Muir Woods and wine country day trips from San Francisco

The short answer

Choose by what you want from the day: redwoods, wine, or both. Two half-day tours go to Muir Woods and Sausalito.[2][1] One full-day tour combines a redwood reserve with Russian River wineries.[3] Four tours are about wine tasting alone, and they differ mainly in how many wineries they visit and how much of the day they take.[7][6][5][4] None of the seven SkyGate listings names its wineries, so XTOUR cannot tell you which estates you will see.

Muir Woods and Sausalito: two half-day tours

Muir Woods National Monument is a National Park Service unit whose walks, the Park Service says, give views of old-growth coast redwoods. The Park Service also says parking reservations are required ahead of time, which matters if you drive yourself rather than take a tour.[8] See the Muir Woods National Monument page on XTOUR.

The Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour from San Francisco starts at the Big Bus Tours Visitor Information Centre at 99 Jefferson Street, crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, gives a self-guided walk at Muir Woods and then free time in Sausalito before returning to San Francisco. SkyGate's itinerary lists a morning and an afternoon departure, and the price lists a guide, admission and National Park fees. The page says the tour is not stroller or wheelchair accessible, and it does not name the operator.[1]

The Muir Woods & Sausalito Half-Day Tour is run by Skyline Sightseeing from 99 Jefferson Street at Mason Street, and SkyGate says it spends about 1.5 hours in the redwood forest, then drives through Sausalito. The difference that matters: you can stay in Sausalito and make your own way back by ferry instead of returning by coach. The page says strollers are permitted.[2] It has two options: the tour on its own, and 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off + Muir Woods Guided Tour , which adds a day of Skyline's city bus usable the same day or the next. SkyGate's vouchers for the first option must be checked in online with Skyline at least 72 hours before departure, and for the second at least 24 hours before.[2]

Redwoods and wine in one day

The San Francisco Woods & Wine Country Full-Day Tour is the only product here that pairs both. Its main option, Woods & Wine Country Tour , crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, visits Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, and includes two wine tastings at wineries in the Russian River region, according to SkyGate.[3] Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, which co-manages the reserve, gives its address as 17000 Armstrong Woods Road in Guerneville and says it preserves 805 acres of coast redwoods.[9] See the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve page on XTOUR.

The second option is a different trip altogether: 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off + Napa Valley Tour , a day on Skyline's city bus plus an afternoon tour to two Napa Valley wineries, with no redwoods. SkyGate's page says the exact departure point is given at online check-in, which must be done at least 72 hours before departure, that lunch is not included but a lunch stop is provided, and that children under 6 are not recommended.[3]

Wine tasting only: four tours

• The Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting Tour from San Francisco leaves from the Big Bus Tours centre at 99 Jefferson Street with an afternoon start in SkyGate's itinerary. Its option visits two wineries with three to five tastings at each.[4] Despite the title, the itinerary names only Napa Valley, so XTOUR treats a Sonoma stop as unconfirmed.
• The San Francisco Half-Day Wine Country Tour by Skyline Sightseeing visits two wineries in the Sonoma and Napa valleys with included tastings. It departs from Beach Street at Fisherman's Wharf, with the exact point given at online check-in.[5]
• The San Francisco Full-Day Wine Country Tour by Skyline Sightseeing visits three wineries in Sonoma and Napa Valley with tastings and a winery tour, and stops for lunch on your own in St Helena or Sonoma. SkyGate's page says to bring your own child seat or booster for children under 8 or under 145 cm.[6]
• The From San Francisco: Full Day Napa Valley Wine Tasting Tour visits four wineries in Napa Valley and Sonoma with three to five tastings at each, and pauses at Sonoma Square, where you buy your own lunch. SkyGate's option gives no meeting address; the page address is 99 Jefferson Street.[7]

The Half-Day and Full-Day Wine Country tours each have a second option, 1 Day Hop-On Hop-Off + Napa Valley Tour , with the same description as the second option of the Woods & Wine tour: a day of bus travel and an afternoon at two Napa Valley wineries.[3][6][5] If that combination is what you want, XTOUR's reading is that the three products sell it in the same form.

On tasting age, each listing states its own rule. The Napa and Sonoma Valley tour says guests under 21 may not take part in wine tasting.[4] The Full Day Napa Valley tour says tasters must be at least 21 with a valid ID.[7] The three Skyline tours say you must be 21 or over to sample and drink wine.[3][6][5]

How to choose

• For redwoods with a fixed return, the Muir Woods and Sausalito Tour from San Francisco; for the option to stay on in Sausalito and take a ferry back, the Muir Woods & Sausalito Half-Day Tour.
• For redwoods and wine together, the Woods & Wine Country Tour option of the San Francisco Woods & Wine Country Full-Day Tour.
• For a short wine trip, the Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting Tour from San Francisco or the San Francisco Half-Day Wine Country Tour, both with two wineries.
• For a full day of tasting, the San Francisco Full-Day Wine Country Tour (three wineries and a winery tour) or the From San Francisco: Full Day Napa Valley Wine Tasting Tour (four wineries).

Before you book

• The Skyline Sightseeing tours require online check-in before departure; the deadline differs by option.[3][2]
• SkyGate's pages for the Woods & Wine and Full-Day Wine Country tours say a valid photo ID is required.[6][3]
• SkyGate's pages for the Woods & Wine, Full-Day Wine Country and Full Day Napa Valley tours say lunch is not included.[3][7][6]