San Francisco Whale Tours

Name: San Francisco Whale Tours
Address: San Francisco, CA, 94133, US
Telephone: (415) 706-7364
Price range: $$$
Rating: 4.6

San Francisco Whale Tours: Close encounters, iconic Bay views, and responsible wildlife watching.

4.6(5 reviews)

boat-tours

$$$

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About

San Francisco Whale Tours, based at Pier 39, offers Bay Area whale watching aboard the Kitty Kat. Guests enjoy close wildlife viewing, views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, and engaging narration from a crew including Mandy, Katie, Joe, and Nicole. The small, woman-owned operation emphasizes safety and environmental care, even removing debris to protect marine life. Families and travelers alike praise the memorable experiences.

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Location

Pier 39, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

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Information

San Francisco, CA, 94133

(415) 706-7364 www.sanfranciscowhaletours.com/

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Services

Whale Watching Tours

Guided boat tours to spot humpback whales, harbor porpoises, and other marine wildlife in the Pacific Ocean.

Bay Sightseeing

Scenic tours featuring iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the San Francisco coastline.

Educational Wildlife Commentary

Expert narration from crew members about marine mammals, birds, and local ecology during the tour.

Eco-Conscious Tours

Responsible tourism practices including marine debris cleanup and adherence to whale protection guidelines.

Private Charters

Customizable private boat tours for groups, special events, or personalized wildlife experiences.

4.60 · 5 reviews

Overall rating

Sophie Shoemaker

via Google

· 8 months ago

Although we didn't see a big whale, we did have a wonderful trip and saw small whales (harbor porpoises), lots of marine birds, sea lions and more. It was such a beautiful day on the water that the views of the bridge and of San Francisco was worth the trip alone in my book. We look forward to coming back to see whales another time and appreciate the voucher for a free trip in the future since it was a no whale day. Mandy and the rest of the crew were so kind and had lots of great information to share so we learned a lot about the things we saw and about the whales we were hoping to see. The boat was very well taken care of. If you are prone to seasickness definitely follow their pre-trip instructions and take Dramamine, it does not look pleasant to get sick over the side of the boat 🤢. It is apparent that this small, woman owned business has a strong social sense of responsibility to both humans and the marine mammals. We stopped a few times so the crew could fish out balloons and other particularly hazardous trash which felt like the right thing to do and we got to enjoy the beautiful views for a bit longer. This seems like a business you can feel good about supporting.

Minerva D.

via Google

· 10 months ago

Our family had so much fun on the kitty kat. Katie was a great guide and very knowledgeable about the whales and the bay and beyond. Great learning experience and most exciting we saw a humpback whale!! Thank you captain Joe for a wonderful trip and going the extra miles. Definitely recommend the tour and hope to do it again!

Will Scales

via Google

· 1 year ago

The crew was great, the sightseeing was good, the environment we ended up in was somewhat concerning. The Kitty Kat entered the Golden Gate Strait and met (what seemed to be) choppier waters than anticipated, rolling the boat significantly and causing the Captain to use the PA system to attempt to reassure passengers of the normality and safety of these conditions. I understand that it is difficult to make the decision to turn a whale watching trip into something else, but I believe that this would have been the correct decision in the face of 4’+ swells that the boat did not feel designed for. With that said, the crew was very nice and had some great fun facts about the wildlife and it was great to see part of the Bay and go under the Golden Gate Bridge!

Sierra Cashion

via Google

· 1 year ago

The best experience! Our captain, and our tour guide Mandy, were both so full of enthusiasm and joy for what they do. We did the 9am tour on a weekday and it wasn't crowded at all. We got beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, and we saw a young humpback just minutes after making it out to the bay. We followed it around for a couple of hours, and it was such a joy to see this young whale flipping and diving and just enjoying itself. We learned so much and we were quite moved by the whole experience. I would recommend it to anyone!

D N

via Google

· 1 year ago

10000/10!!! After researching best tours for months, we went with this tour and it was the best decision we could have made. We are extremely grateful to Captain Joe, and crew members Katie and Nicole and the most important members: Oso and Bear, the father and son German shepherds who navigated us and found the whales. When me and three friends went on the tour we didn’t expect anything, especially since the weather was quite foggy and windy, with extremely low visibility. Nicole and Katie are extremely knowledgeable and they love their jobs, which made all the little stories and lessons about the marine and the whales more special and entertaining. We didn’t expect how interesting the journey to the whales would be and honestly, thanks to the crew, even if we didn’t see the whales, we would have been just as happy, satisfied and eager to take the tour again. We ended up seeing not just one but three whales, two of which were a mother and a calf and WOW!!! No image gives them justice! There creatures are majestic and otherworldly! They were curious about us and they swam up right to the boat and were staring at us, they spent more than 30 minutes just swimming around the boat and poking their anoints out to see who we are. We have taken some Orca tours in Washington but NEVER have we seen these animals swim up so close to us! I am especially grateful to the captain for being very careful and cautious around the whales (I know all the people working in the industry try to protect the whales anyways but still i was very happy to see how much the crew cared for them) and also for prolonging the trip a bit so that all the passengers could enjoy the whales. So thank you Joe, Katie, Nicole, Oso and Bear so the most otherworldly and memorable experience we could have dreamt of.

Red and White Fleet offers memorable San Francisco bay cruises from Pier 43 1/2. The 90-minute routes highlight the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the Bay Bridge, with options for sunset trips and NYE celebrations. The three-story vessel provides indoor and outdoor spaces, and reviews praise friendly staff, organized check-in, and onboard drinks including prosecco on festive nights.

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