Tours in Emeryville

With Janis Joplin's raspy vocals slicing through its speakers, and a costumed guide at its helm, the Magic Bus cruises into the 1960s as it captivates riders with a groovy comparison of San Francisco's past and present. Over the course of a two-hour trip, iconic neighborhoods and city landmarks pour through the bus's windows, which, at various stops, get covered by retractable video screens that flicker with historic images. Tour takers sing along to classic tunes as the bus rolls through Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, and Haight-Ashbury, famous for its role during the Summer of Love, and later, during the notorious crossing guard strike of 1982. Aside from public tours, the Magic Bus opens its tie-dyed doors to private parties and corporate charters.

Segway of Oakland harbors a fleet of off-road Segway x2s and street-friendly Segway i2s, which renters mount for city tours, lessons, and offsite events. Both tours and lessons begin with a video overview of segway basics to acquaint the rider and the ridden. Two-hour tours then traverse the city, with guides sharing historical tidbits on Oakland’s oak-ruled past on a route that hits Jack London Square, the downtown sector, and the shores of Lake Merritt. Two-hour group lessons jet through skill-building exercises in parking lots and on bike paths. After building confidence, students graduate to higher speeds and more varied terrains, such as bridges and grassy fields, and lessons culminate in an independent ride. Segway of Oakland can also enrich team-building events for companies or exceptionally competitive families with segway demonstrations.

Bay City Bike's three locations in Fisherman's Wharf serve as the brick-and-mortar trailheads for bikers looking to cruise through the scenic streets and notable sites of San Francisco and the Bay Area. From each location, cyclists can ask staffers for directions to a number of scenic routes, including a path that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge and crosses into Sausalito, mountain-bike trails through the Marin Headlands, or tours of historic locales such as the Palace of Fine Arts or the famed phone booth known for letting people teleport out of Alcatraz. Those who prefer to explore San Francisco by other modes of transit can sign up for tours via Go Cars, segways, and buses.

Blazing Saddles' rides whisk guests through California's rugged, oceanic beauty. Riders embark on self-guided expeditions atop the plush seats of a hybrid bike. On self-guided sightseeing tours, riders leisurely pedal through while following provided maps or their own ancient heirloom treasure maps.

There's nothing quite like a bicycle ride over rolling hillsides for shaking up the doldrums of daily idling. The shuttle bus will pick up bikeseekers between 8 and 9 a.m. and head across the Golden Gate Bridge toward wine country. Upon arrival, the guided bike ride begins, and you'll hop from winery to winery like a king on a checkerboard. All the tour guides are trained sommeliers with craniums filled with wine knowledge—and possibly wine. Sample varietals aperitifs along the course of the journey and stop for a delightful picnic lunch among the vineyards. The shuttle bus will follow along to carry anything purchased at the wineries or to assist thoroughly tuckered trekkers. Daytrippers are returned to the city by 7 p.m., in time to share the sunset with a lucky loved one—a girlfriend, a husband, a bottle of wine wearing a wig, etc. Purchase up to four of today's deal and invite friends, family, or a group of beloved strangers to join the journey. If you want to bring a friend along who doesn't possess a Groupon, that person will get 20% off the tour.