Cable Car Guide

San Francisco Tickets

The Powell/Mason cable car line drops you off in North Beach, a quick walk to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. At the end of this line you can walk along Columbus Avenue and get your fill of Italian food while you walk around North Beach.

If you're hungry when you step off the cable car then head over to Kennedy's Irish Pub and Curry House, a curious mixture of an Irish bar, a game arcade, and unbelievably delicious Indian food. Across the street from Kennedy's is Bimbo's 365 (at Columbus and Taylor), a music venue that is home to "Super Diamond," a Neil Diamond cover-band.

The last San Francisco cable car line is the California/Van Ness line. This is the most enjoyable ride because the admission lines aren't nearly as long as they are at Powell Street and there are a bunch of cool things to do along California Street. At Mason and California is San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel, home to a great tiki-bar called The Tonga Room.

Make sure to check out Grace Cathederal (at California and Taylor) if you like beautiful gothic architecture. Need a drink and want to play foosball? No problem, the Nob Hill Tavern is close by at California and Hyde Streets. You can also take in a movie at the Lumiere Theater (at Polk Street) or just walk around Polk and do some shopping.

Now that you're armed with insider knowledge, your San Francisco cable car experience will put others to shame, enjoy the ride!

The San Francisco Cable Car system is the last working system of its kind in the world. The cable cars move by gripping an underground cable that is in constant motion, powered by an engine located in a central powerhouse. The "grip man" on board the cable car is responsible for operating the grip and ringing the bell, say hi but give your fare to the other person, the "conductor." Local legend has it that Andrew Hallidie was inspired to build the cable car system when he witnessed some wagon horses fall to their deaths due to the steepness of Jackson Street.

These days there are only three cable car lines that operate in San Francisco, a far cry from the twenty-two lines that used to carry the bulk of commuters around. The Powell/Hyde and Powell/Mason lines start at a huge turntable located just off Union Square where Powell Street meets Market Street. The cable cars must be turned around because they only have one grip end with which to grab the cable. The line you have to wait in looks very long and troublesome but it goes quickly because the cable cars can hold about sixty-five passengers.

Both of these lines head to Fisherman's Wharf - the Powell/Hyde line stops at the west end of Fisherman's Wharf near Ghiradelli Square while the Powell/Mason line stops outside of North Beach toward the eastern edge of Fisherman's Wharf. The Hyde line also goes past Lombard Street, the Crookedest Street in America, so if you have a day pass for the cable cars you should get off and check it out. There are also stops for both Chinatown and North Beach on these lines.

Cable Cars Advice - San Francisco

By: Drew McKinney / Copyright SFTRAVEL LLC