Directions, Parking & Public Transit

Directions

The Golden Gate Bridge is located on U.S. Highway 101 and provides a vital link between the City of San Francisco and the counties to the north. Since the Golden Gate Bridge does not have a physical address, you can use this link to help find your way to us: Yahoo Driving Map - Golden Gate Bridge. Or you can print these PDF directions.

The Golden Gate Bridge maybe viewed from several vista points, each with parking areas and restrooms, located on both the northeast and southeast sides. The parking areas include spaces for persons with disabilities. Directions and parking fees are shown below:

Access to Southeast Side Visitor Parking Lot

This parking area has a range of visitor services, including a café, gift center, gardens and an array of scenic vistas.  Parking is metered ($0.25 per 15 minutes) with 81 spaces, 3 of which are designated for visitors with disabilities that have disabled placards. There are 5 spaces for tour buses. On weekends and holidays ONLY, additional parking is available in a nearby satellite lot on the southwest side at a rate of $5 per day.

• Traveling South from Marin County: Follow US Highway 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge. Have exact change ready to pay the appropriate toll, collected southbound only. Proceed through the far right toll lane #1, and make an immediate right exiting US Highway 101 just past the Toll Plaza onto Merchant Road.  Make an immediate right onto a roadway that goes down a short hill and into an underpass which leads directly into the southeast side visitor parking lot.

• Traveling North from San Francisco: Take a right at the last San Francisco exit off US Highway 101 just before the Toll Plaza. The exit ramp sign reads, "Golden Gate National Recreation Area View Area."  Proceed to the stop sign and turn left into the southeast side visitor parking lot.

Access to Northeast Side Parking Lot

Free parking (with a four hour limit) and restrooms are the only amenities at this location.

• Traveling South from Marin County:  To access the parking lot on the northeast side of the Bridge, you must cross the Bridge, pay the toll and double back across the span. Follow US Highway 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge. Have exact change ready to pay the appropriate toll, collected southbound only. Proceed through the far right toll lane #1, and make an immediate right exiting US Highway 101 just past the Toll Plaza onto Merchant Road. Make an immediate right onto a roadway that goes down a short hill and into an underpass which leads directly into the southeast side visitor parking lot. Drive through the visitor lot to the first stop sign and make a right to head to the on-ramp to the Bridge. Cross the Bridge and take the first exit called "Vista Point" and turn right into the parking lot.

• Traveling North from San Francisco:  Follow US Highway 101 north across the Golden Gate Bridge. Take the first exit called "Vista Point" and turn right into the parking lot.

Public Transit Options

• San Francisco to/from Golden Gate Bridge: 
  1. Golden Gate Transit: You can reach the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco on Golden Gate Transit Routes 10, 70, 80 or 101. Please call toll-free 511 (say "Golden Gate Transit," then "Operator") to identify the bus stop closest to your location or visit www.goldengatetransit.org/schedules for schedules and maps.
  2. San Francisco Muni: To reach the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge: From 19th Avenue, you can take Muni Route 28; from Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf, you can take Muni Routes 10/30/28; from the Financial District, you can take Muni Routes 20/45/22/28. Please call 311 for more information or visit www.sfmta.com for schedules and maps.

 

• Marin County to/from Golden Gate Bridge: The following Golden Gate Transit routes serve the bus stop adjacent to the Toll Plaza at the southern end of the Bridge: Routes 2, 4, 8, 10, 18, 24, 26, 27, 38, 44, 54, 56, 58, 70, 80, 92, 97 and 101. Please call toll-free 511 (say "Golden Gate Transit," then "Operator") to identify the bus stop closest to your departure location or visit www.goldengatetransit.org/schedules for schedules and maps.

• San Francisco to the Northeast Side of the Golden Gate Bridge and Walk South Across the Bridge Sidewalk. In San Francisco, from the Golden Gate Transit stop at Mission and 1st Streets, which is currently in front of the Walgreens Store, you can catch GGT Route 10 and take it to the very first stop at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge at the Alexander Avenue exit adjacent to a pedestrian walkway which leads to Bridge. As the bus is traversing the Bridge, use the bus stop request to indicate to the driver that you want to get off as soon as the bus gets to the north end of the Bridge. Visitors can then walk back over the Golden Gate Bridge heading south towards San Francisco. To return to San Francisco, walk through the underpass adjacent to the Bridge Cafe and look for the Golden Gate Transit bus stop located just south of the Toll Plaza adjacent to the Administration Building. From there, you may catch Routes 10, 70, 80 or 101 back to Mission and 1st Streets.

• Trip Planning Assistance: Trip planning assistance is available Mondays through Fridays, 7 am to 7 pm, and Saturdays, 8 am to 6 pm, by calling 511 and saying "Golden Gate Transit," then "Operator," or by visiting http://transit.511.org.