Cable Cars Reviews

We thought we’d try out the Cable Cars on our trip to SF, what a debacle! Turn up to find an enormous queue, with the cable cars just sitting there chatting in front of everyone. Zero desire to do any work at all. When they did work, they were rude.
Almost 2 hours do do 2 x 20 minute rides. It’s an experience once you get going, but the queues and rudeness detracted from what fun parts we had.

Nice experience but our car got stuck twice and had to be pushed up by a bus. I appreciate that they keep these going for the history

Great fun travelling across town from Union sq to fisherman’s wharf on the cable car.
Whole family enjoyed it. An iconic highlight.

Great way to get from Union Square to fisherman’s wharf, very convenient for us as tram stop outside of hotel. Downloaded the muni app you ride all day for $13 or single ticket is $8.
Great way to travel as a tourist.
Each tram has a story as well. Managed to get off and WALK up Lombard st

We traveled on the cable car and, frankly, we didn’t understand if it was a normal means of public transport or a tourist Attraction!

It costs $8 a single ride and you have to do about an hour in a row to get to the terminus ... but then, along the way, the staff picks up other people even if there are no seats and, therefore, it becomes impossible to enjoy the route because the view is completely covered by standing passengers.

So, of the two each, if it is a means of public transport $8 for a ride is too much, if instead it is now a mere tourist Attraction (and it seems obvious to me), you should limit the number of passengers avoiding letting people travel standing.

We were disappointed and would not do it again...

What an experience, a must for anyone visiting san fran. At on $8 a bargain as well. Takes you all the way to union Square but you can get of wherever you like

This is a "must" when you're in San Francisco. We opted for a day pass to take a look around. Be aware that the queues are around 40-60 mins, which kind of takes the shine off it though.

So much fun and a look at history too. The cable cars have been here a long time and are a great way to get around and see the city.

It was lovely to go around the city in a cable car - When in Sanfrancisco this is a must do. Started from Fisherman's wharf which was great as wasn't crowded

Although we rode the cable cars on a previous trip to SF, our daughter had not so we took the opportunity on this visit. It is a tourist attraction, so not the quickest way to get around the city but once on it, the ride is great. We got on board at the end of the line at Powell & Hyde at about 09:30 and waited in a queue for about 20 minutes. We rode to the cable car museum which is worth a visit. Riding the cable cars isn't cheap - $8 (per person) for one ride! However, if you've not been on the cable cars before, spend the $$ and do it.

After waiting an hour, there were no signs that said it was a one way only and you needed cash. The ride was fun, but if you wanted to talk to any of the employees, they were not interested. We asked how long the ride was in miles and the reply we got, "was I only know when I get off and when pay day is" Everyone in SF was extremally nice except for these bozos, that thought they were doing you a favor.

The cable car ride was a great experience. We stayed near the terminal station downtown and rode on two lines. However, when you plan your cable care ride, make sure that you allow time to queue at the terminal station. Be specially careful in the evening, as the cable car goes ever half hour. We waited in a queue near Fishermen Wharf for over an hour in a cold wind. The best time to go is during the week and during the day.

Fun ride with nice conductors. Nostalgic ride from my youth. All traffic yields to the cable cars. So glad the City keeps the cable system goiong.

One of the most iconic Tram rides in the world.

Only downside... We had to wait 2 hours in the queue before we could board although there were 4 trams sitting empty

Don't understand why they can't just load up and depart.

Purchased the tickets from the munimobile app. $13 for a day pass on all trams (hop on/off), rather than $8 one way, no hop/off.

Cable car was fun. Sf not so much. Man pooping on side walk right in front of us on embarcadero, druggie snorting out side in-&-out. Crazy person yelling nonsense on megaphone by turn around for cable cars. I haven’t gone to giants game in 10 years. Might be another 10 years or more before I visit sf again.

Excellent and traditional way to visit San Francisco, it is very safe, quiet and can take you to many places in the city. You can also go to their museum.

The San Francisco cable cars are an iconic and one-of-a-kind experience. Although the system dates back to the 1800s, nowadays it's more of a tourist attraction. Even so, it's a cool way to get to some of the main sights in the city, especially if you can get a standing spot along the running board.

Since the turnaround at Powell and Market was closed, I took the new T subway line to Chinatown and walked a block to the cable car stop on Powell, just north of Washington. It was a Saturday, but early enough in the morning where it wasn't super crowded and everyone was able to get inside.

The crew was helpful and friendly, and it was a fun ride up to Fisherman's Wharf. A one-way ticket is $8, though if you're going to make a round-trip, or take at least two other Muni trips, it's best to get the $14 Muni day pass. There are a variety of different ways to pay, so it's best to check the latest info on the Muni website.

Terrible experience, my family and I had to wait an hour to get on the cable cars only for it to be completely packed and uncomfortable. When we tried to get on the conductor waved us away with a rude attitude.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY

Fantastic experience from the 19th century, before to warm up go for an "Irish coffee" where it was invented, in the cafe Buena Vista, in Hyde Street, opposite the Cable Bus terminal and spend all day at Fisherman's Wharf and of course especially Pier 39

This is a must do in San Francisco. Getting on the cable car at Powell and Market Streets is worth the stand in line. And embrace the fun by hanging on to the side of the cable car.

Excellent experience and value for money, the drivers are helpful, and a great way to get around and see San Francisco....

Be patient because there are people
Download the muni application which will save you money
For $13 you have the cabble car pass and other transportation for the day
Otherwise it’s $8 a trip

We used the cable cars on several occasions around Lombard Street area and up and down the iconic California Street as seen in many movies. Quite expensive at $9 a rsingle ride but we got Muni passes at $15 a day or $35 for 3 days, which gave us access to all buses, trams and cable cars and was great value for money.

Well worth a ride up and down California Street as there are many interesting buildings on both sides of the street.

This is quite a historical and interesting form of transportation. It goes up hills, and roads just from a string attached to a old cable car! You will get countless good views, but the only exception is it is somewhat bumpy.

A nice and exciting experience for travelers. You pay eight dollars for one ride. Long queue from Mason/Powel end. You can avoid the long queue if you start from Fishermans wharf

Although a one-way ticket now costs $8, this is still an experience you should definitely take part in while in San Francisco.

Unique experience, but necessary to enter the climate of the city and "its ups and downs". I recommend staying in a hotel near Union Square, where the cable terminus is a 5-minute walk away. From there you can get to the opposite terminus (you could get off just before visiting Lombard Street, or get to the Coit Tower in a maximum of 15/30 minutes on foot, etc.) if you arrive at the terminus you could instead easily visit the entire seafront (fisherman's wharf, pier 39 etc) I won't comment on the costs because in the United States everything is much more expensive, but by paying the daily fare from the muni app you can take these wonderful vehicles as well as many other traditional means of transport, useful for getting around San Francisco.

What a fun experience!
Tip at the starting point it is a traffic jam of your best and a very long queues to get on.
Walk 1 stop further and there is no one there and you can join after 5min!

They are emblematic of the city and a great way to experience the steep hills.

We went up one line and back on another to Fisherman's Wharf. The wonderful old fashioned feel is superb and the brakemen simply improve everything with their wonderful characters.

Well my First time going to San Francisco and won’t be the last …I fell in love with the city and indeed I had to get on the cable car to get to the mall! Nice ride that was!

The cable cars are a good way to get around the tourist area of San Francisco. At the starting points it can be busy, in that case walk a little further to the next stop. Overall, we were able to come along fairly quickly. The staff pay close attention to the fact that the elderly can sit.

There are various paintings (green/red, brown tones, fiesta). That makes the whole thing even more festive.

Near the China Town stop is the Cable Car Museum (Washington&Powell stop). Free admission, and you can actually see the cables and mechanics that still propel the trams today. So it is not only a museum, but also a look behind the scenes.

A very atmospheric way of travelling around San Francisco & take in sites of the Bay & Bridge, & get to China Town.

Great experience. Lovely way to travel around San Francisco city.
The audio service could be improved as we found it difficult to keep it synchronised with when travelling. The lady who.collntolled the queue at the start did an excellent job!

Fun to use, but you can only really go one way and early in the morning. By the afternoon the queues are so long it's quicker to walk back up the hill than wait. The cars are very crowded so our photos were spoiled by other tourists either standing or pushing in front of us to take their own.

What a waste of time. Long queues and no one in a hurry to get the trip going even when they had 3 empty cars waiting. You are packed on and even with a seat you can see nothing. I could have walked the hill quicker. Avoid

32$ for the family for a 5min ride, if you want to exit the train to go back in after you need to pay again, a lot of people the trains are full, i’m sad

As everybody sais this is an experience not to be missed. The 3 Cable Car lines are unique to San Fransisco , and may be the best way to climb the steep uphill of Nob Hill. The cost is $8 per ride , so it is not something cheap but it is fun. Watching the cable car being pushed to turn direction at the end point is certainly something worth watching. You need not be onboard. Just stand close at one of the 6 end points (end of any route).

There are 3 cable car lines which run in the city. You can watch the turnaround at these which is definitely worth seeing.

You can buy a ticket from the machine at the turnaround, or more easily from installing the Muni app. A single adult ticket is currently $9 or $15 for a day pass which allows multiple trips all day including cable car. Buy the tickets ahead of time on the app and then activate them on the day you want them before joining the queue at a turnaround, or getting on board.

We took Powell and Hyde which goes up and down some of the steep hills and it was great! We waited about 40 mins at the turnaround at 11am, but there is far less queue earlier in the morning. It's a tight squeeze when loaded but this does stop you sliding on the hills.

Definitely worth doing once.

We had the Muni app to get around San Francisco using the $5 per day passes.
For the cable cars you need the $13 per day pass which we got one day and did all 3 cable cars in that day.
Excellent fun hanging off the side just like you've seen in films!!
One of the must do things when visiting San Francisco.

Rude drivers , slow service. Quicker walking. Don’t bother unless you have lots of time to waste. Can’t believe people question for this as it was torture and overpriced.

The ride itself is indeed a novelty as the cable cars are steeped in history and is definitely a mascot for the city. On a practical side, it saved us the effort and challenge of walking uphill from Fisherman's Wharf to Lombard Street.
However, it stopped short of a totally good experience for me because of certain areas that need improvement. One is the comfort of its riders. It was raining when we waited at the turntable for the car to arrive. There is no covered walkway nor any form of shelter at the waiting area. All passengers just stood there in the open being pelted by rain, including children. Signages are also lacking, in terms of where to purchase tickets and the waiting/queuing areas.
While most of the staff were courteous and helpful, especially in repeatedly explaining the reason for the delay in arrival of the car which we waited for, I did notice an exception. A fellow rider tried unsuccessfully to purchase tickets from the vending machine. He approached a staff for help only to be told, "This is not my responsibility". At least pointing the rider to the ticketing booth will be helpful but no, it did not happen.
If your objective is to "tick the box" of one of San Francisco's most iconic tourist attraction, this is for you. Otherwise, you can consider other options.

We loved getting around in these cable cars it was great fun. The museum was worth visiting to learn about the history of this form of transport.

After a very very long wait we got onto the tram, down the wharf end of SF. We raced to the front of the tram so we could be standing and holding onto the rails. Finally on our way. Great trip. Loved it. Watching all the sites as we went by etc. We paid the money and was under the impression it was for a round trip. Yes the trip will be a round trip when you get to the other end then re pay for the next trip back. Once we got to the end of the line we got off and thankfully there was not another long wait. Back on and rode the tram back to the wharf area. Loved it as it is something you must do in SF.

Great ride! Very friendly cable car operators. The ride through the city is great and ending at the Fisherman’s Warf is super. Love it 😍

We were given the heads up to line up early. We had a toddler with us and got in line around 11am. It took us an hour to get on the cable car. We were fortunate to be able to get on and stay on until we returned to the location we got on at; Ghirardelli square off of Beach street. We experienced the cable car as a family. My husband and teenager were able to hang off the side while our toddler and I rode in a seat with a window view. It was worth the wait but not sure I would be interested in waiting much longer than the hour. We picked up a day pass at 9:30am and should have gotten in line at that point- we would’ve been on the first cable car out that morning. Hindsight 2020… overall good experience and now we can say we rode a SF cable car!

Paid for our one day passport for our young family of four, then walked around the kiosk to find a huge queue standing out in the cold rain. Eventually one cable car left, then the next one maybe 20 minutes later. Cars held maybe a dozen people, it would have taken us about an hour and a half to get one at the rate they were going. No information provided, attendants seemed totally disinterested. In the end we just gave up. What a waste of time and money.

The passengers and crew were so rude. We couldn’t get off that cable car fast enough
We waited about 30 minutes for them to change the cars out. It was not worth the wait. I would recommend the driverless cars so you don’t have to encounter the rude citizens of San Francisco.

Great experience travelled across San Fran from near Union Square, past Lombard Street and up and down bit hills

The Cable cars are a must do. There are three rides and the most popular is Powell & Hyde this gives you the iconic views and pictures. This is the most popular of the three and you need to arrive early other wise there are long queues.

The cable cars are an iconic San Francisco experience. We enjoyed riding around and seeing the area. We did not have to wait long to get on the cable car, but when we were ready to leave the Ghirardelli area, we did have to wait a while. One thing that I don't like is that people can continue to get on even if all of the seats are full. They just pack in and stand right in front of where you are seated blocking any view. Not only is it annoying, but it is awkward when they almost fall on top of you when the car stops.

Loved the trolley ride we took in the city. We took it from the turntable all the way to Market Street. Friendly staff, great views of San Francisco and quite exhilarating at times! Highly recommend

I would highly reccomend taking a trip on the cable cars, its great to see how it travels up and down the really steep hills.
Great fun to see the sites of the city also

Quick note..they are parked close to Ghirardelli Square , so you are able to get a quick picture without standing in a long line to ride..

Did you even go to San Francisco if you didnt take a ride on the iconic cable cars, a must do!
The staff at the ticket booth and the drivers are all very friendly and helpful, a great way to get around the city.

Had the opportunity to ride on outside (woo hoo!). Great for photos. Nice breeze. Hold on tight and tuck in when passing other cable cars. Enjoy the hills and views!

Be sure to see the turnaround station.

Friendly attendants.

The service was not great - we stepped in front of a cable car, and a driver called us stupid.

I am rating it 5 stars because the drive and views were great. The stops were convenient and you could get on and off whenever you wanted.

Must do, included in the city's public transport map.
Four lines do day or night and on the footstool.

Gorgeous. A must-see during your visit to San Francisco. Stand on your side or stand up, a very nice experience. depending on the driver, your experience will change some are more fun than others. There are a lot of people, a queue lasting 30 to 45 minutes, don't be discouraged. I advise not to take it at the ends at Unions Square or at Fisherman Wharf. Walk a few blocks and take it on its way. the total time of the route is approximately 30 minutes. You can get off whenever you want throughout the journey.

This time as a family I discovered the exploratory that I did not know on previous occasions since I traveled alone. Spectacular and recommended.
The rest was classic. Street marketing. Park. Japanese garden. Walk on Pier 39 to the cable car exit. We did a day pass to go and return. We stopped at Lombard Street. Then chocolate. And let's see the gate hit

Disorganised, slow and conductor very rude. Waited for over an hour at Powell and cars were being allowed to leave half empty (outside full but no one inside). Decided to move to next stop as we were happy to sit inside but had to fight with very rude conductor to get on (for no apparent reason - he just seemed to take a dislike to me/us). I know everyone wants to ride these cars but the company/staff I encountered really don’t deserve the custom. Perhaps it’s because they have a captive audience that they don’t care about basic service levels.

If you're in San Francisco, definitely a must ride! It's an experience you have to have!

We found the Powell and Beach route a little better, fantastic views, and some very funny drivers. Most want to ride on the outside seats, or of course stand up, which is a great experience. They don't make people board the tram, so you can wait for the next one, if you want one of those seat's. One day, or three day passes, which allow you to use all transport vehicles, or $8 a single trip

Characteristic experience but, poorly organized. We waited for the outward more than an hour, on the return, even longer. Recommendation only to those who have a lot of time to waste.

The cable cars are a definite must-do if you go to San Francisco. There are three routes, one which goes East-West and the other two North-South. Whichever one you take, the cost has risen to $8 a ride, somewhat expensive; however, you can ease that cost by buying a one day or three day pass (one day is $13), which allows you to take other forms of transportation too. It is great fun to take a ride and quite amazing to see the cable cars go up and down the steep hills. By the way, if you're interested, there is also a cable car museum, which is quite fascinating, and tells all about the workings of the cable cars. Definitely take a ride!

I didn't think I would love the cable cars as much as I did but they were a highlight of our trip.

the views you got coming down towards the Embarcadero were amazing, and it was great to get around the city in such a unique way. love love loved it!

If there are two or more of you - ride the line one way and Uber back - it’s much cheaper. $7 each one way on the car if I remember

Another must do when visiting San Francisco. We bought a public transport all day ticket online which included the cable cars which was definitely worth it. On a wet March day there were no queues and we got straight on. The operators were friendly and entertaining

We waited and waited but no cable car. Sadly we did not get to ride in one as it was too cold out to keep waiting.
It’s such an iconic thing to do but sadly we didn’t get to see it.

This is a must if visiting San Francisco.
So, I wrote this review to give people some advice if you are unsure which line to choose and where to catch it.
Get there early to beat the queues!
I read the Powell Hyde line is the best and can’t disagree.
We got on at the Hyde Street and Beech street turn table end.
We got straight on and good seats but be warned, the trolley bus was full by the time we left at 8am!
We rode all the way to the Union square end where it terminates and the queue to get on at that end must have already been over an hour long.
Definitely good fun but definitely get there early.
Though it was a Saturday so was probably busier than normal? Enjoy!

Iconic way to travel and experience San Fransisco. Plenty of opportunities to take memorable pictures.

Awesome fun and a must when in San Francisco. We ahd the weekly Muni pass that allowed us to ride these cable cars.
Top tip, ride early in the morning before the big rush. If you start at one of the turn tables, do go inside, as you can quickly get to the outsdie furtehr down the line.
You can get off at the top of Lombard Street with many people. This makes it an easy stop to get on at too.

We had to wait in line for over an hour . We didn’t mind however once we were loaded in it took another 45 minutes before the car began to even move … They filled the car beyond capacity. The attendants were very friendly.

Public transportation that is fun.

Great way to go up snd down the hills of San Francisco.

Hang on or sit as you like.

A great experience and not too expensive.

We bought an all-day ticket for travel in the city on the cable cars.
Bear in mind that they do get very busy.
That apart they are a great way to get about and, if you get the right conductor, a very humorous one.
It really gives you an appreciation of how steep the hills are.

Riding the cable car was an experience. We took it from union square to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was crowded, the wait to return took about 40” before boarding. The line was long. However it was really fun and I’m glad we got to experience it.

You cannot come to San Fran and not ride the cable cars. We took the Powell-Hyde line and loved the views.

Very slow to board the trams as drivers too busy chatting. Drivers are rude and think they are funny. They’re not. Totally ruined this experience

Awful! Treated like cattle, total rip-off and massive disappointment.
City schedule says cars run every twelve minutes when, on the day we were in town, they were every thirty minutes… long, long queues and cars are packed to an uncomfortable level, just bearable for a work-a-day commute, but not for a pleasure on holiday.

We waited in line lots while cars just sat there. Not sure why they are not loading and sending cars every 10 min instead of 25-30 min. Each end has 2-3 cars just sitting there. Why can they not shorten the time between cars and keep them all rolling. Very poorly managed and not worth the wait. Driver was incredibly rude when people moved around the car. Nobody gave any instructions that you weren’t aloud to leave your seat when in motion. Just look at the cars and take a picture as they are a cool concept but not worth the ride!

Everyone has to go on the Cable Cars don't they? They're iconic to San Francisco and hurtle along with people photographing them all the while. Great fun and a lovely way to get around.

It is one of the iconic things in San Francisco. It is popular and picturesque to see these cable cars, and it is available for a ride and taking a tour, but the ticket price is relatively expensive.

We had a very good experience, largely because we learned certain tips well.

First, there are 2 loops that leave from the first station at Powell & Market Street and arrive near Fisherman's Wharf. One circuit is called Powell Hyde and the other Powell Mason. I recommend taking one to go to the Wharf and the other Karla to return. It is advisable to do the round trip. If you have a car, leave it in the Union Square parking lot which is 2 blocks away.

Buy tickets on the Muni website. Buy the one-day passport for $13, you can use any transportation system on that day. If you buy round-trip tickets for the cable car only, it costs $16.

Don't start at the first stations, neither on the way there nor on the way back. Walk just one block to the next station and wait for the tram there, it will be much faster than waiting in line at the first stations.

The best positions are the front side chairs or standing in front of those chairs. If you sit inside you lose almost all your sight. If you're not afraid, try standing up, it's the most fun and gives you the best views. It is dangerous? If you're not careful, yes. But it's totally worth it.

Don’t miss a ride on the iconic street cars! Hold on tight if you don’t get a seat and be thankful you’re riding up and down the steep hills!

We went yesterday and on both trips the staff were rude, unhelpful and ruined the experience for everyone on board, humiliating customers and just being downright awful.

We bought tickets for bus and cabelcar for 24 hours. The cabelcar is popular so You must be early or be patient. There Are 3 routs and they Are crossing.

The only situation I would recommend bothering with the cable car is if you can get there first thing in the morning and get on before anyone else. Within half an hour the cars are so busy you may as well not bother IMO. For 2 adults the cheapest return cost for a trip was $26 and I really don’t think it was worth the time or money. On my return trip the driver loudly verbally berated a tourist standing in his way which soured the mood.

Get yourself a clipper card, works on all of the public transport including the cable cars, $8 per single trip or $13 for a day pass I think they said.

Definitely worth having a ride or few on them, you won't get to do this anywhere else and it's easier than walking up those hills!!

Very friendly as a means of transport. If we take it at the beginning of the line there is waiting, it is better to wait on the different stops of the route and signal to the driver. Once inside, know that it does not stop at all stops, we must notify our driver of our wish to get off and... know where we are going.

We had 3 days in SF and walked everywhere, but we weren’t going to miss an opportunity to ride the iconic cable cars. Walked to the Hyde St & Beach St turnaround and picked it up from there, enjoying the ride back to the end of Powell St. A great experience. Bought our $8 single ride tickets from the kiosk there.

So this isn’t a cable car that goes up and down a mountain side, the name comes from how the cars are powered across the tracks on the streets oh SF. It’s a great way to see the city and very easy to use and most staff members went out their way to make it a fun ride. There are two lines which I’d recommend you travel both just download the Munimobile app first and always buy the day pass not the single pass. Oh and be sure to stand on the foot plate, it’s good fun just don’t drop your phone !

The wait is super long and you have to get off at the end of the line, you can’t stay on for the return trip so it’s two long lines to stand in. They also pack it really full so it’s just like being on any other public transportation, not really anything special. I do recommend downloading the app if you are going to get tickets, that was much easier with the app. Also I will say that the guys working the cars are great considering all the people they are dealing with, very friendly and courteous. I am glad I can say I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again. Also, like other things in San Francisco, it gets super crowded so the earlier the better. Wait was over an hour both directions.

Riding the cable car is listed as 1 of top 10 things to do in San Fransisco. The ride costs $8 which is more expensive than trams or busses but it is a tourist attraction and it feels like riding a Disneyland ride. Riding to the very end of any of the 3 lines just to see how they turn it to do the return trip is a must. Or simply stand close by to watch how it is done!

A nice experience to live with the family, the one ride ticket costs $8 per person and $13 for the whole day, you decide what you want.

It's not a trip to San Francisco unless you ride the famous Cable Cars, especially up Nob Hill and ending at the Embarcadero! Such fun amazing and nostalgic experience!

Amazing
It takes you back in time
You can see a lot of the city effortlessly
It's pretty though walking around San Francisco but it's worthy

Fun enough - you’ve got to do it if you’ve not been to San Francisco before - you pay your money - you get a trip (try to ride a Waymo though too …..future vs past)

Staff don’t care. Staff are full of themselves, bathe in self importance and are rude! We queued up at the bottom of Market Str.. trams went up with a max of 15 people for some reason… until our tram boarded; people at the end of the queue got on before us and when I asked what the hell was going on the guy selling tickests never even looked at or acknowledged me… 8$; spare me the embarrassment. On the tram the “driver” kept shouting at people to stay out of his “operating space” when they were nowhere near him. Don’t even think of taking pictures from behind him; you’ll be shouted at!!
I hate that level of rudeness!
AVOID

Normally a great experience, but not tonight. We saw the operators buying Irish coffees at the nearby Buena Vista, and then had to wait over 45 minutes as they boozed up in sight. Wonder if this was written in their union contract. Probably not.

It was my husbands first trip to San Francisco, so we had to go on the cable car - and it will be on most people's itineraries. We joined at Hyde St & North Point St in the early evening on a Saturday night - and got on with very little waiting. The brake man was exactly how I remembered; loud and a real character!

The trip itself took around 10-15 minutes, but there is something unique about being on these great survivors from a bygone age. Cost is $8 for a one-way trip.

We got out at Powell Street, where there was quite a crowd of people waiting to go back!

We enjoyed using the street cars as a way of transportation. We bought a three day pass. We were surprised by the long wait to get onto the car after seeing 5 cars empty and waiting. We were not given an explanation as to why such a delay.

Yes it’s on the ‘bucket list’ for all tourists, however I think it could be done so much better. The wait times are long, the staff move at a glacial pace and the ‘cash only’ policy in 2023 is terrible (it’s not 1975!)

A must do attraction in San Francisco. Loved riding the cable cars, the drivers were friendly and the cars a novelty. We downloaded the muni app to book, but ticket machines are available at the main stop or you are able to pay cash to the driver.

While beautiful and iconic, these cable cars seem extremely unsafe for anyone who's not a local, as people are hanging from them and could easily fall off.

You've got to ride a cable car when you visit San Francisco. The free Cable Car museum let us see how the cable works and had historical information.

Trolley staff are rude and unfriendly. Particularly impatient with tourists who don’t know how things work. Paying customer tourists adding to your economy should have a nicer experience.

Perfect way to see the city with camera in hand with clear view to see houses people shops roads and views you won't want to miss. Easy and good value way to see the sites. Exciting and unique. Definitely worth the trip.

Buy a day pass for $13 and it pays for itself if you do 2 trips. We also used our pass on the street cars. We were disrupted by APEC but still did a partial ride to the wharf area. A lot of fun!

We were in San Francisco for a week. Bought the weekly travel ticket which meant you could hop on and off the cable cars at any time - as well as using all other means of transportation.
The cable cars are a great way to get to different areas of the city.
Tip - the cable car stations always have long queues - head to the brown signs in the streets where the trams stop as you will have more chance of getting on!

If your in San Fran then this is a must do.
Take the Car from the City ti Fisherman's Warth. See the Driver & Conductor turn the car on the turntable and experience the ups and downs of Nob Hill.
Well worth 8$

Use Muni Mobile App
- Purchase Muni & Cable Car pass unlimited Muni rides (streetcars, buses, etc) and cable car rides for 24 hours- $13.00 on the app ($24 if buy in person) or a single ride costs $8.
- Can see cable cars’ locations on the app map or just look up and down the street!
- To board cable cars at the turnarounds (Powell & Market, Bay & Taylor and Hyde & Beach Streets), you must purchase your fare in advance.
- Activate your ticket in the app b4 you board
- Go Early 8am-10am -long lines in summer, May- line not long
- Runs every 10 minutes
- 65 people per car, can be chilly on board
- prior to trip, see Munimoble App map for stop locations and routes!
- If turnaround lines are long, go up one block. Stand near signs and wave hand in the air to get driver's attention.
The best seats
- Pole hanging on the outside so no one blocks your view! Don’t sit at wooden seats facing out bc people on poles block ur view!!
- IF crowded, when boarding starts, go immediately around the other side of the car. Might have outside poles available on the other side.
- Let people get on if you are at the back of the line and wait for next car.
- Standing or sitting on the inside is ok.
- Boarding- At every block! Most corners have a brown cable car signpost.
- Getting picked up at a stop: wave to tell driver to stop to pick you up!! If car is full, they won’t stop!
- Both Powell lines take off or end at same turnaround at Market & Powell and continue north to the Fisherman’s Wharf area
- Must exit ride at turnarounds (Powell & Market, Bay & Taylor, etc.)
- TO GET OFF: When ½ block before you want to get off, say “NEXT STOP PLEASE” loudly. Takes awhile for car to come to a halt!
- Don’t pull the white cable cord, rings the bell but doesn’t mean to stop!
- If you want that perfect photo of you on a cable car, there are usually many empty cable cars parked at Francisco & Taylor (near Fisherman’s Wharf). You can hop on for free and get the shot from as many angles as you’d like!
P-H Powell- Hyde- most crowded!
Starts near Hyde & Beach or Market & Powell
If crowded at Hyde & Beach, cld do Powell-Mason line – 9:00 min walk away
- 20 min ride
- Lombard St.:
- Drops off at top -great views of Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower
- Nob Hill- At the top of the hill at Lombard and Hyde, you can turn left and enjoy strolling the ritziest section of the city.
- Walk down the steps & take pics at bottom
- Afterwards, can walk back up to get on cable car or walk 5 blocks to wharf OR Uber to Coit Tower – Filbert Steps
Powell-Mason Line- (yellow signs)
- starts at Bay & Taylor and Market & Powell
- less crowded
- The hills aren't as steep & the views not as amazing as the Hyde/Powell line
- some nice views of the Transamerica Pyramid
- Lombard St. drops off a few blocks near the bottom of hill
- Bottom intersects- 2320 Leavenworth st.
- will take you through Chinatown, North Beach (Little Italy ),the Civic Center, Russian Hill
California line- shorted lines
- More locals
- No cool turnaround, but it does turn around. Very steep! Hold on tight!
- starts at California and Market and climbs up to Van Ness Avenue.
- Fantastic views- goes up Nob Hill & then slopes down w a view of Bay Bridge

Our favorite stops were Chinatown, and Cable Car Museum !

The ride was very fun going up and down the hills. Need to sit on the outside. Hard to see from the inside. Very confusing trying to figure the route the cars go and where u can get on. Conflicting pay plan. Was told can pay exact cash when on board. Ticket booth said no.

The cable cars are not that comfortable but they are eye catching and worth doing. Brings you back in time to years past. Recommended.

A must do when in San Francisco, can be a busy though, so plan ahead and be prepared to stand on the outside (which is the best way to ride these trams). I did the $16 to the end of the Hyde-Powell line.

Over 1 hour wai after buying tickets.
If they can't cope with numbers don't sell tickets.
Outrageous organisation.
You have been warned.

We had a great time travelling along the various lines of these iconic cable cars! The operators are real characters and add to the experience, it can be busy at the starting points so you may have to wait a little.

No trip to San Francisco would be complete though without riding these cars, would recommend buying a day pass.

Highly recommended!

My family and I took the cable car from the terminal in Fisherman's Wharf and I it was packed solid we fortunate to have a seat with people hanging on in front of us really added to the experience and we had the best ever cable car driver he allowed our teenage boys to pull the cord they loved it. We wandered around SF city and into Chinatown returned via Cable car and were very lucky to have the same cable car driver / entertainer he had everyone laughing during the journey - we stopped at Lombard Street for photo opportunities - honestly the driver was the best ever and the energy he put in to making everyone have an enjoyable experience while keeping us all safe a real holiday highlight.

Obviously a ‘must do’ in San Francisco but have to agree with previous comments about waiting times. Stood for almost 45 minutes on separate occasions at the turnarounds at Fisherman’s Wharf. Queues were not bad but cars were just not leaving. No doubt there was good reason but no announcements or explanations were given. A fun ride but spoilt by waiting around.

It was within walking distance from the hotel to the pier area, so I only used it on the way back as an attraction.

Boarded the Powell-Mason line from the pier side.
Purchased a one-way ticket with cash at the counter.

While waiting, you can watch the carriages being turned around manually using a turntable.

It was a holiday evening, so there were a lot of people and I waited for about an hour.
Trains depart every 20 minutes, and about 50 people can board at a time.
When the line got quite long, they let people who were willing to stand on the straps get on.

The most popular position was the pole stand position.
If you sit on the bench at the front, you will be facing people in pole stands at close range.

You go up and down a steep slope many times, but when you're sitting, it doesn't feel that steep.

It's a lot of fun and going to San Francisco and not having this experience is the same thing as going to Paris and not climbing the Eiffel Tower!
There are several lines, but the one I recommend is POWELL-HYDE: The line goes north and the climb is steep from Market Street (the starting point of the cable car (Market St & 5th St, San Francisco, CA, USA) , before crossing the California Street line at the top of the hill. This line is heavily used by tourists, as it connects downtown San Francisco to important attractions and therefore often has long queues, so arrive early. you will find Ghirardelli square.
You can buy a ticket for 1 section or 2.
If you are staying in the pier area, you can buy a double ticket and go from Giardelli square to the final stop, take the opportunity to do your shopping at Market ST and return.

Absolute must do! The ride is scenic and a lot of fun! We were there end of October so the lines were not too bad. The grip operators are all so helpful and super nice and a lot of fun! We downloaded the app (super easy) and bought a 3 day pass which was totally worth it as we were staying on Nob hill in San Francisco and it was perfect for getting everywhere downtown! Highly recommended!

You cannot go to San Francisco without going on the cable cars. Not only are they an experience, they get you around the town pretty efficiently for a sightseer. You can also get the ride included as part of a munimobile purchase which allows you to travel all the cable cars for the day and all other public transit like the classic old street cars. We were able to travel right across SF and headed out to Haight Ashbury as part of our ticket.

I loved it, it is the most typical thing that exists in the City, and it is very exciting to walk up and down the streets of SF, of course in the seats outside and if it is standing even better! But it is advisable to go early in the morning and then late before they close (7-8 am, 6-7 pm) because otherwise the wait is very long.

Loved the riding of cable cars. Also was amazed at how they are operated and the manual effort used to turn them around at the ends of the routes. Staff was very helpful and friendly as well.

Having seen the cable cars so many times on TV or in movies we had to take the cable car. We had to wait for about an hour and it wasn't too warm but we did eventually get a ride. We were somewhat surprised when we had travelled about 100 yards that the cable car driver stopped and allowed four people to get on, they hadn't paid or queued and found it quite amusing. However the trip was really good fun, particularly the down sections and the near misses with passengers on on-coming cars. A must do experience but just a slight disappointment with the 'free riders'.

The cable cars are synonymous with San Francisco and part of the fabric of the city. They are fully operational and good to use.

To get the full experience, hang off the side or sit outside.
If catching it from the Fisherman’s Wharf end be prepared for a wait. It seems the drivers/operators take a 20 minute break before the trams sets off again to it’s a bit of a wait. However, it’s well worth the wait.
This should be on a San Francisco ’to do’ list.

The symbol of San Francisco. Take time to ride to ride various lines if possible. Riding at night is fun and provides some beautiful views.

When in SF, you just have to ride the cablecars.

Of course, everyone wants to ride on the outside so waiting times can be long so go really early so you have a better chance.

It can be pricy for a single ticket so buy a day pass for a little extra. You can then ride all day on any line which will get you to loads of places.

The Historic San Francisco Cable Cars. It's one of those things all visitors should do at least once while in the area. It's classic Americana. The cars travel up a steep street, giving you nice views of the city. The entire ride takes about 30-40 minutes one way. I would recommend getting one of the seats in the open front of the car, these seats offer better views. They do stop at the cable car museum if you are interested in learning more about the history.
Price is $8 per person, one way.

Great experience. You can actually use a day-pass ticket and hop on and off to different options. Very safe and fun and staff is super helpful and giving you information and facts about the trolley systems

I first went on the cable car in 1997 and returned 26yrs later with my husband and rode it again. It lived up to my memories and was well worth doing to experience the hills of San Francisco! Cost is 8 dollars per person in cash or pay with a clipper card on your smartphone if you will be going on more than 1 journey. Expect to queue to board as it is popular but worth it. Open from 7.30/8am to 8pm.

The cable cars are a must do when in san Fransisco, our kids enjoyed it - it was a bit scary when going down the hills- however the driver was completely in control. You drive past all the best tourist spots and can get off and back on if you buy a full day ticket. The only negative is there is a huge wait time- the lines are massive and they don’t run enough of them at one time they have so many sitting waiting as the line gets bigger…. But once you’re on it’s a great experience.

We were lucky enough to be on the corner of California Street and Powell Street staying at the Stanford Court Hotel and had the luck of 2 trolley routes passing right in front of us. Just such a neat way to move around and see the city and happy to have been able to ride on the front holding onto the bar and on the sideboard.

The views and the journey as well as the friendliness of the staff. Good a little expensive and if you don't go in the morning long queue

So slow. Cars just sit there while employees take 30 minute smoke breaks. 2 hours to load is too long a wait. Just take a free photo with a stopped one and call it a day. Not hard since they are all stopped.

During our San Francisco trip, we enjoyed a ride on the iconic cable cars, a highlight of our visit. We received complimentary tickets from our hotel, the Adagio.

The cable cars, the world’s last manually operated system, date back to 1873 and offer unique city views. We began at Powell Street's turntable and admired the operators' skillful work. After a 30-minute wait, we rode up Powell Street, taking in the stunning views and historical ambiance.

Our journey on the Powell-Hyde line showcased Union Square, Nob Hill, and offered fantastic vistas of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

To avoid long lines, arrive early, and consider buying a day pass if you plan multiple rides. Tickets are available via the MuniMobile app, Clipper Card, or with exact change. At eight dollars per ride, the cable cars provide a memorable glimpse into San Francisco's rich history.

We had seen on some days some very long queues do we decided to go one morning before breakfast about 720am and we had the whole cc from Powell to fisherman’s wharf to our self! Was able to video /photo all the key parts. Worth getting the $14 muni day ticket as this allows multi trips. We had breakfast at the wharf and came back about lunchtime when by the. The car was full by then and queues forming. Defo worth doing at least once

Despite the timetable seemed to suggest services run every 10 mins, from what I experienced today, they run once an hour. Some cable cars just sit there, whilst the others were off without taking any passenger. If you want to go somewhere, be prepared to wait for a very long time, or use another transport options.

A real rip-off for tourists, tens and tens of minutes of waiting in the hope of experiencing the thrill of hanging from a tram like in the past while going up and down the hills of Frisco: the people, given the crowding, are arranged like sardines inside and only someone is lucky enough to "live" the experience outside. The game is not worth the candle and if I really recommend the California line which passes through the Cathedral: much less crowded and with acceptable waiting queues.

The Cable Car was one of the highlights of my San Francesco trip. This car is useful to cross hills and if you travel stand and outside very funny. The only bad thing is the line, you have to wait approximately 30 minutes to ride.

I’ve ridden the other 2 cable cars, but wanted to try this one. Recommend riding from start of Van Ness and California streets as you are going down hill.

Great way to tour this Nob Hill neighborhood. We travel back in time by taking the cable car. Good advice: take out a subscription because it saves a lot. The only downside is the schedules and waiting times at the terminals. To improve.

Had a trip on the cable cars as part of a walking trip of San Francisco, this ensured we got on ok as the queues can be quite long. The driver and grip on these cars are amazing characters and so friendly! Would highly recommend as part of a visit.

Worth a quick ride while in the city. Took the cable car on Beach & Hyde until Chinatown. Short ride but fun while it lasted.

Loved the experience of riding the Cable Cars; especially up hill. ( we were staying at The Fairmont on Nob Hill).The Cable Car rides was one of the things to do list in San Francisco

We had the pleasure today of going on the cable cars
One of the conductors names was Juan Bartholomew. He was a wealth of information and terrifically nice. It was an absolute pleasure riding on his cable car.
Thanks Juan

Took a trip today - it had to be done when I San Francisco!
The whole experience was great and we got to see so much more than on the bus tours.
Sure, there are the usual rude people that barge the queue / line but the staff are great and things run well.
Well worth a trip

Put your pride aside and whatever you expect about riding these old cable cars.
Yes, you've got to use some strength to hold on up and down steep hills.
Yes, they do go bump and things in your body will shake, rattle and roll like you haven't experienced before!
Yes, you will sometimes feel like you're on a runaway roller coaster and fear for your life.
Yes, if you stand on the outside you'll have to suck in your tummy whenever another cable car or bus passes you by!
Yes, it may be an unsafe mode of transport by modern standards and there are no seat belts so hold on to your little ones.
But you live once. So just do it!
Because we're lucky to even have the ability to ride these beautiful historic cars.
More than 150 years they've been running.
You imagine folks back in the day in their waistcoats and hats riding these very same trolleys. It's so nostalgic and romantic!
Protected by law and who knows how much longer we'll get to enjoy them.
So just do it!
Best way to get on is at a cable car turnaround where you can also purchase tickets from manned booths or the ticket machines.
The day passport is a cool souvenir and you get 10% off at Ghirardelli....and we know you heading there too! :-)

This was a fun experience. The best way to do it is to stand up on the sides of the cable car. It can be rough on the knees a bit but there's no greater feeling that riding the cable car down hill with the wind on your face.

It's just a tourist attraction and it's quite expensive.
They sometimes let you ride for free but that's at the end of the day.
I was at cable car end stop at around 8.30pm when they offered a free ride.
So don't pay for it, ride for free.

Iconic San Francisco experience
We purchased the all day pass and took several cars on the various lines
An amazing experience!

We went from the Powell market line with the idea of going up Lombard Street, when we saw the queue, maybe 45 min - 1h, we decided to take a bus until our first morning excursion and we took the Cable car back.
We didn't wait, we were able to get on the first one that passed.
The afternoon we did the mm thing to get to pier 39( Fisherman’s), we went up en route and not at the ends, there was still a small tail of 20.25 min at its start. To do with teenagers. You have to ask to stay upright and it is quite nice when the Cable descends cliff.
Remember to visit the Cable Car Museum for 25min, it's free.

Painfully slow. We waited and waited. The cable card were lined up ready to go but the drivers were too busy chatting and standing around. Disappointing and frustrating customer service!

A ride aboard the historic S. Francisco streetcars, full of the history and tradition of the Californian city.
A return to the past between incredible ups and downs on the city's steep streets.
Experience to live!

Jumped on at Beach Street initially for our cable cars experience. Initial short wait but then headed towards union Square. Great experience to be able to stand on the side whilst seeing the scenic views. We then spent time in Union Square then jumped on a couple more Cable cars so the kids could enjoy the experience. Great staff whom made the experience really enjoyable. A must if you’re visiting San Francisco 👍

Knowledgeable and friendly drivers. I wish I had tried this a long time ago! It also so a unique perspective of the city!!

The two main lines do take you from one end of the city to the other. You get to go between the 2 main tourist areas: Fisherman’s Wharf & downtown San Francisco. Although there are cheaper ways to do it than $8.

We got on at Taylor Street and there was no line up. Ticket booth was right there although there is an app you can download. Coming back from downtown, it was quite a wait. The two lines that go back to Fisherman’s Wharf went from the same platform and if you are fussy about which one you take, you could end up waiting an extra 15-30 minutes. We got lucky and the one we wanted was queued up when we got to the front of the line after a 30 minute wait.

The ride itself is not very long. Maybe 20 minutes. They don’t seem to be in any hurry.

You can hop on & off along the way as well plenty of folks did this but it does seem to be a chance there is a spot available on the car.

Great way to take in the scenic views of San Fransisco and it’s only $8 per ride. We took this from the station in downtown to fisherman’s wharf and the scenes were great. Would definitely recommend doing it while in San Fransisco. We did this at a weekend and the queue took about 45 minutes but was definitely worth it.

Took the line from Hyde Street to Union Station. Very cool views with some good stops along the way. Make sure to use the Muni App and buy a multi day pass combined with other public transportation options. Beware of buying just one ride for 9 dollars as one you get off you can’t board again!

Must do when in SF, but at $8 a single ride a bit expensive for a hit and miss service (be prepared to wait in a line - a long line at times)
Better if you are there for a few days to get a Travel card (Clipper isn't accepted on cablecar) works out cheaper if you are going to use more than once and you can use on metro and buses and trolley buses in downtown SF
a 7 day pass was $43+tax - so easily worth the $$ (There is a kiosk next to the Powell St stop)
One night was told while in the Queue the next car was going to be 40mins ! so either wait or pack onto the one going now - Not great and the cars were queuing up so I guess the drivers had done their shift for the day.
Once on, the ride is amazing so I will stick with the positives from that and if you get the chance to ride at night even better with the lights of SF all around.

So much fun! A great way to see San Francisco. I recommend downloading the app and purchasing a day pass, which is unlimited use for the day $13 per person. Otherwise, you pay $8 one way. There is other options for multiple days also. It's a true emmersion into old San Francisco and a real fun thing for the entire family

Get a seat on the outside for the best experience. California line to Hyde is the best but they're all fun.

In October 2025 we went to California and spent a few days in San Francisco.
One of the highlights of our trip was to take the mythical cable bus.
We only tested one line, the one to the bay, near Alcatraz.
We had taken a three-day urban transport pass so the price included the ticket. Otherwise it's $8.
The tourists take it but also the San Franciscans. Because the streets have good slopes there.It remains very convenient according to your routes. There are three lines left in operation.
Everything is perfectly maintained and it is an open-air museum. The people insuring your transport have a physically complicated job. There is a dedicated museum but we did not have time to visit it.

We were staying in Fisherman's Wharf so the start of the Powell & Hyde Cable Car was right in front of our hotel. We arrived around 9am on a week day and there wasn't really a queue but we still waited over 30 minutes before we boarded then another 15 minutes or so before we left as the cars have to keep to a schedule. We then got off and boarded the California line, (which is much quieter), and headed for the Ferry Building.
It is definitely worth doing but walk a few stops away from the start of the line to save waiting for what could be hours - you don't lose anything by not doing this and you're almost guaranteed a space as they don't fill the cars at the start. Even better, travel on the California line to save queuing at all - you still get the same experience.

One must to experience when u visit San Francisco it’s a totally another experience beyond bus car or subway
It goes up and down with all important points of city
Hop on hop off for best experience

So much fun! We only rode for the experience and had a round trip ride. The line was long but the wait wasn’t too bad, a street musician … the San Fran accordion man kept everyone entertained as did the cable car operators. Such a great experience! Where else can you still ride an authentic cable car!!! Just do it and make memories

Cable cars are good why to get around the roads are so steep😊😊😊get off any stop and get back on after words it's 8💲single ride

Seeing the GG Bridge and riding the Cable Car up and down the hills of San Francisco are on the bucket list of many a traveler and finally, there we were, about to board the Cable Car.

It was all a bit unclear how to pay. We were sort of ushered onto an overcrowded car and then a staff member put his hand out for the $16 ($8 each).

Trying to keep my balance as the car titled upwards I handed him a $10 note and was counting out the rest.

“You’ve only given me 10,” he barked at me. I resisted the temptation to give him a scathing look for his rudeness and impatience as I handed over the other $6. But alas, it was in coins.

“No, we don’t accept coins, only notes, hop off here, sort out payment,” and we were firmly guided/nudged unceremoniously back down to the street at the next stop.

Hmmmph. Well then.

Anyway, we sorted out the payment online and our second attempt was more successful but I wasn’t all that impressed and I’m afraid any future trips to San Francisco will not include a Cable Car ride.

Also, even under easier circumstances, $8 was a bit of a stretch.

I really hoped it to be a fun thing to do in SF with my family. I didn’t expect to be yelled at in front of my family and strangers. Cable cars should be operated by people who like tourists since tourists are the only people who ride these. They should give better instructions so people will be less confused. Here’s my experience if you want to read: The first one we took was a wait, but was fine. The worker did yell at someone, but it was for safety reasons. That, I understand. The car going back was not pleasant for me. It was after 10 pm and very windy and cold. We waited patiently like everyone else. The car finally came and a bunch of people got on. They got on from both entrances. This lady walks back and says something to the two people in front of us. I thought they knew each other so I go around them and started getting on to the car. Then I hear someone yelling “can’t you see there’s a line!” I was startled, but very tired and didn’t quite comprehend for a second. The car worker just yelled at me. It was so loud and menacing that even that lady must have felt how uncomfortable I felt. She actually apologized to me, but no apology from the car worker. She said she had a tour group in the car. So what? He made us stand there for another minute, but didn’t do anything. Then he announced that it was standing room only. So he yelled at me for nothing. Those two people in front of me weren’t part of the group. I’m not sure why the worker allowed that tour guide stop people from getting on the car. She doesn’t work for them. He was awfully friendly to her. Maybe that was his girlfriend?

I’ve wanted to ride the cable car ever since seeing Herbie running through the streets of San Francisco as a small child.
With them having been restored to working service, using them was once of the main reasons for coming here in the first place.
We went on a couple of different ones, all of the staff were brilliant, really down to earth and friendly - truly understood what tourists would want from their visit.
The one criticism I would have is that on our return journey the wait was very long, and seemingly unclear as to why - there were cars available, just not being organised to go. I’m assuming this is a scheduling thing, but was a little frustrating

My wife and I had a blast riding all 3 cable car lines. If you’re physically up to it I highly recommend standing up and holding on while riding! If you plan on riding them multiple times get the add on pass to your Clipper Card because it will save you tons of money which we did.

In San Francisco you should definitely take the famous cable cars. Yes, they are primarily used by tourists. Yeah, they're not quite cheap. And yes, the waiting times can be long. Nevertheless, driving on the steep streets of the city is a special experience. Some restrictions are also easy to avoid (see tips below).

We were definitely thrilled again on our second visit to San Francisco. We can unreservedly recommend a ride with the Cable Cars.

Tip 1: The single trip currently costs USD 9.00. This sounds high, but is significantly cheaper than a taxi or Uber for the entire length of one of the routes. The day pass for USD 15.00 is also worthwhile from two trips.

Tip 2: To avoid long waiting times, it is best to drive early in the morning. We were there at 7.30am when there were few passengers on the road and found a seat without any problems.

Tip 3: The ride is also possible with small children. Collapsible strollers are transported free of charge.

Recommend to start early. It ques up quite fast.
You cab use clipper card or Muni app to pay $8 for one trip.
Can’t use day pass on cable cars

Well, I take the San Franscico emblem to talk about the whole city (or almost)
We walked through it for 3 days to better discover it, with this essential little Cable Car tour
Union Square, Chinatown, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Coit tower, Castro, Haight Ashbury, Mission, Fisherman Wharf, Golden Gate...
Of course I forget

Be prepared to be yelled at, mocked and subjected to humiliation by the city workers who are paid tax dollars to operate the beloved symbols of San Francisco. The cable car grip and conductor both seemed to delight in berating their fares on three trips my family endured during an otherwise pleasant visit. It is unimaginable why the transit authority allows this gross misconduct. The majority of riders are tourists on holiday from all over the world. We were yelled at for not running quickly enough to board, for not sitting in the right bench and because we chose to ride only a few stops before exiting. It was clear these workers enjoyed mocking the tourists and seemed to deliberately act in the most intimidating fashion. Be advised that there are many other means to see the Golden City of San Francisco. Take a picture of the cable cars as they lumber up the hills. But do not board for a ride unless you want to be the target of extraordinarily rude workers who either hate their jobs or find satisfacation in ruining the holidays of others.

We bought a 1 day pass at Hyde street turnaround by Ghiradelli Square and waited nearly an hour to board. Had we researched prior to arriving if you buy the tickets and walk to the 1st stop you get straight on as spaces are left for stops on route.

We used the cable car all day hopping on and of at the various tourist spots and had a great day, even used it at night to view city from Nob Hill, we didn’t experience any queues once leaving the turnarounds

Avoid the lengthy queues (up to 2 hours at the weekend) for Powell Street cable cars and save money by riding the California Street cars instead (Running along California Street between Market Street and Van Ness). $5 gets you unlimited journeys on this line all day.

Absolutely loved the SF cable cars. We went from Fisherman’s wharf to Union Square and back. Hopped off at the museum-it is free and so interesting. You see the mechanism working the cars there. Heard that the other route to Union Square was steeper and more fun so did that later. We also watched the turn around. Not so busy at the end of November. Bought $13 day passes on the MuniMobile app. Very simple to set up and use.

A must, but here's another tip: it's best to go early when it's wonderfully empty. We paid $8.00 for a ticket, which is fair considering the entertainment and cost of such a landmark. The whole ride takes about 20 minutes, but it's definitely worth it. We sat at the front and had a great view of how it goes up and down. If you're visiting SF, you shouldn't miss it, otherwise you'll miss out on something. It was very nice.

A must do ride in San Francisco. As the previous reviewer said, the most iconic tram ride in the world. Scenic and photogenic.
Costs $8 one way.
We went one way to Fisherman's Wharf. Looked around pier 39-41.
Walked back from Pier 41 up Powell Street all the way to the starting point. It took us 45 minutes at reasonable pace.

A must when you visit San Francisco. I took the cable car from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf. I really enjoyed it, especially when I was able to move to an outward facing seat. A couple of tips; 1) You have to pay with cash or download the MuniMobile and pay for an online ticket. 2) Avoid boarding at the turn arounds as you will wait over an hour. There are stops every few blocks, and you can catch a car much faster.

With all the hills in SF, it made for a very enjoyable ride.

Fun to do. An old-fashioned cable car from 1890 that still runs through the streets of San Francisco. Although it is stated everywhere that a ticket costs $7, we have to pay $9 pp at the ticket counter. We got on at the terminus (Bay Street) and got off in China Then.

Nice experience but long line both at the various terminus , and at intermediate stops where often you can not get on the ground until the passage of 2 or 3 trams later .
Fair price if the Service was faster.
After a while you get over the urge and take the bus or metro...

Another must do for us, and we maximised the journey. We got on at Fisherman’s Wharf and took the tram all the way into the city. It’s actually a quick trip and cool way to get into town. We ended up getting two one way tickets, due to our bad planning. So unless you were looking at purposely doing a one way trip, make it easier and get the return ticket initially.

We bought the $16 tickets enabling us to travel from Fisherman's Wharf to the end of the line and back again. We had to queue for quite a while before boarding a car (the same was true for the return journey) which shows just how popular this attraction is but managed to stand on the side for both journeys. It really is a must if you visit San Francisco the views up and down the hills are exceptional. Wholeheartedly recommend giving it a go.

It was a great experience riding the cable cars. It was a learning experience on how the cars run on cables and the breaking mechanism used.

Non si può non farci un giro! The drivers are very nice and entertain passengers along the way. You must pay attention to the time when you decide to take the cables as in the most central hours of the day you can create queues

A must on a San Francisco visit! However - especially in nice / dry weather - you have to accept very long waiting times (about an hour). It is best to board at one of the termini, otherwise it could be scarce with seats. Unique experience of a mode of transportation from the past. and good opportunity to see interesting points of S.F. on the ride.

Great way to get from one point to another if visiting San Francisco.We had the clipper travel card so used this on the cable cars otherwise its $8 for one way trip. The drivers were entertaining and happy to answer all questions and teach us all about the cable cars.
A fun way to get to Fishermans Wharf or Ghirardelli square and the last trip is around 11pm each night.

Fun way to get around San Francisco. Rides are $8 one way. You can buy a day or multi-day pass to save on ride costs. Recommend get a pass/ticket in advance. You can also use the Clipper pass in cell phone wallet. We rode all three lines. It is neat to watch the conductors manually turn the cars at the end of the lines (2 of the three lines have round wood turn around points). You can get from Fisherman's Wharf to China Town or to the Ferry Building as well as lots of points in between and back. The conductors are friendly, and you can ask them where the stops are to make sure you are on the correct line. Some conductors make it more fun than others. Be prepared to travel up and down the hills. Cars have indoor and outdoor seating as well as standing rails. Highly recommend riding at least once for the experience.

Used this transportsystem several times during my 4 day stay. Each time it was a nice experience and joyfull ride. Sometimes long queuing.

When in San Francisco you gotta go on the cable car. It is a must do. Cost is $8 a ride. A bit expensive but still worth it.

you can not go to san fransisco without trying this...travels alrounf frontal harbour area and back as far as china town and union square..$8 jump on jump off

Hi this is a great activity. it’s $8 to do the trip one way. You can seat outside, inside or hang on the side it’s your choice. We went from the start near Union square to Fishermans wharf.
Worth a visit.

Fun trip. We queued for over 20 mins to get on. It gets very crampt, so hard to see really whats happening views etc. I guess best to try to get on standing areas , either at the back or side, rather than inside. It was great to see the wide/ steep roads..a glance between people, couldnt take photos whilst on car due to being squashed inside. Staff not friendly that particular trip, just doing their job. Lovely looking cable car

This is a gotta do for a San Francisco trip. You can actually use them to get around, we just did a roundtrip to enjoy the views and the experience. Try to sit up front in the open area and observe the car man (Grabber) as he operates the levers to grip and release the cable pulling your car or to set the brakes. Try to allow time for the cable car museum so you'll understand how this whole thing works. Be prepared for long lines/waits to ride. On a roundtrip, you'll have to get off and get in line to get back, so just plan to lose some time (30 minutes for us on a not so crowded day.)

Was so excited planned to go from fisherman's wharf back to Union Square to our hotel, the ticket kiosk was closed so went onto the app and booked our tickets x 2, we at this point activated them what we didn't know was that due to a mechanical problem on the track between China town and union square this caused a delay and we had to wait over 1 hour to get on the tram and being told we would have to terminate at Chinatown, the VERY RUDE ABRUPT TICKET MAN he was aware of the situation but still didn't want to listen,

Riding the iconic cable cars was my childhood dream come true! This San Francisco experience transported me back in time as we rolled up and down the city's famously steep hills. The unbeatable views of the City's skyscrapers, classic homes and eclectic neighbourhoods made the ride most memorable. It's an absolute must-do.
Tip: Book your return trip through the cable car app for a discounted fare - it's much cheaper than paying per ride.

I was ambivalent about riding the cable cars. However, it was actually pretty enjoyable. Add to that the history and what it takes to keep them running. It is impressive. Highly recommend taking a ride.

A charming and iconic way to explore the city. With stunning views and historic appeal, they provide a memorable experience for locals and tourists alike. A must-do for anyone visiting the Golden State! ⛰🚃

We were fortunate enough to visit San Francisco in the quiet season and the Cable Car was one of the highlights of our trip. Easy to use, just purchase your ticket next to the tram stop and off you go. For USD8 you can ride all day. There are 3 lines with 2 of them running straight from Fishermans Wharf to Union Sq. Compared to other attractions in Fishermans Wharf this was by far the best value. You can get on and off or just ride them. You are allowed to stand outside which my teens loved. We rode all 3 lines then the Fishermans Wharf line again after dark, the city lights were spectacular and the cold if the night added to the experience. The drivers are masters of their craft and handling these cable cars up and downhill is an art still practiced today as they have done for 150 years as is watching them turn around on the turntable once they reach the end. Highly recommended and an unforgettable experience.

These are a wonderful way to get around and so much fun! We bought a one day Muni Pass for $8 each which was great value for money. Allowed us to come and go, hop on and hop off all day long! Top tip, go very early in the morning for no queues and top spot for the side seats which give you the best views along the route. We got on at Fisherman's Wharf and did the loop. All staff are incredibly friendly and want you to enjoy the experience. Alfonse was especially wonderful and happy to explain the working of the cable car and gave interesting historical facts about the unusual and unique mode of transport. Highly recommended experience in San Francisco!

They sell tickets for multiple uses, however the low frequency forces endless lines of more than an hour, and you get off at a stop, either on foot or by taxi, because there is no way to get back.

Definitely do it and take the mandatory selfie but all in all kind of boring. Bit too touristy for me.

We were in SF for 3 days but only used the cable cars on our third day (previous 2 we walked to our destinations)
On day 3 we purchased an all day pass - $13 - so that at could hop on & off at will (and on other transport too, which enabled is to get trams back to our final destination)
Not great for back problems - very rickety and hard - but you've got to haven't you
Queries not during the day
Note-we got to ticket kiosk just before 10am to find it closed. You can buy day ticket on advance and then mark your day/date of just
Powell is not a nice place to visit - hey off at Union Square instead

If you are in San Francisco this attraction is definitely worth a try. The cost depends on your daily activities but for a tour of the different points of the city it is really worth a try. There are several that leave every moment of the day. Between climbs and descents you will have fun exploring the corners of the city.
Guaranteed.

A great trip on these iconic cars. The hills that they go up and down are really as steep as you expect. Loved it.

The ride it self. Was able to site see the amazing streets. I loved the way people were able to get off .

Sometimes you just have to be the tourist and do the tourist thing especially when you can’t just find them everywhere. The cable cars are a fun way to take ride through town. Somewhat pricey tickets on their own ($8 one way) but get a muni day pass and you can ride it several times so it’s worth it to ride a piece of history! Brave the long line or find a stop in the middle!

The market place (Powell and Market street) cable car was a great way to explore many of the San Francisco favorites. From the Market street turnaround point you are taken through the city passing many of the top 10 attractions that you could hop off and visit. China Town, Fisherman's Wharf (at the end of the line), cable car museum, lombard street, and at Fisherman's wharf, short walking distances to Pier 41,39 (sea lions and outside mall), Alcatraz tour pier 33, and Ghiradelli chocolate factory. We bought the 3 day muni pass with cable car for $33 each. Otherwise each ride is $8 dollars each. The pass paid for itself. You can get the pass at the ticket booth at the market/powell street turnaround.

Of course, the San Francisco cable cars are a classic experience in a beautiful city, but every time I ride these cars I have a negative experience because of the operators. They are rude, impatient, and condescending. I live near San Francisco, and I love to go to "the City," but the Muni employees of the cable cars are terrible. EVERY. TIME !!!

For example, and this is just the latest example, I took the Hyde Street line to California. I got on at Ghiradelli, and I was standing at a pole enjoying the view of the Bay before we even got going. An operator rudely and impatiently instructed me to look in the direction in which we would be going.

At that moment, we hadn't even begun to move. We were just waiting. I immediately started to turn around on the slim standing bar on which I was perched, but that wasn't quick enough for him. He immediately repeated his command to me in a rude and impatient tone of voice, even though I was very obviously trying to turn around on that slim little running board without falling off the cable car.

The operator of the handles almost immediately chimed in that I had to turn around, which I was CLEARLY and OBVIOUSLY trying to do without falling off. Both were impatient and rude.

To make matters worse, when I did turn around, which was about three and a half seconds later, the original operator condescendingly said, "Very good," like I was a small child or something.

Later, when I got back on the cable car at California going back to Ghiradelli, the operator rudely told me that I couldn't stand in where I was standing. I told him there was a more polite way to talk to his customers, but he just said that I had issues, turning a learning opportunity into an opportunity to berate his customer.

RUDE ! EVERY. SINGLE. TIME !!!

If it were a private enterprise instead of government MUNI, the SF cable cars would be a MUCH better experience. Those government employees know they can't get fired for verbally abusing their customer, which they seem to enjoy doing, and IT SHOWS. EVERY. TIME !!

Muni cable-cars operators need to be trained to show a good customer service attitude or get let go. Otherwise, the city needs to contract the operation of the cable cars out to a private company that is the business of making visitors to the city happy.

Iconic part of SF history. Riding one can be an issue--if you must do it, try to do it when the car is not crowded, and be prepared to be abused by the driver/helper. However it is a unique experience.

We decided to ride the cable car when we were heading back to the hotel. We opted to stand on the side for the experience. We had a great time and would do it again.

It was a very Great ride! The cable car operators were very friendly. Watching the cable car turn around was also fun. LOVE IT!

Got to the terminal and there was a large queue, but four cars there, so assumed this would be a slick operation and we’d be off in not too long. Not a bit of it.

We waited and waited and waited and wasted 90 mins in queue. With a car leaving around every 12-15 mins

At no point did any member of staff advise those queueing that they would be waiting 30 mins to here, 60 mins to here and so on along the line. That of course would have meant folks leaving and their dollars leaving with them. Unlike pretty much every serving person we have met who are delightful, the staff here could not care less.

Yes, it’s an historic part of SF, but only do it is you have at least a couple of hours to spare in your visit itinerary

Europeans should take advantage of the jet lag and set off before 8am, otherwise the east west route has hardly and queues at all

An absolute must in Frisco is a ride on the cable cars, preferably in the open area. The only thing that is a bit tedious is the waiting time to get on the cable car.

This is a must do activity for visitors. It is a wonderful way to view the city. Watching the folks that run the cars is an interesting activity in and of itself.

These cars are also an iconic part of San Francisco. You can see a lot of the city by jumping on one of them.

One has to make at least one journey from the start point to end point. See how the Tram is rotated 180deg, and I would suggest sitting on the front seat or standing in front. Some of the driver's also make your day with their energy, which involves tourists. I loved my journey.

We purchased the one day passport for $16 each. We took the cable car to just outside Fisherman’s Wharf. The weather was idyllic and we had the opportunity to see quite a lot during our ride.
After spending the day in Fisherman’s Wharf, we lined up to take the cable car back to downtown San Francisco.
Not sure why we had to wait so long to depart at both ends. Especially after being informed that it departs every 20 minutes.

Unique experience very helpful staff aboard Watch for traffic when getting off!
Must say at times didn’t know if we were going to make it up that hill

I was quite surprised to see the turntable rotated by hand at the beginning and end of the line.
There are many slopes, so it seems that it's not just tourists but also local residents who board along the way.
Perhaps it's for tourists, as many people stand and stick half their bodies out when boarding.
Only cash is accepted, and the system is such that staff come to collect it.
At Fisherman's Wharf, the money is collected before you board.
However, if it's a large amount, you'll have to bring the change later.
It did seem difficult to operate.

Really great fun - yes you have to wait a while, but it’s worth it. Get a day pass on the muni app rather than buying single tickets and ride as often as you want.

Yes, it's amazing! We did use it almost every day, we sit outside and inside, and every time we had smile on the face and enjoyed it. It was very exciting when we were travelling towards Fisherman's Wharf as the track is going sharply down hill. We did watch the drivers how they operate these cars; it was amazing how the driver and conductor (who is also stopping traffic at certain points) must collaborate. My husband spoke with one of the drivers and before they are allowed to drive these beautiful cable cars through the hilly Frisco they have to drive on the tram system for 5 years. And they must have a good power in the hands - you should see how hard and difficult is sometimes to move or release the brake lever and simultaneously work with the pedals. The ticket for one ride costs $8,you can pay the conductor but you should have the exact amount as they don't give change back. Alternatively you can pay via mobile or like us, we bought a Clipper prepaid card (valid on trams, metro and buses as well) at Walgreens shops where you can also top it up. You can stop the cable car also on their dedicated stops on the streets by raising the hand as they approach.

Someone was giddily happy trying out the famous San Francisco cable car today and we chatted with a lovely couple who then walked with us into Chinatown after the ride.

This cable car is still being set as manually run and our driver was a funny guy who called out to his friends on the street with hilarious responses 😂🥰💛

I would like to share an experience with the cable car service on June 30, the last day of our trip. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience, mainly due to poor customer service.

That morning, we were the first to arrive at the Hyde & Powell line, planning to visit Lombard Street. However, the treatment we received was not welcoming. An Asian staff member assisted us, and although we are unsure if it was due to cultural differences, they did not respond to our greetings or goodbyes and showed no willingness to help us with some questions about the tickets.

The ride was short, and the waiting time was uncomfortable. Customer service is a crucial aspect that should be improved, especially in a service aimed at tourists. Feeling welcome is an essential part of the travel experience.

Thank you for your attention.

They have plenty of cable cars just waiting to transport people. There are plenty of staff here serving them. But they have a schedule they follow that forces everyone to wait 20 to 25 minutes before they let each car take off. This feels like completely unnecessary torture.

What fun we had. We got on the wrong tram for a start trying to get to docks for our trip.

That said the conductor was very funny and the driver my goodness they work non stop on the trip. Although we were on the wrong one we got a real sight seeing trip thrown in and dropped a few blocks from where we wanted to go to but that was not a problem at all.

You really get to appreciate the hills and in fact if the driver didn't put the brakes on your mind starts to think just how much speed you would get up before getting to the bottom.

Good trip and the family loved it.

We took the Cable Car from its start at the turning circle near Hyde, all the way to the end of the line at Powell. There was a big sign saying you were not allowed to hop on and off the cable car, so we did it for the experience rather than as a means of getting around. It was fun and at $8 for a one-way ride, it’s not too expensive.

If you come to San Francisco you have to really!!

⸻

It is iconic of San Francisco — possibly the last operable one in the world. There are three routes, and the best one starts downtown near Union Square and ends at Fisherman’s Wharf. There’s usually a line to board the car. It’s slow but fun.

At both the starting and ending points, there’s a turntable that rotates the car manually — which is amazing to watch.

Great experience, great way to see the city. We had a $16 ticket which enabled us to use the street car as well. We got on at powell and lombard and must have been lucky because we did not quee at either!

This is definitely not worth the wait! My friend and I waited 40 minutes at one end and 2 hours at the other just to get on. As someone with a physical disability standing is very painful. As there is no seating in any of the lines I had to sit on the ground or on posts. If you have a particular interest in cable cars or railways then this is probably for you, if not just get some pictures of the cars and call it a day. It costs $8 for each ride on the car and it just isn’t worth it.

You can't visit San Francisco and not ride the cable car! It is a notable attraction in the city and takes us to desired tourist spots, such as the Chinese neighborhood and Lombard street.

A hoot. It works just as it probably did back then. It was a fun experience and certainly very tiring for the gentleman who was carrying the cable car

I can't describe how much I loved riding the Cable Cars! From watching them being turned on the turntable, so the fun of riding the cars (not to mention some of the views) it was fabulous!

Highly recommend downloading the munimobile app to prepay for tickets - the all-day passport is much better value than the single ride fare!

The rolling landmark, the famous cars that climb halfway to the stars. Well at least to the top of Nob Hill and Russian Hill. The line along Powell Street is most popular because it takes you to Fisherman's Wharf. But I recommend the line on California Street as it is easier to board. The ride is fun, the views are great.

The cable cars are a great way to get around San Francisco.
We purchased tickets on an app called muni. The tickets were $8 per person for a single ride.
The drivers and contractors are very entertaining.

This trip was way more entertaining than expected. We waited a very long time but once we got on it was worth it. Our car drivers were so funny and interactive! Many folks told us to wait at a stop a get on as the cars go by. We were such a large group we thought that might not be best for us. We did go at the worst time possible - late morning- so we did wait at the turn table for better than an hour. The weather was great, a musician was playing and plenty to watch so the time went quickly. It is a longer ride than we thought so if you are standing be prepared to hold on.

Iconic cable cars certainly a must while here just for the experience of travelling up and down the steep inclines. You can pay for a day pass or individual trips The operators are helpful and informative they do an amazing job , can get busy at times especially at starting turnaround stops

One of things that we really want to do when we came to San Francisco was right on a famous cable car. So we went to Union Square and caught the Powell Street cable car. We got lucky and were able to ride on the rail which is on the outside of the car which really made it a cool experience. We rode Powell Street up the hill for several blocks. We got pictures of us on the cable car and also while we were riding it. It was great experience and some we were really looking forward to. We would really recommend this to anyone wanting to ride the classic San Francisco cable car.

An experience you will never forget. They run from 2 location's from the wharf and take you through the fantastic views of SF. One way or multiple tickets are available. You can sit or ride shot gun, stand on the side and hold on. Great fun

Sensational. We loved the tour guided by the GPS tablet. In Portuguese. You can choose the size of the tour. Ours was three hours. It was so worth it

I cannot understand why lots of people say this is a “must do” whilst in SF. It’s overpriced and inefficient. We paid $52 for a family of 4 for a day pass.

On a Saturday morning at around 9.15am, we waited 35 minutes for a car to turn up, despite the timetable saying they run every 10 minutes. The first one turned up and was full, even though at our stop there were less than 10 people waiting (most had given up waiting). We then had to wait another 10 minutes for the next car.

The next trip we used had another 30 minute wait before a car turned up.

The last trip we started at the end of the line at Fisherman’s Wharf at around 9pm. The queue was long but we managed to get on the first car. However, despite there being 3 cars waiting and empty, all the staff were in an office having a break. It took around 40 minutes for the car to leave.

Personally, I’d grab a photo but give riding the cars a miss. There are better ways of getting around the city.

The San Francisco Cable Cars are trams that operate on a cable traction system and the San Francisco trains have no motor: the driver moves forward and stops the train by hooking or unhooking the cable that runs on the streets. A system that takes a bit of the gondola system. The first Cable Cars line was opened in San Francisco on August 2, 1873. The inhabitants immediately adopted this new means of transport, fast and convenient. What remains unique is the fact that the streets are very steep and the Cable Cars have kept their typicality. A jewel that San Francisco must keep!

Nice tram that runs on the ups and downs of San Francisco now become solely tourist attraction. To take it in peace you have to do it very early in the morning, otherwise you risk long lines at the terminus and consequently you can not get on at intermediate stops.

I do recommend this ride, but I recommend the California Street line because you will not have to wait in line at Powell and Market, and you will not have to worry about a place on the car. The ride is the same and you will go up or down a steep hill with great views. Sit on the outside for the best thrill.

Not the cheapest of rides but worth it. It’s what SF is all about. Great running commentary/gags from the brakeman and really super way to see the city. Be daring and try hanging off!

The workers were not in any hurry to get going. There were a lot of them standing and sitting around. I guess they all decided to eat lunch and take a break at the same time. But, once they decided to go, they were rude. It wasn't fun or convenient. We could have walked to our destination before we even got going. We sat in the cable car at the turnaround for 15 minutes before we ever even got going. It's something to check off your list, but I don't think it's a "can't miss" activity. I don't remember it being this bad 20 years ago. Download the MUNI app and purchase your tickets that way. It's cheaper and much faster. We got the all day pass for $13. Don't activate the ticket until you get ready to get on, and then take a screenshot in case you lose good reception along the way. One person can purchase all the tickets for your party, but each person can also just purchase their own if they have a cell phone. Our conductor announced when we were at the Chinatown stop, so that was nice. But, he did not announce the Lombard Street stop. You can actually hang off the sides, so that was kind of fun. You do get an arm workout, though.

If in Sanfrancisco you absolutely have to ride a cable car, stunning views of the streets and hilly roads, great way to travel, the street cars are also a must see

I left my heart in San Francisco is the song and our feeling.
Been 5 times and love it and the tram rides are a huge part of Cisco
Stand up and hang on is best.!!

Riding a cable car was our #1 thing of things to do. We joined at the Beach & Hyde station and even got to watch them turn a car around. The ticketing process is not user-friendly for anyone who isn’t frequently using their phones (like my 70yo mother) so I had to manage the tickets. But the ride was delightful overall. We experienced both inside seating and the outside seating - the outside seating was more thrilling and more popular but made my mother a bit nervous, just fyi. We were so grateful not to be walking those hills!

The cable car was fun not just because it's iconic and saves you from all the hills, but the people that work it are kind and patient, helpful and funny and made the experience 100X better than expected. It was definitely worth it!

Cable car workers are courteous and informative. They are very good representatives/ambassadors for the city of San Francisco!

Very badly run service. They clearly oversell tickets, resulting in 2+ hour lines, and it’s impossible to get on in the middle stops, so it was a waste of money to buy a daily ticket. If they aren’t even going to bother to stop at the interim stops, they should just close them…
Greedy and poorly run attraction, wouldn’t bother unless you have lots of time to spare.

On our ride with cablecar, we had a bad experiment with the employees: both of them were quitte harsh, giving orders to passengers , not always easy to understand, like "move forward" or "don't stay here", even pushing us, and we were forbidden to take pictures outside on the way!
We decided to leave, and wait for the next car...
This is not a way to deal with tourists.

Every time I come here, I can always feel the vitality and charm of this city. Especially in such beautiful weather, taking a cable car through the streets of San Francisco and feeling the breeze on your face is a unique experience. The little blessings in life are found in these simple yet special moments. ❤️

Donald needs a raise!! So helpful, funny, and made the ride so enjoyable!! Gotta love people like him!! Safe friends and fun way to get around! Took daily!

Must do while visiting in San Francisco! It was our main transportation other than walking. It has two routes and gives many stops to visit most of the tourist destinations. Very reasonable and good use of time.

We paid $41 per person for 7 day ticket, and could almost NEVER use it !
It is always so packed that either you have to wait good 30min to get on one or take an Uber as we had to eventually…
The frequency is way off the demand and it takes ages for a cablecar that got to its final stop to restart its journey in the opposite direction.

Bottom line - HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED !

Deterioration in service of this iconic cable car …just takes tourists for granted , no wonder Fisherman’s Wharf so quiet now..staff don’t seem to care …awful , don’t join at bottom of Powell …

You can't visit San Francisco and not ride on a cable car. The cable cars are iconic and it's quite exhilarating to stand on the side platform as you travel up and down the steep streets of the city. I personally like the Powell/Hyde line that takes you from Union Square to near Fisherman's Wharf. There is usually a wait if you queue at either end of the line. However, you can board at many designated stops along the line. Maybe we got lucky but as we were walking to Powell and Market to board at the cable car turnaround, we were able to hop on one at Powell and Geary not long after it had left the turn around. $8 for a single ride but $13 for an all day pass that also includes riding on the historic street cars along the Embarcadero. You need to get the App and purchase your pass online but it's easy.

Had fun,used to get up and down the hills. Hard on old people. Cable car attendants were great. We learned how to make the best for us.

If you are travelling along the Powell and Mason line at the end of the line, be prepared to wait for quite a while! Each trolley doesn't hold many, and they run every 10-15 minutes. Many times the in-between stops did not have any room on the trolley to pick up any more passengers. Almost all of the trolley engineers were very nice and helpful to the tourists.

Abysmal customer service are very rude you can wait until more than 2 hours if there are many people are not friendly.. I would ask them to treat better the customers we pay for their service

We went with my daughter standing at the beginning of everything.
In my case it was a return to childhood that reminded me of some bus trips.
The truth is that it is something dangerous (if you fall you will hit yourself badly) that is not widely understood as they allow it in the US, but it is inevitable to take the risk.
Highly recommended

Please do not misguide us by giving good reviews or we may end loosing our trust on trip advisor. It’s not worth. Waste of time. We waited for 2 hours at fishermen wharf just to get in. It was chill and windy to stand with kids and elders. Staff are arrogant and least bothered. Total miss management.

We ride the Cable Cars at least once every San Francisco Vacation. They are a San Francisco Institution. The breeze in your face the sound of the bells, they are a Must Do, to ride them.

Rode the cable cars a couple of times today. Seated once and also a standing journey. Loved every minute. All the staff were so helpful.

A day pass for $13…. Bargain …. Managed about 4 rides during the day most of them on the running boards… although spent a long time waiting … rides left the stations around every 20mins … away from the main stations no formation of a queue so can be a race for a seat !

I believe the men that work for the cable cars are very unhappy with the clients, if rude was their motto, they earned it. From the guys sitting in the office to the driver. I was so looking forward to riding on the cable car but they ruined the experience.

I think it's just another San Francisco attack, I doubt the inhabitants will use it. 8$ each way that is not very long in its journey. We made the one from Powel Street to Fisherwharf..about 20min .The best thing is how beautiful their cars are and that you can take some spectacular photos. Tip to be at 8 o'clock in Powel station to not have queues because then there are endless queues... it is also easy to see the change of direction. We pay with the clipper card..once done the journey 1 time enough for the experience..

Get on the cable car trolley around 9-9:30am at Fisherman's Wharf area if you don't want a long line-up. From the cruise Pier 27 we walked about 20 minutes to the Powell/Mason Street Cable Car turn-around. Pay the $8 fee by credit card using the vending machine, or use exact cash as the machine doesn't give change.

There are 2 areas to sit on the cable car, both with limited seats – wooden benches both inside and outside. The trolley does stop along its route which ends at Market Street so when people get on at these stops, they may block your view. Photo-taking from the interior seats is difficult. The trolley goes through different SF neighborhoods, but there is no commentary. When we arrived at the Market Street turn-around just after 10am (a 20 minute ride) there were amazingly long line-ups for both cable car routes. The ride seems to be over very quickly and going up and down the SF hills isn't scary. After the ride, it is easy to take a bus or street car (only $1.50 srs rate) along Market Street to any location within the city or walk a few blocks to Macy’s department store and other shops.

I am appalled at this service. Such an iconic thing to do in SF. Was met with long queues, rude obnoxious staff who were extremely bad mannered not only to me but many other travellers. Lack of communication, staff just stood around doing nothing. So disappointed it was disgraceful, the worst customer service and experience I have had for a very long time.

Loved every minute of our ride on these wonderful antique cars. We saw so much of the wonderful city and it's architecture.

San Francisco was amazing and remains one of my favorite cities. So much to do there and the vibe is so great. We stayed near Union Square, which as I've found in the past, is a convenient place to stay. We did a lot of walking but also used the cable cars; if you use the latter, the passes either one day or three are the way to go as individual rides are expensive. Passes can be purchased at the turn around spots at the end of the line. My cousin lives there so he gave me a guided tour of the town, which was fun as he has lived there his whole life, and also drove me out to Sonoma to do some wine tasting. Be sure to see the Golden Gate Bridge and the museums and gardens in Golden Gate Park, such as the DeYoung Art Museum and the Japanese garden. We ate in places around town like Japantown and North Beach for Italian food.

Took my sister to San Francisco to visit a cable car driver friend of my sister and took a look around San Francisco.

Very professional drivers - a great way to see a lot of the city. Efficient service and run regularly

Rose was an excellent guide! I especially loved how she incorporated women’s role in Cable car history. It was very compelling, and I would recommend it for locals and tourists.

if you have lots and lots of pations to waite in line its nice.
But dont count om a ride back bevandret the cars are full om the way down

Easy to hop on and off, and yes, totally worth it. Most of the tram cities just replaced those with state of the art trams, San Fran seemed to see and keep these vibes instead.

This is an iconic thing to do in San Francisco, so you gotta do it but man you better pack your patience because this was so disorganized and crowded when we went. I recommend first that you download and buy your pass thru the muni mobile app. We bought a one day muni + cable car pass, for $14 a person and this gives you hop on hop off access to ride any line. I do recommend you don't activate the pass until you get to the turntable. Reason being we activated our passes at the hotel only to get to the turntable on the Blue Line(Hyde/Powell) and the cable car line was broken and was down pretty much the rest of the day and the staff was so unfriendly and unhelpful. So we walked to the (Powell/Mason Line) and the line was so very long. When the cable car pulls up its disorganized Chaos trying to board and you're packed on there like a Sardine and possibly pick up more people at the next stop. The actual ride was fun and a good way to see some of the city. When you get to the end of the line you have to deboard and wait in line again to get back on the cable car. The actual cable car ride is only approx 16 minutes but this was 3 hours for us waiting before, riding & waiting to come back so plan accordingly, because we didn't.
The next day we rushed over to try and ride the blue line since it was broke the day before and the line again was so long, so we walked to the next stop to wait and the cable car was so full the first time, we couldn't get on and had to wait for the next one (this was still quicker then the turntable wait, but we had to stand inside so you have to take what you can get. Half way thru this ride the operator incorrectly applied the brake and we got stuck in the middle of the street and had to wait for a truck from headquarters to come push us. Needless to say we didn't ride the cable car back and called it a day on the cable car ride

We purchased tickets using the metro app, they are $8 each one-way. We originally planned to board at the Powell station stop in the morning but were told it would be a one + hour wait. We didn't want to waste time there so we took the F line street car instead to Pier 39. At the end of our day, we went to Hyde Street station near Ghirardelli Square. It was still a 1h 15m wait but we had already seen everything we wanted to see and there was ample area to sit down here. We looked at it like waiting for a Disney ride more than waiting for public transportation. I activated my ticket while in line in the Metro app, by the time I boarded it had expired but the conductor was ok with it. The ride was worth the wait, watching the conductor drive this old-world contraption and feeling the acceleration and braking going up and down the steep hills while hanging out the side of the car was an experience we will never forget, and hopefully, something my kids will someday bring their own kids back for.

It was a bit of a wait but worth experiencing.
You see it in the movies and then you can do it yourself.
Manually turning the car is also interesting to see.

The ride itself was a bit of fun, trundling up and down the famous hilly streets. The attitude of the staff was fairly indifferent. One chap (beanie king, anyone?) was particularly smart-mouthed. Thought he was witty by denigrating people for their questions. Wasn't funny, just offensive. And he didn't answer the questions!
We are tourists from out of town. We ask questions. The king needs some serious training in public relations and common courtesy, or perhaps kept in the back office out of harm's way.

For a tourist attraction the Cable Cars are very disappointing to me.... They should drive every 8 - 10 minutes, but that is really not the case. I waited an hour at a stop, 2 Cable Cars passed by and they drove on, because they were too full. Cable cars drive when the driver feels like it.... at powel/market there are 6 cars waiting, at boarding points tourists are waiting, but drive from the end point? No way, yeah, just a little bit and they'll be full when they get to the next stop. Same from end point jefferson/hyde (very busy). No timetable to be found, they just drive..... DO NOT buy a day ticket, you are allowed 45/60 minutes at the end stop, the bus / metro with clipper card (2.50 for 1.5 hour Trips) is faster and cheaper. Buy a ride and go to California street & van Ness avenue, get on there with a single ride (payable by clipper card), drive along to the other end point, that's faster.

The depot museum is also really cool. Something unique for technology fans. A tip: don't wait in line for several hours on Powel St., but get on the train along the way. The people accompanying you usually allow it. And chatting to the brakeman is an experience.

Must do represents the past and present of the city. Getting on the step is not dangerous and you can see the full extent of the descents and upslopes of the streets. You can see the machinery still handmade today, a little happiness. Ticket for $8. It reminds us for the oldest the soap opera the streets of San Francisco.....

Amazing!
Grab câble car at Powell and Market street, you will see the end of the Line and also the manual Line turnover by the operator.

If possible get a ride but stay on the open section of the car. The ride won’t be the same,

If you can, wait for the câble car going to powell&Hyde, you will be able to reach Lombard street and the view is amazing!

Very good experience to see the steep streets as they did 150 years ago.
Be careful when buying tickets online.
There is an office/kiosk next to the metro, better there.
100% worth it
We stopped at Flower Street and walked down it, then it leaves you at the pier and taking a walk next to the sea is very relaxing.

We rented a car at SeaTac Washington from Budget. We had prepaid for the rental indicating we did not need insurance. When we got to the desk, after waiting in a long line for 45 minutes, we told the rep we wanted no insurance. We had prepaid 1800. We had also indicated no insurance when we reserved the car online. When we signed the contract at the counter the amount indicated 1800. There was a caveat that it was “approximate”. After returning the car we received an emailed final bill that was $599 additional amount for insurance. Called their customer service who said we “signed a contract” where it was checked that we authorized insurance and nothing could be done. Tried to get corporate phone and/or speak to supervisor with no result. Ultimately Budget sent an email after we submittied a written complaint saying we were being given the refund because of our long wait in line, not because of the deceptive and fraudulent charge. I will NEVER use Budget again. We’ve submitted complaints to BetterBusinessBureau and to Washington Consumer Affairs. Beware of this company.

What a wonderful day riding all routes on the cable cars
Walking around areas at the end of each loop
Hanging on the side as we travelled along
So cheap and great way to see the city

Driver friendly

Always a queue if you are willing to wait for an outside seat or side rail to stand

Iconic. It’s a must do. If you can, try and hang from the side. It was a blast. It’s $8 per rider. There is an electronic machine that takes your credit card. When riding, ride the entire length of the route. If you can, position yourself on the outside so the you can hang over the street as you traverse the city.

Biggest negative….. the wait. We were there Memorial Day weekend. There was a long line of people waiting to get on. On top of that, a cable car will leave the turnaround every 30 minutes. We unexpectedly waited an hour. However, there is a Starbucks and a bathroom next to the turnaround at Bay and Taylor…. so the wait wasn’t as bad.

Cool experience but operators have the personality of shoe leather. It's a burden for them to be here. Grumpy, short with riders.

Bought a Muni pass for 7 days, even though we were only in San Francisco for 4 days. It paid for it's self over, just for riding on the Cable trolleys lol.

If you can, travel as early as possible to avoid the queues but whenever you travel, get on the outside seats and the RHS is best for views on the Powell/Hyde and Powell Mason lines.

We hopped on cable car about 3 blocks from the hotel (cars starts its first travel at 7:30 AM) and then down to the Fisherman’s Warf.
Wow the cable car ride ($8 PP) was a hoot. It was interesting for Tom to watch the driver disengage from one running cable to the next at flat intersection locations. Tom was at the front of the car and needless to say; videoed much of the action.
The bottom of the hill for the car’s turnaround was right at the entrance to the National Maratime park.

During my trip to California, one of the most delightful experiences was riding the iconic San Francisco cable cars. These historic cars are not just a mode of transportation but a moving piece of history, offering an incredible way to explore the city and its stunning surroundings.

The cable cars took me up and down San Francisco’s famous steep streets, offering breathtaking views of the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city’s unique skyline. The clang of the bell, the open-air ride, and the thrill of climbing those steep inclines made for an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. Every turn revealed a new perspective of the vibrant city, from colorful Victorian houses to bustling waterfront areas.

The history of the cable cars added an extra layer of appreciation. Learning about their origin in the late 19th century and their significance as a National Historic Landmark gave me a deeper connection to the experience. They’re a testament to innovation and perseverance, surviving earthquakes and modernization efforts.

Whether it was hanging onto the side for a classic photo or just soaking in the views, riding the cable cars was pure joy. It’s a must-do for anyone visiting San Francisco and wanting to experience the city’s charm in a unique and fun way.

Too much waıtıng, too slow, especially children bored. I advıce not spent your money. Waste of time. Queu is too long...

Just a little inside tip we found out too late. After getting our tickets we waited for our trolley car. There were plenty of cars waiting. They only send them out every 20 minutes, so although the lines aren't long, it takes forever to load and the trolleys to depart.

While we were on the Cable car, it stopped and people got on, standing on the outside and holding on. Apparently, you are able to hop on and hop off at specific locations along the route. They are marked with a brown sign. After they take you to the last stop, you have to get off and wait on that long and slow line again. We got off at the last stop and starting walking along the route. We were able to hop on the next Cable car and made it back so much faster- Wish someone would have told us that in the beginning.

The wait for the Powell line (at Market St) was well over an hour at 10am so we chose to ride the California line. At 2pm (near the Ferry building) there was no line and tickets were only $5 - saved both time and money for a similar, if not, same experience. Great experience,even if you have to wait. We also went to the cable car museum (not the railway museum) to learn how the cable cars work. Well worth the walk and if was free.