Such a fun and beautiful day in Marina, CA to experience being in an Electric Rail Bike. My husband did most of the pedaling! The Crew, Jake, Wes and Sarah were amazing and very knowledgeable and cheerful individuals. They really added to the experience! The views of the landscapes were very scenic and when you get to the top of the loop, you see a beautiful view of the coast! This adventure is about an hour long and definitely worth it! You get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and get in some not too strenuous exercise too. Sadly, this business will be closed permanently at the end of August 2025. This is a must before then and you'll definitely enjoy every minute! read more

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First time Everything was pro, friendly and organized More of a workout than I thought Overall was great Will come back read more

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Had this on my list since Covid in 2020. I had a chance to take somebody new to the area on this tour and I'm so happy we had a chance to get it done before they sadly will be closing this year. We love the outdoor welcome area and a chance to learn the histpry of not only the cars but the area that is known as Monterey today. The actual hand car machines are so incredibly interesting and the story of how they were created is so cool! You do NOT have to be an athlete or anything to use any of the cars because they all have been outfitted with an electric power option. We didn't even break a sweat! Great, supportive and hospitable family-owned service. It was just fun! We went later in the day, hoping that the sun would be out and the fog would've cleared, but it was still a little bit foggy at the 2:30 tour time. Bring your layers and a sweatshirt. We had a great time and again I encourage everyone to go out and try this tour before they close this year. read more

Handcar Tours - Stopped for a photo - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

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You want something fun and unique to do.... Look no further. Been wanting to do this for a while. The day was absolutely perfect. Visibility was great and definitely not hot. All that was needed was a sweatshirt and a beanie and we were good to go. The rail bikes are electrically assisted so with little effort it will get you down the track at 7 miles an hour. The team that led this was amazing and the fact that the son engineered and built the rail cars and the mom and dad run the operation is a truly amazing story. Come out enjoy the ride and the views and support this family run operation. read more

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What a unique and fun experience! Sad to see that they might not be operating anymore. They were supposed to have closed back at the end of November but they were operating for the Holidays/New year so I took my chance to experience this. The owners were there to take us on a 6 mile out and back trip and also take pictures for us on the bikes. The bikes carts are electric powered so it's pretty easy to move it through the inclined tracks. Anyone could easily go on this regardless of athletic level. The views are beautiful and such a great date activity. Definitely if you are in the Marina and see that they have available tours, try this out and support this family owned business! Parking - They have parking in the dirt. Didn't have any issues finding. Bathrooms - Porta Potty only at the entrance so make sure to use before activity. read more

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My husband and I love an activity with a history lesson behind it and before you get on the vehicles you watch a short film about the history of hand cars, the beginning of the railroads here in the U.S. and the shows and movies that included that type of transportation. Then the owner stood up and gave us a history lesson on the tracks we were going to ride and Monterey. The ride took about and hour and 45 minutes with a 15 minute break at the halfway point. The scenery is nice especially at the halfway point! But majority of the trip you are looking at freeway. According to the website the Handcar tours are closing for good at the end of August which is unfortunate so if anyone is able to go and check it out before then I definitely recommend doing so! It's family friendly as well! read more

Who would've thought I would have fun pedaling for an hour?!!! Not me!!! But I had a blast!!! It does have an electric motor, but 2 activate it, u have to pedal. U don't have 2 be crazy pedaling 2 make it go, u just have to do it enough 2 keep the motor going. So I did the "driver seat" for the 1st 1/2 (the one that constantly has to pedal), then I switched w/ my daughter so she had 2 do the pedaling on the way back. My daughter & I went w/ my best buds. It's a tad pricey, but it was worth it!!! They were great w/ explaining how it works. I laughed sooooo much!!! And enjoyed trying something new!!!! It was a great activity 2 do!!! read more

Handcar Tours - My daughter & I pedaling!!! - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

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We did the handcar ride on the rail tracks this weekend. It was so so so much fun. We rented the pedal car. You could also rent the car with pushing the handle. It is 6 miles long and takes about an hour round trip. The car is electric assisted so you only need to pedal lightly, pretty easy. Bring a light jacket along. Take plenty of pics. A water bottle is suggested as well. The staff is very professional and friendly. It is a unique experience and highly recommend it. read more

Was visiting for the weekend and had to do this! It was pretty easy to book a tour. You can either pick a handcar or a railbike. Handcars seem to be able to accommodate 4 people and is pricier, with the railbike accommodating 2 people (which definitely made more sense for us). When we arrived, we found there was limited free parking just adjacent to check-in, so we parked off on the side of the road. Make sure to check in ahead of time (believe it was like at least 20 minutes or so). There was definitely a party that came probably 10 minutes AFTER the start time, which did kind of hold things up a bit. They explain the history of the handcars/railbikes, how they work, and safety instructions. The staff were very friendly, enthusiastic, and informative. They are a family-owned business and they really seemed to enjoy putting on these tours, which did make it even more enjoyable. It was kind of surprising to hear that they have only been open for a few years after the pandemic. Tours are about 2 hours long. They have all people who booked get boarded at once and then one by one they will instruct you to start peddling off. This is to ensure distance between the handcars and railbikes for safety. I definitely recommend wearing some layers as they recommended. We went just last weekend (March) and it was chilly. Probably a windbreaker and long sleeve with warm pants, closed toe shoes at the bare minimum. May want to bring some water. On the bikes, they have a storage area at the bottom, but don't expect it to be super secure, since it is open (not a secure bin). At the halfway point, you get to stop for pictures (see out into the water). The group probably stays there for about 15 minutes before peddling off again. Other than that, you're peddling along the freeway, seeing scenery. It was nice and SOMEWHAT relaxing (felt a bit of a workout peddling even though it is electric powered). They said you're welcome to try the railbikes without electricity on, and they said that most people give up in 30 seconds. I can't imagine peddling without the electricity... On site, they have portapotties, and a mini gift shop. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and highl recommend Handcar Tours! read more

Easy to book a tour. Lovely day, but it's the coast, so bring a windbreaker, at least. Great little history of the area and the rail. I hope they're able to keep their business going; it's a great model and great PR for the area! Things I didn't know/couldn't quite find online when I booked: - Railbike: The only concrete differences are: - Arm-driven (pump) instead of legs (pedal) - Carries 2 (vs 4 for the handcar) - Level of Effort Required: very little for the "passenger"; a little more for the "driver". To keep things fair, you can switch positions on the return trip. - Driver (right side): They need to pedal consistently enough to keep the electric motor going (but it's very easy going; think lower gears on bike). If the driver stops altogether, the passenger's pedals work like any manual bike (i.e., you are the driving force.) - Passenger (left side): For the most part, the passenger can cruise along doing nothing LOL. - The View: This is not an uninterrupted view of the windswept beaches and cliffs. Mostly, you're tucked between the dunes, but you get beautiful views of the park, flora, etc. The turnaround does crest to a beautiful view of the water and you pause for a bit for a nice selfie or 3. read more

So fun! Definitely an exercise. We made reservations and did the electric car w/ pedals. Was a great time and the service was sweet. I love how passionate and welcoming everyone was. Make sure to arrive 30 minutes early as they do go through safety and how to use the cars! There's also some informational videos that do play while you're waiting and there is some seating area! I would say for parking there is a mini parking lot, however it's more preferable to park on the street instead. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as well as comfortable clothing as well. It was fairly windy when we went despite the sun being out so planned for the weather as well. Make sure to bring water as it does get a bit tiring! Other than that, I really hope everyone gets a chance to try this out! Halfway point you get a beautiful view! I'd definitely come back again for the experience. read more

Handcar Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

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I always wanted to do this so I took my parents as a fun family summer activity. They really enjoyed the unique experience with the handcar on the train track. The people who worked there were really friendly and answered all my dad's questions and they took our pictures before we started and at the halfway point. We appreciated that the handcar was electric so we got to enjoy the views. We also lucked out that the sun was out and that we had the chance to see the ocean and some sand dunes from afar. It is pricey ($259 for 3 people) but I think it's worth the experience. My parents were happy and that's all that matters. read more

I like to dedicate my first review of 2024 to Handcar Tours. My visit took place mid-November and it was just perfect. I made reservations online for the (easy) Electric Assist Railbikes. Showed up early to sign waivers on the day of, and then one of the staff rallied everyone to go over safety rules, as well as its history, before breaking people into pairs. The excellent sunny/not too windy weather made this experience even more memorable. Dress in layers as it may get cold. There was a lot of spacing in between each railbike. Believe it or not, my legs were slightly sore after the exursion. One of my favorite aspects is the ability to take a group break and take many photos. The owner joined us at the group break and answered questions. I got to ask him how his business started and he shared the challenges and joys. So great that his son was more the engineering side of designing the handcar railbikes and he was more on logistics/operations. Easy parking and portable potties available. No restrooms available during the break. Time flew by quickly. I'd love to visit again and try their harder experience. #1/2024 read more

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Plenty of parking and fun. Group of 3 that laughed all the way. Enjoyable and easy activity. Would love to go again! There are two types: hand pushing or pedaling with feet. read more

It was an amazing experience but from what I understand this historic site is shutting down. It's shutting down to make way for a bus or some type of train site. I discovered this after talking to disappointed locals. It was a pleasurable, different experience that was conveyed to me through social media. I'm glad we had the opportunity to experience this unique opportunity. read more

I saw an ad for this on Instagram and decided to give it a try. It's an interesting concept to enjoy the view along the coast. People working there were very friendly and knowledgeable of the cars. This is a family business. The owner's son is the own that designed the cars and they build all the cars themselves. They said it cost them $29,000 to build an electric car. The hand cars were created first. A hand car can hold up to 4 people, you have to use your arms/hands to drive it. The electric cars were added very recently and only 2 people can occupy it. You use your legs to pedal it We reserved an electric car and I'm glad we did because I don't like the arm motion of the hand car. I much prefer pedalling. You don't have to pedal much because it's electric assisted. I enjoyed the ride but it felt quite short. I wished it was longer and there was less waiting/idle time. Support small business!! read more

My group of 4 went on a random Saturday. We drove from the Bay Area, which during the weekdays estimated 1 hour even to Handcar Tours' location. It took us 1.5 hours- almost late to our reserved time of 1pm. They do have some leeway, so we didn't feel rushed. There is a small parking lot. Since reservations are timed, there was ample parking. There's also a porta potty for those who need to unleash whatever's boiling deep inside. You have to sign a short waiver upon arrival. The staff will brief everyone on safety features, what to expect, how to get the handcars moving, etc. There are several groups loading up and going at the same time. Each group will have to slow down / speed up to keep all cars moving without hitting each other. At 1:30pm, we were loaded up on the "cars" and cleared for launch! I thought Handcar Tours was like a guided walking tour on rails.. but it is not! I was just invited for a good time, so I didn't take the responsible route of reading the brochures before agreeing to go. Each car is a group of 4 people, all pulling with their upper body and pushing the "pedals" with their legs to keep the car moving. The track is a loop that runs along the freeway on one side and with the Pacific Ocean on the other. The first half of the track has some uphill. But I bear good news! Before the "halftime break", all riders are rewarded with an amazing view of the ocean. The entire group gets to take a break in the halfway point. The break area has the best views of the ocean. Everyone gets to stand around, take photos, and ask the staff to help with photos! The second half of the track loops back into the check in point. It's mostly downhill from there! We clocked out at 2:30pm and went our merry way. It was a fun, unique experience. The logistics were smooth. It didn't feel like we had hiccups or uncertainty. The workers were trained and friendly. Thank you Handcar Tours! PS - It's physical activity but hardly a workout. Caveats: The bathroom is just one lone porta potty. It would be nice if the check in area was a tiny little building with bathroom and vending machines, maybe some fun facts about the tracks or the city. They do have this available on their website, but where's the fun in that? Riders are seated facing each other, with 2 people (front seat) facing backwards, and the other 2 (back seat) facing forwards. The staff recommend the stronger people take the front seats. However! Front seaters are not rewarded with good views for their disproportionate efforts in propelling the cars. People in the back seat can enjoy the views without having turning their heads. I don't think this is Handcar's fault, I am just stating my experience. Each group rents an entire car, so you need to fill up your car or each person pays more! Pricey at almost $50 a person for a full car. And it's going up in July 2023! Even with the Early Bird discount, it's rough on the wallet. Not a "guided tour" unlike what the website implies. "These are guided tours with the handcars and rail bikes traveling together as one unit with trained guides leading on a handcar to the front and to the rear of the group". Apparently this just meant the guides herd the group so they know if a car gets derailed, group too fast/slow, and not a "guide" to tell us fun facts about the place. Maybe "tours" in the name "Handcar Tours" was misleading.. read more

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Fun... so much fun!!! My family had the time of our lives riding the new rail bikes & pedaling through the 6 mile, historic 1800's railroad tracks. It was overcast when we got there. But the experience was still amazing. Views along the tracks were beautiful, lots of succulent plants, wildflowers, sand dunes, birds and the ocean. The wind breeze was so refreshing. It was a relaxing & stress free ride. Our rail bikes were electric assisted, so it was not difficult to operate at all. They were clean & well maintained. We've met one of the business owner, Todd Clark. He was very kind and informative on how their family business started. He told us the story of how his son, Mason built handcars since the age of 12.. All of their handcars & rail bikes were hand-built in their own machine shop. Very impressive. The other staff employees were also very friendly & helpful. 2 port-a-potties are available to use on the site. Small parking area for customers. The price is reasonable for the memories your family will make. Will I take my family again to go on the electric-assisted rail bike tour... ABSOLUTELY will do it again!!! Highly recommended! read more

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What a fantastic time! Came here with some friends so we had a full car. 4 people max per car. But we saw some 2 and 3 person groups. All groups seemed to be able to enjoy the experience. This is very much a small family business and they are working hard to make sure everyone has a good time. Good explanation of what the experience will be and how to operate the cars. It's pretty straightforward. It's a bit of a workout on the way up with some slight uphill spots. But the way back is downhill and if you get some speed, you can go pretty fast. It was an overcast, slightly cool day. We did the 1-3pm window. I felt it was perfect weather as the sun was peaking out a bit but still shady to keep it from being too warm. They tell you to dress in layers and it's great advice. We brought some water and snacks. Snacks were probably overkill. But definitely bring something to drink. They also had water bottles for $1 so that was convenient. We brought gloves and 3 of us used them. It was nice to keep your hands from getting a little blister but probably not totally necessary. The views are awesome! You see the ocean, dunes, flowers, etc. We were even lucky enough to see whales at the halfway point. Definitely a fun experience for locals or tourists. read more

Handcar Tours - Handcars lined up before the tour. - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

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Amazing opportunity to get physically active and enjoy the beautiful ocean views. The staff was welcoming and provided detailed information about how to use the handcars and what to expect on your ride/tour. The weather was perfect for this fun activity! read more

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Family run business. The railbikes are super cool. If you want a good morning workout, that's cool, just pedal harder. If you aren't into that, that's cool too, just pedal lightly and the bike will add power for you. It's a 6 mi loop with amazing views at the turnaround point. We did our tour right before a big storm so we finished out tour in an hour. Otherwise, the tour is normally 1.5 hours. Super fun, relaxing, and the folks running it are super nice and friendly. Highly recommend. read more

This was such a splendid surprise and a fun thing to do while in Monterey! It's a family business and it all started with a 12-year-old who built hand cars, now they are all handbuilt. It's a really fun experience and don't worry if you don't think you can do it for 6 miles they have electrically powered ones as well, where you can still pedal if you want to go faster, but if not, it will take you along! The top of the Mountain View was the best. I highly recommend going first because I feel like we had more time up there. But I'm sure everyone's timing is the same. I feel like we had about 10 to 15 minutes to take pictures and videos. If you're thinking about doing this, definitely do it sooner than later. Dress appropriately, they do have two porta potties so use the bathroom before and after you get there somewhere if you don't like porta potties, and plenty of parking! They are also very nice and welcoming as well. And you get a fun little intro beforehand too so definitely be on time! read more

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Book online for either a duo/couple pedal OR 4 person hand car tour for a 6 mile (1.5 hr) experience, site seeing the greenery/ sand dunes & Pacific Ocean in Marina, CA. Less than 20 minutes north of Monterey! ** GPS WILL TELL YOU TO GO ACROSS THE STREET... but as you approach the location & see the Handcar Tour Sign, drive toward that area** read more

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very fun handcar experience - a great alternative to outdoor trail exploration. The reservation process was a breeze. On the day of, checking in early to watch demonstration on how to operate is a must. The manual is a definite workout and you should have 3-4 people to fill up. The electric-assisted is very comfortable. Would love to take other family here another day! read more

This family owned and operated business did not disappoint! Directions/Experience/Staff/Bathrooms reviewed below. Directions: google maps had us turn the wrong way at the intersection closet to them but if we had been paying attention we would have seen there signage that made it very obvious. Experience: we drove down the coast for this and were not expecting the chill to be so different from home but we bought some soft sweaters from there little store and were sweating from the workout by the time our adventure was done. The check-in process was smooth and the safety briefing was easy to follow. I will say their disclaimer about this being a physical activity is no joke! We stopped along the track with a great view of the water and had a chance to stretch our legs and take some photos before looping back to where we began. Staff: Nick was one of the staff we interacted with and he was very polite and chatted with us on our stop also stopping to take photos for some other guests. We also interacted with the owners who were super friendly! Bathrooms: there are no stops on the trails with a bathroom but they have porta-potties at the check-in area that were clean and accessible. We will certainly be back with family visits in the future! read more

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It was an awesome experience but minded that one needs a jacket/sweater even in July. It was a chilly, windy, leisurely, scenery tour. They prepped us (the entire morning-group of tourists) a with a brief historic and then we choose our own cart. Turned out we chose the prototype that was designed 2 years prior (the engineer was intrigued). read more

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I highly recommend the handcar tours in Monterey. It was such a fun, unique, and beautiful way to experience a piece of Monterey. We got the electric assist pedal car so it was also quite relaxing. The cool weather felt great while doing some easy pedaling (although gloves are a good idea). If you have a bigger group and want to stay together multiple cars can be linked. This is a small family run business & passion project. They were all very friendly and excited to talk about their work. read more

Handcar Tours - Cars linked together. - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

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Must do attraction in the Monterey Bay Area! The family behind this business is very talented and what they have here is very special. Both the handcars and rail bikes are electric assist making the ride effortless. It's a beautiful ride and there's a magnificent view of the bay at the half way point. It's a very unique experience and I recommend it to any one of any age. read more

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This was a fun little outing with some pretty cool views. We had a great time. Steve & Imelda read more

Just amazing...we have a total blast and was so much fun...staff was totally professional and video before we departed was great read more

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We had a fantastic time on the tour on August 29 at 12:30 PM. The weather was perfect, and the views were stunning. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and one of them even took a great picture of us at the halfway point. read more

Handcar Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

Fun tour with a bit of exercise in the mix! The majority of the cars were two seaters with pedal assist, although I will say you did still have to do a decent amount of pedaling from start to finish. You are provided a history / safety briefing and then sent off for a ride down the tracks. The old railroad tracks run alongside the town of Marina / freeway on one side and the dunes and ocean on the other. The ocean view is mostly blocked by the dunes, but about two miles into the ride, every stops and has a chance to get off and take pics, enjoying the pretty ocean in the distance! The whole "tour" takes a little over an hour. It was actually quite windy and considerably cooler than it was in SJ, so bring layers. However, once you get pedaling, you do warm up! My only other suggestion is to make sure to get there 20-30 min early. This is a family run business and they travel up to the area to operate the tours every weekend! Be kind and be on time! read more

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It was an awesome experience. All of the guides were super friendly and informative. At the stop the guide came around to inquire about is and offer to take pics for is. Would love to do it again with the entire family. Word of advice, if you're a fast peddler, take the lead car. We were second car and kept catching the car in front of us. read more

Handcar Tours - The handcar we drove. 2 persons per car. - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

We did this today and had the best time! This is a family owned business and the family is all so nice and they really care about their customer's satisfaction. The cars are well maintained and easy to use, you do pedal but a motor does most of the work to get you up the hill so it's not super laborsome. If you aren't from CA, just realize June Gloom is a real thing on the coast and it can get chilly in the summer. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something to do near Monterey. read more

Handcar Tours - Rail bikes. - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

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Being new residents, we wanted an activity for visitors who stayed during weekends. So we found this handcar tour on a list of things to do in Monterey. It's a family owned/run business. Mason (the engineer and designer of the handcars, gives you a tutorial in how to operate the handcar before you start. He goes over everything you need to know to operate and stop it safely. His dad Todd was there to assist and answer questions too. It's a workout. But it's a great teamwork-team building activity. Afterwards, you could hit a local brewery or restaurant to reward yourself. Do it...you'll have a blast. read more

Handcar Tours - Friends and handcarts. It's an awesome way to tour the Monterey Dunes. - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

Let me just say that the hand car tour was definitely a unique experience. I've never done a tour that was on the specific kind of vehicle so that was super cool! I also love that it was a family-run business and it was definitely popular, on our tour. I think all the cars were filled! I gave it three stars because it was extremely short. Overall, it took us about maybe 40 minutes to complete the tour. The views also were not that great, I added in my review a video of the best views which was of the ocean, but most of it was just kind of grassland and you don't really get to see too much. It's pretty pricey. So I think based off of the length of time and the the views not sure if it's worth it. But if you are looking for a unique experience, it's something to do once! read more

Handcar Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Marina, California

This was good fun. Not strenuous at all and couldn't be more spectacular along our coast. Unfortunately they are closing because of a feud with our local representatives. So sad as this was something to do with the under 21 year olds, which seem to have limited fun zones in this area. read more

We saw these on the way to Monterey and made a note to try them the next time down. Reservations were straightforward. They have two styles of cars (handcar and bicycle). The website recommends the bicycle style unless you are in really good shape. We heeded the recommendation and were glad we did. While we waited, we got a lot of history of the cars which were an attempt to replicate in a modern way the handcars used to perform service on the original railway. The cars were designed and built by a 26 year old engineer currently employed down south with the assistance of a childhood friend currently living in the Monterey area. The cars which look very new are about 400 lbs, cost roughly $29,000 each. The bicycle model (more of a recumbent bike) is motor assisted with a lithium battery. As a mechanical engineer, I was very impressed. The ride is led and followed by 2 employees. There is sufficient spacing so that nobody was in anyone's way. The ride was a 6 mile loop. The best view was at the midway point where we stopped for pictures. The loop lasted about 90 minutes. The word "tour" is used but mostly you are riding on your own with some oversight to address any challenges. There were some merchandise at the check in location and some pictures and history where we waited. Parking was sufficient and close by. We had a wonderful time and were glad we did it. read more

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A truly amazing experience! The scenery was beautiful, even as a local who has spent lots of time in Monterey, I was surprised to see it from a new perspective and be wowed by the beauty of the area. The electric assist hand car tour was definitely worth it! The tour guides were amazing people. I would do it again in a heartbeat. read more

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We're local and we had a blast! There was even some costal fog, but it didn't matter because it made it cooler, and there was plenty to see along the way. We've never gotten to see the dunes so up close. The entire ride was bliss--nothing else in my mind but the present moment! We did the electric assist bike tour ride FYI. read more

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