It will let you visit a wide variety of tourist destinations in a short amount of time and without walking up a single hill! More California posts that might also interest you: Your email address will not be published. The heyday of the Haight was the 1967 Summer of Love when thousands or young California dreamers flocked to the place and filled all quarters. Our self-guided San Francisco walking tour is 6 miles long and spans 8 unique San Francisco neighborhoods: San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour in English. 2. At last, youll reach the beautiful waterfront, home to some of the best food and drink in Frisco, not to mention astonishing views of the bay! The SF self-drive tour follows a circular route through the city, so you can start at any point along the way. Its easy to find parking space and have an urban walk in the deep shady canyons protected from all sunshine. Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. Simplify your planning process to this neighborhood by taking a guided tour. The Japantown District also offers a free self-guided walking tour. Walking: At Clay Street, turn right, then go left to enter one of San Francisco's original city parks. You will also find some of the best Mexican, Cuban and other cuisines from both South and Central America. POIPU AND KOLOA DRIVING TOUR $29.99. No self-respecting local would be caught dead at Pier 39 (except to visit the resident seals), or the "visitor's center" at the Golden Gate Bridge, or Alcatraz ( many of us have never bothered to tour Alcatraz). Know more. Then well guide you all around, making sure you see everything this historic place has to offer! We also offer a free walking tour of the Golden Gate Bridge which is fully guided, ensuring you wont get lost as you walk around the attraction. No expiration The tour comes with lifetime validity! My Boyfriend and I booked an all Day SF tour with Christofer and had an amazing time! The current route takes you through large regions of the city and does allow views of both bridges but no longer goes all the way to Treasure Island. Double Bottom Assembly, Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond CA [RORI 1039_b] . So we started with downtown San Francisco. (B) PIER 39 - see giant sea lions snoring on the docks. Some of the key attractions on the drive that can easily be enjoyed without getting out of the car include: Here are some of the attractions that the 49-Mile scenic drive will take you past but which may be worth getting out of the car and exploring in more depth: The 49-Mile scenic drive is a great experience and a terrific way to see a lot of what the city has to offer. All rights reserved. Frommer's also has a second audio tour that covers the San Francisco Waterfront. These houses called the Painted Ladies can be seen on San Francisco postcards. I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Start this self-guided tour at the stunning Pantages Theater, before taking a stroll back through Hollywood history (via Amoeba Music Store) to some of the oldest studios in Los Angeles, where film-making began here. Two lines leave from this same spot, so you need to check the name at the end of the car. Fisherman's Wharf walking tour & Alcatraz visit. Without a doubt, one of the most enchanting things about this magical city is the neighborhoods. There are apps and websites with up to date information on parking spaces and rates. If youd like to see jpg images of the 49 mile scenic drive map, you can find the downtown San Francisco route map, overview, and places to see at these links. Then, stop at Pier 39 to see the seal lion colony and the two-level carousel at the end of the pier. If you want to travel, simply pay the conductor. Don't worry about other people - With the app, you can pause the tour, and check out the locations as long as you want. They were designed by an artist who won a competition held by San Franciscos Downtown Association in 1955 and have marked the scenic drive ever since. City Guides, founded in 1978, is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization with more than 300 trained volunteers who lead FREE historical and architectural walking tours in San Francisco for over 35,000 locals and visitors each year. Apparently, reservations are required . In case you get hungry while driving around, The Mission District also has some of the best authentic local restaurants in the city. When you book with an account, you will be able to track your payment status, track the confirmation and you can also rate the tour after you finished the tour. English. However, the people who live in them will surely assist you with the boundaries and the colorful . Your home, the capital of the West Coast, has been reduced to rubble in minutes: 28,000 buildings destroyed, 3,000 dead and more than . The point of a scenic drive is that you get to see a lot of things from the comfortable seat of your car. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San Francisco self guided tour, and start anywhere along the route whenever youre ready! Each of the following companies offers tours to Muir Woods. San Francisco City Hall, Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, California 94102, U.S. In the evening when the sun shines on the painted ladies from the west it makes them shine. However, in some way we did manage to get up California Street (and all other streets)! Learn more about both options on the museum's dedicated Barbary Coast Website. Discover San Francisco at your own pace on a self-guided tour available on your smartphone, Choose to pause the tour, spend more time at a location or skip a stop, See the Great Seal of California, learn about its symbols and origins, Cross the Golden Gate Bridge - the most iconic sight in San Francisco, Drive on Lombard street, claimed to be 'the crookedest street in the world, The tour has a fixed price for groups from 1-5 people, you are requested to pay the full price regardless of the number of participants, Note, this is a self-guided driving tour : You will need to arrange your own means of transportation, 24 hours before your tour starts - you will receive an email or text from the tour operator with a link to the app and a unique password to access the tour - within the app, App is available for iOS and Android/Web users on the Apple App Store or Google Play, From there, you can start your self-guided tour at anytime (recommended during daylight hours), simply follow the audio instructions and the route, With the app, you can pause the tour, spend more time at a location or skip a stop, while having all the best information about each stop at your fingertips, Bring a fully charged phone and headphones, Unfortunately, this experience is not wheelchair or stroller accessible. Northern California Guided Motorcycle Tour. On the front, you will see the full walking route. You can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon north ofthe bay, or to Oakland and Vallejo in the east. CONGRATULATIONS!You are about to embark on an adventure filled self-guided tour of the neighborhoods of Mrida. We entered San Francisco from the freeway from the downtown exit (Fremont Street). This is based on an audio guide I did . Closed Christmas and Thanksgiving Day. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. From here, we can explore the wonders of the nearby Ferry Building or make our way to Fisherman's Wharf for a glimpse of the infamous Alcatraz! In-Vehicle GPS and Audio Commentary. I've used these in other cities too and they are great. From there, head east along Haight Street . They have a fixed menu that changes daily of 2 nine-course meals. Hop in your car and enjoy this self-guided audio tour along the Pacific Coast Highway. Our next post will show you more about San Francisco as we will go and see the Golden Gate Bridge and more Golden Gate area sights. It is the perfect way to learn more about the history of San Francisco at a time and pace that works for you! If you're looking to explore some of San Francisco's most famous neighborhoods by pounding the pavement, try this self-guided itinerary from local authors Kristine Poggioli and Carolyn Eidson. One important thing for you to note if youre taking this drive intentionally, however, is that the signs are often stolen and it takes awhile to replace them so youll want the map with you in addition to following the signage! Take your time driving through Monterey Bay, artsy Carmel and more. From San Francisco: Highway 1 Self-Drive Audio Tour in English. San francisco driving tour | Actiontourguide.com San francisco driving tour Actiontourguide [email protected] 32 Mallard Cove Barrington Rode Island 02806 1 (508) 506 1844 United States. He knew a ton of history which we loved and we were able to see a ton. Feeling hungry? Most tour companies spend between 1.5 to 2 hours in the forest. Book your Alcatraz tickets to explore the infamous prison and enjoy two days of hop-on hop-off access to all of San Francisco. Chicago A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more. Now we could get back to the hills, to Pacific Heights: From the harbor its an easy drive to our next San Francisco destination. A graduate of the University of Maryland and University of Southern California, he has been leading tours for Free Tours by Foot since 2015. free, guided walking tours of San Francisco, free, fully guided Chinatown walking tour, self-guided tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, GPS-enabled audio tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, free walking tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, GPS-enabled audio tour of the Financial District, free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco, GPS-enabled audio tour of the Castro District. You'll also stop by many places that were frequented by famous locals from San Francisco's past. Finally something like 100 000 hippies from all over the States and abroad gathered in Haight and the nearby parks of Panhandle and Golden Gate. And our professional guides will help you find each of the most notable landmarks in the neighborhood. (C) Ghirardelli Square - a landmark public . Despite that they look really cute, social and intelligent. Pick back up tomorrow when youre refreshed! However, we do suggest you download the tour at your home, hotel, visitor center, etc before you head out for a completely immersive experience. Table of contents. 7 Sites to Visit on a Driving Tour of San Francisco. Over 50 points of interest in San Francisco! Download Hawaii's highest-rated travel apps + now introducing self-guided tours in Utah! Summer of Love in Height Ashbury, San Francisco. The trail is marked with gold medallions embedded within the sidewalks. (A) Caltrain Station - aka, the OG San Francisco Station. Totally 14 000 Victorians have been saved in the city after all earthquakes and fires that have destroyed a lot of the city, time after time. As the name suggests, the tour uses GPS to provide directions to each stop. This is where you come for some of the most gorgeous views of the city. Are you interested in exploring the city of San Francisco without a large group around you? To make driving easier, the most curved section of Lombard Street was made a one-way street (only down), and there is a strict speed limit (5 mph, 8km/hour). Explore all that San Francisco has to offer, from the twists and turns of Lombard Street, through the bustling streets of Chinatown, and to the top of Telegraph Hill! Expedia, Inc. is not responsible for content on external Web sites. Choose the Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass for maximum flexibility and stress-free sightseeing! Tour Types; Tours by Region; Tours by Activity; About; Contact; USA Guide; . Fantastic how people keep up their traditions! Not far away from Haight Ashbury comes the place where we will end our San Francisco sightseeing tour for today. Such an interesting deep dive into the Castro and Mission neighborhoods, for which we had an incredibly sunny warm summer day. Non-refundable. Drive to the summit of Russian Hill and you will find the street said to be the crookedest street in the world: Lombard Street is the steepest street in San Francisco. Great exercise- best way to see SF. Traffic. For one block, this road turns into the crookedest street in the world! Youll make EIGHT hairpin turns within that one block! With an automatic car its easier. We definitely came away with much more of an appreciation for Castro and the Mission (love Dolores Park!) Entrance ticket to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). n audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! We designed our self-guided walking tour of San Francisco to include several examples of that quirky San Francisco charm. Expand All. You dont want to miss out on seeing the Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill. Next visit the historic birthplace of San Francisco, then see the burial site of one of the hundred odd ships on which the Financial District is built. Wrap up the tour in Los Angeles at the famous Santa Monica Pier. . There was a lot more to see than we had thought, coming from Europe and being fist time visitors. Recommend! Dont have the time or money to book one of our guided tours? In addition to accommodations, our packages include information on suggested optional itineraries with stops along the way. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. After the booking, you will receive an email with a link to the Action Tour Guide app and a unique password to access the tour within the app. Philadelphia Explore all that San Francisco has to offer, from the twists and turns of Lombard Street, through the bustling streets of Chinatown, and to the top of Telegraph Hill! Take one of these to learn more about its famous residents, controversial stories and Italian roots. The tourist area of San Franciscos Fishermans Wharf. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to be shown around the city. Taking a driving tour of San Francisco (SF) can be a great way to explore the city if you are short on time or dont feel like hiking up one of SFs famous hills. As one of San Franciscos oldest neighborhoods, the Mission District is full of rich ethnic history. Berlin It's like having a local show you around. Its a great place to watch street performers, see some of the citys most intricate vintage murals, and just soak in the atmosphere. As the ground convulses, buildings disintegrate and fires are ignited. From the Powell Street cable car end stop you can take the cable car and travel to the Chinatown, Nob Hill and all the way to the other side of the hill where the Fishermans Wharf is. All rights reserved. Alternatives include taking a tour bus that goes along most of the route or renting a bicycle and doing it on bike, which takes approximately six hours but eliminates some of the difficulties of having to drive in the city. Chinatown Self-Guided Tour. As we drive through the city, we'll learn all about San Francisco's realtionship with technology, Silicon Valley, and more. Check COVID guidelines and opening hours before your visit. Our Fave Spots, Zero Ads. you could eat at a different NYC spot once a day for 22.7 years and .Central Park Bike Tour. and will seek out other neighborhoods on our next trip! However, a driving tour may not be for everyone. Included with your San Francisco tour is a complimentary bonus tour of the Golden Gate Bridge. We'll climb to the top of Coit Tower and get a great look at San Francisco from above. Scenic 49 Mile Drive - San Francisco. You will also find others that offer either audio or a map to get you from point to point. Segway Tours Looking for fun things to do with friends? Lowest price guarantee Reserve now & pay laterFree cancellation. View All Reviews. . As we drive, we'll learn all about the impact of Chinese and Asian immigrants on San Francisco. from. This self-guided tour starts by first visiting the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center in Richmond, CA. You will be taken through parts of the city that arent always all that pretty before you get back on route. Be sure to check your email before you begin to download the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The app knew exactly where I was each time. Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. Next we'll see two iconic symbols of San Francisco's Chinatown: the Chinatown Mural and the Old Chinese Telephone Exchange. Changing travel date? This one hour and sixteen minute tour can be done at your own pace. This is not at all like the typical guided tour. Leave San Francisco feeling like a local. According to an article on the history of the drive, a few of the annoyances you may encounter during the drive include: If you do the drive from start to finish with just a few stops at the major attractions it should take you three to four hours to complete the drive. The Financial District of San Francisco has changed a lot since the Gold Rush when this place already was a base for trade functions. Our self-guided tour of Chinatown includes a map that you can . Mooncakes are their specialty, filled with a light melon or rich-tasting lotus-seed paste. Taking a self-guided walking tour around San Francisco is a great way to get to know our amazing city. If so, then these self-guided walking tours of San Francisco are just for you! The experience complies with government regulations, Areas frequented by visitors are regularly disinfected, Hand sanitizers are provided for staff and visitors, All gear/equipment is sanitized between use. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. He took into consideration our interests & made it very enjoyable. This tour is valid forever - from the moment of booking. If youre not driving, use the steps for walkers that exist on both sides. Bring your walking shoes we started at 10 am and finished at 6 pm, I highly recommend you do this tour. Liked Haight Ashbury the most. No problem! Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco, Tour of California Self-Guided Driving Bundle. Also, if youre looking for more ideas on how you could spend your time here, be sure to read our helpful guideThings to Do in San Franciscofor some suggestions. No need to worry about driving in Central San Francisco. San Francisco by car: the old Ferry Building. The tour includes 3 hours of media content, so we recommend planning for a minimum of 4 hours. We spent a sunny Saturday driving around Central San Francisco and on Sunday we explored the Golden Gate area. Youll get to know their history and why these quirky little cars are still used today. Read more. The residential area of Pacific Heights is on the next hill in order and offers great views to the city and the bay area. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. Open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. (See privacy policy), Find additional self-guided tours plus some multi-day itineraries, Learn more about things to see and do in Japantown, You can buy these together or separately through Amazon. Guide Name: Chinatown Walking Tour Guide Location: USA San Francisco (See other walking tours in San Francisco) Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing) # of Attractions: 8 Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s) Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles Author: doris Sight(s) Featured in This Guide: It still has an appeal and is well worth visiting when you are exploring San Francisco by car. I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. Its full of shabby-chic vintage stores, tattoo parlors, and beautiful Victorian houses for you to check out. San Francisco Skyline Sightseeing, Gray Line, and Tower Tours lead combination tours that include tours of Sausalito, Sonoma, and/or highlights of San Francisco. Our app deals help you to save on trips so you can travel more and manage it all on the go. In all, we have prepared 12 self-guided walks for you to explore San Francisco, which cover everything from charming streets and neighborhoods to the most famous architectural achievements, street art and shopping areas. New York City The audio tour's auto-play feature tells you the stories behind the attractions as you experience them. Id also done a tour with the sister company in Los Angeles several years ago. Northern California Self Drive Motorcycle Tour . Book your San Francisco bay cruise service now and discover Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Simply download our app and enter your unique password. All of these tours take you on a specific walking route through the city. I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. Simply put, Action Tour Guide is an audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! On my self-guided walking tour, you will see where history was made for the LGBTQ community. We learnt tons about SF. By the way, the carousel below has two levels: Pier 39 is always packed with people and unlike elsewhere in the city, has a good choice of restaurants where to have lunch. I had the most amazing time, as a solo traveller doing a small group tour is perfect. This is one of the self guided audio walking tours of San Francisco. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and visit the Golden Gate Park, home to museums and attractions including the Academy of Sciences, the DeYoung Museum, and the friendly Bison. Twin Peaks are also typically less crowded than the Coit Tower, which is always a plus. Chinatown is like a piece of China on the steep slopes of San Francisco. In the 1960s the traditional middle-class residential area suddenly became the hotspot of the Flower Power generation. Streets like this would never work in Europe where a lot of cars still have manual gears. How many people know what San Francisco is like? Even when the Americans insist on driving up and down the steep 44 San Francisco hills, one street turned out too steep even to them. DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. 2022Outdoor Activities in San Francisco. There are a total of 19 stops to visit, and they are all in the same general location, so it shouldnt take longer than 1 - 2 hours to complete. If your time in San Francisco is limited, taking a driving tour of the city could be a good option for you. I could start and stop the tour whenever I wanted to break and resume. This comprehensive self-guided driving tour of San Francisco covers everything from the Painted Ladies to the Embarcadero. Discover the hidden treasures of Central Park during this 2 hour guided tour. So, if youd rather have some help seeing the best sites in the area, this is an excellent option. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your . Explore all that SF has to offer with this ultimate self-guided experience! There are options for guided tours at $25 per person, and camping fees vary by campground. Send us your resume, All Rights Reserved 2023 Real San Francisco Tours | Sitemap. Nashville With the bonus tour, youll get up close and personal with that famous landmark and even drive across it for some killer views! This SF self-drive tour route is circular so you can opt to begin wherever is most convenient. Today Haight Ashbury is a vibrant area with second-hand shops, cafes, bars and music shops. As we continue driving, we'll dive into what makes SF the city that it is: it's past, it's present, and the promise of it's future. San Francisco has water on three sides so you can imagine how useful the bridges were and still are. A main street facade in Chinatown San Francisco. The Castro District. This trail connects important historical sites throughout the streets of SF. These pretty Victorian houses together with bay views from the 44 hills make San Francisco what it is. SELF GUIDED AUDIO TOURS HAWAII. If you want to keep in touch, follow Routes and Trips. Explore the most photographed area of San Francisco, seen on the award-winning show Full House, the Painted Ladies are the iconic Victorian homes sitting on Alamo Square. Follow the turn-by-turn directions and enjoy the fun storytelling as you approach the next location. Andrew H 10/26/2019. . My tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The great thing about this drive is that it takes you through so much of the city that nearly any hotel youre staying in within city limits is going to be close to a portion of the drive. Below are links to a few that might be helpful, and look for more on Google. Both days were fantastic and the natural beauty of the hilly metropolis surprised us. The onsite gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, as well as permanent work by current and past members. You know that San Francisco is famous for its hills, right? After that, buckle your seatbelts because youre heading down Lombard Street, aka the most crooked street in the world! It is approximately 17 miles from the city of San Francisco, California. At that time the business people were miners that came here to weigh their gold and get a quote on it. Or, if you are in the mood for ice cream, the Bi-Rite Creamery salted caramelice cream is worth waiting in line for. HOLLYWOOD AND VINE TOUR. Stroll along the Rainbow Walk of Fame, check out Harvey Milk's old camera shop, and learn more about the history of this district at the GLBT Museum. My tours offer you a step-by-step route to make it easy to get around. This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. While a driving tour is a decent option, if you want to visit as many tourist spots as possible, a walking tour is the best way to really get to know the city. Chinatown is pretty close to Fishermans Wharf and North Beach, so you may want to consider taking multiple self-guided tours on the same day if youve got enough time and energy. Travel has always been my passion and work and with this Routes and Trips Travel Guide I want to inspire you to travel the world. Our North Beach tour is close to stops in both Chinatown and Fishermans Wharf, so it might make sense to enjoy more than one outing at the same time. This app offers a fully-guided experience - just like a local giving you a personalized, turn-by-turn, fully-guided tour. Well worth the price and what I also liked about the tour was how easy it was. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, having grown up in the area, and pointed out not only historical places, but beautiful murals, homes and fun nooks and crannies (like hidden stairways to streets) that we never would have seen on our own. The new cable car line provided easy access to the hill. Make a stop here to take some photos, or simply drive by so you can tell your friends you saw them! 2 hours. This post provides a list of free self-guided tours of San Francisco that you can enjoy anytime, day or night, every day of the week. Washington DC. We also cover this part of the city in a fully guided free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco. As we drive, we'll learn about another iconic San Francisco feature: the cable car! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you dont spend too much time taking photos and waiting in bathroom lines, you could visit all 7 sites we talk about in this article in under 3 hours. Haight-Ashbury. Save up to 55% and visit San Francisco's top attractions. San Francisco itself has much to offer the first-time visitor. Our tour continues to Carmel by the sea, where ample time is given to walk through this charming town dotted with lovely shops and beautiful architecture. No extra fees are applied to this booking. The back of each card offers the address and a little information about each point of interest on the route. These signs themselves are part of the history of the scenic drive. The monthly rental costs for a parking spot can be anywhere from . No worries! Alternatively, you may also want to consider taking our free, fully guided Chinatown walking tour. Book this sunset cruise now for a relaxing and romantic tour of the San Francisco Bay. If you decide to add a few stops along the way, these cards will help you easily get back to your original route. You cant visit San Francisco without flashing back to the hippie-dippie days of the 1960s. Yet the Painted Ladies are not the only houses like that in the big city, there are Victorian houses all over San Francisco. The most famous Napa Valley restaurant is The French Laundry in Yountville. Stop and take some photos. Good news! Know about new tour launches, get exclusive access to sales and much more. We provide a map with each stop listed on our self-guided tour of North Beach to ensure that you wont get lost and itll be easy to spot each attraction. Finally, finish your self-guided tour at the beautiful, historic, San Francisco Presidio (ideally with an ice-cream).