Today I want to share my guide to taking a day trip to Alameda from San Francisco with you. This city in the Bay Area is an easy ferry ride from SF. Once here, you can spend a day discovering everything from restaurants to parks, museums, and distilleries. I’m visiting now and I can’t wait to show you around Alameda Point. I’ve included a map, too.
Day Trip to Alameda
Alameda is one of the quickest day trips from San Francisco. Despite having lived in the City by the Bay for years, I’ve spent little time exploring this part of the East Bay. I’ve recently made an effort to change that, and today is no exception.
I’m off to Alameda with a friend for the day. We’re going to explore Alameda Point, the city’s former 1,560-acre naval air station that was decommissioned in 1997. Our plan is to check out all the new shops, restaurants, breweries, and creative spaces that have popped up here in recent years.
From waterfront views to distilleries and parks, we’re going to cover a lot of ground. I hope my blog post inspires you to do the same.
How to Get to Alameda
One of the best things about taking a day trip to Alameda is how easy it is to get here. Ferries depart from the Ferry Building in San Francisco all throughout the day. The ride takes just 20 minutes, and it offers scenic views of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island along the way.
The ferry offers comfortable seating, a snack bar with food and drinks, and characterful staff members who help pass the time. Crossing the bay via the water is a great alternative to driving, especially when traffic is bad on the bridge. You can bring bikes, too.
It’s easy to pay for the ferry as well. Clipper cards are the most common way to do it, so you don’t even need to buy a ticket. If you don’t have a Clipper card, you can purchase a ticket on board.
Alameda Point
Our day trip to Alameda starts as we disembark at the Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal. It’s a beautiful morning, and we can’t help stopping to take pictures of the San Francisco skyline from the shore.
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
From the terminal it’s a short walk past the Main Street Dog Park and down Main Street to get to Navy Way. Here we find ourselves at the entrance to the old naval air station.
After passing through the Main Gate, we find ourselves in front of a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk plane that’s been elevated on a plinth. It’s a nice welcome, and a good reminder of the area’s past.
West Ranger Avenue
After walking up Navy Way, we continue our day trip with a stroll along Saratoga Street. Passing the unassuming plaque that commemorates the Alameda terminus of the first transcontinental railroad, we make our way along a series of eerily empty military buildings to get to West Ranger Avenue.
Here we come face-to-face with a big white building fringed with outdoor seating areas. From breweries with barbecue trucks to restaurants with al fresco bars, it’s clearly the place to be. There’s even a small dog park with adorable pups running around.
We spend some time exploring the businesses along West Ranger Avenue. From a coffee shop to a botanical boutique and a wine bar, there’s a lot to love here.
West Tower Avenue
Back out on Saratoga Street, we walk up to West Tower Avenue. Turning left, we find ourselves at Firebrand Bread. We stop for lunch here, tucking into tuna melts at a table in their covered outdoor area.
Back out on West Tower Avenue, we stroll past beer bars and breweries with DJs outside. One even has a big arcade in its cavernous interior.
Alameda Point Waterfront Park
Turning right up Pan Am Way, we walk past a dive shop and a mural dedicated to the old Pan American Airways. Next to them we find a colorful street fair going on in a big parking lot. We check out the live entertainment and food trucks before heading over to Alameda Point Waterfront Park.
The park offers everything from picnic tables to views of the USS Hornet. The latter is a former aircraft carrier that’s been given new life as a Sea, Air & Space Museum. Situated on the southernmost pier of the former naval air station, it’s a popular place to visit in the city.
Also in the park is the eye-catching form of Beken, a sculpture by artist DeWitt Godfrey. A 32-foot tall steel structure, it’s composed of cellular forms inspired by lighthouses, channel buoys, and guard towers. Massive in size yet visually light and airy, it aims to offer a destination from afar and a sense of place from within.
Next to the park is a huge concrete area with views of the waterfront and the USS Hornet. There are people walking, cycling, and enjoying the views here. We even come across a group rehearsing a dance routine.
Spirits Alley
From Alameda Point Waterfront Park we continue our day trip with a walk to Spirits Alley. As the name implies, this part of Alameda Point is home to distilleries. And breweries. And wineries. There are places to eat, too.
After checking out Faction Brewing’s big waterfront beer garden with its sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline, we head next door to St. George Spirits. The distillery has invited us for a complimentary 2-hour tour and tasting, and we’re excited to see what’s in store.
After being welcomed in the shop, we head to one of the distillery’s long bars to sample six of St. George’s spirits. From a delicious orange-flavored vodka to gins, whiskey, and the best-selling Spiced Pear Liqueur, we get a broad overview of what they have to offer.
As we sip, we learn about the distillery’s history. Founded in 1982 by Jorg Rupf, who was inspired by the amazing quality of California’s fruit, this place has its origins in eau de vie produced using Old World distilling methods.
Over the years, Rupf and his fellow distillers branched out into many other spirits while retaining their focus on crafting quintessential ones with character and quality. We taste this dedication in everything from the Green Chile Vodka to the NOLA Coffee Liqueur and Douglas fir-scented Terroir Gin.
After the tasting, we get a tour of the distillery. From big copper stills to complex bottling and labeling machinery, we learn about the distilling process from start to finish. We also get to take a peek at the studio where the in-house artist creates the labels for each of the spirits.
While we do, we’re treated to a special tasting of the St. George 40th Anniversary Edition Single Malt Whiskey. It’s as delicious as its price tag suggests it should be.
Back in the tasting room, we admire the stunning views of downtown San Francisco as we wave good-bye to our hosts. They graciously send us each off with a bottle of our choosing, which in both of our cases is the Valley Gin, a spirit redolent of fresh orange blossoms.
Ferry
Back outside, we walk around to see a bit more of Point Alameda, including the Bay Area Makerfarm, before catching the ferry back to San Francisco. It stops in Oakland en route, making the journey 45 minutes. We take in views of Yerba Buena Island, the Bay Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline as we cruise back to the Ferry Building.
Alameda Day Trip
Back on land, we say good-bye to one another and head home. We’re sad our day trip has come to an end, but we’re glad we’ve gotten to visit such a unique part of the Bay Area.
Our trip has made us want to return soon and discover more. From the famous Alameda Point Antiques Faire on the first Sunday of each month to chocolate making classes and pasta making classes, we could spend a lifetime here. Which is why we’re already excited for our next trip.
Alameda Point Map
As promised, you can find an interactive Google map of all the places on my Alameda day trip itinerary here. I hope it helps you plan your visit to this exciting part of the East Bay.
More East Bay Itineraries
If you’re looking for other day trips from San Francisco, I have you covered. My guide includes popular areas in the East Bay, including Berkeley.
If you’re up for spending an extra day or two, you can check out my itinerary for 36 hours in Oakland. It has everything from delicious places to eat to fun sightseeing. If you want to, you can combine it with this day trip by taking the free Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle ferry from Jack London Square to Alameda Landing.
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