Booking choice: The Gray Line bus or ferry tour, from $80 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Muir Woods is about 12 miles north of San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge. The distance is not the problem. The reservation, the narrow final road and the lack of signal inside the park are.
This guide sets the options against each other using the National Park Service, gomuirwoods.com and the tour listings.
The quick answer
Driving costs a $10 parking reservation plus $15 per adult and gives you the most time inside. A tour like the Gray Line tour at $80 bundles the entry and removes the driving, but caps your time at about 90 minutes.
Can you just drive to Muir Woods?
Not without a parking reservation. Every vehicle needs one, and it is booked at gomuirwoods.com.
The park is about 12 miles from the city, and the drive runs 30 to 45 minutes with a narrow, winding last stretch. Guests report the road is very curvy. Reservations frequently sell out on weekends and holidays, per the National Park Service.
What does it cost to drive yourself?
A standard vehicle reservation is $10, plus $15 per adult for entry, so two adults in one car pay $40 before fuel.
A medium vehicle is $30 and a large one is $45. Under-16s pay no entry. The table sets each way of going against the others, with tour prices from the listings.
| Way to go | What you pay | Reservation | Time in the woods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own car | $10 parking + $15 per adult | Parking, booked ahead | As long as you like |
| Shuttle from Larkspur | $4 round trip + $15 per adult | Seat, booked ahead | Set by the return time |
| Rideshare or taxi | Fare + $15 per adult | None | As long as you like, but see below |
| The Gray Line tour | $80 per person, entry included | None in your name | 90 minutes |
| The small group tour | $99 per person, entry included | None in your name | 1 hour 15 minutes |
A guaranteed 90 minutes in the woods and a ferry option back, with the entry already paid.
Check dates for the Gray Line bus or ferry tourIs the Muir Woods shuttle a good option?
It is the only route without a car that the park itself lists, but it is seasonal and starts at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.
It ran on Fridays, weekends and holidays from 3 April to 31 October in 2026, and the shuttle page says it resumes in spring 2027. Riders pay $4 round trip, book seats ahead and need no parking reservation. From San Francisco you take the Golden Gate Ferry to Larkspur first, with the fare on top.
Are rideshares and taxis a good idea?
Getting there is easy. Getting back is the risk, because there is no cell service at the park.
Rideshares and taxis need no parking reservation. To call a return ride you use the visitor center's pay phone or its limited WiFi, as the park describes it. On a busy afternoon that can mean a wait.
What does a tour change?
You become a passenger. The operator drives the narrow road, handles the parking question and adds stops the shuttle does not.
The small group tour stops at a Golden Gate vista for 10 minutes, then gives 1 hour 15 minutes in the forest and an hour in Sausalito. The Golden Gate city day adds Fort Point and Pacific Heights. Check the entry line: that city day and the private jeep do not include the $15.
A 4.7-rated van with the entry included, a bridge stop and a Sausalito hour on the way back.
Explore the small group tourHow much time do you get in the forest?
On a tour, about 70 to 90 minutes. With your own car, as long as the reservation and your legs allow.
Gray Line says 90 minutes is the most the park allows tour operators. The NPS hiking page lists the Bridge 2 loop at about half a mile and 30 minutes, and the Bridge 4 loop via the Hillside Trail at about 2 miles and 1.5 hours. A 90-minute tour fits the shorter loop at a relaxed pace, not the longer one.
Who should drive and who should take a tour?
Drive if you want long, unhurried trail time and have a car. Take a tour if the road, the reservation or the return ride worries you.
- Drive: hikers, families who want a long picnic by the plaza, and anyone who plans the Bridge 4 loop.
- Shuttle: travelers without a car who are in San Francisco from April to October on a Friday, weekend or holiday.
- Tour: first-timers, anyone who wants Sausalito and the bridge in the same day, and groups who prefer one price. The private open-top jeep suits a group of up to six at $203 per group.
A private jeep for up to six means one price per group and open-air views over the bridge.
Check dates for the private open-top jeepWhat can go wrong with each option?
Drivers risk a sold-out reservation, shuttle riders a season that has ended, and tour guests a tight timetable.
Guests report that timing gets tight on busy days and that the back row of a van is cramped. Any option carries the same hard limit: the park has no cell service, so save tickets and maps before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to drive to Muir Woods?
The drive is 30 to 45 minutes from the city, with a narrow and winding last stretch. The real hurdle is the parking reservation.
How much is parking at Muir Woods?
$10 for a standard vehicle, $30 for a medium one and $45 for a large one, all by reservation.
Can I take Uber or Lyft to Muir Woods?
Yes, with no parking reservation. There is no cell service for the ride back, so use the visitor center's pay phone or WiFi.
Is a tour cheaper than driving?
Not always. Two adults driving pay $40 before fuel, while a tour is $80 per person or more, but it includes the driving, the stops and, on most, the entry.
Ready to book
Choose your Muir Woods tour
Every option here can be cancelled for a full refund; the deadline is on each listing. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Muir Woods and Sausalito, Bus or Ferry Back
- Minibus with a certified driver-guide, morning or afternoon departure
- Muir Woods admission (a $15 value) unless you pick the option without park entry
- A 90-minute stop in the woods, the most the park allows tour operators
Muir Woods and Sausalito Small Group Tour
- About 5 hours in an air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter van, 14 guests at most
- A 10-minute vista stop at the Golden Gate Bridge
- 1 hour 15 minutes at Muir Woods and 1 hour on the Sausalito boardwalk
Private Open-Top Jeep to Muir Woods
Up to 6 guests, per group, open-air over the bridge
