Activities & Tours
Fun for HI-San Francisco guests, every day!
Our three San Francisco hostels offer an array of fun tours and activities for our guests, every day of the week. Take a free walking tour led by a knowledgeable local, join fellow hostellers for a pasta dinner or movie night, go on a day-trip excursion to Wine Country, Muir Woods, Gold Country, or Yosemite, hook up with a two-night trip to the Yosemite Bug Hostel, and more!
In addition to the regular schedule listed below, different outings are programmed every week, so be sure to check the activities board at your hostel when you check in. Also visit our events calendar for other free/low-cost activities happening around the city.
- Hostel Tours and Activities
Free walking tours, museum outings, movies, and wine & cheese receptions
- Day Trips
San Francisco, Muir Woods, Wine Country, Gold Country, Yosemite
- More
Looking for something else or want to compare prices? Here's a list of all our tour company partners.
Hostel Tours and Activities
Downtown San Francisco Historic Walking Tours
Every Saturday, 9 - 11:45 a.m.
Cost: Free!
Meet your guide David for a free historical tour of downtown San Francisco.
Learn about Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill, and other downtown landmarks. Don't forget your camera!
Sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. Tour begins at the Downtown Hostel.
Streets of San Francisco
Every Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Cost: Free!
Join your guide Henry for an extensive walk through the streets (and over the hills) of San Francisco. Enjoy the sights of the city as you wander through neighborhoods such as Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Chinatown, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill. See Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and some of the oldest homes and hidden gardens in the city.
Sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. Tour begins at the Fisherman's Wharf Hostel.
Polk Street Pub Crawl
Every Thursday, 8 p.m. - midnight
Cost: Pay for your own drinks
Put on your drinking shoes, grab your ID (gotta be 21!), and join Jesse and Anthony for our weekly pub crawl.
Sip some brew (or a cosmo? tequila?) at three or four of the best bars near our San Francisco City Center and Downtown hostels, meet a bunch of other travelers, and enjoy a night out in SF!
This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels -- meet at either the City Center Hostel or the Downtown Hostel. No signup is required.
SFMOMA: Half-Price Thursday Nights
Every Thursday, 6:15 - 8:30 p.m.
Cost (for museum admission): $7.50 / $4.50 for students with ID
Join your tour guide Joe for an evening excursion to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Located in downtown San Francisco, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Opened in 1935 to "explore compelling expressions of visual culture," the permanent collection comprises more than 25,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture, media arts, architecture, and design.
SFMOMA offers half-price admission and extended hours every Thursday starting at 6 p.m., making this the perfect chance to soak up some culture with your fellow hostellers.
Sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. Meet at the Downtown Hostel.
Chinatown Walking Tours
Every Monday and Friday, 12 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Cost: Free!
Take a guided tour through one of San Francisco's oldest and most captivating neighborhoods: Chinatown.
Though it's only a few blocks away from the Downtown Hostel, Chinatown is another world unto itself, bustling with shops and buzzing with people. Explore hidden alleyways, sip various Chinese teas, see mysterious historic temples, and visit the famous San Francisco Fortune Cookie Factory.
Sign up in advance at your hostel's front desk. Meet at the City Center Hostel or the Downtown Hostel.
Cheese and Wine Receptions at the Downtown Hostel
Every Friday, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free!
Join us on Friday evenings for complimentary wine and nibbles in the second-floor lounge at the San Francisco Downtown Hostel.
Meet and mingle with fellow travelers, whet your appetite for San Francisco's nightlife, then hit the town together, or settle in to plan your next day's adventure.
Anyone staying at one of our three San Francisco hostels is welcome! City Center guests please sign up in advance at the hostel's front desk.
Day Trips
Guests staying at our three San Francisco hostels have dozens of tour options to choose from. Between the three hostels, we book tours through 12 different companies and counting!
Many of these companies offer similar tours -- popular choices include trips to Muir Woods, Wine Country, Gold Country, Yosemite, as well as daytime and nighttime tours of San Francisco itself. Some companies offer more intimate trips in small vans, some use big motorcoach buses. Some pride themselves on their sustainable features (biodiesel vans, especially), and a few are designed specifically for budget travelers.
A list of all our tour company partners can be found here. Click here for more information on new tours offered as of 2011.
Some of our most popular day trips include:
Hop On - Hop Off San Francisco (with Super Sightseeing)
Daily, first bus leaves Union Square at 8:40 a.m., last loop leaves at 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $30 for a one-day pass / $40 for a two-day pass
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door transportation to/from the City Center Hostel, or three blocks away from the Downtown Hostel.
Available at the Downtown Hostel and City Center Hostel only.
Take in the city's sights, flavors, sounds, and more at your own pace with Super Sightseeing's double-decker Hop On - Hop Off bus tour.
The tour's 14 stops include Pier 39, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Walt Disney Museum in the Presidio, Golden Gate Park near the California Academy of Sciences and deYoung Museum, the Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, North Beach (Little Italy) near Lombard Street and Coit Tower, the Alcatraz ferry landing (add on a trip to this prison island for $26), and more.
Hop on - Hop off Golden Gate and Sausalito (with City Sightseeing)
Daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., leaving every 30 minutes
Cost: $28 / $17 for children ages 5-11 (ticket valid 48 hours)
Book at the front desk; tour leaves from 2800 Leavenworth Street.
Make your way, in your own time, to Sausalito on this hop-on hop-off tour from Fisherman's Wharf across the Golden Gate Bridge. Stops along the route include the Marina shopping district, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Golden Gate Bridge view point (before the bridge) and vista point (after the bridge), and downtown Sausalito.
In Sausalito, you have the options of catching a Muir Woods Loop bus, catching the tour bus back to San Francisco, or, if you want to stay later into the evening, taking the ferry back to the city.
San Francisco & Muir Woods National Monument (with
Dylan’s City Tours)
Daily, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $55 (plus $5 Muir Woods entrance fee)
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door
transportation to/from the hostel.
Join Dylan, a native San Franciscan, for small-group van tours through the City by the Bay. Dylan will show you all the major sites in San Francisco, and stop for several great photo opportunities.
Tour includes Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks, Haight-Ashbury, Mission District, Marina District, the Castro, Pacific Heights, Palace of Fine Arts, the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, views of the bay and the Pacific Ocean, Chinatown, North Beach, cable cars, Nob Hill, City Hall, Financial District, and Bay Bridge. Also included in the tour is a trip across the bay to Muir Woods National Monument.
Muir Woods and Wine Country (with Incredible Adventures)
Daily, 8:15 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Cost: $95 Adult / $85 Student with ID (plus $5 Muir Woods entrance fee)
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door
transportation to/from the hostel.
Spend your morning in the only old-growth redwood forest in the Bay Area, then cruise over to Wine Country to sample the offerings of wineries such as Homewood, Cline Cellars, and Benziger Family (tasting fees may apply). Afterwards, take some time on your own to explore Sonoma’s town square, Mission San Francisco de Solano (the northernmost California mission), or Sonoma Jack’s Cheese Factory.
This tour is offered through Incredible Adventures, which specializes in outdoor adventures tailored to an international backpacking crowd. Transportation is by biodiesel-fueled shuttle.
Sonoma Wine Country (with Elie's Green Dream Tours)
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $89 (includes tasting fees)
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door transportation to/from the hostel.
Let Elie be your guide as you spend the day in scenic Sonoma Wine Country visiting wineries, sampling the local juice, and exploring the town of Sonoma.
The tour cost covers a picnic lunch, three wine tastings, a winery tour, a one-hour stop in downtown Sonoma, a photo stop at the Golden Gate Bridge, and more!
Elie's Green Dream Tours is a small, San Francisco-based tour company catering to the budget traveler, which offers environmentally friendly trips in a 14-passenger biodiesel van.
Half Day Wine Tour (with City Sightseeing)
Daily, leaves at noon.
Cost: $52 (does not include tasting fees, $5-$10 each)
Book at the front desk; tour leaves from 2800 Leavenworth Street.
Available at the Fisherman's Wharf Hostel and City Center Hostel only.
Perfect for visitors on a tight schedule who want to see it all, you'll take off at noon from Fisherman's Wharf, head over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County, and get off in the Carnaros region in the town of Sonoma. The tour stops at three to four wineries (tasting fees of $5 - $10 are additional), both large and small, on a relaxing tour through the picturesque Sonoma countryside.
Combine this trip with a Sausalito loop tour in the morning for even more variety!
Monterey, Carmel, and the Aquarium (with Tower Tours)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Cost: $96 / $71 without aquarium admission
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door transportation to/from the hostel.
Head down California's rugged coast along scenic Highway One, passing one amazing Pacific vista after another. You'll take the famous 17 Mile Drive, which hugs the coast beside mansions and world-renowned golf courses; stop in Monterey to check out Cannery Row, made famous by author John Steinbeck; and visit Carmel-by-the-Sea to wander the local streets and art galleries.
Also included in this tour is admission to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, saving you time in line once you're there, as well as a few dollars on admission, which is normally $30! This aquarium features nearly 200 galleries and exhibits representing 550 species of fish, mammals, reptiles, plants, birds, and more found in Monterey Bay and other marine habitats around the world.
Tower Tours takes pride in their "modern and luxurious fleet" of motorcoach buses, and their tour prices are often slightly less than their competition.
River Rafting and Wine Tasting (with Incredible Adventures)
Sunday, Tuesday, Friday (May - September), 6 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $179 Adult / $169 Student with ID
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door
transportation to/from the hostel.
An afternoon of adventure awaits in California's Gold Country! In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, you’ll experience 8 miles of Class III rapids on the American River. While on the water, you'll see the historic location of Sutter's Mill (where gold was first discovered in California in 1848). Once you’ve dried off, you'll head over to a local winery for a complimentary tasting.
Tour cost includes all rafting safety equipment and gear, wine tasting, and barbecue lunch by the river. Wetsuits and booties are provided for the rafting in May (not needed June - September).
This tour is offered through Incredible Adventures, which specializes in outdoor adventures tailored to an international backpacking crowd. Transportation is by biodiesel-fueled shuttle.
Yosemite in One Day (with Incredible Adventures)
Daily, 6:15 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Cost: $149 Adult / $139 Student with ID
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door
transportation to/from the hostel.
This day trip includes a 1.5-hour narrated tour of the Yosemite Valley -- including sights such as Yosemite Falls (the tallest waterfall in North America), El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, Sentinel Dome, and more -- as well as 3-4 hours of free time in the valley.
This tour is offered through Incredible Adventures, which specializes in outdoor adventures tailored to an international backpacking crowd. Transportation is by biodiesel-fueled shuttle.
Overnight Trips to Yosemite
In addition to the one-day Yosemite trips offered by local tour operators, several companies -- including our sister HI hostel, the Yosemite Bug (a.k.a. HI-Midpines) -- offer overnight trips to this spectacular National Park.
Some of your multi-day Yosemite options include:
Two Days/Two Nights San Francisco to Yosemite (with HI's 
Yosemite Bug Bus)
Departs Monday, 9-10 a.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m. - noon;
Friday, 6-7 p.m.
Cost: $245-590
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door
transportation to/from any HI-San Francisco hostel.
Operated by Hostelling International's Yosemite Bug Hostel (a.k.a. HI-Midpines), the Yosemite Bug Bus picks up hostellers in San Francisco and whisks them away to the quiet majesty of Yosemite National Park.
Spend your days exploring Yosemite while spending your nights snug at the Bug. Take your pick of accommodations between the hostel’s dorm beds, private rooms, or a tent-cabin (prices vary).
On your first day, take a dip in the hostel's swimming hole, or a guided bicycle ride along the Merced River. Visitors who arrive on Friday also have the option of checking out a local mine and mining museum. Day two is spent hiking through Yosemite Valley, including five sightseeing stops along the way. Both days end with a group campfire, and guests receive discounted access to the Bug’s health spa.
High Sierra and Hot Springs Camping Trip (with HI's Yosemite Bug Bus)
Departs Wednesday, some Mondays (June - September)
Cost: $205
Book at the front desk; includes door-to-door
transportation to/from any HI-San Francisco hostel.
Operated by Hostelling International's Yosemite Bug Hostel (a.k.a. HI-Midpines), the Yosemite Bug Bus picks up hostellers in San Francisco and whisks them away to the quiet majesty of Yosemite National Park.
Explore Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite, Mono Lake, and an authentic "ghost town," and soak your worries away in a natural hot spring. Trip includes a quick stop in Yosemite Valley before heading back to San Francisco. All food and equipment provided.
Yosemite Escape Camping Tour (with Incredible Adventures)
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday (May - October)
Cost: $335 Adult / $315 Student with ID
Book at the front desk. Tour leaves from Mason and
O'Farrell streets (half a block from the Downtown Hostel).
Spend three days and two nights exploring majestic Yosemite. Picnic amongst giant millennia-old sequoia trees, hike through the high country to May Lake, and drink in the sights that have made this park so famous.
Tour cost includes camping equipment (except a sleeping bag), six meals, all camping fees, park fees, taxes, transportation, and professional guide service. Campers need to bring their own sleeping bags, or can rent one from Incredible Adventures for $20.
This tour is offered through Incredible Adventures, which specializes in outdoor adventures tailored to an international backpacking crowd. Transportation is by biodiesel-fueled shuttle.
More!
Looking for something else or want to compare prices? We offer all of the tours operated by the following companies:
Dylan's City Tours - Sold at all three San Francisco hostels.
Elie's Green Dream Tours - Sold at all three San Francisco hostels.
Incredible Adventures - Sold at all three San Francisco hostels.
Tower Tours - Sold at all three San Francisco hostels.
Yosemite Bug Bus Tours - Sold at all three San Francisco hostels.
San Francisco Sightseeing - Available at the Downtown Hostel and City Center Hostel only.
Super Sightseeing - Available at the Downtown Hostel and City Center Hostel only.
Explore California - Available at the City Center Hostel and Fisherman's Wharf Hostel only.
City Sightseeing - Available at the City Center Hostel and Fisherman's Wharf Hostel only.
Extranomical Adventures - Available at the Downtown Hostel only.
Golden West Tours - Available at the City Center Hostel only.
Open Top Sightseeing - Available at the City Center Hostel only.
Wanderlust Wilderness Tours - Available at the City Center Hostel only.
