! Can’t recommend highly enough.
Cristina Papelli
Such an amazing route… truly a highlight of my time in SF
Nick is an amazing bike tour guide. First, you will be on one of his custom-made bikes that feels like something you would have bought for yourself. No cheap mass produced bikes here. Nick has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the tour route accessible and on designated bike infrastructure (think safety). It probably took months for him to pick such an amazing route. And then there is the route itself – through SOMA, the Mission, Castro, Lower Haight, Haight-Ashbury, and the east side of the Golden Gate Park. We had lunch in Alamo Square Park, rode by the Conservatory of Flowers, and went up the de Young Museum Tower for a panoramic view. I can’t say enough good things about this tour. It was truly a highlight of my time in SF. Thank you Nick.
Inês and Cyrille Neary
Best way to see San Francisco in 1 day!
We had a great time seeing San Francisco on our self-guided adventure. All the details and unique insights into the city really made our day. The bike route is beautiful, has incredible views, while going through several of the best landmarks in the city, and riding the Golden Gate Bridge was so cool. We can only recommend any one looking to see San Francisco to go with Dandyhorse, is 100% worth it! Thanks, we had a blast!
Stacy Ross
Amazing way to see, learn, and be outside in a beautiful city!
Dandyhorse was amazing! I went on the tour solo as my husband was at a conference. Nick, made me feel welcome right away. He had my bike handpicked prior to arrival and spent time before I left reviewing SF history and what I’d see all the way. They route included enough scenic stops, views, and neighborhoods to really get a feel for the city. I loved the lunch/picnic in Golden Gate Park! It was a great day all around. I highly recommend it as a must do whether you are visiting SF for the first time or you have lived there for years!!
Sara Murinich
Can’t recommend enough! Make the Most of your SF visit!
This was my favorite thing we did on our brief visit to San Francisco. If I had tried to do this on my own, I would have been lost a million times, missed out on hidden gems, and not learned even a fraction as much fascinating history about the city. It’s a great way to get your bearings in this sprawling city if you are staying a while OR if your trip is short (like ours) it’s a great way to see all the famed neighborhoods and get a sense for their unique flavors. With the electric bikes, it’s not at all arduous even though SF is very hilly and the bike lanes are all new; overall very safe experience. The length of time is appropriate for sure as there is so much to see.
Chelsea Codi
If I could give 10 stars I would
Probably our favorite thing we did in San Francisco- going at our own pace, with everything perfectly mapped made for a delightful ride. We saw many of the classic sights, including the completely beautiful path to the Golden Gate Bridge. what we loved too were the little neighborhood finds we probably wouldn’t have learned about otherwise- not only on the tour but Nick, the owner of Dandyhorse, gave us dozens of other recs, taking time to draw on a map and describe why he loves those spots. We took several of them and doing so made our trip SO MUCH BETTER. . Thank you Nick!
Brittni Smith
100% Highlight of our Girls Trip
We took Nick’s tour as part of a girls weekend in SF and it was 100% the highlight! We had so much fun riding throughout the city on our custom bikes. Not being avid cyclists we were a little nervous about biking in hilly SF but the electric bikes made it so fun and easy. They were so easy to ride and as comfortable as a bike seat can be. We loved riding the Golden Gate Bridge and Nick’s maps planned out the whole route and he explained each part to us. We had the most gorgeous weather for our ride and perfect views of the bridge!
This truly was so much fun, book it!
Lisa Karuna
A super orientation to the city for new residents
As a new resident, this bike tour is a super orientation of the city and some of its unique neighborhoods. Nick did an exceptional job making us feel welcome and providing lots of incredible sights and yummy surprises along the way. I would do this again in heartbeat and recommend it to anyone new to the city!
Natasha Pitmann
Only a local could put together… Brought the city to life
We had the best time on Danyhorse’s self-guided tour. Fabulous custom built bikes to cycle the beautiful route taking in a plethora of fascinating sights and neighbourhoods that only a local expert could put together. Dandyhorse has a gift for storytelling and really brought the city to life. If you only have one day in San Francisco I recommend doing this tour!
Aaron Sappho
The self-guided bike tour is fantastic
I am so grateful that I did choose this self-guided tour opposed to renting a bike and doing the ride solo. Nick, the owner of Dandyhorse, is such a friendly character full of energy and full of useful information. Before we set off, Nick giving us all information on where we were riding and some history context on the city. We got fitted out onto his custom bikes which were extremely comfortable and easy to ride and then the adventure began. The self guided GPS route pointed out so many points of interest along our bike trip that I learned so much that I never knew about SF! And there we arrangments for us to stop in the Presidio for a a picnic lunch before we rode the Golden Gate Bridge . At the end of our trip Nick greeted us with cool SF guides and emailed us all the information and a map of what we covered on the ride. It was a fantastic I highly recommend!
Dan Shaw
A well-chosen route that both entertained and informed
Everything was perfect—bikes in great condition and suited for a well-chosen route that both entertained and informed. Nick takes a keen interest in everything around him and delivers up a tour that reflects both his personal tastes and a more universal appreciation for interesting things. Very caring about your satisfaction for the tour and the entirety of your visit. It was a great introduction to a diverse and rich community. A great start to any San Fran visit whether students or business people.
Melissa Ortiz
A rare perspective of the city and with some amazing views
This was an incredible experience! Such a rare perspective of the city and with some amazing views. The food was especially tasty, it was nice getting little snacks along the way. Nick was great, kind, welcoming and over all amazing at telling about the history of San Fran! There was many photo opportunities as well which I loved. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this experience and would very much like to comeback to this wonderful bike ride next time I come up to the city.
Kristi Garcia
We all were able to keep up and enjoy an epic day!
We are so happy that we did the Dandyhorse Bike Tour! My husband is an avid biker, myself and our college age kids with us, not so much, but we all were able to keep up and enjoy the tour. Danyhorse was awesome at including information about the different neighborhoods, SF history and quirky little facts. We got to see areas of SF that we wouldn’t have gotten to see on our own. The bikes were in great condition, the roads were smooth, and everything was easy to navigate. We really lucked out with great weather-hot and sunny! Having lunch in Dolores Park with the city spread out at our feet was incredible. Thanks for an epic day, Dandyhorse!!
FAQ
Don’t worry, we’ll include a bunch of helpful details and everything you need to know for the tour in you confirmation email after booking. Here are some common questions, answered.
Where do we meet? Where does the tour end?
All tours begin and end in our bike workshop in the centrally local South of Market neighborhood.
Here is a map to our location.
How should I get to your location? Is there parking?
If you are staying locally, we recommend getting dropped off here via taxi, Lyft, or Uber since it’s super easy. We’re also about a 25 minute walk from Union Square hotels.
PARKING
If you do drive, there is free parking 2 blocks away at Costco. Here are directions to the lot.
Is biking in San Francisco safe?
The short answer is yes, very safe. Our tours leverage the experience of nearly 20 years of daily biking in San Francisco. Your expert local guide will lead you on the safest, most scenic bike routes and backroads in SF, and all of our tours ride at least 95% in official bike lanes. For more safety info, see our safety page.
Why not choose another tour company or just rent a bike and go on my own?
We’re curious travellers and appreciate authentic, high-quality local experiences, shared by passionate and knowledgeable locals. We deliver that on every bike tour we give, so you feel like your riding along with a good friend who knows all the best routes and places to explore by bike. You’ll experience the real San Francisco with cool longtime locals who are immersed in the city’s bike culture, food, and history. You’ll also get the most interesting perspectives on must-see landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park, while exploring the hidden gems beloved by locals.
In short, you’ll get an wholly authentic, non-touristy experience that provides a greater depth, better biking, and a complete local adventure that exceeds what you could do on your own.
What kinds of electric bike do you have? Are they easy to ride?
We custom build all our electric bikes in house, using the best parts around using steel frames from Trek and Specialized. We promise they’ll be the best bike tour bikes you’ve ever ridden, designed just for the special riding we have here in SF. They feature comfortable upright riding positions, extra safe brakes, wide tires, cushy saddles, and baskets so you can carry your stuff.
The bikes are very easy to ride and super fun. If you’ve never ridden an electric bike (like most of our guests), just know they function and feel a lot like a normal bike and you’ll get the hang of them in just a minute. The electric bike also allows you to choose how easy the ride is, so you can conquer the steepest SF hills (and enjoy the best views) without breaking a sweat.
Can kids come along? What are the age requirements?
Our electric tours are for age 15+. Our insurance company sets this minimum age and it’s standard throughout SF :).
Have kids younger than 15?
We do offer custom tours for families on traditional bikes. Just contact us and we’re happy to chat about details and set something up ideal for you.
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