The Ultimate Guide to Biking the Golden Gate Bridge
We left rainy Denmark for a while (that’s where we live) to soak up some rays in sunny California this year and it was awesome. During our other visits to northern California we have visited Point Reyes National Seashore and hiked some of the best hikes near Lake Tahoe.
However, on this trip we mostly ate as many In-N-Out burgers as we could (more on that later) and spent multiple days in San Francisco.
By far, our favorite thing we did in the city was biking the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco to Sausalito (with a beautiful ferry ride at dusk back to the city).
This was my second time biking the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was my first time cycling Golden Gate Bridge with kids. And let me tell you, I think this biking experience as a family in San Francisco will go down in the books as one of our favorite travel memories!
Because we loved it so much, I’m here to tell you everything you need to know to have an awesome time hiring bikes in San Francisco whether you will be bringing along kids or not.
Below you’ll find top tips on how to cross the Golden Gate Bridge by bike, where to rent bikes in San Francisco (including E-bikes, baby/toddler seats, bike trailers, and kids bikes), amazing sites to see along the bike path (both before and after the bridge) plus how to take the ferry back to San Francisco from Sausilito.
*This post is in collaboration with Blazing Saddles. While we did receive complimentary bike rentals, I still would have booked through Blazing Saddles if we had funded ourselves. There may be affiliate links in this post. Read my privacy/disclosure policy to learn more.*
Best Time of Year for Biking the Golden Gate Bridge
The short answer is, every month of the year is a great time to bike across Golden Gate Bridge! However, no matter the month, you’ll want to come prepared wearing multiple layers.
The crazy thing about San Francisco is you can never really be sure what the weather is going to be no matter the time of year. You can plan on the city’s temp being about 60-something degrees year round with some days being warmer and some days being cooler.
There’s a popular saying attributed to Mark Twain which goes, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” I definitely second this saying! The first time I went biking across Golden Gate Bridge it was January and all I wore was a thin long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up.
However, once on a visit in June to see a concert at the Giant’s stadium, I couldn’t get enough layers on!
When we went cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge with kids in December and were lucky enough to catch a beautifully sunny day but I still wore a sweatshirt with a windbreaker overtop. The weather the rest of the week was cooler and foggy (as can be common in San Francisco).
How Long Does it Take to Bike The Golden Gate Bridge?
How long it will take you to bike the bridge depends on what you choose to see along the way and if you have kiddos the age/ability of your kids. We picked up our bikes around 10:30 am and dropped them off around 5:00 pm making it about 6.5 hours in total.
But don’t be alarmed! That was in no way 6.5 hours of cycling.
We made multiple stops, had a picnic lunch, took pictures, and hung out in Sausilito. If you were to bike from SF to Sausalito and take the ferry back with no stops, GoogleMaps says it would take 45 minutes to get from the Blazing Saddles Hyde Street location to Sausilito followed by a 25-minute ferry ride back to San Francisco and a 5-10 minute ride to Blazing Saddles.
That would make it about 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending on when you catch a ferry but that would be the absolute fastest you could do this. I highly doubt this would be your experience if you are biking Golden Gate Bridge as a family.
What is the bike route like for cycling over Golden Gate Bridge?
We rented bikes from Blazing Saddles on Hyde Street one block from Ghirardelli and close to Fisherman’s Wharf (although they have other locations as well). We had about an 8.5-mile ride from the rental shop, across the bridge and to the Sausalito Ferry plus about a 0.7-mile ride to Blazing Saddles from the ferry in San Francisco.
The vast majority of the ride is on a dedicated bike/pedestrian path away from cars (it’s so nice). However, after you get to the opposite side of the bridge, you will ride on the shoulder of the road for about 2 miles as you go down a big hill into Sausalito.
There are two short but steep hills to climb before you get to the bridge- but no worries, you can just hop off and walk your bike up the hill if needed (no shame here). The bridge has a very slight uphill and downhill on each side (so slight).
The bike path on the bridge is small and can be overrun by pedestrians. This just means you need to ride slowly in a single-file line and use your bike bell when necessary (to avoid biking into an unawares pedestrian).
How Old Do Kids Need to Be to Bike the Golden Gate Bridge?
I think you could bike the Golden Gate Bridge with kids of almost any age, as long as you have the proper equipment for a safe and enjoyable ride. And you should be able to get whatever you need from Blazing Saddles.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge by bike with an almost 4-year-old and a 10-month-old and it was perfect. We picked up bikes from Blazing Saddles with a ‘baby’ seat attached to the back of each.
We could have rented a bike trailer for the kids to share, but we thought they’d like to be up higher in the attached seats where they could see things better (plus it seemed easier to ride with the seats than a trailer).
We saw loads of other families and groups biking along the bike path to Golden Gate Bridge all with varying bike setups. All of the young kids (over 9 months old but under 40-50 lbs) were in bike seats or bike trailers.
The next most common setup was a tag-a-long bike attachment connected to the bike of an adult (think like a tandem bike attachment connected to the back of a bike).
And for the older kids, who had the ability and stamina to complete the 8-mile bike route across the Golden Gate Bridge, we noticed they were on their own rented bikes for kids.
I’m not sure how old your kids would need to be in control of their own bike (since ours aren’t that age yet) but you definitely want to keep in mind these two things:
- It’s an 8-mile bike ride with some hills (which can be walked, but still extra tiring for littles if they are on their own bike).
- Parts of the bike path, especially once you get on the bridge, can be very busy and if they are on their own bike, your kids need to feel confident following your lead in navigating a crowd of pedestrians and other cyclists.
If you are unsure about your child’s ability or desire to ride their own bike, I definitely recommend renting a tag-a-long bike from Blazing Saddles. That way you will have the smoothest ride possible keeping everyone safe and happy.
Where to Find Golden Gate Bridge Bike Rentals with Kid Seats and Kid Bikes
After lots of research online, we decided to rent our bikes from Blazing Saddles on Hyde Street. We could not have been happier with that decision! The equipment was great, the staff was so friendly and helpful (even on a day when they were totally swamped) and they made everything so easy and smooth.
We initially chose Blazing Saddles because of their convenient location just a block away from the bike path headed towards Golden Gate Bridge and because of their amazing selection of kid’s equipment- and I’m so glad we did!
Here’s all the kid bike equipment from Blazing Saddles for biking the Golden Gate Bridge:
- Baby Bike Seat (9 months to 40 pounds)
- Kids Trailer (can carry two children up to 90 pounds total)
- Tag-a-Long Bike Attachment (for kids learning to ride but not up for pedaling their own bike)
- Kids Tandem (fun tandem bike where the child’s seat is in the front)
- 20″ and 24″ Kids’ Bikes
Blazing Saddles has multiple convenient locations in San Francisco (think near Pier 39, and Ghiradelli’s) which are all great choices. We chose to rent from the Blazing Saddles Hyde Street location because it’s the location with the most cycling equipment for kids and the largest E-bike selection.
The Blazing Saddles Hyde Street location even has a small, indoor test ride area to make sure you and your kids feel comfortable with the setup you choose. If you’ve never ridden a bike with a bike seat, trailer or tag-a-long attached, it’s a good idea to get a little feel for it before you head out on your adventure.
Map of Things to See along the Bike Route for the Golden Gate Bridge
*Use this interactive map to see the top things to see/do with kids along the Golden Gate Bridge Bike path from San Francisco to Sausalito*
Things to See When Biking the Golden Gate Bridge by Bike
One of the best things about making this bike ride from San Francisco to Sausalito is that just off the bike path are some of my favorite things to see in San Francisco (with or without kids)! It’s such a beautiful bike route passing awesome sites, plus you’ll have epic San Francisco and Golden Gate views along the way.
I recommend making 4-5 stops along the way to really make the most of your experiences cycling the Golden Gate Bridge. Because to be honest, the actual biking of the bridge is not even my favorite part- even though you do get some really great views from there.
Because we have seen many of these San Francisco sights on previous trips, we didn’t stop at as many as we could have. However, we did make multiple stops at some sights we had not seen yet!
Since we were traveling with a toddler, one of our favorite stops was the Outpost Playground (which is totally epic) and has Golden Gate views. We played for over an hour and had a picnic lunch (more on that in the bullets below).
We also stopped for multiple photo ops, picked up goodies from Sausalito Bakery & Cafe, and window-shopped in Sausilito. As I mentioned at the beginning, we spent about 6.5 hours cycling, hanging out, and exploring during our day along the Golden Gate Bridge bike route (both kiddos fell asleep in their bike seats for the second half of the bike ride).
Here are my recommendations for the top things to see along the Golden Gate Bridge bike route:
1. Get Ice Cream from Ghirardelli Square
Okay, maybe you add this to the end of your day instead of the first thing you do. Either way, Blazing Saddles bike rental is located almost next door to Ghirardelli Square. No trip to San Francisco is complete without picking up an ice cream sundae (or hot chocolate) from Ghirardelli Square. Ghirardelli Square was home to the Ghirardelli chocolate factory in the late 1800s but now has some food and shopping options.
2. See the San Francisco Yacht Marina
The San Francisco Yacht Marina is located right along the bike path or you can pull over to park your bikes and explore the marina by foot. The Yacht Marina is also close to the Wave Organ that I talk about in the next point.
3. Try to Hear the Music of the Wave Organ
The Wave Organ is a super unique, musical sculpture built in 1986 along the water in San Francisco Bay. The ‘music’ is created by the waves splashing into the organ pipes and the sounds of the splashing around. The sound is subtle and definitely something you need to be listening for.
It’s located right next to the yacht marina along the bike path to the Golden Gate Bridge.
4. See the Majestic Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is a pretty epic structure that was constructed in 1915 for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition to showcase works of art. Pictures don’t do it justice for how unique and large it is.
It’s basically a beautiful, huge pavilion with columns along the edge of a beautiful water feature.
You can see the Palace of Fine Arts from the bike path and it may just call your name because of how large it is. You’d need to take a short detour off the bike route to get to it, but if you’ve never seen it before it’s worth the stop.
5. Hang Out at Crissy Field Beach
If you’re hoping to hang out at the beach while you’re in San Francisco, swing by Crissy Field Beach! Crissy Field Beach is a favorite among locals and it has great Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz views. You’ll pass right by it as you cycle to the Golden Gate Bridge which makes it a perfect stop for some beach time!
6. Walk the Crissy Field Marsh Boardwalk
If you love birding, the Crissy Field Marsh Boardwalk is for you! Located just behind the Crissy Field Beach and across the street from the Outpost Playground and Field Station is a tidal marsh with amazing birding opportunities (plus you have amazing Golden Gate Views in the distance).
7. Play at Outpost Playground & Field Station
If you are biking the Golden Gate Bridge with kids, the Outpost Playground and Field Station is one of the best stops you can make on your ride! The Outpost Playground is part of an area called the Presidio Tunnel Tops as part of the Presidio National Park Site within San Francisco.
The playground covers two acres (the largest play area in the entire Bay Area!) with amazing nature-inspired play equipment. Think water tables, caves, log towers, slides built on hills, and even an area to make shelters out of sticks and palm branches.
Next to the Outpost Playground is a building called the Field Station which is an indoor, interactive exhibit replicating what a scientist’s base camp may be like. Kids can do all sorts of hands-on activities that change with the seasons to learn more about the beautiful Presidio area of San Francisco.
And get this- it’s all FREE.
If you want to visit more playgrounds in San Francisco, be sure to check out my guide: 6 Best Playgrounds in San Francisco The Whole Family Will Love.
8. Explore Fort Point National Historic Site
Fort Point is a seacoast fortification located almost directly under the Golden Gate Bridge (just to the south). From Fort Point, you can get a unique view of the Golden Gate Bridge plus you can tour Fort Point to see Civil War-era artifacts, cannons, and other weaponry.
If you are a history buff, this is definitely the stop for you! And like almost all of the things to see along the Golden Gate Bridge bike path, Fort Point is free!
9. Snap a Pic at Golden Gate Bridge Viewpoint
As you get closer to the bridge, you’ll find some great areas to pull over and snap some pictures with the Golden Gate Bridge. They are all pretty obvious, but if you want to make sure you have one on your map- here is a great Golden Gate Bridge viewpoint right along the bike path.
10. Visit the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
The Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center is a perfect stop if you want to learn more about the history of the bridge and even see some special bridge artifacts. It’s easy to find as is located right at the entrance to the bridge (just up the hill a bit from the bike path- you can’t miss it).
The welcome center is free to visit and has staff that can answer questions/share information about the area.
11. Let the Kids Explore at Bay Area Discovery Museum
Another great stop if you are traveling with kids is the Bay Area Discovery Museum. The one downside about this stop is that it’s such a cool place that you may want to allot more time than what you will have during your bike ride.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum is an indoor/outdoor playful learning area with awesome playgrounds and fun, ever-changing indoor exhibits. If you do want to add this to your itinerary, be sure to check the hours as they are closed some days and close early other days.
12. Pick up Goodies at Sausalito Bakery & Cafe
One of our favorite things to do when traveling is to find a cozy bakery to visit and snack on some yummy treats. The Sausalito Bakery & Cafe was the perfect stop after a day spent biking across the bridge! It’s right on the main road you come into in Sausalito and one of the first storefronts you see.
We only sampled their baked goods and hot chocolate, but they also had a lunch menu that looked really yummy. You can find paid bike parking right across the street from the bakery, or you can bike to the ferry terminal which has a lot of (free) bike parking, and walk back to the bakery.
13. Stroll Along Bridgeway in Sausalito
Sausalito is such a cute waterfront town and it’d be a shame if you don’t save anytime to visit any of the stores. Besides the Sausalito bakery, you’ll find many other restaurants and cute shops selling both tourist trinkets and higher-end items.
I’ve heard good things about a small food joint called Hamburgers which offers up flame-grilled burgers on a rotating storefront window grill. It’s a small hole-in-the-wall place that doesn’t even have a website, but you can find it here in Sausalito.
14. Take the Sausalito Ferry to San Francisco
Hands down, one of my favorite parts of biking from San Francisco to Sausalito was taking the Sausalito ferry back to the city. Blazing Saddles provided us with ferry tickets when we picked up the bikes that we could use on any ferry departure from Sausalito to SF (we still paid for the tickets, just didn’t have to fuss with buying them elsewhere).
It was so convenient to not have to worry about getting a ticket. We just hopped on the first ferry we saw from Sausalito. The best part is, the ferry ride is basically a small harbor cruise that you get to tack on to the end of your day!
The Sausalito shoreline is just gorgeous with all of the houses built along the green hills. Plus you’ll ride along the Golden Gate Bridge, pass by Alcatraz, and get to see the beautiful San Francisco city skyline.
You can sit inside the ferry or go up on top. I definitely recommend going up top for the best views and to really get the full experience. It’s awesome.
15. See the Sea Lions at Pier 39
I’m not a huge fan of touristy Pier 39, however, the sea lion viewing area is pretty awesome. At times there can be hundreds of sea lions calling the docks at Pier 39 home!
It’s pretty wild to be so close to these creatures that you may not ever have the chance to see otherwise. You can hang out and see them crawl around, sleep, bark, and swim in the water.
This is a great stop to add to the end of your day after you take the ferry back from Sausalito to San Francsico.
16. Have Dinner at In-N-Out Burger or Boudin Sourdough
Okay- by this point you’ve had a long day biking the bridge and you might be starving. If you’ve never had an In-N-Out burger you NEED to try it while you are in California.
In-N-Out is an iconic California burger joint known for its super simple menu, fresh ingredients, and low prices. In-N-Out’s burgers are one of the main things I crave living overseas.
They offer hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes and have a few special items you can order off their ‘secret menu’ (think Neopolitan shake, hamburgers with 3-4 patties, animal style fries with cheese and grilled onions, and more)!
If you aren’t in the mood for a burger-another great dinner option that you’ll pass on your way back to Blazing Saddles is Boudin San Francisco Sourdough. The flagship Boudin location is located in Fisherman’s Wharf and it has a demonstration and production bakery attached where you can see the bakers in action!
One of my favorite things to get at Boudin is their sourdough bread bowl or a tasty sourdough sandwich. Eating at Boudin is definitely a very ‘San Francisco’ thing to do!
Top Tips For Biking Across Golden Gate Bridge
- Be sure to bring layers and a windbreaker so that you stay cozy and warm but not too hot. The weather in San Francisco can be unpredictable and turn foggy and chilly at any time. If it’s windy it feels even chillier (and it can be windy on the bridge but not so much elsewhere).
- This may be obvious, but make sure you know how to ride a bike before setting out to get a bike rental in San Francisco. It’s not a difficult bike route per se, however, you will be navigating some hills and crowds and it’s about 8 miles so you need to feel comfortable and confident on a bicycle.
- If possible, try to bike the Golden Gate Bridge on a weekday to avoid some of the weekend crowds.
- Don’t be afraid to use your bike bell. If you aren’t used to dinging a bike bell ( I wasn’t until we moved to Denmark) you may feel shy about using the bell on your bike. However, the bell is there to keep you and the people you are coming up on safe. A bike bell is to say more of, ‘Hey just to let you know I’m coming up behind you’ rather than, ‘Hey, get out of my way!’. So just give a couple of dings and everyone around you will know to be aware to stick to the side. This is especially helpful for the bridge portion of the bike ride.
- If you rent bikes from Blazing Saddles on Hyde Street and arrive with a car- there is a super handy parking garage at 655 Beach just around the corner. I recommend using the app Spot Hero to reserve a spot and save money on any parking in San Francisco-it’s a game-changer.
- If you rent bikes from Blazing Saddles on Hyde Street and don’t have a car, you can catch a ride on the Powell/Hyde Cable Car line and take it to the last stop to be right next to the storefront (which riding a cable car is fun enough on its own!)
- Be sure to wear a helmet- Blazing Saddles provides helmets for free for both adults and kids. If you don’t want to have a helmet on in your pictures, just pull over and take it off for some of the pics (it’s really not that hard and totally worth keeping your brain safe).
- Be aware of other cyclists and pedestrians and ride single file when necessary (which it’s absolutely necessary to ride single file on the bridge-it can be crowded).
- Be aware of the sunset time and make sure you’re back before it gets dark. We just happened to get back to Blazing Saddles right before it got dark and I’m glad we did because our bikes didn’t have bike lights on them (which makes for a dangerous ride). But if you just keep track of the time you won’t have any issues.
- If you’re wanting more than a just bike rental, Blazing Saddles also offers Golden Gate Bridge bike tours. This way you can learn a little bit about the city and its history as you ride.
Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:
- 12 Perfect Things to do in Point Reyes National Seashore (just north of San Francisco)
- 6 Best Playgrounds in San Francisco The Whole Family Will Love
- 7 Super Fun Things to do in San Francisco’s Chinatown with Kids
- 12 Gorgeous Northern California Hikes in the Sierra Nevadas
- 14 Beautiful California State Parks You’ve Got to See
And that’s everything I think you need to know to have an awesome time getting Golden Gate Bridge bike rentals! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below- I’ll be sure to get back to you!
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