How to Get to the Bridge

The simplest way to the Golden Gate Bridge without a car is the Muni 28 bus, which stops at the Golden Gate Bridge tunnel on Merchant Road, next to the Welcome Center. Golden Gate Transit buses stop on Highway 101 above the Welcome Center, and the free PresidiGo shuttle runs to the Presidio Transit Center, a 1.6-mile walk away on the Presidio Promenade. Parking lots by the Welcome Center fill early. By bike it is about four flat miles from Fisherman’s Wharf.

City busMuni 28 to Merchant Road

Regional busGolden Gate Transit, Hwy 101

Free shuttlePresidiGo + 1.6-mile walk

ParkingWelcome Center, fills early

By bike4 miles from the Wharf

By boatYou pass under, not land

Muni 28

The 28 runs along 19th Avenue and stops at the Golden Gate Bridge tunnel on Merchant Road, which puts you a minute from the Welcome Center and the Strauss statue. It is the route I send people on from the counter because it needs no thinking. Check the Muni app for the live times; I do not print timetables because they change.

Golden Gate Transit

Several Golden Gate Transit routes from downtown and Marin stop on Highway 101 directly above the Welcome Center. Golden Gate Transit also runs from Sausalito back over the bridge, which is the quick way home if you have walked across one way and do not fancy the return. The ferry page covers the other way back.

PresidiGo and the Promenade

The free PresidiGo shuttle runs into the Presidio and stops at the Presidio Transit Center. From there the Presidio Promenade is a 1.6-mile walk to the bridge through the old army post. It is a good walk in its own right and the reason I would pick this option on a clear day.

Driving and parking

There are paid lots next to the Welcome Center and off Merchant Road. Both fill early, and on a summer weekend they are full by mid-morning. If you must drive, arrive before 9:00 am or park at Crissy Field and walk up. Remember that driving back into the city from Vista Point means the southbound toll, collected electronically with no booth; the toll page explains how a rental car pays it.

By bike from the Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf to the bridge is about four miles along the waterfront through Fort Mason, the Marina and Crissy Field, flat until the Presidio climb. The two guided tours on the bike-tours page take this route with a guide; the cycling page covers doing it yourself.

By boat

No boat lands at the bridge. What the cruises do is sail under it: the bay cruise from Pier 43½ passes beneath the deck and turns for Alcatraz. If your goal is to stand on the bridge, take the bus; if your goal is to see it, the boat is a fair alternative on a day when the parking is hopeless.

Local tip

The Welcome Center is open 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, but the sidewalk opens at 5:00 am. If you take the 28 early, plan for the toilets not being open yet.

Check availability & book

Frequently asked questions

What bus goes to the Golden Gate Bridge?

Muni 28 along 19th Avenue stops at the tunnel on Merchant Road beside the Welcome Center. Golden Gate Transit stops on Highway 101 above it. Once there, the walking page takes over.

Is there parking at the bridge?

Paid lots by the Welcome Center and off Merchant Road, both full early on busy days. Arriving before 9:00 am helps; so does a weekday, per the best-time page.

Can I get to the bridge by ferry?

Not directly; no ferry stops at the bridge. Ferries run between Sausalito and the city, which is how walkers and cyclists get back. See the Sausalito ferry page.