5 Must-See Spots San Francisco Sightseeing Buses Can’t Go

Don’t let San Francisco’s big bus ban stop you from seeing the city’s most iconic attractions. Enjoy these five must-see spots San Francisco sightseeing buses can’t get to.

San Francisco sightseeing buses are prohibited from visiting some of the iconic attractions that draw tourists from all over the world to come and explore the city.

Due to the city’s hills, narrow alleys, and crooked streets, the city thought it best to put restrictions on where San Francisco hop on hop off buses can travel to. While this isn’t great news for anyone who has purchased a ticket for a big bus San Francisco tour, it is excellent news for SF, as the ban helps keep everyone on the streets safe. 

Luckily, we at Dylan’s have created a fun and safe tour that will allow tourists to see all of the areas where the San Francisco sightseeing buses are prohibited from. Instead of grabbing a hop on hop off San Francisco map and ticket, book an authentic San Francisco experience and enjoy a private tuk-tuk tour.

Our tuk-tuk tour will take you to all the locations that the San Francisco buses can’t take you. Our local guides will show you scenic rooftops, the best neighborhoods, and of course, all of the famous sights you came to San Francisco to see. 

Here are five of the must-see locations our tuk tuk San Francisco one day tour takes you to, that you can’t visit with the San Francisco coach tour buses. 

Go on a tuk tuk ride around San Francisco here

The Alleys of the Mission District

Mission District is a must see in San Francisco

One of our favorite must-see San Francisco neighborhoods, the Mission District is one of the areas that San Francisco double-decker bus tours will not be able to take you. 

We love this area because its narrow alleyways have been transformed into a public outdoor art gallery. Stunning murals line the walls of the alleys, making it an excellent area to explore. Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley are two of the best alleys to visit and make our list of must-see sights in San Francisco.

Unfortunately, all of the big bus San Francisco tours will not fit down these narrow alleys. You might be able to stop at one of the hop on hop off San Francisco stops, but you will need to navigate your way through the streets on your own.

Ditch all of the big bus tours San Francisco has and enjoy our e-tuk San Francisco private tours which were perfectly designed for exploring this sunny neighborhood.

 

The Painted Ladies

Visit full house street San Francisco, and see the Painted Ladies

If you are a fan of the 90’s sitcom Full House, or the Netflix revival Fuller House, you may wish to drive down the street the Tanner’s lived on.

The “Full House street” in San Francisco, is home to San Francisco’s famous Painted Ladies, which is a row of perfect Victorian style homes, that were used in the exterior shots of the Tanner’s house in the opening scenes.

Unfortunately, San Francisco sightseeing buses have been banned from driving anywhere near these iconic homes since 2013. Any San Francisco hop on hop off style buses that drive by here risk public shaming from a local news segment, “People Behaving Badly.”

This street makes many of our tourist’s list of “must see in San Francisco,” which is why we have included it as an option on our tuk tuk tours. If you want to get up close and personal to the famous Painted Ladies of San Francisco, then book with us today and request it on your private tour.

Chinatown Alleys

Skip the big bus tours San Francisco has and enjoy a tuk-tuk tour

If you are trying to decide what to see in San Francisco, we highly recommend exploring Chinatown.

Chinatown is a San Francisco must see and do! It is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the US and has a lot of restaurants, shops, and activities to explore.

Just like the Mission District, Chinatown is filled with tight alleys, which is why all of the San Francisco sightseeing buses have been banned from this area.

Don’t bother picking up a big bus San Francisco map, book our open-air E-tuks tour and enjoy yourself as you capture the unique jade architecture of Chinatown.

The Crooked Street

 

San Francisco’s most famous street is, of course, Lombard Street. Known for its unique crookedness, it isn’t a surprise that you wouldn’t find a single, double decker bus San Francisco tour driving down this street.

With the launch of our E-tuk San Francisco private tour, we have a massive advantage over every hop on hop off bus tour San Francisco has and allows us to cruise down Lombard Street in one-of-a-kind fashion.

Dylan’s Super Secret Rooftop

Dylan's take you to must see places in San Francisco

Another perk that comes with our tuk tuk tours that you won’t find on any hop on hop off bus San Francisco has is our fabulous and entertaining local guides.

Our guides love to bring our guests to our favorite must see places in San Francisco. One of our favorite locations is our “super secret rooftop” that has the best views of the city. We can guarantee you won’t find any other San Francisco tours at Dylan’s super secret rooftop.

Book your San Francisco Tuk Tuk Tour here

Don’t let the San Francisco tour bus ban keep you from seeing the best of the city. We can help create a personalized E-tuk San Francisco private tour that will allow you to see everything you wish to see in the Bay Area. Send us an email for more information and book a tour with us today.

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Plan more of your trip to San Francisco with these blog posts!

How to spend three days in San Francisco

5 Classic Cocktails created in San Francisco and where to try them

Fun things to do in San Francisco: Musee Mecanique

Guide to San Francisco with toddlers

10 Fun things to do in San Francisco with kids

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Discover San Francisco like never before! Join our Explore S.F. group on Facebook, your ultimate guide to the city’s best-kept secrets. From local tips to monthly adventures, this is where your journey begins. Click here to join and start exploring!