I love taking the Ferry, its soooo hassle free Literally the…read morebest way to travel to and from San Francisco The view is always amazing Ferry is always on time Ticket prices are super cheap and way better than spending money and or time looking for parking in SF There is a mini bar inside the ferry that sells chips and drinks

Diamond on the rough. Under appreciated way to travel across the Bay…read more I really enjoy this quick ride from San Francisco to /from Oakland's Jack London Square. It is a delightful way to travel with the bother and hubbub that entails driving. Best of all is the gorgeous views of the City Skyline, Treasure Island, the expansive water, birds and going under the Bay Bridge. Be aware it can get windy outside at the back of the ferry. Nevertheless, it is worth the view especially on a pretty day.

The people in charge of the line were unclear and giving different instructions. One person saying…read moreto go all the way to the back because you are cutting while the other is telling us to go to the back if we want a picture (while though there was not even time for it) and telling us to wait at the front but the other guys still telling us to go to all the way to the back lol, then the camera people telling us there is only 5 mins to get on implying like why are we going to the back of the line lol.

Great customer service from the entire crew going and returning from Sausalito…read more Especially Valentino who was friendly and welcoming! The ride is pretty smooth and less than 30 minutes. Great view of the Golden Gate Bridge!

We purchased tickets from Groupon and they were the cheapest bay cruises from…read moreanything I could find. It was just like the other ones we've taken too. This took about an hour or a little longer. You go under the Golden Gate Bridge and then pass by Alcatraz on your way back. There's even a recording playing telling you what landmarks are across and near you aid gives you a little back story of things. Overall; a must do!

We came to start off our group bachelorette party with the sunset cruise…read more Some of us were running late so it was a bit chaotic getting there and we had a bit of a challenge finding the right spot right off the bat. But, once we boarded everything was smooth sailing - mostly haha. The take off and docking were a bit choppy, but other than that it was a smooth ride. The route and duration were great! We are all from the area but have skipped the touristy things. Well we sufficiently got a taste of everything on this cruise. It was properly 2 hours - passed Golden Gate Bridge, bay bridge, Alcatraz, and Oracle Park which was cool to see from the water side. While there was no sunset, we did get good weather and clear enough skies. The one and only thing we would change is the narration - it was awful, awkward, not super informative, and could use major improvements. The staff was fantastic and made for a smooth onboarding. Overall, great cruise around the bay and for a super reasonable price for a 2 hour cruise!

Third ferry experience over 6 Years and I must say they stop manage to impress. Something went…read morewrong when I booked this in December 2025 for May 2026. It has the date of April 30th. I called their hotline and left a voicemail the day of (1 hour before take off). We then get their 30 minutes before, I run down and hassle a crew member, and they say we can just rebook you. No doubt, the person checking our tickets said, okay, I can just rebook you. 45 seconds of swiping and he got us set up. This level of going over the top for customer satisfaction is beyond compare. Thank you to this wonderful team!

The staff are so kind and helpful. I chaperoned a field trip to Angel Island. While on the island…read morerealized I didn't have my car keys, which was a bit of an issue since I drove a carful of children. I re-traced my steps to the ferry. The staff had already scoured the ferry, a park ranger called ahead. I took the ferry back early, walked to my car, and lo and behold, there they were. They let me ride back to meet the group. It was pretty hilarious I was the only passenger.

My son and I made a day trip to Alcatraz island and it was a very enjoyable experience. I do agree…read morethat it's a little pricey but if you spend a solid 2-3+ hours there, I think it's worth it. Pros: + The staff were incredibly kind and helpful. + Once you get on the island and go through the 5 minute orientation from the NPS ranger, you're free to roam about. + The audio-guided tour is actually REALLY good. It was my first time and I thought it would be cheesy but it was engrossing and informative. + Restrooms were very clean and not crowded (at least not the guy's restroom). + There are some truly AMAZING views of the bay. Bring a travel-safe camera. Neutral: ~ There's restrictions on food and drink (only bottled water is allowed in the majority of the park). So plan ahead. ~ San Francisco traffic is real and kinda sucks. Plan ahead for delays. ~ A good portion of the park is outdoors (which isn't a negative but means that it's impacted by the weather). It gets super windy so plan ahead and dress appropriately. Cons: - The price is indeed a little high. I don't think I'd go here all the time. Once every couple years is probably fine. - A friend told me that there's a LOT of bird poop around and they were right. It's not enough to impact walking but does detract from the experience slightly.

Ticket purchase was quick and painless online. We were…read moregiven the opportunity to rest in the pre-boarding area due to a personal mobility issue. The ticket takers were very professional and friendly. The ship personnel were also professional and friendly. The ship itself could use an update but was clean. Once docked after a quick 15 minute trip we were welcomed by a NPS docent who gave us a quick description of the island and specific do's and don'ts. A little electric tram was provided for those who need assistance to get to the top of the facility otherwise one has to hoof and puff to the top amongst paved switchbacks equaling 13 flights of stairs. The individual tour itself was informative but be prepared for herds of people stopping and crowding on the audio tour. Personally, I recommend not utilizing the audio portion because it's too wordy plus the info boards are more than sufficient. We did enjoy our excursion but feel it was a bit pricey for what you get and understand most of the collected monies goes toward the cruise costs. For those who collect the National Park Stamps don't forget to bring your book and/or ask the cashier for the stamp.

I heard rumblings about the Richmond Ferry but I didn't realize it was officially in service on…read moreweekends to the Ferry Building until recently. Roundtrip for two was under $20 and the ride was around 30 minutes or so. The staff were all incredibly helpful for our first ride to SF during an evening with a kiddo. They gave us a pamphlet that has weekday/weekend times for future rides, and I noticed they have a 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' program that leaves from Richmond to an upcoming Giant's Game & back. There's plenty of parking (non metered) and even a Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park to explore if arriving early to the area. There's also a Columbia outlet (you can get a complimentary pass) from visiting the Park for entry there too. Not sure if the pickle ball at the Craneway Pavilion is still in action, it wasn't during our recent trip..or the restaurant Assemble either. If anyone has updates on that, feel free to share with me too! All in all, such a convenient way to enjoy a SF happy hour and dinner, with beautiful views on the adventure there/back. Also, there's snacks on the ferry AND drinks like seltzers, beer, wine, and spirits for purchase. So if you're looking to have a cheers during sunset on the boat, you can do that too! There's several times for the weekend ferry, I would do a bit of research ahead of time. We didn't have clipper cards to add money onto, so we purchased our roundtrip tickets once we boarded onto the boat with the staff. You pay/they print your roundtrip ticket that you keep with you for the return boat back. What a way to travel! Until next time...

The Richmond Ferry is one of the hidden gem of Bay Area transport. In about a half hour, you can…read morecruise across the bay to the Ferry Building without the stress of fighting highway traffic and bay bridge congestion. There's plenty of free parking at the Richmond ferry terminal, and once you are aboard, you can relax, get coffee from the concession onboard, or pull out your laptop and use the free wifi. The views across the bay are gorgeous on a sunny day. You sail by Angel Island, Treasure Island, Alcatraz Island, with the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop. Best of all, for 2024, the Friday service is free from November 1st until year end! What a great way to play tourist for a day.

I am an Angeleno, who went to visit a friend in Oakland. I wanted to experience San Francisco and…read moremy friend Denise suggested this ferry because it was cheaper than an Uber, more convenient than Bart, departed on time, like impeccably on time, and thus efficient, and in a way, a vacation experience in itself. Thus, I am here writing this Yelp, to describe it as a tourist experience, not as a mode of transportation to San Francisco, which of course it is too, on the daily. It was my first time taking the ferry so I needed instructions. Denise gave me the Clipper card, and one needed it as they enter, and as they exited. That is how the ferry people calculate the cost of the trip. Other than that, it is easy to use, and I found the staff who worked there polite and willing to explain this process to me. So unless one loses the card, then one will likely figure out the way in and out. I have experienced fog. But fog in LA, at least for me, is not a treat of nature. It is a way that nature reminds me to drive more safe or else. Like one time, I was in the freeway, and I was about to exit, and the fog was so thick-- scary thick. I could not see the car in front of me or behind me. As a result, I stopped driving because I was not sure if I needed to stall, or drive in by inch. With hindsight, I know I should have driven inch by inch, but in the moment, my thoughts for action were processing slower than usual because they were piercing the fog of the night. My passenger told me to drive, because if I did not drive we could be hit by another car who did not expect a car in non-movement in the freeway. This was my last vivid memory of fog, being in a freeway, slightly frightened. But, thankfully, the ferry allowed me to see the fog, as lovely, and more importantly, it transported me to Maine, or Avalon, and other places known for thick mist. As the ferry went to San Francisco, I marveled at the bay, in gray. I took care to snap pic to invite the reader to my moment in water, on boat. I saw the sun barely visible. Its own light could not shine through the blanket of gray. As a person, like I said before, who has not been around fog too much the sun looked like an alien point in the sky. I might sounding like a child whose imagination has not learned restraint, but I felt like I had traveled to foreign land and I was witnessing extraterrestrial heavenly bodies in space. Additionally, the water had no blue, it had no turquoise, it was gray, and slow, not still, just calm. The water I knew of beaches and other harbors had age. It had grown and I was visiting it not in a retirement home, not enjoying its golden years, but as it sat in a comfortable chair, resting because it was reflecting on its former youth and accomplishments. The water carried the rest of someone who grew old gracefully, basically. As I marveled at the other pictures, I heard the faint sound of a foghorn. And it did not sound obnoxious, it did not sound like melody either, do not get me wrong. It sounded like a flute making lovely boom sounds, helping me understand that I was in boat, tugging along the sea. The peace of the moment was felt in the breeze, the waters, and now in the waves that carry sound. It was a treat for all my sense, ok maybe not taste. I will not say that I tasted the sea breeze, but I could have tasted something from the snack bar. I did take an 8 second video, to share my voyage with others. For me, it felt, like I was standing still, and seeing a gray hoop skirt dress twirl with an ombre effect. I know that sounds weird, and maybe I am not explaining myself well, and I kind of know that I said the word gray a lot, but, what I am ultimately trying to say is that I felt transported to a day where the weather was foggy and all of that enhanced my vacation to a moment worth remembering. The most epic moment came when I was seeing out into the fog, and as the boat move, and outpace the fog, a ship crane appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. I felt like I saw a drape made of fog pulled back revealing the ship crane. But the moment of awe came because the fog and crane remained still, it was the movement of the boat that pulled the curtain back. I also captured the ships with big boxes (forget what they are called) in a drape of fog which was quietly beautiful in its own way. In another picture, I clipped the plank as I walked to the ship. That is the moment that I knew I was about to be in fog, but I did not expect to be addressed by the fog--- and its message was, fog does not need to blind the eye, it can give it perspective in wondrous gray scale! Enjoy me, wayward voyayer!

Ahhh yes a longer commute but a more pleasant experience!!…read more Love feeling the sun and seeing bridge on the water. If you have the time, take the ferry - it slows down the pace and makes everything a bit more enjoyable. Thank you to the lovely operators who told me they would wait for me and to stop running for the ferry

The best way to go to The City for the day! So relaxing and beautiful! So much better than sitting…read morein traffic on the Bay Bridge, then trying to find parking when you get there. It was a lovely sunshiny day. We could see the traffic completely stalled on the bridge. Easy boarding with the Clipper app. Nice cross section of humanity sharing the ride. The ferry has a great dependable schedule so no stress catching the ferry back that night. A nice day playing tourist complete with a Ghirardelli sundae. Can't get better than that!

Date: 6/7/2025 Time: 11:05 AM 59° Cloudy…read more I don't know what happened to my review from almost 12 years ago. I have ridden this ferry in the summer of 2013 when BART went on strike. The ferry was my mode of transportation from Alameda to SF and return. Ahh...quite an enjoyable commute on the weekdays. Even though the fare was more than traveling by BART, my preference was to travel above water than under the San Francisco Bay. On a BART train there is no restroom facility and a snack bar. My evening commute to Alameda was relaxing and mellow with a Kahlua and cream in hand. The Main Street Terminal is about 10 minutes from home. That was such an easy commute home. Arrival time for the ferry was at 11 AM, Alameda. The purpose of my visit was a Juneteenth event in plaza area. The one way trip to SF took almost an hour, but it was well worth it. In quite a distance away, a bunch of us passengers saw a hump back whale. That was quite a sight. I couldn't pull my cell phone fast enough for a photo. It has been several years I boarded at the Main Street Terminal. I believe the one way fare is about $4.70. There will be more ferry rides in the future.

Booked a Saturday sunset cruise and it was such a perfect day and wonderful experience! We boarded…read moreright on the dot and left the dock on-time, no issues. Water was slightly bumpy on the way to the bridge but that's because we were going against the current. Still, we enjoyed the views and beautiful breeze. Route takes you to and under the Golden Gate Bridge then back towards the Bay Bridge. You definitely get your entire time on the boat! We were served our glass of wine, 3 whites offered and a red and they were yummy! Crew is of 2 and both gentlemen are nice and knowledgeable. The owner is super fun and sweet, we had such a lovely time onboard. Whether a local or a visitor, 10/10 recommend booking this sunset cruise!!

We booked this as a team bonding activity and had the best time! Highly recommend. We departed on…read moretime and enjoyed the full two hours cruising over to the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz, and over to the Bay Bridge. Lots of great photo opportunities. Great selection of beverages. Since we reserved the boat for our private party, we also pre-ordered food when booking to make sure we had some snacks to munch on. There's also a bathroom on board which is convenient. This is an activity that will make both locals and folks from out of town (our group was mixed) love their time in San Francisco. Shout out to Brian for making this a great 10/10 experience! Would absolutely recommend and book again!

1 of 2 reviews, as this ferry has two Yelp Listings…read more My favorite of the 3 ferries. Quality/Quantity - Local business ferry, one of 3 in Alameda! Only available on weekdays. Well sometimes they offer special ferries for the Giants or Warriors games in SF. Atmosphere - Beautiful. I hike/bike here at times as well. Plenty of parking, 250 spaces, no overnight parking allowed. 20 bike racks available, the ferry is bike friendly as well. 24 bike lockers available. AC Transit = 21 line. Public restrooms, don't expect much. Service - 5 stars. My favorite form of travel, especially with the continued discounted price. It has gone back up slightly, but still very affordable. Thank you. Approximately 20 minutes to get to SF. Also, since I have lived in Alameda, the ferry service has always been on time. This ferry, similar to Sea Plane, operates only Monday to Friday. So if you go on a weekend, you need to take the main ferry. Price - $4.70 one way with a clipper card. Still almost 50% off versus pre-pandemic prices, thank you. Also just discovered the main ferry only cost $1 to go to Jack London Square; so why am I still driving to the Rosenblum winery??? Wait, I also just discovered a free water taxi and I can't wait to try that! Main Island ferry special event tickets - $10.75 to Chase Center. Owner Comment - Thanks for having a ferry on the south side of the island! So much better than having to drive to SF.

It's been awhile since I last took the Ferry and reminded how convenient, relaxing and wonderful…read morethe trip is. Sadly, I'm that person who easily gets motion sickness (inner ear issues since i was kid) and down for the count. *sigh* Deep-sea fishing....[feeding the fish that trip].....Cabo San Lucas Booze Cruise...[sick before my first drink!]....and even being a passenger in someone's car in stop-and-go traffic....its just not fun! I'm glad my friend suggested we take a trip to the City via ferry...sure, i was a bit hesitant but got over any anticipation anxiety and enjoyed the trip immensely. It wasn't bad at all! Fortunately, the water was calm, staff super friendly and helpful, ferry clean and just a fun and scenic leisure day! For a Monday (10am) outing, parking lot wasn't too busy with plenty of opened spots. I would highly recommend being a tourist for the day as sometimes, we take for granted the fun things you can do in our own City. The ride back about 20 mins) around 4:40 pm wasn't busy with plenty of seating available. Paper tickets can be purchases on the Ferry or get that Clipper card which is an all-in-one transportation, form of contactless payment. Makes it super convenient. Round trip fare under $10. https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/get.html Drinks and light snacks offered for purchase, restrooms available on the vessel. FINAL TIPS for my fellow motion-sick friends: take an OTC dramamine, enjoy the fresh air, sit/stand forward...don't pick a windy day! You're welcome! :)