GoCar Tours in San Francisco

The GoCar tour of San Francisco is an essential activity when visiting the city. These small vehicles allow you to see a lot of places within the city, without having to walk or take public transport.

Go Cars, which were once named the best invention of the year, have become one of the best ways to visit many of San Francisco's must-see attractions, because it's a great way to tour the city's most iconic sights.

To book a Go Car Tour online, the first thing you need to do is read all the details of the offer and contact the company offering the service. Reservations can usually be made up to three hours before the tour starts, subject to availability.

Once you have made the purchase and confirmed the reservation, you will be ready to enjoy your Go Car tour. At the time of booking, you must leave a deposit as a guarantee, which is returned at the end of the tour.

On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that the weather must be good for the tour to take place. If it is raining, the tour will probably be cancelled, although you will have the option of a refund or a change of date in order to be able to experience the tour.

The car, helmet and other necessary protective measures and petrol are included in the booking.

The Go Car tour usually lasts between two and five hours, depending on how many sites you want to visit in a day and the itinerary you have chosen to take. How long it takes will also depend on how long you stay at each stop and how fast you go in your Go Car.

My advice is to take it easy and go at your own pace so that the experience is enjoyable and at the end of the tour you can feel satisfied with the service.

There are shorter tours that offer a two-hour service, but I would recommend this type of tour if you have already been to San Francisco and want to visit specific sites in a Go Car.

• Beaware of the weather and dress in layers, San Francisco's weather is changeable and very unpredictable. Also, while driving you may feel quite cold, as the vehicles are completely uncovered.
• Children can participate if they are 4 years old or older and only if their heads fit into the helmets provided by the Go Car service.
• I do not recommend deviating from the route set out in the tour. Some of them include the funniest detours.
• Don't expect to go at an impressively fast speed, as the small vehicle can only reach up to 56 km/h (35 mph).
• The Golden Gate Bridge is a route you can't take with a Go Car because it's not allowed, but you can go as far as Fort Point, a pedestrian access point to the bridge. If you want to cross the bridge in a different way, I recommend booking a San Francisco bike tour that includes it.
• You have to take into consideration the maximum height and weight limits for you to enjoy the ride. These are 1.9 metres tall and 226.6 kg between the two passengers.
• This trip is not recommended for pregnant women and you will not be able to do it if you suffer from back problems.
• One of the advantages of this ride is that it is accessible for wheelchair users and it is also possible to take pets for assistance.
• In case of accidents, the price does not include the cost of damages, so be careful when driving, because if something happens to you or the car, you will have to pay an additional fee of 19 euros or more.

The price of the Go Car is per car and not per person. Also included in the booking is an audio guide that you can take with you on the tour.

Knowing this, the rental of this type of vehicle to do the tour can cost between 82 and 143 euros, and of course it is suitable for two people per vehicle only.

Also included in the service is a security deposit on your credit card which can range from 150 to 500 euros. Once the tour is over, this security deposit is returned.

Also included in the price of the vehicle rental and tour booking is an 8.75% environmental compensation fee, which is a fee paid for both the refuelling of the vehicle and the recycling of the vehicle's tyres.

There are vehicles that run on gas instead of petrol. In this case, fuel is also provided when booking the tour and is included in the initial price.

During the tour you will see San Francisco' s most iconic monuments, sculptures and landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge.

You'll also get to see some of the city's major parks, pass by the wharf or visit Downtown or Chinatown.

Regardless of which tour you choose, some of the must-see places on your trip are described below. I would definitely include this activity among the best tours and excursions in San Francisco.

Ghirardelli Square

This is the old chocolate factory located very close to Fisherman's Wharf. The factory used to be located on the three floors of the building, but nowadays it is a place full of shops and restaurants.

As you pass by, you can listen to your audio guide to learn all you need to know about how the building used to work. If you want, you can stop to walk around and buy interesting things to take home as souvenirs.

Fort Mason Center

A venue for performing arts such as dance, theatre, art installations, musical performances and recreational and educational events for everyone in the Bay Area. It is also home to various arts organisations that offer locals and visitors multiple recreational activities and performances to admire.

This place is part of the Golden Gate National Park area, one of the national parks near San Francisco with the highest number of visitors each year.

Fort Mason Center is a must-see if you're in your Go Car. You can stop here to take all the pictures you want, especially of the Golden Gate.

Fort Point National Historic Site

This fort welcomes the Golden Gate Bridge on the south side, so it's a good place to stop and take some great pictures before continuing your Go Car ride. This site is located just under the bridge and in its golden age was part of the defences of the San Francisco Bay.

If you want to stop here, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you will find inside. A large collection of uniforms, weapons and other items from the American Civil War that have been preserved intact to this day.

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge needs no further introduction. It's one of the most iconic places you'll want to visit with the most excitement when you're in your Go Car, but I have to tell you that you can't attempt to cross it at any time. These vehicles are not allowed to cross the bridge.

If you want to admire the Golden Gate Bridge you can do it from below, or you can stop the car and walk up to get some good pictures. It is the icon of the bay and the whole city, so you need to take the time to see it and appreciate it.

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre is an ideal place to take dreamy postcards, and this historic place will impress you with its attention to detail. The Palace of Fine Arts was built around 1915 and its main purpose is to show works of art of universal exhibition.

Around 1965 the monument underwent some reconstructions to improve the design and reinforce its infrastructure. In 2009 it underwent earthquake reinforcement to make this fortress even more unshakable.

Fisherman's Wharf

The famous wharf has more than just history. Fisherman's Wharf is a section of the entire wharf where most of the wharf's attractions are located, one of the most famous being Pier 39.

Previously, in the gold rush era and early 20th century, the site was part of what is known as the Barbary's Coast, an incredibly dangerous red-light district at the time.

Today little or nothing remains of that dark history. It offers some of the best views in San Francisco.

Ocean Beach

Next to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach is one of the most fun attractions in the city. In fact, visiting this beach is one of the locals' favourite summer destinations.

If you stop here, you'll be able to get great pictures of the bay and, above all, appreciate the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Don't hesitate to stop here for as long as you like and, depending on the weather and your courage, take the opportunity to dip your toes in the water.

Presidio of San Francisco

The Presidio of San Francisco is one of the most emblematic places in the city, a large structure that for a long time served as a military barracks.

It also includes a national cemetery where countless soldiers who gave their lives in wars throughout the ages are buried.

The Presidio is also home to the Walt Disney Museum, oneof the best museums in San Francisco.

Although I don't recommend using your Go Car tour to visit the museum, it is a highly recommended visit for when you have a little more time. For now, you can take pictures and spend a few minutes there.

Crissy Field

This is one of the most iconic and fun parks in San Francisco. Due to its height, it offers beautiful panoramic views of the entire city, as well as a fantastic perspective of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I recommend stopping for a few minutes at Crissy Field to rest and also to take as many pictures as you want from every possible angle. It is also very close to the Presidio.

Legion of Honor

This is a museum dedicated to the more than 3000 lives of Californian soldiers who were lost during World War I. The memorial to honour the lives of these soldiers is located on the grounds of the Legion of Honor.

The memorial to honour these victims is built as a replica of the Palace of the Legion of Honour in Paris. Inside you can see a large number of works of art from all over the world.

Lombard Street

The tour you're sure to enjoy the most is the one on Lombard Street. On the last stop of your trip, you can drive down this winding street from the top to the bottom. It's an adrenaline-fuelled experience that you 'll definitely want to do again.

When you take this ride, be careful to drive carefully and understand that this is a regular traffic lane, so keep an eye out for other vehicles coming down the hill.

I recommend you to take a Go Car Tour in San Francisco because in addition to seeing new places, you can have a lot of fun driving this little car.

Also, the experience gives you the opportunity to do things that you might not be able to do on foot, by car, by bike or on foot in San Francisco.

One of the most enjoyable experiences you can have aboard this pram is to ride down Lombard Street. This experience is definitely not the same whether you do it on foot, by bike or by private car. It is also a good experience if you go alone or with a partner.

This option allows you to have a select and private tour if you are accompanied by another person, as most traditional tours require at least 4 people to book a private tour. But the Go Car only takes two people, so it's ideal for those cases.

On the other hand, it's an experience you can have any time of the year, although I'd recommend including it among the things to see and do in San Francisco in the summer, as the warm weather can help you enjoy the scenery better.

The great thing about these types of Go Cars is that you can take a guided or self-guided tour without there being much difference between one and the other, because in the end it will just be you and your mini car driving around San Francisco.

The difference is that there are Go Cars that offer a voice-guided tour that will explain the route you should take as well as the details of each place you visit. This innovative service makes you feel as if you were with a tour guide who is showing you San Francisco little by little.

Of course you can also just rent a Go Car and take the tour you want without an audio guide, but I recommend this type of tour if you have already visited San Francisco and you feel familiar with the city, but you want to learn new things.

Whatever the case, Go Car is an experience I would recommend whenever you go to San Francisco, because there is definitely no more fun and adrenaline-pumping way to tour the city than in one of these little cars.