Sausalito.
You step off the Golden Gate Ferry at Humboldt Bank, smelling wet timber, eucalyptus, and diesel exhaust. The hillside climbs steeply behind Bridgeway, lined with cedar-shingled houses held up by concrete stilts and sheer nerve. Sausalito was built by boatbuilders and bohemians in the wake of the World War II shipyards. Today it is a working harbor town where fog rolls off the Marin Headlands, gulls fight over discarded fish skins, and the bay water slaps against old creosote pilings.
Last updated 22 Aug 2026
Specify Your Lenses — Choose Up To 4
Lenses updated 22 Aug 20260 / 4 selected
Multi-Town Trip
Browse saved trips →Stringing several towns together? Add Sausalito to a route, keep browsing, and save the whole thing as one shareable trip.
Your Route
Nothing added yet. Your route builds up as you add towns.
The Local Record
Where to read more about Sausalito
The blogs, boards, guides and operators worth bookmarking.
What to do in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Sausalito hugs a narrow strip of shoreline between steep green ridges and the open bay. Most visitors linger on the downtown boardwalk, but the real life of the town sits in the working marinas of Marinship and the quiet residential blocks along Caledonia Street. It suits travelers who appreciate working waterfronts, brisk marine air, mid-century design, and walking uphill without a tour bus in sight.
24 hours in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Arrive on the morning ferry from the Ferry Building. Walk north to Caledonia Street for a coffee, then continue to Harbor Drive for whole roasted crab at Fish. Spend the afternoon exploring the floating homes at Gate 6 before taking an evening stool at the No Name Bar. Select 1 Day above to see it.
2 days in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
A second day lets you climb the Excelsior stairs into the residential hills and hike out toward Fort Baker. Lunch on fish tacos near the marina, then spend the afternoon inspecting ceramics at the Heath factory before dinner along the water on Bridgeway. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
3 days in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
With three days, venture beyond town into the Marin Headlands. Drive Conzelman Road early to miss the crowds, spend midday under the old-growth canopy in Muir Woods, and return to Sausalito for sourdough pizza and cold local beer away from the tourist ferries.
Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States itineraries by interest
Local Seafood in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Order cracked Dungeness crab, Manila clams in garlic broth, and local petrale sole at Fish. on Harbor Drive, where the daily catch board lists the exact boat name.
Maritime History in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Walk the working docks of Marinship, where liberty ships were assembled round-the-clock in 1942, now home to custom wooden boatwrights and repair sheds.
Houseboat Communities in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Explore the boardwalks of Issaquah and Galilee Harbors, where artists and retired sailors have lived on hand-built floating homes since the late 1940s.
Coastal Walks in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Follow the shoreline path along Bridgeway from downtown to Fort Baker, catching views of the Golden Gate bridge framing the southern fog line.
Craft Traditions in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Visit the Heath Ceramics factory on Gate 5 Road, pressing and glazing stoneware tiles and dinnerware on original mid-century kilns since 1959.
Hiking in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Climb the steep public staircases up the hillside to the Morning Sun Trail, leading directly into the scrub oak and coastal chaparral of the Marin Headlands.
Casual Dining in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Grab a burger cooked on a rotating grill at the historic counter of Hamburgers on Bridgeway, or grab sourdough sandwiches at Driver's Market on Caledonia.
Modern Art in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Wander the industrial warehouse studios around Gate 5, home to the Industrial Center Building artists who keep Sausalito's post-war creative scene alive.
Road Trips in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Drive ten minutes north along Highway 101 to connect with Shoreline Highway, winding through Mill Valley and up toward the redwoods of Muir Woods.
Waterfront Bars in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Pull up a stool at the No Name Bar on Bridgeway, serving draft Anchor beers with live jazz since 1959 in a dimly lit, unpretentious backroom patio.
Scenic Viewpoints in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Drive up to Hawk Hill or Vista Point along Conzelman Road at dusk, watching the San Francisco skyline light up across the cold tidal current of the bay.
Cycling in Sausalito San Francisco Bay Area United States
Rent a bicycle to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco into Sausalito, descending into town via Alexander Avenue before catching the ferry back.