Suzanna

Hi:

I will be in SF at the end of February for 3 days and I made a reservation at a hotel in Union Square East. I just got a special 40% off offer for the downtown loop of the sightseeing bus for $16.79. I didn't have the chance to figure out if it makes sense to buy this loop as related to the hotel's location. Maybe all stops are within walking distance. Can someone local provide quick help? Thanks a lot. The listed stops are:

•Fisherman’s Wharf – 2800 Leavenworth St
The Cannery, Cable Car, Ghirardelli Square, Hyde Street Pier, The Anchorage, Maritime Museum, Aquatic Park
•Barbary Coast – Outside Fog City Diner
Levi's Plaza, Fog City Diner, Telegraph Hill, Filbert Street, Steps to Coit Tower
•Ferry Building – One Market St
Ferries, Farmers Market, BART, Embarcadero Shopping, AT&T Ballpark, Bay Bridge
•South of Market – Opposite SF Museum of Modern Art
SF Museum of Modern Art, Moscone Center, Metreon Center, Yerba Buena Gardens, Jewish Contemporary Museum, SF MOMA, CalTrain Station
•City Hall – Corner of Fulton and Larkin
San Francisco City Hall, Asian Art Museum, Opera House, Ballet, Civic Center, New Library
•Union Square – Outside Macys Department Store (this San Francisco Bus Tour will stop here for 5 minutes)
Major Department Stores, San Francisco Shopping Center, Crocker Galleria, Hotels, Theatres and Cable Car
•Chinatown Gate – Outside Triton Hotel
Pagoda Gates, Portsmouth Square, Chinatown shopping and restaurants, Old St. Mary’s Church
•Chinatown / Financial District – Outside Hilton Financial Hotel
Financial District, Transamerica Pyramid, Bank of America Building, Fortune Cookie Factory, Exotic Cuisines
•North Beach – Washington Square (Outside Joey & Eddies)
Italian District Restaurants, Coit Tower, Washington Square
•Lombard Street – Corner of Lombard and Columbus
Crookedest Street, Russian Hill, Hyde Street Cable Car
•Fisherman's Wharf – Pier 43 ½
Pier 39, Bay Cruise, Wax Museum, Boudin Bakery, USS Pampanito, Sea Lions, Shopping

SAB

Not all of these locations are in easy walking distance; many are and they are all easily reachable by public transportation. As an SF resident this loop would not be my idea of a great tour of SF, even for a first time visitor. But I suppose most people who live in a popular tourist destination know there is more to their cities than what is touted to tourists.

DebitNM

A 3day SF Visitor Pass good for ALL public transit [except BART] costs $21. It is a bit more that HOHO bus, BUT it enables you to visit many more areas in town AND it also includes UNLIMITED Cable Car rides.[They are $5 each time you get on]. And since it is unlimited, it is just as hop on, hop off as the bus, but with more variety.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/passports.htm

DebitNM

Also, how long is that ticket valid? IF only 2 days, it makes even more sense to buy a 3 day passport.

If you buy a muni map, you are all set. SF is a very easy town to get around, and walking is easy too.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mcust/custtips.htm#buymap

happytrailstoyou

I strongly urge you to use the great suggestions DebitNM has given you.

HTTY

palmettoprincess

Cable car rides now cost $6 a pop.

DebitNM

All the more reason to buy the 3 day SF Muni Visitor Pass!!

Suzanna

You saved me money and spared me from buying something that is not practical. Is the 3 day visitor pass also good for public transportation from/to the airport? I assume that one can get a MUNI map where they sell the MUNI tickets. Thanks for the great suggestions.

DebitNM

No, you need to buy tickets for BART. It is not part of the 3 day pass:

http://www.bart.gov/guide/airport/index.aspx

We use BART whenever we come to SF and it is a great way to get from airport to hotel.

Suzanna

Thank you.

For anyone who is over 65 who wants to use BART to/from the airport (and/or in SF):

You can obtain a senior green ticket at the SFO airport from the POLARIS Information booth in the air terminal building. This discounted ticket holds $24 in BART travel and sells for $9. You can purchase a multiple of them if you need. They are also sold at a rettail vendor, "My Transit
Plus", that is located in each of our four downtown SF stations: Civic Center, Powell Street, Montgomery Street and Embarcadero. POLARIS is open daily while My Transit Plus is only open weekdays. Since the fare from SFO to downtown San Francisco is $8.10 one-way, any senior who needs roundtrip will get it for $9 (instead of $16.20) and save even if they do not use BART during their stay for the remaining credit on the card.