Self-Guided Rides in Marin and Across the Golden Gate Bridge from Sausalito
Mill Valley Redwoods Tour • Tiburon Peninsula • Marin Headlands • Golden Gate Bridge/Cliff House/Golden Gate Park • Golden Gate Bridge/Ft. Point • SF City Tour
Our rewarding excursions in and around Marin County and across the Golden Gate Bridge are informed through our local knowledge and will guide you to places you won’t find on a map. These routes are designed to keep you away from busy streets and traffic as much as possible. (That said, all participants should be comfortable enough on a bike to safely navigate and operate the equipment in urban settings, around other bikes, pedestrians, manned and unmanned cars/vehicles.) See Safety Tips here.
Also included are some of our favorite sights and places to eat along the way, and we are happy to make further recommendations if you’re looking for something specific.
We can customize any of theses rides to accommodate your group needs.
Mill Valley Redwoods Self-Guided Tour
Departing Sausalito, this tour visits Mill Valley and its redwoods, winding past the homes of rock stars before returning to Sausalito. Downtown Mill Valley has good choices for coffee or lunch, especially Millies Crepe et Creme or Watershed in the Mill Valley Lumberyard, Equator or Peet’s Coffee for the coffee, or the Mill Valley Market for a picnic style lunch in the downtown plaza.
Distance: 14 miles (+) • Time: 1.5 hrs (+) • Difficulty: Light/Beginner + This is an easy ride with only a couple small rises, but is otherwise flat. Total time for this jaunt is between 1.5 and 2 hours (depending on how long lunch takes) and an easy difficulty rating.Should be able to safely navigate a bike in urban settings around traffic. Guided group size is limited to 12 + guides.
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Tiburon Peninsula Self-Guided Tour
The Tiburon ride starts in Sausalito winds its way to Tiburon on an effortless route with breathtaking views of Mt Tamalpais, San Francisco and the Bay. Tiburon’s tidy upscale downtown has a variety of shops, restaurants and cafés that you will find suitable for your needs.
Distance: 22 miles (+) • Time: 2hrs (+) • Difficulty: Light Total time for this jaunt is between 1.5 and 3 hours (depending on extensions and how long lunch takes) and an easy difficulty rating and only a couple of minor climbs to contend with. Should be able to safely navigate a bike in urban settings around traffic. Guided group size is limited to 12 + guides.
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Marin Headlands Self-Guided Tour
Take in world class vistas of San Francisco and the Golden Gate as we pass underneath the bridge and climb up to the Marin Headlands on the west side of the Golden Gate Bridge. On the way we will pass historic military installations and learn a little bit about the natural history of the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay. From the top of the Marin Headlands we are rewarded with spectacular(!) views as we descend toward Pt. Bonita and the surfers at Rodeo Beach, before returning to Sausalito. This is a good one if you’re a Dirty Harry fan as we cycle past numerous location from the famed movie series.
Distance: 20 miles (+) • Time: 2 hrs (+) • Difficulty: Intermediate + 2 - 2.5hrs and challenging difficulty rating with the 600ft. climb and descent up and over the headlands as the main physical challenge. Should be able to safely navigate a bike in urban settings around traffic and be comfortable on downhills. Guided group size is limited to 10 + guides.
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Golden Gate Bridge and the Cliff House Self-Guided Tour
From Sausalito we cross the Golden Gate Bridge, then go off the beaten path through the exclusive Sea Cliff neighborhood past the Palace of Legion of Honor to the storied Cliff House that hangs off the edge of the continent near Pt Lobos. Passing this the road becomes The Great Highway (Hwy 1), descending to the waves of Ocean Beach. Then it’s an entertaining jaunt up through Golden Gate Park where you can get a good idea of what makes San Francisco such a special place with public art, an entertaining roller-disco scene and of course, hippies (yes, they still exist…the dream dies hard). After the park it's a straight shot back across the city, through the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.
Distance: 24 miles (+) • Time: 3 hrs (+) • Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate + 3 hrs and moderate difficulty rating due to the urban nature of this ride and a few manageable hills, including the climb up to the Golden Gate Bridge each direction. Should be able to safely navigate a bike in urban settings and around cars and pedestrians. Guided group size is limited to 10 + guides. This ride requires battery management.
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Golden Gate Bridge to Ft. Point Self-Guided Tour
This tour takes you across the Golden Gate Bridge through San Francisco's historic Fort Point, Chrissy Field, then back through the Presidio and across the Golden Gate to Marin. It takes in the Golden Gate Bridge, Ft. Point, Palace of Fine Arts, the Lucasfilm Campus and Disney Museum along the way.
Distance: 19 miles (+) • Time: 2 hrs (+) • Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate + 2hrs + and a light difficulty rating with the climb up and over the bridge in both directions as the main physical challenge. Should be able to safely navigate a bike in urban settings and around cars and pedestrians. Guided group size is limited to 8 + guides.
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The Real City Self-Guided Tour
Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, The Mission, AT&T Park and Fisherman’s Wharf
If you want to see the real San Francisco, this is the ride for you. This tour takes us across the Golden Gate Bridge and out to SF’s famed Cliff House and Ocean Beach before meandering up through Golden Gate Park. After the park we get into the more urban part of the ride, gently descending though the Upper and Lower Haight on our way to lunch in the Mission. After lunch it’s out to San Francisco’s famed waterfront past AT&T Park, the SF Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf as we point ourselves back towards the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.
Distance: 32 miles (+) • Time: 4 hrs (+) • Difficulty – Intermediate + 4 hrs and moderate to challenging difficulty rating due to the urban nature of this ride, as well as a few manageable hills including the climb up to the Golden Gate Bridge each direction. Should be able to safely navigate a bike in urban settings and around cars and pedestrians. Guided group size is limited to 6 + guides. This ride requires battery management.