The Golden Gate Bridge is arguably the most beautiful and well-known bridge in the US, maybe even the world. I usually go to San Francisco at least once a year to visit family and friends, so I have seen it many times. I have crossed the bridge a couple times in a car and even walked a part of it years ago. Also, I love photographing it and seeing if it will be covered in fog. This California trip, I finally checked off biking across the Golden Gate Bridge from my bucket list.
First, I should again say I am not an experienced biker. Lately, I have been enjoying biking (In Central Park and Redondo Beach), but I do still get nervous about other riders, pedestrians, or cars getting too close. I also don’t like to go too fast, so I am not best cycling companion – so shout out to my friends Kerry, Kat, and Russell for being so patient with me. Still, I put a bike ride on my California bucket list because I thought it would be the best way to see the Golden Gate Bridge.
Let me tell you more about what it was like to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and how you can do it too.
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About the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge runs from San Francisco to Marin County. It gets its name because it spans the area called the Golden Gate, where the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean meet. The Golden Gate Bridge has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World.
It was built in 1937 and was the longest suspension bridge (1.7 miles long) in the world until 1964 (when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was built in New York City). You can drive across the bridge on U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1. There is also a lane for pedestrians and bicyclists.
If you are interested in learning more about the history of the Golden Gate Bridge, check out this tour. It also includes some spectacular views from a special vantage point.
Options for Your Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour
You can do your own Golden Gate Bike tour or join an organized group. If you want to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge on your own, rent a bike in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. (If you purchase the San Francisco Go City Card a day-long bike rental is included. Click here for more details.)
You can choose to ride all the way to either Sausalito (8 miles) or Tiburon (18 miles). Then you can take a ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf to return your bike. I wanted to go all the way to Tiburon, but Russell and I decided we could play it by ear and see how we felt.
If you want to be ambitious, you could also bike both ways. I will warn you though the path from Sausalito back to the bridge is a long steep road. It would save you the cost of a ferry ticket though.
If you are worried about the steep hills some of the bike rental shops do have e-bikes. Be aware you must pedal the bikes (not use them under power) when you are on the bridge. Luckily, the bridge is flat!
You might prefer the option to do a guided Golden Gate Bridge bike tour especially if you are not good with directions. The route to bike to the Golden Gate Bridge is not as straightforward as I would have thought. Also, if you are traveling solo, I would recommend doing a Golden Gate bike tour. That way if you run into any bike problems, you have someone to help you. (Click here to check out the Golden Gate Bridge Bike Tour options through Viator).
The Best Time to Bike Across the Bridge
There are two factors that you need to consider when deciding on when to do your Golden Gate Bridge bike ride. First, of course, there is the weather. You are going to enjoy the ride more if the weather cooperates.
On previous trips, I canceled my bike rides because I didn’t think it would be fun riding when it was rainy, cold, and windy. Luckily, I go to San Francisco often enough, I was able to find a day to do it when the weather was perfect. If you don’t have flexibility in your schedule, then be sure that you have the right equipment and clothes for the weather.
Anisa on her bike headed to the Golden Gate Bridge.
In addition to the weather, you should also consult the Golden Gate Bridge sidewalk schedule. The bridge has sidewalks on both sides (the east and the west). The views will be better from the east sidewalk because you will face San Francisco and Alcatraz. During the days during the week, bicycles are allowed to use the east side. On the weekends during the day, they have to use the west side. Check the exact schedule here.
Bike Rental Near Golden Gate Bridge
There are no bike rentals at the bridge. Instead of looking for a bike rental near Golden Gate Bridge, I would recommend going with one of the bike rental shops close to Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf. You don’t need to book in advance. Ferries return back to Pier 39 or the Ferry Building, a little more than a mile away.
Our first view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
You will have more flexibility if you are willing to go back to the Ferry Building, it will just be a little farther ride back to return the bike. During the day, the ferry schedule is a little irregular so you definitely need to keep this in mind when deciding how far you will go.
Note: Golden Gate Park is not close to Golden Gate Bridge, so if you want to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausilito, I don’t think it’s a good idea to pick up a rental bike there.
We got to the bike rental place a little later than planned. We chose our bikes and they provided us with a map and ferry schedule. I quickly reviewed the map to see how to get to the Golden Gate Bridge but didn’t pay much attention to the details. It couldn’t be that difficult, plus I figured I could follow other cyclists.
Our Bike Ride Across the Golden Gate Bridge
The bike ride starts out flat through some streets and parks. It is not just a straight shot. There are some signs but it is easy to get lost. Well, at least we did. I couldn’t look at the map and ride my bike at the same time so I decided I would follow signs and the crowds. We missed the turn to go up the hill and ended up riding to basically the bottom of the bridge. It wasn’t a total loss, we stumbled upon a great Golden Gate bridge viewpoint and got some great pictures.
Crossing Over the Golden Gate Bridge by Bike
We backtracked a bit and found the way up. This section to get to the bridge was pretty steep. I was not the only one that was walking my bike! Once we started biking over the Golden Gate Bridge it got noticeably more crowded. Not only were there more bikes but there were people walking as well. Luckily it did get less crowded after we passed the first tower.
Unfortunately, there is no dedicated Golden Gate Bridge bike lane. The non-car lane, as I will call it, was a narrow walled off section with two-way traffic. Also, the traffic noise from all the cars made it hard to hear other people. At one point, I could see a girl walking towards me looking at her cell phone. I tried to scream at her to watch out, but I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting her.
Here you can see how there is a small section of the bridge walled off for bikes and pedestrians.
The views from the bridge and of the Golden Gate bridge are spectacular and we were lucky to have perfect weather. I wanted to stop and take more pictures while I was biking the Golden Gate Bridge but since it was so crowded I really couldn’t. Luckily at the towers, there was room to stop for a photo break.
From the Golden Gate Bridge, you can see San Francisco, Alcatraz, and even the Bay Bridge way in the distance.
Once you cross the Golden Gate bridge it is literally all downhill to Sausalito. It sounds nice, but the part that bothered me is there is not a separate bike path or even bike lane. You are sharing the road with cars, which did make me a bit nervous.
We Made it to Sausalito
It actually took us about three hours to get to Sausalito. We did take our time, stopping to take pictures, plus we had the little detour. I don’t think it will take most people that long. By the time we got to Sausalito, we were starving. We looked at the ferry schedule and decided that maybe we should just stop and have a bite then head back. Part of me did want to continue on to Tiburon, but that would mean another 10 miles of sharing the road with cars.
Obligatory selfie we took in Sausalito. You can see San Francisco in the background.
If you haven’t been to Sausalito, I definitely recommend visiting. It is a very scenic town with nice restaurants and lots of boutique shops. The restaurants right on the water are quite pricey. We found a cute place across the street called Bridgeway Cafe where we could sit outside and have a bite. I also had a pretty good Bloody Mary. Then we had a little time to do some shopping before catching the ferry back.
Sausalito to Fisherman’s Wharf Ferry
We knew the Sausalito ferry schedule, but people started lining up early. We followed the crowd. The ferry holds more people that you would think so everyone was able to make it on. There are limited seats though. Most people on our ferry also had bikes.
They stack all the bikes in an organized way on the bottom level. You should make sure you pay attention to where you leave your bike. Then if you don’t have a Clipper card (San Francisco transport system card), you can buy your ticket upstairs. You will get a cheaper fare if you use a Clipper card.
The bottom floor of the ferry was filled with bikes!
It really is a nice ride, you have a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco. We went back downstairs a little bit early to get our bikes. It got a little chaotic when we arrived at Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf though. The bikes are all stacked tightly, so we had to wait for the people with bikes ahead of us before we could leave.
Once we got off the ferry, it was just a short ride to return the bikes. While the bike ride was a little stressful and my butt got sore, I did really enjoy it.
Golden Gate Bridge by Bike Video
Check out my video to get a better idea of what it was like. The views are worth it and I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment. I would like to bike the Golden Gate Bridge again and go all the way to Tiburon. Next time, I would try to get started earlier!
Have you biked across the Golden Gate Bridge? I would love to hear about your experience.
–Anisa
Expert Tips for Your Bike Ride Across Golden Gate Bridge
- Study the map before venturing out so that you don’t get lost.
- Be sure to take note of the ferry schedule so that you don’t miss the boat back.
- Allow extra time for biking across the Golden Gate Bridge. While it is only 8 miles to Sausalito, you will want to stop and take lots of pictures.
- If you have more time in the Bay Area, you could also take the ferry to Alameda Island and ride your bike on the beach there. Check out this post for more family-friendly activities in Alameda.
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well done!
Thank Tanja. It was a great experience.
We would love to do this. San Francisco is somewhere we would love to visit and this looks great. Loved the video too. Have pinned for future reference!
Thanks so much guys. Yes San Francisco is a lovely city, with plenty to do. More ideas coming up on the blog so stay tuned.
I think you’re biking pretty well in Redondo
Haha Kat. Thank you! I do still get a little nervous in crowded areas.
I was just in San Francisco over the new years and it seemed like this was the tour. I wondered why the ride was always suggested to have a ferry back. I heard the final hill was kind of steep. What did you think?
The hill leading up to the bridge on the San Francisco side is steep so I just walked my bike. On the other side it is a longer steep hill but you are going down so its easy. If you went back I can imagine it would be difficult. The ferry does also offer great views of the bridge.
Wow, great shot of the Golden gate bridge. I just love the SF global icon. The bike ride sounds fun, adding it to my list 🙂
Thanks Priya! Yes its a beautiful bridge and riding a bike across it is a great experience
We are going to sf next year so love to read posts about it.
Your pics are beautiful #theweeklypostcard
Oh very nice, yes I do go to San Francisco pretty much every year. More ideas coming up on the blog so stay tuned.
Looks like a great experience. I visited the Golden Gate bridge a couple of years ago and walked across part way – I didn’t realise you could bike to Sausalito and come back on the ferry. Thanks for sharing. #theweeklypostcard
Upeksha – I’m glad you got to walk across part of the bridge. Yes its great that you only have to ride one way. Maybe you can try biking next time?
Really awesome as we so want to see The Golden Gate Bridge. And what better way, but by making it into a day out cycling. Seems like a win-win. Excellent article, thank you for sharing.
Cory – So glad you enjoyed it. Yes it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to everyone
This looks like a great experience. How early did you wake up to complete this? I would probably go super early. I love this Bridge, it looks beautiful in any kind of weather
We didn’t end up starting until around 1030. I agree with you, next time we are going earlier!
I love San Francisco and these pictures! Biking in a new city is always exciting. Thanks for sharing.
Kyntra – Thanks so much. Glad to hear you enjoyed the post.
I am so impressed that you biked across the Golden gate Bridge! I consider myself adventurous but I thought riding in a taxi across it was quite a feat. You look like you are having a wonderful time and I love your photos .
Michelle – Thank you. It really wasn’t that hard, plus we were having so much fun. I think you would enjoy it too!
Good for you! I am not much of a biker (ferry for me) but I would recommend it to visitors to San Francisco when I lived there as a lot of people enjoy doing it over the bridge. There are a lot of companies that also do bike tours so that is another easier way to do it and you have a guide to point off stuff as well. There are also e-bikes you can rent which is definitely what I would choose if I biked it 😉
Thanks Jessica. Yes we thought about a bike tour but we wanted to be able to go at our own pace. I think regardless of the way you do it, it will be a memorable experience.
I can’t ride a bike (sad, I know!) so I can’t do this, but I imagine walking it would be nice too! Very cool to see all the bikes in the ferry – this must be a popular mode of transportation on there!
Bryna – Its never to late to learn. But yes you could walk. From Fisherman’s Wharf to Sausalito is 8 miles.
Now there’s something that’s still on my bucket list! I love biking – it looks like this would be great fun!
Abbi – You would love it. It was so much fun and the views were amazing.
Very helpful post! I’m also not the most experienced of bikers, so I appreciate your honesty. Thanks for the courage to do it. :))
Peggy – Glad to hear that. Yes if I can do it, I’m sure you could too.
While biking is not my cup of tea, I have to say that crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on a bike looks like a lot of fun. San Francisco traffic is very chaotic, so you definitely had a lot of courage to bike in this city.
Anda – Thanks. Funny I got the most stressed during the section from the bridge to Sausalito because there was no bike lane. All in all though I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.
This sounds like a fantastic experience and I can understand why it was in your bucket list. It’s a shame there isn’t a dedicated lane for cyclists as it seems to be a popular activity with all the bike rentals around. The girl with her phone not looking at where she was going made me upset though, I mean you are on a scenic bridge with gorgeous views, just put down your phone and enjoy the scenery, right? What’s the world coming to..
Haha yes I totally agree with you on both points!
I never knew that you could ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. I’d love to visit San Fran, ride the trams, see the ‘Full House’ houses and most importantly go down that crazy windy road! I think I’ll have to add a bike ride (and bloody Mary) to the list too!
Laura – Yes you need to visit San Francisco. There is so much to see. You would love the bike ride. More San Fransisco posts coming up on the blog.
I really enjoyed virtually following you along on the video. I have always wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and never really thought about biking it. This looks fun and probably less tiring than walking (except for that steep climb). We may need to wait until my kids are a bit older. You had such great weather!
Mary – Yes I do think biking is the way to go. We were so lucky with the weather. I have had to cancel it other times because it was too windy or rainy. So glad to hear you enjoyed the video.
I’m not quite sure how you found your bike among all those other bikes on the ferry. I’ve only driven across the Golden Gate Bridge. I would like to walk across it someday, but I’m not sure about biking. I’m not very comfortable doing it in crowded areas and having to share the road with cars freaks me out a little. I didn’t know about this Ferry, so now I’m thinking that would be a fun way to get another view of the bridge.
Michele – Haha yes we had to pay very close attention to exactly where are bikes were! I do feel the same way about biking so I know if I did it, you can too! Of course you can take the ferry to Sausalito or Tiburon and back. You do get a great view of the bridge and both the towns are lovely.