About

#SafeTour by San Francisco Electric Tour Company

We have been working with our staff to train everyone and follow the prescribed best practices and procedures. Our goal is to ensure that we are providing a safe and enjoyable experience for our guests.

Numerous extra steps are being taken to keep our guests safe during this time.

All touch surfaces are sanitized between tours.

We have a touchless reservation process and all waiver paperwork is now digital.

We will also have hand sanitizer and wipes available on site.

Guest Training: During rider training our tour guides and trainers will be wearing masks at their discretion. We will be happy to wear a mask during this portion of the activity if you request. Training is a time when we need to be in close proximity to you, our guests.

Face Masks are suggested but not required for guests, tour guides and staff on site during check in and training. Face masks are not required for outdoor activities in San Francisco. If you don’t have a face covering we will be happy to supply one.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
We understand these times are challenging, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate as responsibly as we can. Together, we can continue to have amazing experiences while staying healthy and safe.

Do Not Attend if You Are Not Feeling Well

If a guest shows any signs of flu or illness, we will refuse their participation and issue a full refund. If you have an existing booking with us and your travel plans change due to COVID-19 please let us know and we will issue a refund or rebook you.

Riding a Segway is similar to riding a bike—it’s intuitive but nobody is born knowing how to operate it. That’s why we offer 30-35 minutes of training so you can get familiar with the device.

A Segway is not an ideal mode of touring for people with some mobility issues.

All guests must be able to easily and quickly step on and off the Segway without any assistance, which requires physical abilities similar to climbing and descending stairs without assistance or use of a handrail. See more disability and medical condition information below.

Segway riding is not recommended for pregnant women. Unfortunately, pregnant guests will not be permitted to participate due to fall risk.

This activity is NOT recommended for some guests age 70 and up. Please review information about disabilities and mobility issues listed below.

Safety is very important to us:
All guests must be age 12 or older and weight at least 100 lbs. (45 kilos).
If you book a tour and any of your guests do not meet the minimum age / weight criteria they will not be allowed on the tour and you will not be given a refund or rescheduled.

We do have a scale and check weights. Safety 1st!

Yes we enforce the minimum weight requirement. We occasionally get asked if we will make an exception for underweight children with athletic ability. No we will not make an exception. All guests must weigh more than a Segway. Safety 1st.

If you have been on a Segway tour in another city and the tour operator let your age 12 and under / under 100 lbs (45 kilos) child participate we will still NOT allow them to ride on our tour. Unlike most Segway tours in other cities we have hills on our route and guests must be the minimum weight and age to safely participate.

Guests will practice on the Segways until everyone feels comfortable and ready to tour San Francisco!

All Segway Tours – Rider Requirements:
Segway Tours be age 12 and up and weigh at least 100 lbs (46 kilos). (Scooter Tours Ages 16 and up.) For guest safety minimum age and weight requirements are strictly enforced. This includes underage / underweight guests that may have been allowed on tours in other cities. We have a scale and check weights.
Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian.
Be able to easily and quickly step on and off the Segway without assistance, which requires physical abilities similar to climbing and descending stairs without any assistance or use of a handrail.
Be able to stand on the Segway for a period of 1-2 hours.
Weigh between 100 and 250 pounds (46 to 113 kilos).
This activity is NOT recommended for some guests age 70 and up. Pregnant guests will not be permitted to participate
Wear the helmet and safety vest that is provided with the tour.
Sign a liability waiver.
Complete the Segway rider training and test ride
Respect road signs, pedestrians, bikes and cars for a safe enjoyable ride.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to check in and be ready for fun!

Segway rider training includes:
Walking the customer through a simulated obstacle course consisting of cones, turns and an emergency stop to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
Hands-on training with a instructor. Video introduction. Check-out ride and skills review. NEW: Training video is now available in 11 languages.
Education of rider courtesy and rules of the road.

I or a member of my group has a disability or medical condition.
It is important to note that the Segway has not been designed, tested, or approved as a medical device.

How do you evaluate and /or handle a guest with a disability / medical condition ?

It is important to note that the Segway has NOT been designed, tested, or approved as a medical device. Our staff are not professionally trained to recognize or evaluate disabilities. We are not doctors or clinicians.

We want everyone to have a safe experience. We have had guests with some physical challenges do well on the Segway. The Segway tour is not a good choice for guests with motor control or learning disabilities. Our tours do require physical exertion and standing for long periods of time. Please carefully review the rider requirements listed above.

If you contact us in advance we will try to arrange for a free demo / training the day (or days) before your tour. This is only if we have staff and time available. We use this time to try to best evaluate the riders abilities. During this time a staff member will spend one on one time with the guest and answer questions. We always err on the side of safety.

We strongly suggest asking questions in advance concerning any disabilities/ medical issues..

We will most likely not have a lot of extra time during training prior to the tour departure to work with a guest. We operate on schedule so the other paying guests have a full tour experience. On occasion (if we have space) guests that don’t feel comfortable or do not have the skills have stayed in our parking lot area vs. going on the tour. They receive a bit of extra riding time without being out on the road.

At a minimum on arrival please tell the training staff and guides if you or members of your party have a disability, medical condition or travel issue that may impact riding ability.
This includes recent surgeries, back braces, pregnancy (not allowed to go on tour), fainting spells, missing limbs, hip replacements, knee replacements, hearing loss, vision problems, casts, drugs that may impair motor control and much more than we can list here. Jet lag and dehydration from long flights can also be a problem for our international guests.

During our regular guest training prior to the tour departure:

1. We will not let you leave our training facility if we feel you are not a competent / safe rider.

2. We do not offer a full refund if we or you decide that it will not be safe for you to proceed.

Advance payment via credit card / cash is required to reserve a tour. We will send an e-mail confirmation of the date and time of your tour.

Payments are fully refundable if the reservation is cancelled 1 days – 24 hours or more prior to the scheduled tour time.

Note: Large Group Tours and Scavenger Hunt reservations have different policies. Please check with your sales manager.

We have a limited amount of Segways available for tours. We will reserve Segway(s) and schedule a tour guide specifically for your reservation.

No shows and late arrivals are charged in full and will not be rescheduled.

Your reservation payment WILL NOT be refunded or tour rescheduled for any reason within 24 hours / 1 day of your scheduled tour time.

IMPORTANT: Be on time Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time to check in and start your tour and training on time.

If you arrive late we will NOT let you join a tour group that has already started training and your money will not be refunded or your tour rescheduled. Safety and complete training for all of our guests is our 1st priority and we will not rush training to accommodate late arrivals.

Gift Certificates are not refundable.

Please review the “Who Can Ride?/Rider Requirement” information in the FAQ.

San Francisco is famous for the fog and chilly summer days! Our tours do operate in fog, light rain and on windy chilly days.

We always suggest multiple layers of warm clothing for San Francisco outdoor actives.
Summer afternoons can be in the 50’s.

We have rain gear, warm jackets and gloves for those infrequent rainy days or chilly afternoons.

Segways are designed to run in any weather.

Weather reschedules or refunds: In the rare case we cancel due to a severe rain we will offer space on an alternate date or time (if space is available.) or a full refund.

We generally wait until one hour prior to the tour departure time for most rain cancels. Rain along the California coast is very fickle and we end up operating almost every tour on rainy days.

Helpful Hint: Please make sure we have a good phone number to reach you if the weather forecast calls for rain.

We are open seven days a week.

If you plan to be in the Bay Area during 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Fleet Week (Early October) or other Holidays please call for schedule changes.

We are closed January 1 and December 25th.

Please check each tour page for current tour times.

Important: Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time to check in and start your tour and training on time.

If you arrive late we will NOT let you join a tour group that has already started training and your money will not be refunded or your tour rescheduled.

Safety and complete training for all of our guests is our 1st priority – we will not rush training to accommodate late arriving guests.

Please book as far in advance as possible. Reservations are required. We are occasionally able to accommodate walk up reservations when space and tour guides are available. Best plan is to always call in advance confirm availability.

We suggest you either book online or call 415-474-3130 or toll-free 1-877-474-3130.

Our tours sell out during the busy Summer travel season in San Francisco.

Departure Location:
Golden Gate Park Segway Tours depart from Golden Gate Park near 82 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco, CA 94118

Directions:
Golden Gate Park is easily accessible from all points in San Francisco via public transportation.
For specific route information, please contact the SFMTA -MUNI operates the Cable Cars, F Line and Bus System.

For all transit questions, including traffic information, public transportation schedules, directions, and routes, call Bay Area Travel Guide at 511 or visit www.511.org.

BART: www.bart.gov |(415) 989-2278

Golden Gate Park Parking:
San Francisco Golden Gate Park Segway Tour start location is in the paved area directly behind the Spreckels Temple of Music ( band stage ) in the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse area.

If you are trying to find us using GPS the entrance to the Japanese Tea Garden is across the street from our training lot at 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive SF CA 94118.

Parking spaces are not available at the guest training location. The Segway training area is a pedestrian area and not visible until you are behind the Band shell (stage.)

Paid underground garage parking is available at the Music Concourse Garage located between the deYoung Museum and the California Academy of Science. We do not reimburse parking costs.

Free on street parking is available on adjacent streets and fills rapidly on weekends.

We suggest taking public transit on SFMTA – MUNI to the Park.

Helpful Hint: Give yourself lots of extra time to find parking in or near the Park as it can be a long walk on busy days.

JFK Drive is now closed to traffic from McLaren Lodge to Transverse Drive.

Allow extra time to travel to and find parking on weekends.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time to check in and start your tour and training on time.

Yes – We offer amazing small group Private VIP tours and larger group Team Building Tours. Perfect for company functions and families.

Whether it’s a family vacation, reunion, team outing or company conference, our private tours can be reserved for 3 to 60 guests.

Our Golden Gate Park Segway Tours mainly stay on the “flat parts” of the park.

The Golden Gate Park Routes incorporate designated bike lanes and park trails. We are the exclusive operator of Segway Tours in Golden Gate Park and have access to some amazing hidden areas and specific trails designated and approved for our use.

The Official Golden Gate Park Tour route covers the Eastern end of the Park from the edge of Haight Ashbury to Crossover Drive.

Our Private Tours have the option of the Eastern park route or gliding to Ocean Beach at the Western end of the Park.

Segway Use in the City:

Segways are allowed on most San Francisco streets and designated bike pathways. Segways are not allowed on sidewalks in San Francisco.

We strongly stress that all Segway riders courteously “Share the Road” with other vehicles, bikes and pedestrians. It is the Segway rider’s responsibility to yield to pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right-of-way.

We are in a busy big city and will be in some high traffic areas. San Francisco has more bike lanes per square mile than any other US City. Unlike Segway tours in other US cities we cannot operate the tours on the sidewalk.

Guest Tour Narration and Safety Radio System:

Exclusive to the Electric Tour Company: Each Segway guest will be issued a small radio receiver and earbud so the guide can advise you of upcoming changes in the route and info on the sights you are passing.

Similar to a bike ride you will have to be aware of your surroundings and traffic.

Guest safety is very important to us. Please review all the rider requirements in the FAQ.

Tour Length?

Golden Gate Park Segway tours are 2.5 hours for our most popular route. This includes the Segway rider training time.

Our Private VIP and Large Group tours are 3 hours long including the training time. The private tours can be adjusted to 2.25 to 2.5 hours long.

Tour time for all tours includes the fun and entertaining 30-35 minute training time.

Training time may be slightly longer during the busy summer season.

Photos & Videos While Riding
We make a few stops for pictures on every tour. If we are stopped and you have a foot on the ground pics are OK!

For your safety we request that riders please do not take pictures or videos while riding / moving on their Segway. It is really hard to steer and see obstacles if you are looking through a camera view finder! Similar to a car – operating a Segway with a phone in your hand is not legal in California.

Our tour guides carry I-phones and will often take a few group pictures on most tours. (quality and quantity are not guaranteed as this is a freebie) These pics are posted online on one of our three Facebook pages.
Guests can download the pictures for free.

Helpful Hint: Tour guides are happy to take pictures of your group with your camera. Please ask.

Guests from around the world ask us about the U.S. custom of gratuities.

Guide gratuities are not included in the tour price. We do not include a fixed price gratuity as we want to keep the tours affordable for as many guests as possible.

Guide gratuities are completely at the discretion of the guest. We employ a great and diverse group of guides. They guide because it is a fun job and they get to meet people from all corners of the world. Similar to service businesses all over the United States, gratuities are a small part of the compensation the staff receives.

If you choose to give your guide a gratuity, it would be much appreciated.

Note: Gratuities are included as part of the pre-paid cost for our private group tours and corporate team building events.

Purchase a Gift Card here! 2.5 Hour Guided Segway | Small Private VIP