I Took My Family “Budget Yachting” in San Francisco, and the Viral Trend Was Nothing Like I Expected

Following a viral trend, I took my family “budget yachting” in San Francisco, and it was nothing like I expected.

The Viral Trend of Budget Yachting

So-called “budget yachting” has been making the rounds on TikTok and other social media platforms.

The trend is simple and inexpensive. The idea is to drive to Oakland, Larkspur, or another bayside location in the San Francisco Bay Area, park your car, and hop on one of the Bay Area’s commuter ferries.

The catch is that you do this not to travel to work, but just for fun.

In an era where even a simple activity like going to a movie can cost you $100 in the Bay Area, influencers have highlighted “budget yachting” as a fun and inexpensive alternative.

Booking a formal cruise around the Bay on a tourist boat can cost hundreds, or even thousands, for a bid family. In contrast, riding the ferry costs just $8 per adult each way, with kids 4 and under riding for free—a massive bargain for a cruise around the Bay.

Our Family’s Budget Yachting Adventure

To test out this viral trend, I decided to take my family budget yachting. On a weekend over the Fall, we drove from Lafayette, California, up to Larkspur, parked our car, and hopped on the ferry to San Francisco.

First Impressions of the Ferry

From the very beginning, the experience was nothing like I was expecting. When you hear of a commuter ferry, you probably think of a sparse, slow, bare-bones vessel that might have a leaking, gross toilet and not much else.

The Bay ferry boats are nothing like that. These boats are huge and stable, with a big deck on the upper level filled with comfy tables and chairs where you can look out the window or gather as a family as the passage happens.

They have modern restroom facilities and an open-air back deck, where you can sit outside, gather some sun, and get views of the Bay.

Exploring the Ferry

We started out on the upper deck of the ferry, but partway through the passage, we decided to explore by going down the staircase at the back of the boat. What we discovered was there was an entire other deck on the lower level, with picture windows in the front and more rows of tables and seating.

It was like one of those magical dreams where you discovered that your house has a whole extra room—here was an entire other section to the boat that my kids could run around in, and none of us knew existed!

Onboard Amenities

Another perk of the Bay Area ferries is that they offer onboard food service, even on the short passages.

This being the Bay Area, they don’t skimp on quality either. You’ll find coffee, local artisanal snacks, hot food, and even craft beer and wine. An onboard bartender can mix you up a cocktail or mocktail.

We grabbed some Nutella-based snacks, hot drinks, and more and found a secluded table as the ferry prepared to leave for San Francisco.

The Unexpected Speed

As we got underway, I discovered something else unexpected about the Bay Area ferries—they’re fast. Very fast.

Although we started at a leisurely pace leaving Larkspur, once we got into the open Bay, the ferry took off at a pace that I absolutely wasn’t anticipating.

When I looked it up later, I learned that the Bay Area’s fastest ferries can achieve speeds of around 40 mph.

On the open water, that feels extremely fast. Standing on the back deck in the open air, it was almost hard to stand up with the ferry going at full speed. Imagine the blast of air you feel if you’re driving on the road at 40 miles an hour and stick your hand out the window.

Now imagine that same blast hitting your whole body, and that’s about what the experience of standing on the open deck in the back while the ferry is going feels like.

Luckily, there’s a sheltered section in the far back where you can be outdoors without the blast of air. But the speeds the boat achieves are still exhilarating as you skip across the Bay and kick up giant waves behind you.

Scenic Views

Equally stunning is the scenery that you pass by. Again, tourists regularly pay hundreds of dollars to see the same sights.

Leaving from Larkspur, we passed by the imposing and architecturally stunning San Quentin prison, before moving into the open Bay with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz, and the looming skyline of San Francisco getting closer and closer out the front window.

The passage takes about 35 minutes from Larkspur, which is plenty of time to take in the sights, sip your wine or cocktail, and have a peek out the back deck.

A Spacious and Relaxing Weekend Activity

A bonus of going on our “budget yachting trip” over the weekend is that the ferry was basically empty. On weekdays, thousands of people use the ferries to commute every day, and I understand that they get very busy and full.

On the weekend, that extra capacity means that the ferries feel very spacious. We had no problem fitting two strollers, three kids, a diaper bag, drinks and snacks, and everything else you need to travel with kids on board for our passage.

Arriving in San Francisco

As you pull up to San Francisco, the ferry slows down, and you can take in views of the Bay Bridge and the Embarcadero. This is the perfect time to go out on the back deck, as the gale-force winds have subsided, and you can easily stroll around as the ferry prepares to dock.

The San Francisco Bay looks calm but is a deceptively windy, current-filled place that’s hard to navigate. Luckily, the captains of the Bay Area ferries are seasoned professionals. Our captain stood in a special area on the front deck and carefully guided us into the dock.

The Bay Area ferries dock at the Ferry Building, as they’ve done for generations. That means that when you get off the ferry from your budget yachting adventure, you’ll be right in the heart of San Francisco—without the exorbitant parking fees that normally apply!

Exploring the Ferry Building

We disembarked at the Ferry Building, visited the Ferry Building farmers market, picked up some empanadas for lunch, browsed in the shops, and then hopped back on the ferry for a return journey about two hours later.

If you’re going budget yachting on the weekend, you want to take a careful look at the timetables. There’s limited service, so you have to make sure you know exactly when to arrive for the return ferry so you don’t end up stranded in the city.

On our journey back, we got more beautiful views, facing directly towards the city from the back deck, which is a perfect way to end this adventure.

Final Thoughts

Overall, budget yachting more than lived up to the internet hype.

Again, I was expecting rinky-dink old boats. Instead, the bougie yachting concept is very much alive, with the open-air back deck, enough room on the lower deck that you can basically choose your own private area of the ship for your family, and the drink service with a full bar completing the experience.

For less than $30, you can enjoy over an hour on the water, counting the passages back and forth. It’s like you have your own private captain, bartender, deckhands, and more.

Sure, there isn’t quite the level of service you’d expect on an actual yacht, but for the price you pay, it’s one of the best values for a full-day activity you can possibly expect to get in the Bay Area.

Want to Try It Yourself?

Want to take your own family budget yachting? Check out the website for San Francisco’s ferries. You can board with nothing more than a Clipper Card, making this a perfect spur-of-the-moment, last-minute trip.

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