3-Night Trip to San Francisco by Air
A dynamic, educational San Francisco experience combining science, history, culture, and iconic sights for a well-rounded and engaging student adventure.
Program Summary
Tour Number: 0225-195973
Explore San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks and cultural attractions on a comprehensive tour that includes a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, a visit to historic Alcatraz Island, and stops at bustling Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square. Dive into science and nature at the Exploratorium and California Academy of Sciences, and enjoy peaceful moments in Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden and scenic Sausalito. This experience blends hands-on learning, rich history, and free time for students to explore the city’s vibrant waterfront and neighborhoods.
Program Highlights & Inclusions
- Round trip flights to your destination
- Professional tour manager with your group throughout the tour
- Private Motor coach transportation throughout your tour
- Three nights Hotel accommodations in the San Francisco area
- Ticket for a ride on the cable car
- Visit to the Golden Gate Bridge
- San Francisco City Tour
- Visit to Ghirardelli Square
- Ferry ticket and self guided audio tour on Alcatraz Island
- Visit to Fisherman’s Wharf
- Admission to the Exploratorium
- Visit to the Presidio and the Yoda Fountain
- Visit to Pier 39 for free time to shop
- Admission to the California Academy of Sciences
- Visit to Sausalito
- Visit to the Ferry Building & Farmers Market
- Visit to Golden Gate Park with admission to the Japanese Tea Garden
Daily Itinerary
You’ll depart on your flight. When you arrive in San Francisco, you’ll meet your tour manager and you’ll continue your trip.
You’ll visit Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Tea Garden inside the park. The Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The garden features classic elements such as an arched drum bridge, pagodas, stone lanterns, stepping stone paths, native Japanese plants, serene koi ponds and a zen garden.
You’ll see the Golden Gate Bridge – a 4,200 foot long suspension bridge that was the world’s longest from 1937 until 1964. You’ll head to the viewing area on the San Francisco side of the water where you will have fantastic views of the bridge and the bay. Bring your cameras – there are lots of photo opportunities here!
After a break for lunch, you will take a guided city tour of San Francisco including a visit or drive by the Civic Center, Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill, Twin Peaks, Lombard Street (the crooked one!), Fisherman’s Wharf and more.
After dinner, you’ll visit Ghirardelli Squares, a landmark with shops and restaurants in the Fisherman’s Wharf area of the city. Here you can visit the chocolate shop and ice cream parlor for sweet treat!
You’ll arrive at your hotel and check in.
After breakfast, you’ll board your bus and depart the hotel for the day.
You’ll take the ferry to Alcatraz where you’ll receive a headset for an audio guided tour of the island. One of the most infamous prisons in the country for housing notorious criminals, Alcatraz holds much history that will interest buffs and novices alike. No longer housing prisoners and managed by the National Park Service, Alcatraz allows tourists to visit by the boatload. Alcatraz was used as a federal maximum security prison from 1934 until 1963, when it was closed due to high costs and security issues.
You’ll head to Fisherman’s Wharf where you’ll have free time to walk around and visit some of the numerous souvenir shops or fresh seafood stands. You’ll see great views of the harbor as you explore.
After lunch, you will visit the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is a twenty-first-century learning laboratory, an eye-opening, always-changing, playful place to explore and tinker.
You’ll head to the Presidio, a former military base and now a park. From here you will have fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. The Star Wars fans will also enjoy a visit to the Yoda Fountain. Here you’ll see a full-size replica of Yoda, George Lucas’ master of the Force. Bring your cameras – there are lots of photo opportunities here!
After dinner, you’ll visit Pier 39 and have free time to shop and explore. PIER 39 is a 45-acre waterfront complex that is a gathering place for millions of San Francisco locals and visitors. In addition to its 14 full-service restaurants, 90+ shops and popular attractions, PIER 39 is home to a 5-acre waterfront park and a 300-berth marina. PIER 39 is known for its spectacular views of San Francisco Bay including the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge and Alcatraz, as well as the world famous California sea lions hauled out on K-Dock.
You will return to your hotel on the bus.
After breakfast, you will visit the California Academy of Sciences, a world-class scientific and cultural institution based in San Francisco. The Academy recently opened a new facility in Golden Gate Park, a 400,000 square foot structure that houses an aquarium, a planetarium a natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof.
After lunch, you’ll visit picturesque Sausalito is a leading destination for visitors to San Francisco. Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, the pedestrian-friendly Mediterranean-style village provides a selection of celebrated restaurants that range from seafood and Italian to Japanese, as well as specialty shops, art galleries and fashion boutiques. Its location on the waterfront offers gorgeous scenery, ocean breezes and beautiful California weather. You’ll have some free time here to enjoy the views and explore.
You’ll enjoy an evening of dining and dancing as you cruise through San Francisco Bay.
After the dinner cruise, you will return to your hotel on the bus.
After breakfast, you’ll check out of your hotel and board your bus for the day.
You’ll take a ride on one of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars. Since 1873, cable cars have run up and down the hilly city, though after the 1950s, these cars have been kept in operation more out of historic nostalgia. Seventeen miles of track remain and have been deemed a historical landmark
You’ll have free time for lunch at the Ferry Building. Today it’s a wonderful food market and also the home of San Francisco’s largest farmers market. The farmers market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. The building was first opened in 1898. Until the completion of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s it was the second busiest transit terminal in the world, second only to London’s Charing Cross Station. It served as the embarkation point for commuters to San Francisco from the East Bay.
After a lunch break, you’ll head to the airport for your return trip home.
