Ride the San Francisco Cable Cars

Riding a cable car is one of the simplest pleasures in San Francisco, and it is still part of the public transport network run by Muni. The idea came from Andrew Smith Hallidie, who conceived the system in 1869; the first line, the Clay Street Hill Railroad, made its inaugural run on 2 August 1873. When the mayor proposed scrapping the city's lines in 1947, a campaign led by Friedel Klussmann forced a public vote, and residents chose to keep them by a wide margin. The system became a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and is the last manually operated cable car system in the world.

Three lines run today. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines both start at the turntable at Powell and Market streets, and continue to the Fisherman's Wharf area. Powell-Hyde is the longer at 2.1 miles, while Powell-Mason runs 1.6 miles. The California Street line runs 1.4 miles from California and Market to Van Ness Avenue, a useful alternative when the Powell queues are long.

The cars are pulled by a cable running under the street at a steady 9.5 miles an hour, and each car is operated by hand. You can see how it works at the Cable Car Museum at Washington and Mason, next to the power house and car barn, where galleries overlook the main power house that drives the cables.

Practical tips: queues at the Powell and Market turntable can be long, so consider boarding at one of the brown-and-white cable car signs further along the line or riding the California Street line instead. To avoid waiting at the ticket booth, prepay with the MuniMobile app or a Clipper card; prepayment is required at Powell and Market, Bay and Taylor, and Hyde and Beach between 8am and 8pm. Cash fares need exact change. Muni sells Visitor Passports for one, three or seven days, which are worth pricing up if you plan several rides, and Muni is free for young people aged 18 and under.

Hold on tightly, especially if you stand on the outside running boards, and do not lean out. Wait until the car has fully stopped before stepping off, and look out for traffic. Bikes are not allowed, and the cars do not have accessible boarding, so wheelchair users should plan a different route.