Home > Travel Guide > Marin County Scenic Drive > Part II b
Marin County & Napa Valley, Part II b
Reaching Marin County from SFO Airport
Travelling from San Francisco International
Taking a direct or scenic drive to Marin County
This page guides you to the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin County from San Francisco International (SFO) Airport. Once in Marin County, you can either 1) join our scenic route to the Marin coastline, Muir Woods National Monument, and the Point Reyes National Seashore, OR 2) join our wonderful Napa Valley scenic drive, OR 3) do both if you have at least two days.
From SFO, you can either drive via a direct route to Marin County or take a scenic alternative. Both routes completely avoid the congestion of downtown San Francisco.
(Continued below)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part I (Introduction)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II a (Reaching Marin from S.F.)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II b (Reaching Marin from SFO)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II c (Reaching Marin from Oakland)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part III (Marin County scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part IV (Napa Valley scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part V (Accommodation suggestions)
Save up to 75% on 4-star Marin County hotels!
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If joining our Marin scenic drive, try to get a very early start before the weekday morning rush hour, or (less desirable) leave after 8:30 a.m. If just traveling to Marin, avoid the morning rush hour toward San Francisco—and also the late afternoon rush hour on the Golden Gate bridge.
From San Francisco International SFO rental cars
From most hotels near SFO
From South Francisco hotels
From San Francisco International SFO rental cars
If renting a car at San Francisco International, follow the signs to the AirTrain station in your terminal. Take a Blue-line (not Red) train to the rental car facility. The airport does not allow rental car vans to stop near its terminals, so you must take a train. These leave every couple of minutes.
We urge you to rent from a company that keeps cars at the rental facility. All Hotwire.com and Priceline.com Rental Cars
companies are there. Otherwise, if you rent from an off-airport company, you then have to take a van to another office once you reach the rental facility. Travelocity’s
Car Rental clearly lists pick up locations. Click on Cars/Rail in the upper left. “Shuttle” means the rental facility, but verify the company lists 780 McDonnell Road as its address before booking.
When exiting the SFO rental car terminal, turn right onto McDonnell Road. You’ll be travelling northbound.
On McDonnell, follow the signs toward the northbound U.S. 101 freeway and San Francisco.
Instead of getting on the U.S. 101 freeway, follow the signs you now see pointing toward Interstate 380.
Enter westbound I-380 (the only direction you can travel from here).
From most hotels near SFO
The most popular San Francisco International Airport area hotels are located south of the airport in Burlingame and Millbrae. These include the largest ones.
We have special bidding tips for first-class and deluxe hotels near SFO. You often pay less than the cost of a budget motel.
From your hotel, get on the northbound U.S. 101 freeway toward San Francisco.
Then exit onto westbound Interstate 380, after you pass the airport.
From South San Francisco hotels
From South San Francisco hotels, which are north of the airport, take the U.S. 101 freeway SOUTHBOUND to Interstate 380.
Then take I-380 westbound.
Directions for everyone
Everyone should now be on westbound I-380.
Interstate 380 ends at I-280.
Take I-280 northbound toward San Francisco.
Direct route
For a direct route to Marin County, which avoids the worst congestion, take the second California Highway 1 exit northbound toward San Francisco.
Stay on Hwy 1.
As you enter the old Presidio army base near the Golden Gate Bridge, be sure to stay in the lanes that exit to the bridge. These are marked.
As you near the bridge you are now on both Hwy 1 and U.S. Hwy 101.
There’s no toll in this direction, but you’ll need $5.00 when you come back.
Remain in the right lane on the bridge.
As you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, you enter Marin County.
Most hotels and corporate headquarters in Marin County are either adjacent to or within several blocks of the U.S. 101 freeway.
For the Marin scenic drive, exit U.S. 101 onto northbound California Highway 1 toward Mill Valley and Stinson Beach. For the Napa scenic drive, continue on toward Santa Rosa.
Go to Part III for an awesome scenic tour of Marin County.
Scenic route
This takes a much more scenic route from San Francisco International Airport to Marin County. Because no freeway bisects San Francisco, the scenic route does not take much longer than a direct one, except for your photo stops.
Get on westbound I-380 and then northbound I-280, as in the above.
You’ll see signs pointing to the SOUTHBOUND California Highway 1 exit toward Pacifica.
Take this exit.
From Hwy 1, take the northbound Skyline Drive exit toward San Francisco.
The Skyline Drive freeway is California Highway 35.
You pass Pacifica’s famous 1950’s tract homes, which inspired the song,
“Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same . . ..”
Times change, however. These “little boxes” have become quite prized for their convenience to nearby San Francisco, for their proximity to Pacifica’s coastline, and for the views many enjoy from their hillside locations. Notice how subsequent owners have individualized many homes.
From hills on Skyline Drive, you'll also enjoy excellent views of San Francisco in front of you, its Twin Peaks area, and the cliffs of Marin County in the distance.
When you reach an undeveloped area, you’ll see a sign pointing left to the Great Highway. Here too are signs pointing left to "Beaches" and the San Francisco zoo.
Turn left onto the Great Highway. (If you miss this, turn left on Sloat Boulevard in a few minutes.)
Ocean Beach
The Great Highway curves to the north, and soon you are travelling along the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco. This is exhilarating!
This long stretch is Ocean Beach, part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area.
Dunes sometimes block your views of the beach, but you can easily find parking, and walk over to the shore.
With an awesome beach like this, San Francisco would be a world-class seaside resort if it had a favorable climate, which sadly it doesn't.
Be careful. The water’s cold and the surf can be rough.
After you pass Golden Gate Park (the large green area on your right), the Great Highway begins to go up a hill toward the old Cliff House Restaurant.
Find parking near the Cliff House. You'll be rewarded with a fine view of the entire western shoreline of San Francisco.
Nearly all of the west side of San Francisco, including most of Golden Gate Park, was once sand dunes. It took years to stabilize the sand in order to be able to plant the trees you now see in the park.
As you continue northbound, the Great Highway turns toward the right and becomes Point Lobos Avenue.
Eventually, traffic on eastbound Point Lobos Avenue runs into eastbound Geary Boulevard. Follow this route.
You are now in the main Chinese residential area of San Francisco.
Turn right onto 24th Street, and go one block.
Turn right onto Anza, and drive one block.
Turn right onto northbound 25th Street. (You can't turn left directly off Geary Boulevard.)
The Presidio
When you near the south end of the former Presidio army base, traffic jogs right to enter the Presidio and you are now on Lincoln Boulevard.
This intersection is marked by columns on both sides of 25th Street. Don't drive past these. Instead turn right here, with most traffic.
In a few moments, Lincoln Boulevard turns left to follow the shore.
The Presidio and Fort Baker across the Golden Gate Bridge guarded the entrance to San Francisco harbor. They and the naval base on Treasure Island near the Oakland-Bay Bridge, as well as the San Diego naval base, were considered the most likely Japanese targets immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fortunately for the U.S., the Japanese overestimated how well prepared these bases were to withstand attacks. Also, the surprise U.S. victory at Midway significantly weakened the Japanese Navy's ability to hit the U.S. mainland.
Because of changes in military technology and tactics, the Presidio was able to become part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area.
If you would like to lease the former home of an army officer in the Presidio—with an incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge—check out the Presidio Trust. Location, location, location, as they say in the real estate business.
After a few moments on Lincoln, you’ll notice Bowley Street going off to the left. Take this down the hill and wind down various lanes to the lower parking lot for Baker Beach.
Walk to the beach for a great view of the entrance to San Francisco Bay.
Frequently, you’ll be able to photograph ships going in or out.
Because the national park rangers apparently tolerate clothing-optional sunbathing at the far north end of this otherwise traditional beach, please don’t venture that way if you will be offended. Because most days are too cool or gloomy, sunbathing is seldom an issue in San Francisco.
Go back to Lincoln Boulevard, turn left, and continue north.
Stay on Lincoln Boulevard as it continues toward the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Golden Gate Bridge
In a few moments, Lincoln Boulevard ducks under the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Immediately after, you'll see a sign pointing left to the bridge.
Turn left. It will seem as if you are entering a parking lot, which you are.
You can park here, in order to walk along the Golden Gate Bridge or take magnificent photos from the viewpoint here.
When done sightseeing, wind through the parking lot toward the unused tollbooths for the bridge. (Currently, you only pay a toll southbound.)
Turn right onto Hwy 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. You are now on both U.S. Hwy 101 and California Hwy 1.
Stay in the right lane on the bridge.
You are entering Marin County.
Use one of the following links to reach your scenic drive:
Go on to Marin County Scenic Drive, Part III, or
Go on to Napa Valley Scenic Drive, Part I
If staying overnight in Marin County before your scenic drive, most hotels are near U.S. 101.
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part I (Introduction)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II a (Reaching Marin from S.F.)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II b (Reaching Marin from SFO)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part II c (Reaching Marin from Oakland)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part III (Marin County scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part IV (Napa Valley scenic drive)
Marin & Wine Country Scenic Drive, Part V (Accommodation suggestions)
