Call: 1-800-960-8099

Fees: What You'll Pay for your Tour

In business since 1999, we continue to be the most affordable customized private tour company in the San Francisco Bay Area. But you do not trade quality for price: see feedback from our guests. Our goal is to provide personalized, flexible tours without any surprises when it comes to what you pay.

Reality Check

The undeniable fact is that the Bay Area is usually an expensive place to visit. That's why you need to spend your valued resources (time and money) wisely. Be sure you're comparing apples to apples. Some visitors feel that traveling by limo is the classy way to go...not if you want to enjoy the scenery--your back is against the windows...and not if you don't have good knees for climbing in and out all day...and not if you want to ask questions through that thick pane of glass separating you from the driver. Before you engage a limo company, ask for an estimate of the actual final bill, including fuel surcharges, "license fees," "taxes" and a mandatory gratuity...then see what you're really going to pay. Or take the much less costly motorcoach and spend the day visiting only those wineries or venues that cater to large groups of tourists-chosen for you by the tour company--and miss the intimate, personal wineries a little off the beaten path. And of course there can be no spontaneity when a dozen other passengers have to be consulted first. Take the cheapest alternative--renting your own car--and see how much GPS helps with finding a parking space near your destination and figuring out what you're seeing en route. (You'll either love or hate all the steep hills and one-way streets.) So what's the best decision for optimizing your limited time, maximizing your learning and enjoyment? Choose A Friend in Town for a truly relaxing, multifaceted experience with an informed guide.

We usually accept $150 (half-day) or $200 (full-day) as a deposit to confirm your reservation; the balance due we collect at the conclusion of your tour. And we're happy to accept a gratuity should you choose to give us one.

For information regarding our Cancellation Policy,
Safety related issues, etc., please read the FINE PRINT.

TOUR	Average Duration	FEE*	Minimum Duration	Minimum Fee	Add'l Hours
San Francisco -Half Day	4-5h	$260	3h	$260	$55 ea.
San Francisco -Full Day incl. Redwoods	8-9h	$480	6h	$315	$55 ea.
Redwoods then Wine	9-10h	$535	8h	$425	$55 ea.
All WINE COUNTRY (ex. Bon Vivants', Connoisseurs)	9-10h	$535	7h	$370	$55 ea.
Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur Steinbeck's	10-11h	$590	9h	$480	$55 ea.
San Jose/Silicon Valley	8-9h	$480	7h	$370	$55 ea.
Vertigo- SF Sites Only	4-5h	$260	3h	$260	$55 ea.
Vertigo incl. San Juan Bautista	9-10h	$535	8-9h	$480	$55 ea.
Connoisseur's Wine Country++	9-10h	$590	8h	$480	$55 ea.
Groups (7+ passengers) or Corporate	Ask for Quote
One-of-a-Kind incl. Antique Trains	Ask for Quote
Yosemite Overnight	2 Days	$1,580	2 Days	n/a	n/a
Hearst Castle Overnight	2 Days	$1,380	2 Days	n/a	n/a
Mendocino Coast Overnight	2 Days	$1,280	2 Days	n/a	$55 ea.
Oakland, Berkeley; Marin	8-9h	$480	7h	$370	$55 ea.
Muir Woods; Sausalito	4-5h	$260	3h	$260	$55 ea.

* These fees are NOT per-person but by hours/duration of your tour. They're the same for couples, groups of up to 6/7 people or solo travelers. For groups of 7 to 25 (whereby we usually charter a minibus), please ask for a quote. If pick-up or drop-off is arranged for a location outside San Francisco or Oakland, there may be an additional fee (depending on your destination and itinerary). To our normal fees for Wine Country tours, add $50 for a Connoisseur's Choice or Bon Vivants' itinerary, as it requires more planning by our staff.

Our fees do not include meals, tasting fees at wineries, snacks, entrance fees to attractions (like the Monterey Bay Aquarium), public transit fares, or lodging. However, we do not add what many other tour companies do: a fuel surcharge, "license fees," "taxes," and compulsory gratuities.

++ A Connoisseur's tour differs from our other Wine Country tours in that you the client select 2 or more wineries/unusual stops/lunch options that are not noted in our tour description. For example, if with the Our First Time itinerary, you'd prefer St. Francis and Chapellet to Rombauer and Domaine Chandon (our suggestions), then your itinerary may become a Connoisseur's Choice as we have to invest some time in creating that unique itinerary for you. Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us.

For information regarding Tasting Fees at wineries, our Cancellation Policy,
Safety related issues, etc., please read the Fine Print.

Once we've confirmed your tour, we will run the tour even with one guest. As a solo traveler, you will not be left in the uncomfortable position of wondering if the tour will be cancelled because too few people signed up.

For most visitors, our tours provide an exciting, superior alternative to big-bus tours, limousines and renting your own vehicle: www.toursanfranciscobay.com/information/whytour.html.

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Choosing what to do with your limited time and resources is important and irreversible. Once back home either you live in the afterglow of a wonderful experience—reviewing your pictures, recalling stunning panoramas and many priceless moments. Or you regret that you wasted your time herded in a crowded bus, tired and frustrated in a rent-a-car or way over budget in a limo. Sightseeing in the San Francisco Bay Area is expensive and while you may "save" $$ by opting for the cheaper alternative, you're sure to miss many hidden gems of the city, an unique winery, that truly memorable ocean vista.

Make the mistake of choosing a big-bus tour and you pay the least per-person but must start the tour in a place convenient to them, spend most of your time looking through a window, missing many sites (like Chinatown) that are off-limits for buses. Forget spontaneity as the itinerary cannot respond to your requests. If going to Muir Woods, you arrive when all the other buses arrive, and must be back on the bus in less than an hour or risk being left behind…if going to the Wine Country, most big buses go to the same wineries where you'll be in crowds and exhorted to hurry…if going to Carmel, there's little time for exploring the heart of the town as buses must park on its edge. You get what you pay for.

“Far superior to the bus tours”

“It was far superior to the bus tours we have taken because it was personal, intimate, and took into account our tastes and preferences.”

– Lynn & Clint H. (Drumheller, Alberta)

More Reviews

Choose to rent a car and spend precious time picking it up then poring over maps and getting lost anyway, negotiating our famously steep hills or unmarked backroads, looking for parking and paying dearly for it, walking distances from where you've finally parked to the site you hope to visit. As you drive you won't know what you're passing and will have no one to ask. You risk getting caught in traffic bottlenecks, missing the most scenic and interesting routes and off-road attractions, wasting time searching for gas stations, and if you're the driver, you can't take in the sights if you want to avoid an accident. You get what you pay for.

Choose a limo and pay more—often a lot more with all their hidden fees—twisting around in your seat (since limos position you with your back to the scenery), experiencing a driver who's not necessarily an historian or knowledgeable about architecture or history or wine…and forget about visiting many fascinating places where limos can't physically go. You get (less than) what you pay for.

Come with us and we'll help you remember that you're on vacation…minimizing your stress, maximizing your pleasure.

Call: 1-800-960-8099Reserve Your Tour

A Friend in Town

The Premier Personalized Tour Service for the San Francisco Bay Area

Fees: What You'll Pay for your Tour

“Far superior to the bus tours”