The Golden Gate Bridge is a landmark in San Francisco. It is also renowned for its steep streets, Alcatraz, and beautiful weather.
It is the thirteenth most prominent city in the country. And being large and diverse, the city also offers many exciting and entertaining places to visit.
The sunny city of San Francisco is an ideal tourism destination for every senior.
Did you know that almost every attraction in the city offers senior discounts?
Of course, there is a varying degree when it comes to age requirements. If you are a senior traveling in San Francisco, ask for discounts because you deserve them. Some such examples are movie theaters and different modes of public transportation.
Of course, having your ID on hand is also a requirement.
If you are going to San Francisco anytime soon, here are the best tours and destinations you can try.
List of Contents
- 1. The San Francisco Boat Cruise
- 2. The Ultimate San Francisco Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
- 3. The San Francisco Chinatown Culinary Walk
- 4. The Walt Disney Family Museum
- 5. North Beach and a Visit to Little Italy
- 6. The San Francisco Zoo
- 7. The Muir Woods National Monument Guided Tour
- 8. Monterey and Carmel Day Tour
- 9. Exploratorium Visit
- 10. A Visit to the Aquarium of the Bay
- 11. The Movie Sights City Tour
1. The San Francisco Boat Cruise
When talking about San Francisco, the first thing that comes to mind is the Golden Gate Bridge.
And what better way to explore this iconic San Francisco landmark than by going underneath it?
The boat cruise will have you go along the waterfront of San Francisco.
During the cruise, you will relive the city’s history, which spans more than 150 years.
Sail underneath the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. And while you are on this cruise, you will also get a closer look at Alcatraz.
All of these you do while you stare in awe at the beautiful San Francisco skyline.
The tour lasts for an hour and starts at Pier 39. It goes straight to the San Francisco Bay, passes through Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Angel Island State Park.
From there, the boat heads back to Pier 39.
During the tour, a guide will explain everything about these significant landmarks.
And what is best about this tour is that you skip the lines.
All you have to do is to shop up and board the boat. This tour is convenient at its finest.
2. The Ultimate San Francisco Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Another way to see San Francisco is by land.
And with this bus tour, you get the best views from the top of a hop-on hop-off bus.
The tour will take you to many of San Francisco’s sights and your leisure. You will see the Transamerica Pyramid, the Golden Gate Bridge, and many other hidden gems during this time.
The tour has two options.
You can either get the 24-hour ticket or the 48-hour ticket.
The choice is yours.
I like that this tour also brings you to famous sites and hidden gems.
Explore historic neighborhoods like the Fisherman’s Wharf, the Haight-Ashbury, and many more.
Your ticket will also come with bike rentals. That is if you still feel like exploring on a bike.
3. The San Francisco Chinatown Culinary Walk
Did you know that the largest Chinatown outside Asia is in San Francisco? Now, you know.
This tour will have you try the best that Chinatown has to offer.
The guided walking tour of San Francisco’s Chinatown includes the usual food and other fun ones like fortune cookies.
And speaking of fortune cookies, the tour will bring you to a lady that makes fortune cookies by hand.
You will also learn more about traditional cooking techniques while you’re here.
I know that, as seniors, we can get limitations regarding food.
Everything here is delicious. On your first stop, eat in moderation because there will be many more stops to make.
And all the food you will be sampling will be the best Chinese cuisine.
Sample the best food that China brought to the States.
There are different types of dim sum, teas, herbs, tons of produce, and a wide variety of noodles.
You will also be visiting a Buddhist temple along the way, seeing musical instruments that are not common in the US, and visiting a place that displays antiques and relics from China.
The tour lasts for three hours.
This three-hour tour should be enough to satisfy your daily exercise regimen.
4. The Walt Disney Family Museum
Who else does not recognize Disney?
The tour is for seniors who are young at heart.
In this museum, you will expose yourself to animation, inspiration, and innovation.
See and learn about the life of Walt Disney. Hear his story through interactive galleries.
Ten interactive galleries are full of films, music, and artifacts.
There are early drawings and cartoons on exhibit.
There are also several interactive stations. Also, one of these galleries contains a fantastic model of Disneyland.
5. North Beach and a Visit to Little Italy
The tour brings you to the flavors of Italy.
Here, you can take a food tour of North Beach and Little Italy.
Take a bite of the delicious, great local food. Discover how these excellent home cooks and chefs make these culinary delights.
Finally, the tour will get you to meet the local artisans who make these delicious treats.
This tour will require you to walk, sit down, and eat.
I am okay with walking for a few hours as long as I can taste Little Italy.
Take a bite of the award-winning chocolates. Learn about how the Italians made these drinks from fresh ground beans. Sip your coffee.
You can even discover how they make these chocolates. Finally, you can only visit Little Italy by eating their locally-made pizza.
The tour will take you three hours. You get a guide, an Italian experience in San Francisco, and a lot of food to devour!
6. The San Francisco Zoo
If you are into animals, this should be perfect for you.
What separates this zoo from the rest is the types of animals they house.
The zoo houses more than 2,000 exotic and endangered animals.
These animals were rescued and live in an area of over 100 acres.
The whole property is majestic. It contains beautiful gardens and gives you a view and a whiff of the Pacific Coast.
While inside the zoo, there will be talks to listen to. There will also be several feeding activities that will allow you to feed the animals they house.
Aside from the rescued and exotic animals, there are also several others. You can look at giraffes and zebras while inside the zoo. There will also be kudus to find roaming around the dramatic African Savanna.
The tropical rainforest inside the zoo contains exotic plants, colorful birds, and a sloth. There are also active and engaging lemurs.
Visit them and see the lemurs climb and jump in their newfound homes.
The ticket will also give you access to the Leanne Roberts African Region and the Valentine Family Savanna.
These areas provide views of the multi-species landscapes, complete with animals like zebras, giraffes, and storks.
You can visit the Hearst Grizzly Gulch inside the zoo to get up and personal with a rescued grizzly bear.
There are also penguins inside the zoo. The admission ticket allows you to spend the whole day inside the zoo.
By the way, when visiting, please bring your ID card or your passport. Also, wear comfortable shoes!
7. The Muir Woods National Monument Guided Tour
The tour will feel like you escaped from the hustle and bustle of busy San Francisco.
The Muir Woods National Monument tour takes about an hour and a half. It includes an entry fee to the property.
While inside, you can marvel at the ancient sequoia trees, after which you take a bus tour of Sausalito. You can arrange for a pickup from your hotel.
During the tour, you can admire the beautiful natural side of California through its woods and redwood trees.
The tour includes a guide who will accompany you from the beginning of your trip till the tour of Muir Woods National Monument.
As mentioned, you will spend an hour and a half inside the forest before you continue your trip to Sausalito.
Sausalito is a coastal city with beautiful views of the bay. On the way to this city, you will pass by the sights that will leave you in awe. You can always get off the bus if you want to explore the city on foot.
You can explore Sausalito the way you want to and at your pace. Going back to San Francisco, you can ride a ferry.
However, the ferry ticket is not part of the tour.
This tour is in high demand. You should book in advance.
And before I forget, please wear comfortable shoes.
8. Monterey and Carmel Day Tour
This tour will let you discover the scenic and beautiful coastlines of California.
The tour is a one-day journey from San Francisco aboard an air-conditioned bus.
You will then travel to the Monterey Peninsula, Cannery Row, and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
On your way to Monterey Peninsula, you will admire the scenic California Pacific Coast Highway 1. The beautiful Monterey Peninsula is also famous for its fantastic ocean views.
The peninsula is also famous for its wildlife and historical past.
While on this tour, you can also stop at Cannery Row, a place made famous by John Steinbeck.
Here, there are unique shops and restaurants that all overlook the Pacific.
Finally, you will also travel through the famous 17-Mile Drive. The Drive will have you see Pebble Beach Golf Course. There will be stops along the way for you to take photos.
And then, the tour continues to Carmel by the Sea.
Here, you will have enough time to walk through the charming town. The town has several shops and beautiful architecture that will be the envy of your friends back home.
9. Exploratorium Visit
To discover a world full of adventure, you should visit the Exploratorium.
Exploratorium is an exciting destination, and this full-day ticket will give you access to the area for the day.
This destination is the only area in the city where you can touch, play with, and tinker with hundreds of interactive exhibits.
The museum’s location is synonymous with convenience. You can find the museum at Pier 15 between Ferry Building and Pier 39.
These places are popular in the Embarcadero area in San Francisco. The Exploratorium is the most experimental museum on earth.
There are large-scale art installations. Inside the museum, there are also studies of microscopic life, motion, and color. There are light installations and a lot more.
There are six interactive galleries at the museum. You can completely immerse yourself in the planet’s natural wonders and beyond with these displays’ help.
What makes these exhibits more exciting is that you can feel them. You can play with them and even manipulate them.
The museum is a learning hub for all ages. It makes no difference if you are a child or an older person. The museum will be the best place to immerse yourself in the innovative culture of San Francisco.
10. A Visit to the Aquarium of the Bay
Are you into aquatic animals? If you are, this is for you.
The admission will get you to explore the beauty and wonder of the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco.
The entrance ticket will give you access to the museum’s three exhibit halls.
Here, you will discover the wonderful and diverse marine life you can find below the surface of San Francisco Bay.
The exhibits highlight the ecosystem that supports the city.
Inside the museum, you will find more than 20,000 aquatic animals. You can learn about the delicate underwater habitat and how much it needs your help for its conservation.
From there, you will also experience the magic of the habitat.
Do not miss watching “Touch the Bay,” an aquarium area with pools.
Here, you can touch the sea creatures that guard the waters of San Francisco Bay.
Of course, since you are already here, you should visit the North American River Otter Gallery. Every trip to the aquarium will be complete with this visit.
In this area, you will meet the frisky river otters. Enjoy your time watching them jump, swim, sleep, and play.
As seniors, we may already have some limitations regarding mobility and activities. Not all seniors can now scuba dive.
Good thing we have the “Under the Bay” feature of the aquarium. In this area, you will walk through a tunnel that provides you with a scuba diver’s view of life under the Sea.
While walking through the tunnel, you can see fascinating jellyfish, watch schools of fish, and observe the delicate starfish.
You will also see more significant types of fish like sharks, rays, and sturgeons. These types of fish live in the deeper parts of San Francisco Bay.
11. The Movie Sights City Tour
Experience the best of San Francisco on this tour that is unique as it is enjoyable.
The tour lasts about three hours and will feature clips from several famous movies filmed in the city.
There are about 50 clips in total.
Here, some actor-turned-guides will lead you on an interactive three-hour tour of the city.
During the tour, the guides will match the clip with the location outside the bus windows.
This tour is more than a typical city tour. You will see more sites and more sights. Aside from bringing you to the exact locations, you will also hear more stories about these areas.
The tour will take you to city neighborhoods like the Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Nob Hill, and Union Square. You will also visit Alamo Square, City Hall, and Golden Gate Park.
Aside from being suitable for seniors and other family members, this tour is also great for kids.
The route will include locations from Full House, George of the Jungle, Hulk, and X-Men 3.
Imagine dropping by outside the house where the family of Robin Williams lived in Mrs. Doubtfire. Or see the high school campus where Anne Hathaway went in The Princess Diaries.
This tour is exciting and fun.
The package includes a professional driver, a guide, and a list of movie scenes.
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San Francisco is more than any sunny city in America.
It has all the sights, sounds, and flavors. And what is best about this city is that they cater to tourists regardless of age.
Whether you are a kid, a middle-aged guy, or a senior does not matter.
San Francisco has everything for you.
Did you like the list I created?
Let me know if you have another tour you want to include.