San Francisco Holiday Lights Tour by Open-top Bus with Live Guide
- 1h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
San Francisco shines brighter during the holidays—and there’s no better way to see it than from the top deck of a Big Bus! Begin in Fisherman’s Wharf, where you’ll board an open-top double-decker bus for a comfortable, panoramic ride through the city’s most festive neighborhoods. Discover the twinkling Christmas trees at Union Square, 555 California Street, Pier 39 and UN Plaza. Enjoy the Christmas lights at City Hall and the Menorah at Union Square during Hanukkah. See unique decorations throughout the city’s neighborhoods, including Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill, Polk Gulch, City Hall, SOMA and more. View the art installations from ILLUMINATE SF™, an open-air gallery of light and imagination. Your live guide shares fun facts, festive stories and local traditions behind the celebrations. Hear classic carols and capture sparkling photo opportunities at every turn as you experience San Francisco at its most festive.
Inclusions
What's included
- Free onboard Wi-Fi
- Festive decorations and atmosphere aboard bus
- Iconic Double-Decker Open-top Bus
- 85-minute Holiday Lights Tour throughout San Francisco
- Expert Live Guide
What's not
- Hotel pick-up/drop-off
- Hop-on, hop-off service
Itinerary
See City Hall decorated and lit
Continue your tour along the holiday lights and festive decorations of the city
Continue your tour along the holiday lights and festive decorations of the city
Continue your tour along the holiday lights and festive decorations of the city
Continue your tour along the holiday lights and festive decorations of the city
Continue your tour along the holiday lights and festive decorations of the city
Continue your tour along the holiday lights and festive decorations of the city
See the ILLUMINATE SF Festival of Light installations
End your tour and enjoy a complimentary hot chocolate
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
2.5
- 51
- 40
- 31
- 20
- 12
Ratings come from 4 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Big Bus Stop #6 (Union Square South, 280 Geary St, opposite Macy's entrance, next to steps)
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Tickets
- Tickets are redeemed at a different location from the meeting point.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 100 travellers
- Operated by
- Big Bus Tours - USA
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour runs from November 27, 2026, to January 3, 2027.
- This tour is not a hop-on, hop-off service.
How it compares in San Francisco
- Its from-price is 58% below the median of the 999 experiences we list in San Francisco.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 426 of 999.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About San Francisco
San Francisco crowds steep hills onto a peninsula between the Pacific and its bay, with cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge and colourful neighbourhoods.
The Golden Gate Bridge spans the strait at the mouth of the bay, often wrapped in fog, and walking or cycling across it is a classic. Boats cross to Alcatraz, the former island prison, while Fisherman's Wharf is known for seafood and the sea lions that bask on the docks of Pier 39. The Ferry Building is a food lover's market.
Top-ranked sights in San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square, San Francisco Chinatown.
Special offers in San Francisco
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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