Overview
Sausalito is a unique and picturesque community, perched on a hillside between the San Francisco Bay and the Marin Headlands. Since it's across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, it makes a great trip by bike, ferry, bus, or car, for a good meal, a visit to an art studio, and views of the city from across the bay.
2 sights · 5 things to do · 9 places to eat · 3 bars & cafés · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Sausalito
Bay Model Visitor Center
The US Army Corps of Engineers used to use this hydraulic scale model of the San Francisco Bay and California Delta to study the hydrology of the area. It was instrumental in proving that the Reber Plan, an attempt to fi…
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Hands-on children's museum with lots of environments to play in. Perhaps locally most beloved for the Bay Hall, a play area themed after the San Francisco Bay, including a pretend fishing boat and toy shipping containers…
Artwalk
Every 2nd Wednesday of the month you can tour art studios and galleries along Bridgeway.
Captain Kirk's San Francisco Sailing
Harbor Dive Center
Sausalito Art Festival
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 72°F; winter lows dip to about 44°F. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby San Francisco)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- OAK Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Oakland — 17 mi away (major hub). Directions
- SFO San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco — 18 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sausalito has no airport of its own. Use one of the three bay area airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), or San Jose (SJC). From there you can get to Sausalito.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Bay Model Visitor Center, Artwalk
- Lunch Fred's Coffee Shop
- Afternoon Harbor Dive Center, Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour
- Dinner Fish
- Evening Caffe DiVino
Day 2
- Morning Bay Area Discovery Museum, Captain Kirk's San Francisco Sailing
- Lunch Poggio Trattoria
- Afternoon Sausalito Art Festival
- Dinner Sushi Ran
- Evening Poggio
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Sausalito is blessed with more fine restaurants than a town of 7,000 people should have. Whatever you're looking to eat, Sausalito probably has a restaurant serving it up. Beware the 'touristy' district, however. While there are a few genuinely good restaurants, there are also a fair number of establishments catering basic grub to tourists.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
Sausalito has no airport of its own. Use one of the three bay area airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), or San Jose (SJC). From there you can get to Sausalito.
By car
Sausalito is just over the Golden Gate Bridge (US 101) from San Francisco. Just take the first exit (Alexander Avenue) after crossing the bridge and follow it into town. If coming from the north, exit at the sign marked from Sausalito, turn left, and make your way down Bridgeway into town.
By ferry
Two ferry companies serve Sausalito:
Place Blue & Gold Fleet
Offers ferry service to/from Pier 41 in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. It is a 30-35 minute trip.
Place Golden Gate Ferries
Offers ferry service to/from the historic Ferry Building in San Francisco's Financial District. It is a 25 minute trip.
Both companies dock at Sausalito ferry terminal, located near the city center.
Go Sausalito Ferry Terminal
Ferries, especially late in the day, can be very crowded. If traveling with a large group, expect to not be able to all sit together unless you get there early.
By bike
A very popular activity for tourists in San Francisco is to hire a bike, cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then down into Sausalito. Planning this the previous day will make sure you arrive in Sausalito in time for brunch. If worn out from the ride, you can catch the ferry back to San Francisco; the ferries have lots of capacity to carry bikes. A map of the route is available from most bike hire places in San Francisco.
By bus
Sausalito is served by several Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit routes, including the 17 from San Rafael and Mill Valley, the 61 from Bolinas and Stinson Beach, and the 130 from San Rafael and San Francisco.
On foot
It's possible to reach Sausalito from Mill Valley and other parts of Marin by the Mill Valley/Sausalito Pathway, a trail for bikes and pedestrians.
It's also possible to walk to Sausalito from the Golden Gate Bridge (about 3 miles / 5 km), though the navigation is a bit tricky: after crossing the bridge from San Francisco, look for the staircase leading to a pedestrian underpass that goes under the bridge to the west side. From there, look for "Bay Trail" signs pointing to the Sausalito Ferry Terminal. Ignore the walking directions provided by Google Maps, which may send you to a busy road with no sidewalks. Once you get to the south end of Sausilito, there are easy pedestrian paths along the coast up into the center of town.
Get around
Most of the frequently visited waterfront area can be seen on foot and are within easy walking distance from the ferry landing. Make sure to head north on your walk along Bridgeway to Caledonia Street - it's full of great stores, restaurants, cafes and art studios.
Sausalito is also an easy town to bike in. A favorite local ride is to Sam's Restaurant in Tiburon for lunch or drinks on the huge (and very entertaining!) outdoor deck. It always seems to be sunny there, so bring your hat and sunscreen. Another not to be missed ride is from Sausalito to Mill Valley (hit the Depot for a great lunch) and on up any bike trail on Mt. Tamalpais.
Place Sausalito Mountain Bike Rental
See
See Bay Model Visitor Center
The US Army Corps of Engineers used to use this hydraulic scale model of the San Francisco Bay and California Delta to study the hydrology of the area. It was instrumental in proving that the Reber Plan, an attempt to fill in the bay with land reclamation, was a bad idea. Now after computer models have supplanted analog models, it is open to the public as a museum. Also contains an exhibit on Marin shipyards during the Pacific War.
See Bay Area Discovery Museum
Hands-on children's museum with lots of environments to play in. Perhaps locally most beloved for the Bay Hall, a play area themed after the San Francisco Bay, including a pretend fishing boat and toy shipping containers that you can load on toy boats with toy cranes.
Do
Do Artwalk
Every 2nd Wednesday of the month you can tour art studios and galleries along Bridgeway.
Do Sausalito Wooden Boat Tour (Nautical History Tours and Treasure Hunts)
In depth insider's tour of the historic Sausalito waterfront includes historic houseboats, World War II shipyards, art studios, Wooden Boat Center. Refreshments served at the end of the tour in the boat lettering shop next to the WWII shipways. Every weekend. Call to reserve.
Learn
Buy
Shop Five Star Station
A very eclectic shop filled with a range of historical hard to find and interesting pieces. A great place to buy great gifts or get your mind going for finding great gifts. Really fun shopping.
Shop Studio 333
Suite A. A hip gallery that offers a collection of work from over 25 local artists, including great furniture.
Eat
Sausalito is blessed with more fine restaurants than a town of 7,000 people should have. Whatever you're looking to eat, Sausalito probably has a restaurant serving it up. Beware the 'touristy' district, however. While there are a few genuinely good restaurants, there are also a fair number of establishments catering basic grub to tourists.
Eat Avatar's
Top-rated Indian-Mexican fusion cuisine. Sounds weird, but has a fanatical following.
Eat Fish
Excellent, very fresh, and well-prepared seafood. Fish is best enjoyed on a sunny day, al fresco on the large deck overlooking a fishing harbor on the north side of town. Despite being off the beaten path, Fish is always crowded on nice days. Cash only.
Eat Fred's Coffee Shop
Fred's is a Sausalito institution. Fred's has only 6 tables, each seating 4-6 people. You're most likely to be seated with others at 'your' table, which often leads to interesting conversations. One table at Fred's has a brass plaque reading "Stamtisch" which means regular's table. Anyone can sit there if a chair is free. For breakfast, the Fred's French toast is pretty amazing. For those who prefer something a little more spicy, ask for the "Coyote Special", which is a cheese omelette covered with chili.
Eat Lighthouse Cafe
Like Fred's, but less crazed and hectic.
Eat Poggio Trattoria
Founded by one of the creators of Il Fornaio (back when Il Fornaio was small and intimate), it is an upscale version and really special. All dishes are prepared with care and sauces have the deep, rich flavorful tastes. Menu changes a lot daily.
Eat Spinnaker
Fabulous bay views, seafood.
Eat Sushi Ran
One of the best sushi restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area, Sushi Ran serves up incredibly good and fresh sushi and modern Japanese cuisine. Received a Michelin star in October 2006.
Drink
Coffee
Drink Caffe DiVino
Sidewalk cafe, art shows, live jazz music, locals.
Drink Poggio
Sidewalk fine dining, fresh pasta on a menu that changes every day; does great coffee.
Drink Taste of Rome (formerly Caffe Trieste)
Always comes to mind for great San Francisco Bay Area Coffee, this is the Sausalito branch. Classic bicycle rider destination. Internet Wi-Fi, live jazz music, art shows, sidewalk tables.
Sleep
Stay Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa
On a hillside overlooking Richardson Bay and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The modern rooms are quiet, classy, comfortable and chic. The historic section of the hotel dates back to the late 1800s and has some "dream" rooms with fabulous views, and other hillside rooms, which may involve climbing many stairs. 3,000-square-foot spa and fitness center on premises.
Stay Cavallo Point Lodge
Built as an Army base called Fort Baker, this late 1800s base was decommissioned, given to the National Park Service, and commissioned as a hotel. Amenities include fine dining and a spa. Great location for views, right below and to the east of the Golden Gate Bridge. Has some rooms where walking and stair-climbing are required. Room service, bar, restaurant, and a spa.
Go next
Sausalito is beautiful, but it's also quite touristy – it would be a shame to make this your only experience of Marin County. To get closer to nature, go west to the Marin Headlands, Muir Woods, or hikes starting from Mill Valley. For charming but less-touristed towns, go north to Tiburon, San Rafael, or Fairfax. Further afield but well worth the trek is Point Reyes National Seashore.
- Hike to the ridge. Ask for directions to the Spencer Avenue parking lot (on 101) and start your hike at the trailhead across from the lot. It zig-zags up to a major trail where you take a right and then wind your way toward the ocean and beautiful ridge top views. From here, you can hike the Marin Headlands pretty much to anywhere along the coast, depending on your time and ability.
Nearby
Tiburon
City / town · 14 listings · 2 mi away
Marin Headlands
Rural area · 13 listings · 2 mi away
Angel Island
Park · 5 listings · 3 mi away
Mill Valley
City / town · 22 listings · 5 mi away
Larkspur and Corte Madera
City / town · 11 listings · 5 mi away
San Francisco
City / town · 66 listings · 7 mi away
San Rafael
City / town · 27 listings · 9 mi away
San Anselmo
City / town · 4 listings · 9 mi away
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