San Francisco Day Trips from Los Angeles

Among the activities you have to see and do in Los Angeles is a tour of San Francisco, one of the most characteristic places of the Californian coast, with its permanent fog, the omnipresent Golden Gate and its picturesque trams.

Due to the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco, which is more than 600 kilometres, the tours are of two days or more, but usually include other destinations that are also characteristic of the West Coast of the United States.

California has so many destinations to visit and the distances are so vast that for some travellers it can be unmanageable.

For that reason, if you're visiting Los Angeles and have a few days available, taking an organised tour of San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Yosemite National Park can be a good option.

What you'll see on this tour

On these bus tours you'll see some of the major sites along the Californian coast, including Santa Barbara, Solvang, Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Francisco, with its eclectic Hearst Castle.

This is one of the best tours to do from Los Angeles, as it includes a full tour of San Francisco on the second day, with a boat ride in the Golden Gate City and a visit to Chinatown, plus a three-day trip along 17 Mile Drive.

The last stop before returning to the hotel is at Yosemite National Park, where you can do a full hike. If you're visiting Los Angeles in winter, you'll be able to enjoy the snowy forest.

These tours include accommodation for the first two nights, round-the-clock assistance from an expert local guide and entrance fees to the attractions.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... These tours are priced at approximately 579 euros per person, including return bus transfers with hotel pick-up, the assistance of a local guide, entrance fees to the attractions and accommodation for the first two nights.
• Duration of tour... Approximately 3 days.
• Advantages of this tour... One of the most comprehensive tours of the Californian coast.

The Californian coast is a very common destination for group travel, so private tours often offer the best alternatives.

On these two-day tours you'll get to see the best sites of Los Angeles and San Francisco, with a private vehicle transfer with hotel pick-up and an overnight California road trip.

In Los Angeles you can discover the legendary Hollywood sign, Venice Beach, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea.

These tours are ideal for private tours of the sites included in the hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus tours of Los Angeles.

What to see in San Francisco

Once in San Francisco, don't miss places like Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge and Napa Valley, one of California's natural wonders.

These tours also include a downtown tour with an expert local guide and a tour of the Painted Ladies Victorian houses, which can be as exciting as a helicopter ride over Los Angeles or a tour of celebrity homes.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... These tours are priced at approximately 2500 euros per group of up to 14 people, including return bus transfers with hotel pick-up and the assistance of a local guide.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 2 days.
• Advantages of this tour... This is a quick tour to see the highlights of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you are planning to spend several days in Los Angeles and would also like to see San Francisco and Las Vegas on an organised tour, these tours may be the ideal choice.

Day 1

On the first day you will take a full tour of Los Angeles, which will include a complete tour of Hollywood and the main sites, including the city's best museums.

Day two

From the second day onwards you will visit San Francisco, on an itinerary that usually includes a cruise around the bay from which you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Prison Island, Fisherman's Wharf and the Transamerica Pyramid.

Rest of the days

From the third day, the tour is dedicated to a visit to Las Vegas, its iconic welcome sign and The Strip, which is the heart of the city. You will also be able to visit the Hoover Dam.

On the fifth day, back in Los Angeles, you'll tour Yosemite National Park.

If you're visiting Los Angeles during the summer, these tours will also take you to the farmland area of the San Joaquin Valley, which is adjacent to Yosemite.

Details of interest

• Tour price... These tours cost approximately 850 euros per person, including round-trip bus transfers with hotel pick-up, four nights' accommodation at destination hotels, local guide assistance and entrance fees to attractions.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 5 days.
• Advantages of this tour... This is a great value for money tour with a detailed tour of some of the West Coast's top attractions.

A self-guided tour can be an ideal option if you're looking for a budget alternative or if you're visiting Los Angeles with children. It's also a good option if you're travelling along the Californian coast with a rental car, as you can drive at your own pace.

On these self-guided tours you can start your tour in Los Angeles or from anywhere on the road to San Francisco. Along the way you'll learn the best stories about the places you visit.

You'll pass through Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, San Jose and Pescadero before arriving in San Francisco after a 3 to 4 hour drive.

These self-guided options are also ideal if you're planning a short stay in the city and are looking for a quick and direct route from Los Angeles to San Francisco, avoiding tour buses or overnight excursions.

If that's your case, here's a list of the best things to see and do in the city in 3 days.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... The self-guided tour costs approximately 15 euros and is charged per vehicle, not per passenger.
• Duration of the tour... 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... It is a cheap, quick and ideal alternative if you are visiting Los Angeles with children.

You can book a tour to San Francisco from Los Angeles online in advance or you can book tours as soon as you arrive in the city.

If you are visiting Los Angeles during the Christmas or peak season months, I recommend that you book early to avoid delays or last-minute price increases.

Please note that depending on the time of year, multi-day tours, especially those that include visits to Yosemite National Park, may change, so please take this into consideration when booking.

The answer depends on the tour you choose, but bear in mind that given the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco, which is over 600 kilometres, most tours are two days or more, with the exception of the self-guided tour.

If you opt for the two-day private tour you'll be taking an overnight trip along the California coast, which is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles at night and you'll also save a night's stay in a hotel.

On these tours you will see the best attractions in San Francisco, such as the Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, the colonial houses and their trams and also theTransamerica Pyramid.

Depending on the tour you choose, you can also visit Los Angeles attractions and other nearby sites such as Carmel-by-the-Sea, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Monterey, Lompoc, Pescadero and San Jose.

If you decide to take the longer tours, you can also stop at Las Vegas and its major sites in downtown Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Yosemite National Park and Napa Valley. Either way, you'll have access to the most iconic sites along the Californian coast.

If you're planning to visit Los Angeles during the high season months, it's advisable to book in advance as tours to major sites such as San Francisco tend to sell out quickly or can increase in price if you book at the last minute.

If you are visiting Los Angeles with children or are planning a short stay in the city, the best option for your trip to San Francisco may be a self-guided tour, although bear in mind that this will require a car.

If you are travelling in a group, the best options are private tours, as the tour services on the Californian coast are geared up for this type of trip.

Before you book the tour that best suits your travel plan, I recommend you check out the best times to visit Los Angeles.

The answer depends on the tour you choose and the visits and services included in the contracted tour, although you should keep in mind that except for the self-guided tour option, which costs approximately 15 euros, visits to San Francisco from Los Angeles are not cheap.

A two-day private tour costs approximately 180 euros per person in groups of up to 14 people, while options that include other sites, such as Yosemite National Park, Hoover Dam, Napa Valley wine country or a visit to Las Vegas, are priced at approximately 579-850 euros.

Note that these options generally include round-trip transfers from Los Angeles with hotel pick-up, hotel accommodation at the destination hotels and entrance fees to attractions, but usually do not include meals.

The West Coast has some of the most emblematic places in the United States and one of the most important of these places is, without a doubt, San Francisco.

For that reason, if you visit Los Angeles and this tour fits your time and budget, I recommend you not to miss this city, which stands out for the Golden Gate but has many more attractions to discover.

The almost 600 kilometres that separate Los Angeles from San Francisco are not few, but I assure you that when you get to know the sloping streets, the trams and the colonial houses of the City of Mist, you will see that it was worth the visit.

The West Coast is a popular destination for visitors travelling on their own, so it is possible to visit San Francisco from Los Angeles without a guided tour, although a guided tour will definitely be the most convenient option for your trip and will save you time and money.

The 600+ kilometres that separate the two cities can often be covered by bus while enjoying the nighttime scenery.

A guided tour will also ensure you get to know all the ins and outs of the places you visit, especially those towns along the 17 Mile Drive or just outside Los Angeles and San Francisco, such as Santa Barbara, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Lompoc and Pescadero.

If you're driving a rental car or your own car and don't want to hire a guided tour , you can opt for the self-guided tour, which is inexpensive and allows you to have information about the sites you visit, with recommended routes and other suggestions that will enliven your experience on the Californian coast.