Touring San Francisco by Waymo: Driverless Robotaxi Ride from Nob Hill to Alcatraz Pier 33

Introduction

For anyone visiting San Francisco, figuring out how to get around is half the adventure.

In this post I jump into the future of urban transport—Waymo’s fully driver-less robotaxi—and ride from historic Nob Hill down to Pier 33, where the Alcatraz ferries depart.

Below you’ll find my first-hand impressions of letting an AI chauffeur handle city traffic. To ride along virtually, watch the video of my trip:

*This article condenses the key points from the video below into text form.*

If something sparks your curiosity, be sure to watch the full video!

Inside Waymo’s Self-Driving Tech

Mounted on the roof of every Waymo vehicle is a sophisticated LiDAR unit—Light Detection and Ranging.

The spinning sensor sends out millions of laser pulses per second, building a high-resolution 3-D map of everything around the car.

Combined with radar and cameras, that data lets the AI “see” construction cones, parked cars, cyclists, and lane markings in real time, then plan a smooth path through city traffic.

From the passenger seat the system feels uncannily human.

It slows gently for road work, eases around double-parked vans by nudging over the center line, and merges back as soon as the lane is clear—exactly what an experienced driver would do, only with zero hesitation.

Ride Route & San Francisco Landmarks

On this ride we started near sightseeing-rich Nob Hill and headed to Pier 33, where the ferries to Alcatraz Island depart.

While we were stopped at red lights, the video also points out some of San Francisco’s famous landmarks.

Here are a few that were highlighted:

Alcatraz Island (Final Stop)

Alcatraz is a small island in the middle of San Francisco Bay that once housed a federal penitentiary.

Surrounded by strong, fast-moving currents and guarded under tight security, the prison was considered virtually escape-proof.

Even so, a handful of escape attempts did occur.

In one famous case, inmates allegedly widened the ventilation shafts with spoons to slip out of their cells.

Today the island is part of the U.S. National Park system and is open to the public.

Ferries run regularly from Pier 33.

Lombard Street

Nicknamed “the crookedest street in the world,” Lombard Street features eight tight switchbacks that snake down a steep hillside.

The dramatic turns were added in the 1920s to make the original 27 percent grade safe enough for cars to descend.

It’s one of San Francisco’s most photographed spots, but anyone driving it should proceed with extra caution.

16th Avenue Tiled Steps

One of San Francisco’s best-kept secrets is the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, a community art project completed in 2005.

The 163-step staircase is covered with a vibrant mosaic that flows “from sea to stars,” depicting waves, fish, birds, and finally a night sky of swirling galaxies.

Climb to the top for a sweeping view that stretches from the city skyline all the way out to the Pacific Ocean.

Crowds here are light, making it a perfect spot for a relaxed stroll and photos away from the usual tourist bustle.

Transamerica Pyramid

The Transamerica Pyramid is the unmistakable icon of the San Francisco skyline.

Completed in 1972, the pyramid-shaped tower serves primarily as an office building and is famed for its earthquake-resistant design—performance proven during the 1989 Loma Prieta quake.

Latest on Waymo

Rapid Expansion & a Deeper Uber Partnership

Waymo’s fully driverless service is now available in core parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles, with additional cities on the roadmap.

The days of wait-list sign-ups are over—new users can download the Waymo app, register, and request a ride almost immediately.

The company is also doubling down on its collaboration with Uber.

In Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, riders can hail a Waymo vehicle directly within the Uber app.

Under the agreement, Uber handles fleet-management logistics while Waymo provides the autonomous driving stack and in-ride customer support—an arrangement that plays to each partner’s strengths as the service scales.

Funding & Growth

In October 2024 Waymo closed a ¥840 billion (JPY) / $5.6 billion (USD) fundraising round.

The fresh capital will accelerate vehicle production, geographic expansion, and continued refinement of its autonomous-driving stack.

User adoption is exploding—ride volume is now ten times higher than a year ago, topping 100,000 trips per week.

Spotting a Waymo Jaguar I-PACE or Chrysler Pacifica gliding through San Francisco’s streets is becoming part of daily life.

Technology Breakthrough – EMMA

Waymo’s long-term goal is to become “the world’s most trusted driver.

“ In late October 2024 the company unveiled its newest research system, EMMA (End-to-End Multimodal Model for Autonomous Driving).

Built on Gemini—Google DeepMind’s latest frontier model—EMMA is a bespoke AI stack tuned specifically for self-driving.

Unlike traditional single-purpose networks, EMMA learns multiple tasks in parallel: route planning, 3-D object detection, and holistic scene understanding all feed into one end-to-end framework.

The result is superior performance across a wide range of driving situations.

Another key advantage is flexibility.

EMMA can react safely to objects it has never encountered during training—for example, a dog suddenly darting into the street—making the system far more robust in the real world.

Once integrated into the live Waymo fleet, EMMA should help the cars navigate an even broader spectrum of road scenarios with the calm, predictable behavior passengers already expect.

Actual Ride Experience

Traveling by Waymo felt remarkably smooth and reassuring.

The car crept through construction zones with extra caution, eased around vehicles parked at the curb, and handled stop-and-go traffic at red lights just as a skilled human driver would.

One moment that stood out was when a car ahead began parallel-parking.

Waymo gently slowed, waited until the maneuver was finished, and only then continued on its way. When an oncoming vehicle passed, the restart was so natural it was easy to forget the driver was pure AI.

On arrival at Pier 33—a hectic drop-off area packed with taxis and tour buses—the vehicle calmly identified an open spot and pulled over without drama.

From construction cones to complex curb space, Waymo’s decision-making inspired real confidence.

Wrap-Up

A ride in a Waymo driver-less taxi lets you sample the future of mobility while sightseeing in San Francisco.

It’s not only a safe, comfortable way to travel; it also frees you to relax and enjoy the city’s landmarks as they glide past the window.

The service area is expanding as the technology improves, so your next trip to San Francisco is the perfect chance to give Waymo a try.

This article is based on a ride taken in May 2024. Service details are subject to change without notice.