San Francisco: GoCar Golden Gate Bridge & Park Tour

4.82

(123 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Don’t worry—if you get lost, the car will yell at you,” joked the guy at the GoCar counter as he handed over our tiny yellow ride. I laughed but honestly, I was nervous. These little three-wheeled cars look like something between a scooter and a bumper car, and I’d never driven anything like it. My partner squeezed in next to me (it’s cozy), we put on our helmets—mine smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and maybe someone else’s shampoo—and off we went into San Francisco traffic with the GPS voice chirping directions in a kind of cheerful robot accent.

The first surprise hit me right at Fisherman’s Wharf: people waved at us like we were part of a parade. At one point a street vendor called out, “You’re braver than me!” as we zipped past crab shacks and souvenir stands. The city air was cool but not cold, with that salty Pacific smell mixing with bakery sweetness from somewhere nearby. The GoCar talked us through Crissy Field (dogs everywhere), then up to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge—can’t actually drive across it in these things, but standing under those orange towers while gulls screeched overhead felt bigger than any photo. I tried to take a selfie but mostly got my helmet in the shot.

Golden Gate Park was quieter, almost dreamy after all that city noise. We stopped for a bit near Stow Lake just to watch some kids feed ducks (one duck stole an entire sandwich—didn’t see that coming). The Legion of Honor had Rodin’s Thinker outside; I didn’t expect to feel much but there was something about seeing it with fog rolling in that made me pause longer than usual. By the time we reached Ocean Beach and Sutro Baths, my hands were cold from gripping the handlebar but I didn’t really care—I still think about how wild and open it felt out there.

Lombard Street was last—the “crookedest street”—and yeah, driving down those tight switchbacks in a GoCar is both hilarious and slightly terrifying. People cheered from the sidewalks; I almost stalled once but managed not to embarrass myself completely. We could stop wherever we wanted along the way (the car waits for you), which made everything feel sort of unscripted. If you want a day trip around San Francisco that feels like your own weird adventure—with some help from a chatty GPS—this is it.