Marin County Tours:

 

Parks & Open Space Sites of Marin County:

Marin Department of Parks and Open Space- Make a Reservation for a picnic or Tour of Marin's great open spaces and parks, like Muir Woods, Pt. Reyes Seashore, China Camp State Park, McNears Beach, and many others! Guided Tours offered as well as Hikes!

    *For info and to make Reservations, go to website: http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/PK/main/index.cfm

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Alternative Tours

San Francisco Electric Tour Company / Segway Tours
757 Beach Street
San Francisco, CA 94113
415-474-3130
www.electrictourcompany.com

The San Francisco Electric Tour Company offers fun-filled tours of the world's most beautiful city on the world's most unique transportation device: the Segway! Whether you're an adventurous single looking for an unusual way to experience San Francisco/Sausalito or a parent with children over 12 years old trying to keep the family entertained on vacation, you'll love the unforgettable experience of riding a Segway.

 

Blue Waters Kayaking
12944 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Inverness, CA 94933
415-669-2600
www.bwkayak.com

Blue Waters Kayaking is your outdoor activity resource for the West Marin area. We offer kayaking tours, hiking tours, as wells as specialized camping, birding and oyster tours and catered events. Some of our tours include camping tours, oyster tastings, Tomales Bay harvest feasts, and Thai food on the Bay. Please visit our website for planned tours and costs.

We can custom design tours, retreats, and parties and outings for friends, families, business groups, schools, clubs and non-profit organizations.

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Whale Watching:

   * The California gray whale migration is best viewed from the Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin (you can get here by car), or from a boat trip to the Farallon Islands.

Come whale watching in San Francisco and see Humpback Whales, Blue Whales, Killer Whales, Great White Sharks, Dall’s Porpoise, White sided dolphins and many more.

For the bird watching fan you may spot sea birds like the Common Murre, Parasitic Jaegers, Pelicans, Oystercatchers and Cormorants.  Rare species of pelagic birds such as the Tufted Puffin, Black-footed or Layson’s Albatross, Cassins Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklets, Western and Clarks Grebes, Northern Fulmar, Phalaropes, & different species of Shearwaters are often seen!  

You might even get to see one of the most respected and awesome creatures of all, the Great White Shark!!

Peak months are January through March, when it is not uncommon to see up to 100 whales each day. 

 

     Offered Whale Watching Tours:

• Oceanic Society Expeditions:  website: www.oceanic-society.org  -Oceanic Society's, Farallon Islands, Nature Cruises.

    Non-Profit group offers expert Naturalist-Led Excursions expeditions to see Humbacks, Blue Whales, Dolphins, Seals, Sea Lions & Seabirds off of the Farralon Islands.  San Francisco Departures are mid May thru November, every Saturday & Sunday.  $105. per person.

    For Reservations: 415 474-3385 or on-line at Acteva.com

• Farallones Marine Sanctuary for more information.

            Website:  http://farallones.org/explore/whale_watching.php

• California Whale Adventures:

            Leaves from Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco at 7.30AM - Fri,Sat,Sun
                Website: http://www.sanfranciscowhalewatching.com/index.ht

 

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Bird Watching:

Marin is well known for its bird watching.  Preserving and protecting land known for migration and essential habitat environments has kept this area on the list for known bird watching.  Some of the preserves listed have regular tours going on year round, others only during peak migrating season.  Please explore the following links:

• Audubon Canyon Ranch
• Golden Gate Raptor Observatory

• Marin Nature Adventures —All Marin Nature Adventures are led by certified naturalists Sharon 'Heron' Barnett and Kevin Stockmann. We offer fun-filled guided Hikes, Tide Pooling, Bird Watching, Bicycling, Mountain Bike Tours, Nature Birthday Parties and other Natural History Programs in beautiful Marin County, California.

• Marin Trails—A guide to the great outdoors in Marin, including the seven best places to view birds.

• Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association
• Friends of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• Golden Gate Audubon Society
• Point Reyes National Seashore Association—Discover the magic of Pt. Reyes with seminars, field trips, classes and nature camps.

• Tiburon Audubon Sanctuary—A beautiful jewel on Richardson Bay in Tiburon. The primary focus is to serve as a local environmental education facility, and to provide a habitat preserve for birds, migratory waterfowl and other wildlife. Comprised of 11 acres of varied terrain and 900 acres of submerged lands, the Center supports a variety of ecosystems making it a diverse and engaging outdoor classroom.

• WildCare & Terwilliger Nature Education—WildCare is a unique organization located in Marin County, California. Cares for ill, orphaned or injured wild animals—returning them to the wild. Helping children, and adults, learn how to make room for our forest and shoreline friends within our environment.

 

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Salmon Spawning on Lagunitas Watershed:   http://spawnusa.org/index.html

    Naturalists will lead explorations along Lagunitas and San Geronimo Creeks in Marin County to look for spawning coho salmon and other protected streamside species. You'll learn about the ecology of Marin's magnificent coho salmon, our local streams, and what you can do to help restore local watersheds.

    WHEN:  2 TOURS DAILY between November 15th - January 18th

               Saturdays and Sundays at 10 am and 1 pm.

                SPAWN group is also organizing special trips on weekdays over the thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays!

                Check out the calendar of trips and reserve you space: 
                    *schedule: https://treesfoundation.org/cgi-priv/CreekWalks.pl

                    *email: Creekwalk@SpawnUSA.org,

                    *call: (415) 663-8590 ×207.

    WHERE: Lagunitas Creek watershed, West Marin County.

    COST: $10 for adults, $4 for kids, FREE to SPAWN members ($35 for a family membership)

            No one is ever turned away for lack of funds

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Walking Tours  

 

Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center
Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael, CA  94903
415-499-7009
www.c.marin.ca.us

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marin County Civic Center is a national- and state-designated historic landmark. One-hour docent-led tours of the Civic Center are offered every Wednesday at 10:30 am, leaving from the second floor Gift Shop, Room 233. The cost is $5 per person and no reservations are required. Groups of ten or more can arrange a private docent tour by calling the Visitor Services Office at 415.499.7009.

 

Golden Gate Bridge
Dial 511 (within the Bay area)
415-455-2000 (outside the Bay area)
www.goldengatebridge.org/visitors

A trip to Marin County wouldn’t be complete without a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. This historic bridge, which is 1.7 miles long, was opened to vehicular traffic on May 28, 1937. Pedestrians and bicyclists may access the bridge sidewalks during daylight hours. Five acres of manicured gardens on the southeast side of the bridge allow visitors to wander along paths to view the bridge from different perspectives.

 

 

 

 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area / Marin Headlands  
Marin Headlands Visitor Center
Fort Barry, Building 948
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-331-1540
www.nps.gov/goga/marin-headlands.htm

Whether you are a visitor to the Bay Area or a lifelong resident, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) offers you experiences you can find nowhere else.  The national park area has some work renowned destinations – Alcatraz and Muir Woods, for example – as well as some places where you might not encounter another human being.  Since 1972 GGNRA has grown to more than 75,000  acres, including beaches (Muir and Stinson), Marin Headlands, Muir Woods, and many hiking and biking venues  that are scattered to the north and south of the Golden Gate Bridge.  To download a map of trails and beaches, please visit: http://home.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/maps.htm

 

  

Historic Downtown San Rafael Walking Tours
1125 B Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-454-8538
www.marinhistory.org

Join a walking tour with the Marin History Museum and discover the history of San Rafael's colorful downtown area.  Walking tours are guided on the 3rd Saturday of the month from May through September.  Beginning at 10 a.m., tours start from the historic Boyd Gate House, 1125 B Street, San Rafael.  Connect with the past as you learn about San Rafael’s pioneer families while viewing the estates of Robert Dollar and Louise Boyd.   Learn about San Rafael's Mission, Carnegie Library, The Belrose Theater, and other 19th century buildings.   Tours last about an hour and are free to museum members, $5 to non-members.  Wear sensible walking shoes and bring your hat and sunscreen! 

 

San Rafael City Walking Tours
415-454-4163
www.sanrafaelchamber.com

The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce publishes a brochure describing five self-guided walking tours of historic homes and buildings throughout the city. The five tours include: Downtown San Rafael, the Mission and Early Mansions, the West End, the Gerstle Park area, and the Dominican area. Walking tour brochures are available at the Marin County Visitors Bureau or at the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, 817 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, California.

San Rafael Tree Tours
415-721-4374
www.sanrafaelchamber.com

Marin ReLeaf, a non-profit organization dedicated to urban forestry, has produced an unusual walking tour of downtown San Rafael focused on specimens of trees that are not regularly seen in Marin County. Tree Tour brochures are available at the Marin County Visitors Bureau or at the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, 817 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, California.

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Agricultural Tours:

    Marin’s farmers and ranchers define sustainability — from diversifiying their production, to operating retail businesses, to going organic.     Visit them at: www.malt.org/hp/hikestours.htm

 

Everyone is welcomed to this special opportunity.

Every Monday at 4:00 pm, the Marin Organic Glean Team harvests extras from the fields of Marin Organic farms for the Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program, enabling kids throughout Marin to eat local organic foods at camps and schools. Come meet your local farmers. Get your hands dirty. Join in the fun!

Every Sunday from now until the end of October, the gates will be open to the ranch for U Pick Apples. Each Sunday there will be a new bunch of apple varieties ripe and ready for picking. The varieties include Orin, Pinova, Mollys, Delicious, Zesta, Arkansas Black and Mustzu, among others. The trees are on dwarfing rootstock, making picking the apples easy for all ages.
In addition to picking apples, visitors may buy eggs from free range chickens, talk to Mike about ordering grass fed beef, visit and pet the farm animals, and rest on a bale of hay in the large, cool dairy barn.

Mike and Sally ask that you call ahead and let them know you are coming at 707-765-6664.

5105 Chileno Valley Road,  Petaluma, CA 94952
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Clark Summit Farm Tour

2nd Saturday of every month-  Clark Summit Farm, Tomales -  Open to all Ages, light hiking is involved.

Come and meet the happiest barnyard animals. Pigs that roll over to get their bellies rubbed, guinea hens roaming free, chickens luxuriating in green pastures, throw in some people-friendly guard dogs, and a couple of goat kids, and you've got a typical visit to Clark Summit.
Cost: FREE! But you may want to come prepared to purchase some eggs and other farm specialties.

Pre-Registration is REQUIRED, email liz@clarksummitfarm.com or call Liz & Dan 707.876.3516 to register as well as to get directions to their homestead.

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Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT)
P.O. Box 809
Pt. Reyes Station, CA 94956
415-663-1158
www.malt.org
 Bay Area Green Business


Our hikes, tours, and talks visit some of the farmers and ranchers profiled in the book Marin Farm Families—Stories & Recipes. Their lives revolve around the rhythms and tempos of Marin agriculture. Some are ranchers with thousands of acres of land and a legacy spanning three or four generations; others are first-generation growers leasing land and making their own history, one day at a time. Proceeds benefit MALT's work of preserving Marin County farmland.

 

Best Extra-Virgin Experience
After a pretty drive out where Petaluma starts flirting with rural Marin, walk among McEvoy Ranch's organically grown olive trees, see the herd of sheep responsible for mowing and fertilizing the orchards, gawk at hulking, shiny European machinery (the frantoio, or olive mill, came all the way from Italy) and eventually taste the oozy, golden- and emerald-hued olive oils (including the sensory-awakening Olio Nuovo) that make McEvoy a favorite among chefs and food geeks. The catch: McEvoy offers a very limited number of tours each year, and at $15 a pop, they fill up quickly. www.mcevoyranch.com. --S.B.

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Tours of Marin County, Historical & Architectural:

Marin County Civic Center - Created by masterpiece architect, Frank Lloyd Wright - San Rafael, California.

The Marin Civic Center is a Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural wonder.  The building is a national and state designated historical landmark.  Rumour has it that George Lucas visited this site frequently and that it was inspiration for his "Star Wars" ships and buildings

* Tours are given every wednesday at 10:30am.  Check-in 5 min's early at the second floor Gift Shop, room 233 for the tour.  The cost is $5 per person .  No reservations are required. 

* Groups of ten or more can arrange a private docent tour by calling the Visitor Services Office at (415) 499-7009.

Museums:

     Marin History Museum
    1125 B Street, San Rafael, CA 94901  (415) 454-8538  Hours:  11am–4pm, Tuesday – Friday and 2nd & 3rd Saturdays of each month

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Chartered Tours

 
Bay & Delta Charters/Empress Events
3020 Bridgeway Blvd., Suite 27
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-332-3291
www.empressevents.com

Yacht charters on the spectacular San Francisco Bay is more than just a boat rental. Empress Events provides individuals and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area with elegant Bay cruises on yachts for any occasion.  Whether a yacht wedding cruise or rehearsal dinner, special birthday party or corporate event, relaxing sunset cruise or holiday party boat, a private affair aboard one of our classic luxury yachts will be a truly memorable way to explore the SF Bay on luxury bay cruises.                                              

 

 

Extranomical Adventures
690 5th Street, Ste. 205
San Francisco, CA 94107
866-231-3752
www.extranomical.com

Extranomical Adventures is a San Francisco sightseeing tour company that specializes in tours for people that generally do not like to take tours. Our clientele is very independent and likes to venture to places where most tour companies do not. Due to the small size of our groups, our tours offer a distinct "traveling with friends" feel where most people interact with each other and we are able to visit locations larger vehicles do not; for example the Muir Woods Expedition is a fully narrated semi private tour. This is the Muir Woods tour that spends the most time in the forest!

 

Hornblower Yachts
Pier 3, San Francisco, CA
888-467-6256
415-438-8300
www.hornblower.com

Hornblower has been hosting memorable events for over two decades.  Whether you’re hosting a corporate affair, wedding or social event, Hornblower can accommodate any special occasion from 2 to 2,200 guests.  With iconic views like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the San Francisco Skyline along-side gourmet cuisine prepared fresh onboard a luxury yacht, this event will surpass all of your guest expectations. Hornblower will take care of every detail, so you can relax, enjoy and take all the credit for arranging an event to remember. Contact our charter sales department to start planning your one of a kind event on the Bay at 415-438-8300.

Marin Charter & Tours
415-256-8830
www.marinairporter.com/charterinfo.html

Marin Airporter offers charter bus service for groups large and small.  We carry corporate groups, private parties, school groups, and tour and travel companies.  Whether you need transportation for an evening in San Francisco, or a tour of the Western States, we have been providing safe, professional travel for over 30 years.  Please call out office for quotes and information.