Ferry -- Guide to Sausalito - San Francisco Ferry Service (Both Piers)

 

 Quick Links:

Sausalito Ferry Schedules                        Sausalito Ferry Ticket Prices             

Restaurants Near the Ferry                       Parking in Sausalito

Sausalito Art Festival Ferries                    Sausalito Ferry Videos

Bike from Golden Gate to Ferry                Walk from Golden Gate to Ferry

              Guide to Sausalito's Neighborhoods for Ferry Visitors

 

Fast Forward Summary^TM:  Two different ferry services connect Sausalito and San Francisco, with different boats, schedules and prices.  They share the same pier in Sausalito, but their San Francisco terminals are almost 2 miles apart.

The ferry schedules can be confusing.  Our easy-to-print Sausalito Ferry Schedule, is the only online chart covering both services.  Make sure you choose the right "Weekday" or "Weekend-and-Holiday" schedule, and for the route to the Ferry Building or Fisherman's Wharf. 

There is very little night-time service on the ferries, especially in winter.  

The Sausalito Ferry is like the world's biggest Disneyland ride, and it's faster than driving or taking a bus from San  Francisco.  The Sausalito Ferry was named the #2 best ferry ride in the world, after #1 the Star Ferry in Hong Kong.  I've ridden both, and they're two travel highlights of my life.  No two rides are ever the same.

Insiders Tip:   Even during the warmest months in Sausalito, if you want to ride on the outside decks of the Ferry to San Francisco, bring a warm jacket.  The fog and Bay breezes often require layers of clothing.

Insiders Tip:  Miss the last ferry of the evening?  Golden Gate Transit buses serve the transit center at Mission and 1st St. in San Francisco, about five blocks from the Ferry Building.   Routes 70 and 80 run as late as 11:55 PM from Bridgeway (opposite the Ferry Pier at El Portal St.).  Buses also run from SF to Sausalito from multiple locations until after midnight.   Be sure to check whether the bus you plan to use stops in downtown Sausalito or on Spencer Ave. at the top of the hill.

Insiders Summertime Tip:  Voyages from Sausalito in the summer in late afternoon may be packed with bicycle riders (and their bikes) fresh from a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Ferries can fill up and leave people on the pier waiting for the next boat.  Arrive early  to ensure you get on.  There are separate lines for bike riders with bikes and regular passengers, so don't get stuck at the end of the bike line if you're walking.

Yet Another Insiders Tip:  Because of the summertime tip above, Golden Gate Ferry sometimes runs extra "unpublished" sailings between Sausalito and the Ferry Building to help carry any bikes and bike riders who would otherwise have to wait too long and chain react delays through the schedule.  These undocumented trips are triggered on a case by case basis, however, so you can't count on an extra boat coming along just because there's a long line.

 

Sausalito to the San Francisco Ferry Building

Golden Gate Ferry:  This ferry is run by the public Golden Gate Bridge District, which serves both ferry terminals in Marin County: Sausalito and Larkspur.  Click here for the Sausalito Ferry Schedule linking Sausalito to the Ferry Building (where Market St. reaches the Embarcadero in San Francisco) and here for Sausalito Ferry Ticket Prices.

The Golden Gate Ferry is pictured at the top of this page, and their website is here.  In San Francisco, Sausalito Ferry tickets are sold from machines at the pier behind the Ferry Building (see photo below).  In Sausalito they're sold from machines located to the left (north) where the pier meets the parking lot.  The ticket windows in San Francisco are no longer staffed, although the ticket takers there are very pleasant and helpful when you ask questions.

New for 2011-12: On the Golden Gate Ferry (not Blue and Gold Ferries -- see below) in Sausalito you have to buy your ticket before you board, available from the ticket machines.

If you ride the Ferry frequently you can buy a Clipper (formerly called Translink) card that gives you big discounts on Ferry tickets!   More information for Ferry commuters and frequent travelers is here.  The monthly Ferry passes and Ferry ticket books that many of us grew up with have now been discontinued.

 

 The entry area for the Golden Gate Ferry, at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.  Walk through (or around) the Ferry Building and come out the back to reach this area next to the water.  Ticket machines are around the corner at the left of this photo.

 

Sausalito To Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 41 / Pier 39)

Blue and Gold Ferry:  This ferry is run by a private company.  The Sausalito Ferry Schedule for the Blue and Gold Fleet service linking Sausalito to Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 41, next to Pier 39) in San Francisco is very different from that of the Golden Gate Ferry.  We have the Sausalito Ferry Schedule and the current Sausalito Ferry Ticket Prices.

With Blue and Gold, San Francisco ferry tickets are sold as you enter the ferry on the Sausalito side, and at the Pier 39 terminal at Fisherman's Wharf on the San Francisco side (next to Pier 41).  You can also buy tickets for the Blue and Gold ferry online here.  Credit cards are accepted.

Insiders Tip:  If you ride during the winter, some trips from Fisherman's Wharf are scheduled as taking longer than others because they stop in Tiburon on their way to Sausalito, although this is not mentioned when you buy a Sausalito ticket.  It's a beautiful variation on the voyage, but takes a few minutes of extra time.  In summer the voyages are separate and this does not apply.

 

 The Fisherman's Wharf terminal for the Blue and Gold Fleet Ferries at Pier 41 in San Francisco.

 

Ferry Piers in San Francisco

The map below shows the Fisherman's Wharf pier as "A" and the Ferry Building as "B".

Google Map Instructions:  Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.

 

View Larger Map

  

The Ferry Pier at Sausalito

There is no ferry building in Sausalito, just the pier shown on the left.  

The pier is called the "Ferry Terminal", even though there is no building.

In the video below you'll see the Golden Gate Ferry come in, then the Blue and Gold Ferry moored on the right side of the pier.   

 

Parking at the Ferry Pier in Sausalito

A series of city-owned lots surrounds the Ferry pier, and Sausalito city residents receive discounted parking.  The entrance to the closest parking lot is located at the intersection of Anchor St. and Humboldt St. in Sausalito.   These lots were renovated recently to add motion sensors and allow the use of machines to pre-pay for parking.

Insiders Tip:  The lots closer to the Ferry pier cost more, and those farther to the north are significantly less expensive for parking.  The signs don't make this obvious, but walking 2 blocks can save you a lot of money (see map below).  The parking payment machines look the same despite the different prices.  If you over-pay and then leave sooner than planned the system only charges you for the time you parked, a better deal than in most cities.

This Google satellite image (which you can zoom and scroll) shows the Ferry terminal and parking lots.  The two main tree-lined lots are next to the pier itself at the lower right and next to the little street labeled Ensign at the upper left:

 

Google Map Instructions:  Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.

View Larger Map

 

The image below, probably from the 1930's,  shows the Ferry terminal from before the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, with many large ferries moored at the same time to load cars and passengers for the trip to San Francisco.  Note the old sailing ship at the left.

 

Links to Public Transit in Sausalito and SF

Riders on the Golden Gate Ferry no longer receive free San Francisco Muni transfer passes.  This benefit was discontinued in 2009.

Both BART and Muni trains in San Francisco serve the Embarcadero Station, which is across the street from the Ferry Building and service to Sausalito.  As you exit the Ferry Building cross the Embarcadero (the street on which the Ferry Building is located, which borders the Bay) and walk straight up Market St. (the broad boulevard leading straight from the Ferry Building into the city) and you'll see the station entrances.  Many San Francisco Muni bus routes also stop at the Ferry Building or at Fisherman's Wharf and the Pier 39 - Pier 41 area.  MUNI gives a 50-cent discount to people transferring from the Ferry.

For connecting to bus service in Sausalito, our complete guide to Sausalito bus stops and bus routes is here.  A transit district map showing the bus routes at stops near the Ferry pier is here.

AMTRAK's station in Oakland offers regular bus connecting service from the Ferry Building in San Francisco.  This is ideal for people who have to visit Sacramento often.

   

Bicycles on the Sausalito Ferry

You can bring bikes on the ferries, though on summer and Holiday afternoons the lines can be long.  You can even rent a bike in San Francisco, ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, and then take the bike on the ferry to go back.  Our page about this popular round trip visit is here.

 

Dogs and Other Pets on the Sausalito Ferry

Dog owners with larger breeds must use the Blue and Gold Fleet ferries.

Golden Gate Ferry:  Small animals are permitted if they are kept in hand-carried pet carriers. For larger dogs, only assistance animals, service animals and service animals in training are allowed on the Golden Gate Ferries.

Blue and Gold Fleet Sausalito Ferries:  Animals are allowed but must be enclosed in a carrier or kept on a leash, and animal owners assume all responsility (read "legal liability") for the animal's actions.

 

The Sausalito Ferry Boats

Although there are some variations from boat to boat, each of the ferries offers both interior seating and the chance to sit outside on the deck.  Bathrooms are the same ont he boats as you'd find in a terminal.  The Golden Gate Ferry has a top deck that is partially covered with glass and has really powerful directional heaters, allowing an outdoor view on a chilly day. 

 

Tiburon Ferry

There is no direct ferry service from Sausalito to Tiburon, and no published service from Tiburon to Sausalito.  You can take the Blue and Gold ferry to Pier 41 in San Francisco, and from there a separate ticket will get you a ride on their ferry to Tiburon.  Some trips also stop at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Insiders Tip:  Some Blue and Gold Fleet sailings during the winter (the off-season) leave Pier 41 and then stop in Tiburon before proceeding to Sausalito.   They do not publish this Tiburon to Sausalito link anywhere on their schedules because it is only offered on some sailings during parts of the year, and they may alter the plan based on passenger load.  You can call Blue and Gold Fleet to see if it's an option during your trip, but it's generally not available from May through October.

 

Angel Island Ferry

There is no direct ferry service from Sausalito to Angel Island -- we would love it if the Park Service added the route!  You can take the Blue and Gold ferry to Pier 41 in San Francisco, and then buy a separate ticket for their ferry to Angel Island. Here's the Blue and Gold Fleet Angel Island Schedule from Pier 41.   Some sailings also make stops at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

You can also take the Angel Island Ferry from Tiburon.

 

Vallejo Ferry and Oakland-Alameda Ferry 

There is no direct ferry service between Sausalito and Vallejo, Oakland or Alameda.  In each case you can take a ferry from those locations to San Francisco, and then take a ferry from the City to Sausalito.

Comments

[Retha Wright]

If we ride the ferry from SF, will it be too far to walk to the Point Bonita Lighthouse from where we disembark?

[Editors]

Retha, we've answered your question on our "Ask Annie" page (link is just below "About" at the top of the left hand column). Thanks for writing in!

[arnaud]

Does any ferry from Sausalito come back to S.F at Fisherman Wharf?

[Editors]

Yes, the Blue and Gold ferries sail from and return to Fisherman's Wharf.

[Shirllo@gmail.com]

if I ride the ferry from SF to Sausalito, will the dock be close enough to walk to the floating homes tour? Thanks

[Editors]

Shirlio, the area of the Floating Homes Tour is about a 2 mile walk away from the Sausalito Ferry pier. It's level sidewalks most of the way, but that's still a pretty long walk.

Taxis are available one block from the Ferry pier, and it would be a relatively inexpensive cab ride up to Gate Six Road in northern Sausalito.