A Friend in Town

The Premier Personalized Tour Service for the San Francisco Bay Area

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We can pick you up anywhere within 90 minutes’ drive of San Francisco — at your home, hotel, or the airport!

Beach Towns: Santa Cruz & Capitola-by-the-Sea Sightseeing

boardwalk_bestWe drive you to distraction—the classic beach town of Santa Cruz and its neighboring small wonder, Capitola-by-the-Sea. The famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has kept all the things you love about boardwalks—rides, traditional snacks, amusement arcades and surf rolling on to the sand. We pick you up anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, and help you enjoy a day full of fun, relaxation, and beautiful California seaside scenery.

Tour Highlights

  • Ride an antique train through redwoods!
  • Hang out for hours on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk…Scream! on one of the world's best wooden roller-coasters!
  • Take a funicular (specialized railway car) down to the unique and romantic Shadowbrook restaurant!
  • Window shop, take photos or just tan in picturesque Capitola-by-the-Sea!

Why Tour With Us?

Why go to the beach with A Friend in Town and not just rent a car yourself? Because driving yourself, you'll spend too much time looking at maps, and finding parking on sunny weekends can be a nightnare. With us, you can run around having fun, relax on the beach, eat the stuff you usually avoid, then nap all the way home. And if it's too foggy on the coast, we'll take you somewhere inland that's fun.

Capitola-by-the-SeaOur Beach Towns Itinerary

Arriving mid-morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains, we board a turn-of-the-century train (the "Suntan Special"*) for a trip through redwoods, snaking along a river canyon and across high trestles…arriving an hour later at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an authentic old-fashioned amusement park, but with modern thrill rides too. You'll have several hours to enjoy the Giant Dipper (an 85-year-old, still exciting wooden roller-coaster), the sandy beach and many other attractions.

If you'd like, we can descend through a hillside garden in a funicular to the stunning Shadowbrook restaurant, certainly one of the most romantic and beautiful places you'll ever lunch. In late afternoon we cruise into the one-of-a-kind village, Capitola-by-the-Sea, where you can rent boats to row along its placid creek,shop in its quaint esplanade, or hang out on the beach. As we drive back home, you'll want to run the whole day through instant re-play.

* Late spring to early fall only

What will it COST?

Because each tour is designed to fit your interests, our fees vary. Basically you pay by the number of hours in your itinerary. We do not add the fuel surcharges, "license fees," "tax" and mandatory gratuities that many other companies do.

FEE Average Duration Additional Costs
(paid to vendors)		 Gratuity Add'l Hours Minimum Duration Minimum Fee
$460* 8-9h Train Fares + Ride Tickets, Lunch ** $55 ea 7h $370

* Not  per-person

* These fees are for couples, groups of up to 6/7 people or solo travelers. For groups of 7 to 25 (whereby we charter a minibus), please ask for a quote.

** A gratuity is customary and will be appreciated, but is not required.

Click Here to find out more about our Fees.

If you are not satisfied with your tour — its adherence to the tour description or your stated requirements/preferences, A Friend in Town will issue you a complete refund, within 10 days.

Call: 1-800-960-8099Reserve Your Tour