Sausalito

Getting there

By plane Sausalito has no airport of its own. Use one of the three bay area airports: San Francisco (SFO IATA), Oakland (OAK IATA), or San Jose (SJC IATA). From there you can get to Sausalito.

By car Sausalito is just over the Golden Gate Bridge (US 101) from San Francisco. Just take the first exit (Alexander Avenue) after crossing the bridge and follow it into town. If coming from the north, exit at the sign marked from Sausalito, turn left, and make your way down Bridgeway into town.

By ferry Two ferry companies serve Sausalito:

Blue & Gold Fleet, ☏ +1-415-705-8200. Offers ferry service to/from Pier 41 in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. It is a 30-35 minute trip. Adults $11 one-way, children $6.75 one-way. Golden Gate Ferries, ☏ +1-415-923-2000. Offers ferry service to/from the historic Ferry Building in San Francisco's Financial District. It is a 25 minute trip. Adults $7.85 one-way, seniors/youth $3.90 one-way. Both companies dock at Sausalito ferry terminal, located near the city center.

1 Sausalito Ferry Terminal, Humboldt Avenue at Anchor Street. (updated May 2023) Ferries, especially late in the day, can be very crowded. If traveling with a large group, expect to not be able to all sit together unless you get there early.

By bike A very popular activity for tourists in San Francisco is to hire a bike, cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then down into Sausalito. Planning this the previous day will make sure you arrive in Sausalito in time for brunch. If worn out from the ride, you can catch the ferry back to San Francisco; the ferries have lots of capacity to carry bikes. A map of the route is available from most bike hire places in San Francisco.

By bus Sausalito is served by several Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit routes, including the 17 from San Rafael and Mill Valley, the 61 from Bolinas and Stinson Beach, and the 130 from San Rafael and San Francisco.

On foot It's possible to reach Sausalito from Mill Valley an

Getting around

Most of the frequently visited waterfront area can be seen on foot and are within easy walking distance from the ferry landing. Make sure to head north on your walk along Bridgeway to Caledonia Street - it's full of great stores, restaurants, cafes and art studios. Sausalito is also an easy town to bike in. A favorite local ride is to Sam's Restaurant in Tiburon for lunch or drinks on the huge (and very entertaining!) outdoor deck. It always seems to be sunny there, so bring your hat and sunscreen. Another not to be missed ride is from Sausalito to Mill Valley (hit the Depot for a great lunch) and on up any bike trail on Mt. Tamalpais.

Sausalito Mountain Bike Rental, 803 Bridgeway, ☏ +1-415-331-4448.

See

1 Bay Model Visitor Center, 2100 Bridgeway, ☏ +1-415-332-3871. Tu-F 9AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. The US Army Corps of Engineers used to use this hydraulic scale model of the San Francisco Bay and California Delta to study the hydrology of the area. It was instrumental in proving that the Reber Plan, an attempt to fill in the bay with land reclamation, was a bad idea. Now after computer models have supplanted analog models, it is open to the public as a museum. Also contains an exhibit on Marin shipyards during the Pacific War. Free. (updated Aug 2016) 2 Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Rd, ☏ +1-415-339-3900. Tu-F 9AM-4PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM. Hands-on children's museum with lots of environments to play in. Perhaps locally most beloved for the Bay Hall, a play area themed after the San Francisco Bay, including a pretend fishing boat and toy shipping containers that you can load on toy boats with toy cranes. $8.50/$7.70.

Do

Artwalk. Every 2nd Wednesday of the month you can tour art studios and galleries along Bridgeway. Captain Kirk's San Francisco Sailing, ☏ +1-650-492-0681. Harbor Dive Center, 200 Harbor Dr (off Bridgeway), ☏ +1-415-331-0904. Sausalito Art Festival. Labor Day weekend. Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour (Nautical History Tours and Treasure Hunts), PO Box 124, ☏ +1-415-332-6608. 3. In depth insider's tour of the historic Sausalito waterfront includes historic houseboats, World War II shipyards, art studios, Wooden Boat Center. Refreshments served at the end of the tour in the boat lettering shop next to the WWII shipways. Every weekend. Call to reserve. $50.

Buy

Butterflute Studios, 2350 Marinship Way (Arques Shipyard at the end of Road 3 off of Harbor Drive), ☏ +1-415-332-6608. 9AM-5PM daily. Art studio of Victoria Colella. Visit the last artist's studio of its kind on the Sausalito waterfront and see Victoria's illustrious Folk Art Collection. By appointment only. Five Star Station, 33 Caledonia St, ☏ +1-415-331-5055. A very eclectic shop filled with a range of historical hard to find and interesting pieces. A great place to buy great gifts or get your mind going for finding great gifts. Really fun shopping. ICB Artists, 480 Gate Five Rd (in the Industrial Center Building at the north end of Sausalito), ☏ +1-415-706-5051, [email protected]. Visit and purchase art from one of the largest groups of talented, local artists in Northern California. Art studio tours April – December plus an annual fun, free, family friendly event on Labor Day Weekend. Studio 333, 333 Caledonia St, ☏ +1-415-331-8272. Suite A. A hip gallery that offers a collection of work from over 25 local artists, including great furniture. Valhalla Signworks-Boat Lettering, Etc., 2350 Marinship Way (Arques Shipyard at end of Road 3 off Harbor Drive), ☏ +1-415-332-6608. 9AM-5PM daily. Nautical sign specialist, with traditional signage on the waterfront. Carving, gilding, hand painted, custom vinyl designs available.

Eat

Sausalito is blessed with more fine restaurants than a town of 7,000 people should have. Whatever you're looking to eat, Sausalito probably has a restaurant serving it up. Beware the 'touristy' district, however. While there are a few genuinely good restaurants, there are also a fair number of establishments catering basic grub to tourists.

Angelinos. Italian, home-made pasta. Arawan, 47 Caledonia St, ☏ +1-415-332-0882. Serving Thai cuisine. Avatar's. Top-rated Indian-Mexican fusion cuisine. Sounds weird, but has a fanatical following. 1 Fish, 350 Harbor Dr, ☏ +1-415-331-3474. Excellent, very fresh, and well-prepared seafood. Fish is best enjoyed on a sunny day, al fresco on the large deck overlooking a fishing harbor on the north side of town. Despite being off the beaten path, Fish is always crowded on nice days. Cash only. (updated Oct 2017) 2 Fred's Coffee Shop, 1917 Bridgeway, ☏ +1-41- 332-4575. Fred's is a Sausalito institution. Fred's has only 6 tables, each seating 4-6 people. You're most likely to be seated with others at 'your' table, which often leads to interesting conversations. One table at Fred's has a brass plaque reading "Stamtisch" which means regular's table. Anyone can sit there if a chair is free. For breakfast, the Fred's French toast is pretty amazing. For those who prefer somethi