All rights reserved. If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. These steps require good data/wifi. FREE TOURS BY FOOT IS THE ORIGINAL PAY-WHAT-YOU-LIKE WALKING TOUR. This is a self-guided tour; no guide will accompany you. Market Street is the main street that cuts through Downtown San Francisco, running from the Ferry Buildingto thePowell Street Cable Car Turntable. San Francisco Skyline Sightseeing, Gray Line, and Tower Tours lead combination tours that include tours of Sausalito, Sonoma, and/or highlights of San Francisco. +1 646 4611355. A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more. Know more. Not only that, but you can also create your own walk with the attractions that interest you most and even set your hotel as . San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. And as you can imagine, there are a lot of interesting sites to see in the neighborhood. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to be shown around the city. GPS-activated audio app that plays on your phone. I wanted to package my love of San Francisco into a Self-Guided Free Walking Tour and this is the result. The self guided treks are 3.8 miles long and take you through several SF neighborhoods including Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. 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. San Francisco by car: the old Ferry Building. For your hotel stay, we also offer a free map of San Franciscos downtown area and central neighborhoods. My tours offer you a step-by-step route to make it easy to get around. The tour works offline which means you do not need your phone network to enjoy the tour. This will finally bring us to the Embarcadero. He took into consideration our interests & made it very enjoyable. Tour purchase is per vehicle (not per person), GPS-connected audio plays as you approach the next location. I could start and stop the tour whenever I wanted to break and resume. In the evening when the sun shines on the painted ladies from the west it makes them shine. Stop off wherever you want for as long as you want, and then get started again at your leisure! No problem! The San Andreas Fault has unleashed a shockwave felt from Los Angeles to Oregon, with the epicenter just off the coast of San Francisco. If your time in San Francisco is limited, taking a driving tour of the city could be a good option for you. Liked Haight Ashbury the most. If so, then these self-guided walking tours of San Francisco are just for you! The following health and safety measures are in place, so you can relax and enjoy your experience. If you are only going to be in the area for a day or two, then an unique way to fit them all in is to take San Franciscos 49-Mile scenic drive. It is located about 20 miles (30 km) northeast of San Francisco , and approximately a half-hour drive (without traffic) from San Francisco. Past members include luminaries like Imogen Cunningham and Ruth Asawa. This is one of the self guided audio walking tours of San Francisco. With TourCentric, youll arrive as a tourist and leave as a local. We provide customizable self guided driving vacations throughout United States, including car rentals, GPS, and hotel accommodations. The Castro District. I've created one for each of our most popular districts. San Francisco itself has much to offer the first-time visitor. Below are links to a few that might be helpful, and look for more on Google. New Orleans Begin this self-guided tour at the Ferry Building, near downtown's Financial District (or you can shorten it by starting at Fisherman's Wharf), before taking in San Francisco's picturesque waterfront and the infamous Alcatraz, just across the bay. If youre planning to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, this could be an interesting addition to that activity. You will also find some of the best Mexican, Cuban and other cuisines from both South and Central America. This 3-hour guided tour takes you to bike across GGB and then explore Sausalito's waterfront. This flexible, self-led tour works by sensing your location as you drive, The in-depth audio narration plays as you drive, Buy just one tour for the whole car, and use it as often as youd like, Once its downloaded, the audio tour never expires use it multiple times, Once its downloaded, the tour works completely offline, Tour your way: choose when to start, stop fast-forward, or rewind, Ask for help from a real person anytime over call, chat, or email, Vacation rentals in United States of America, Vacation packages in United States of America, Cancel your hotel or vacation rental booking, Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco, 94117, San Francisco, California, United States of America. Visit Tours-USA.com. Alcatraz tickets with 2-day hop-on hop-off San Francisco bus pass. From there, head east along Haight Street . From tasting delicious food to feeling the hippy love, to exploring the haunted past of San Francisco, theres something there for everyone. 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. Our tour of Fishermans Wharf covers 13 stops and includes 8 great restaurants or foods you may want to enjoy while youre in the area. 7 Sites to Visit on a Driving Tour of San Francisco, Alternatives to a San Francisco Driving Tour. 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. 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. 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. However, we do suggest you download the tour at your home, hotel, visitor center, etc before you head out for a completely immersive experience. 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. We include a few details about each tour to give you an idea of what to expect on each outing. Looking upwards you will see how high these earthquake protected buildings are! You dont want to miss out on seeing the Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill. from. Discover the highlights of San Francisco at your own pace, on a self-guided driving tour available on your smartphone. This is based on an audio guide I did . During your walking tour, you will learn more about 20 of San Francisco's top attractions. Oahu; Big Island; Maui; Kauai; Utah. . 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: We still want you to have a great time here, so weve prepared these free self-guided tours that you can do on your own. Along the way, your guide will share tidbits about SF's history and its landmarks. Its super easy, yet its best to visit on a Saturday or Sunday when there is less traffic. San Francisco City Hall, Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, California 94102, U.S. At that time the business people were miners that came here to weigh their gold and get a quote on it. Kevin, who was the guide, was great and it was so nice to be outside. Spend more time at Twin Peaks, visit the Coit Tower, and take time to explore all the hilly, historical neighborhoods of SF. You will be taken through parts of the city that arent always all that pretty before you get back on route. The Full San Francisco Walking Tour Self-Guided Route Details Full Walking Tour Part 1 - Knob Hill to Fisherman's Wharf (3 miles, 1:05) This San Francisco walk starts at the Powell Street Station, more or less at the top of Knob Hill.Time permitting, you would consider crossing Market Street to see the museums and check out Folsom Street.Instead, you pop over to take some iconic shots of . Ages 5-90. New York City Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there. 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. The tour departs from Fisherman's Wharf, following the San Francisco waterfront until the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge bike's path. Alcatraz, the historic prison island of San Francisco. Alternatively, you may also want to consider taking our free, fully guided Chinatown walking tour. Id also done a tour with the sister company in Los Angeles several years ago. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San . After that, buckle your seatbelts because youre heading down Lombard Street, aka the most crooked street in the world! You'll hear historical facts about SF events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. 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. It is approximately 17 miles from the city of San Francisco, California. Nob Hill, the highest summit of central San Francisco, is our next destination. For those who like to sit and relax, packages can be customized to include private city tours or even private road . Looking at them you could imagine being in China. Expand All. 1 Your California: San Francisco to Point Reyes tour begins. You will also see where some of the most famous people of the 60s lived including the Grateful Dead and Charles Manson. On my self-guided walking tour, you will see where history was made for the LGBTQ community. Cable car conductors also sell day passes. Recommend! Review of: Golden Gate Bridge Bike Rental - Near the Golden Gate Bridge! Ive been on tours where I was just bored listening to the guide. I've used these many times. Electric Tour Company Guided Walking . Most tour companies spend between 1.5 to 2 hours in the forest. Then take Washington Street towards the next park in the west, Alta Plaza. Don't worry about other people - With the app, you can pause the tour, and check out the locations as long as you want. Know about new tour launches, get exclusive access to sales and much more. Enjoy an immersive walk with amazing views and riveting stories of San Francisco and visit the notorious Alcatraz prison during this guided tour! Market Street rather looks like a European high street. At the other end of Market Street is the old Ferry Building. Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. Haight-Ashbury. You will then walk from each historical marker to the next as you learn all about the oldest Japantown in the US. Our tour of SF brings us to one of the city's most active neighborhoods: Chinatown. However, even if you dont intend it, you will sometimes find yourself on this drive when youre in the city without even realizing it. This is one of the most popular neighborhoods in San Francisco, and its not difficult to see why with all of its family-friendly attractions and activities. This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. 17-Mile Drive entrance fee. No extra fees are applied to this booking. Night Adventures: Do you love seeing a city at night? For example, you could easily drive past Tessie Walls infamous brothel without knowing about it! This drive introduces you to large swaths of San Franciscos history while allowing you to enjoy some great scenic views and hit up the highlights of the city. North Beach: There is a lot of history in the North Beach district. Explore all that SF has to offer with this ultimate self-guided experience! Our San Francisco exploration begins at one of the city's most iconic stops: the Painted Ladies! Expedia, Inc. is not responsible for content on external Web sites. Limantour Beach to Olema. The tour shouldnt take longer than 1 - 1 hours to finish. Its a great place to watch street performers, see some of the citys most intricate vintage murals, and just soak in the atmosphere. This tour has been developed by local guides, curated by creative writers, and narrated by professional voice artists. POIPU AND KOLOA DRIVING TOUR $29.99. Starting Point Address (Southbound) - SF to LA: PG6H+8F Lakeshore, San Francisco, CA, USA. You definitely have to include Pier 39 in your San Francisco sightseeing program. Here you can see our San Francisco driving itinerary marked on a Google map. Download Hawaii's highest-rated travel apps + now introducing self-guided tours in Utah! Since 2012. Free cancellation. On this San Francisco tour, drive down the very steep and crooked Lombard Street, and around neighborhoods such as the Mission. Please arrange for a vehicle before you take the tour. This means you only have to bring along the ones you plan on using that day. This is not at all like the typical guided tour. If you have decided that taking a stroll through San Franciscos most charming neighborhoods sounds like a good plan, weve got you covered with our Walking Tours of San Francisco. Youll turn next onto Stockton Street and get a good look at something else you wont see every day: cable cars. Or you could opt to stop frequently and make this a whole day tour of San Francisco. 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. With the bonus tour, youll get up close and personal with that famous landmark and even drive across it for some killer views! Friendly & very informative. These include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Transamerica Building. 2 hours. 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. Note, this is a self-guided driving tour : You will need to arrange your own means of transportation; Book today! Learn More. Our self-guided San Francisco walking tour is 6 miles long and spans 8 unique San Francisco neighborhoods: Want to go back in time to the 1920's and 30's and the Golden Age of Hollywood? Simply download our app and enter your unique password. Dive into the hippest, most exciting city in the country, Hear the wild, unexpected history of San Fran, Take in phenomenal views from atop Telegraph Hill, Cross the Golden Gate Bridge with a bonus tour. Stop and take some photos. Online information on parking in San Francisco, Another provider of parking information in San Francisco. This tour is valid forever - from the moment of booking. Visit the lavish Castro Theater building while you are there, or stop for the most delicious chocolate chip cookie you will ever have at the Hot Cookie Bakery. We experienced different methods of transport (avoiding those big hills!) Here, youll get the inside scoop on how Hollywood uses this building as a stand-in for Washington, D.C.s Capitol building in all sorts of films. Feeling hungry? Alamo Square has nice sets of Victorian houses, one of which is the famous postcard row that probably is the most photographed spot in all San Francisco. Learn the history of this great city as you follow a navigated route in the app and listen to commentary. Your virtual audio guide will share interesting . Open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. You start at the Japan Center Malls where you will find a plaque outlining the walk. (C) Ghirardelli Square - a landmark public . The original hands-on paranormal investigation tour. In addition to this outing, you can also take our free guided walking tour of The Castro. You will find there are no definitive lines between these Colonias and Fraccionamientos. Subscribe to our newsletter below. This means only a small number of sea lions stay here throughout the year. Changing travel date? San Francisco Haight Ashbury got its name from the corner of its two major streets, Haight and Ashbury. Lying in the sun side by side and diving into the waters when they get hungry. 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. 2. Recommended by 97% of travelers. SELF GUIDED AUDIO TOURS HAWAII. Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle. It stops at the top of the curved block and you can walk down the stairs and see the cars. And I like the pretty flower beds in between. 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. The onsite gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, as well as permanent work by current and past members. Wrap up the tour in Los Angeles at the famous Santa Monica Pier. You can choose from either a self guided audio download or a printed map. Segway Tours Looking for fun things to do with friends? 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. 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 Telegr. SAVE 50% $59.98. San Francisco by car: driving itinerary on the map. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. 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. If you have ever watched Full House, you will know what we are talking about. Fishermans Wharf was and still is a fishing harbor, but its new main focus has changed from fishing industry to tourism industry. If you are craving a burrito, be sure to visit La Taqueria or Papalote. It has three Michelin stars (the highest rating) and the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant. Miami, Orlando, Kennedy Space Center and more American National Parks 20 Day Self Drive Tour Explore San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, The Rocky . My Boyfriend and I booked an all Day SF tour with Christofer and had an amazing time! Simply put, Action Tour Guide is an audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! You can stop for photos, take detours, grab a coffee or break for lunch. However, if you are planning to start and finish the drive at the traditional spot, near San Francisco City Hall, then youll want to get a hotel close to that point. Zip around on a Segway tour. If you are confident in your driving skills, you can even try navigating your way down Lombard Street, which is one of the windiest streets in the world. 5 Travel to Point Reyes National Seashore. California sea lions are noisy, they bark and they smell. Save even more - get up to 25% on select hotels when you book on the app. Theres a lot of history behind this area of San Francisco, and many notable buildings and sites to experience. Its like this, and will be. It is the perfect way to learn more about the history of San Francisco at a time and pace that works for you! Welcome to the GPS-enabled offline driving tour of San Francisco, California by Action Tour Guide! Chinatown is like a piece of China on the steep slopes of San Francisco. The GoCar takes you to spectacular places few visitors get to see. This is a walk through the past and future of San Francisco. See reviews and photos of the San Francisco City Self-Guided Audio Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. How to Tell if Youre on the Scenic Drive. This one hour and sixteen minute tour can be done at your own pace. Subscribe to our newsletter belowcoupon code on the next screen. 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. Got a soft spot for the hippie-dippie days of the 1960s? These handy tools helped us find where to park. Call 619-236-1242 for recorded information or to leave a voice message. We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. $14.99. With its famous golden doors, beautiful stained glass windows, and gorgeous icons, youll be amazed. Northern California Guided Motorcycle Tour. You will not need to change the booking if your travel plans change. Sturgis Tour "The . A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your tour of California, so be sure to visit our website for more information. It also has a map showing you where your next stop will be. So we did all our San Francisco sightseeing by car, but you can use public transport as well to get to the same places. After driving down from the freeway we got into a deep gorge with super high skyscrapers on both sides. Local insider narration and special guest interviews. Paris Expedia and the Airplane Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2029030-50. GoCar GPS Guided Tours: Best self-guided tour of San Francisco even for locals - See 1,140 traveler reviews, 219 candid photos, and great deals for San This self guided walking tour of NYC The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of San Francisco: we've made a printable map of the self-guided Walking Tour of This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. Book your San Francisco bay cruise service now and discover Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco sightseeing by car: Alamo Square. After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. This tour starts at Union Square, visits Chinatown, Grace Cathedral, the Cable Car Barn and Museum, North Beach (the Little Italy part of San Francisco), Lombard Street, Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. 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. You can read about San Francisco sights in my previous blog post San Francisco Sightseeing. There was a lot more to see than we had thought, coming from Europe and being fist time visitors. Tour access for the full car, not per person, GPS-connected audio to automatically play as you approach a landmark or location, Additional media content in-app, including photos and images, New York Self Drive Tour-PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, San Francisco: An Expert Local Travel Guide, Public Transit Tours Waiver and Terms & Conditions, Purchase the San Francisco Self Drive Tour (only one purchase is necessary per car), Connect your device to your car speakers and listen to the stories as you follow the route indicated. 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). All of these leave from San Francisco and ease the burden of trying to get to and from wine country on your own. Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. You'll also stop by many places that were frequented by famous locals from San Francisco's past. 3. The person I travel with is my husband and photographer Clas: Come and join the trip! He knew a ton of history which we loved and we were able to see a ton. Next, youll climb Telegraph Hill to look at the famous Coits Tower and some truly unbeatable city views. In addition to accommodations, our packages include information on suggested optional itineraries with stops along the way. Take in the open space - and famous St Francis Hotel - before heading down Maiden Lane, SF's old red-light district (now full of designer boutiques). The 49-Mile Scenic Drive map also is available from the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau Visitor Information Center on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza at Market and Powell streets (near the cable car turnaround). A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your tour of California. Traffic. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. You can experience ourdrivingandwalking tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! The tour includes 3 hours of media content, so we recommend planning for a minimum of 4 hours. Zion; Bryce; Capitol Reef; Arches . The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. It's a great way to learn all about this important SF District. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. That way it will only take more time and you will have to examine San Francisco bus and cable car maps and timetables. Well worth the price and what I also liked about the tour was how easy it was. Visit its top attractions, see where the Beat Generation spent their days and nights and taste some of the best goodies in the district. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. You can get a free, printable, detailed map of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive right here for your trip. Your email address will not be published. Temporary new starting point address: Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco. However, you should know what youre getting into before you tackle the task of doing the entire drive. Like Pacific Heights and Nob Hill, Haight Ashbury consists of large Victorian houses but thats the only similarity. We loved it as it had been our first time visiting. These experiences are best for self-guided tours & rentals in San Francisco: 4-Hour Slingshot Rental; Golden Gate Bridge Bike Rental with Sausalito Ferry Return; Golden . The price is about $275 per person and does not include wine. California Street is so steep that it was almost too exiting for us to drive behind a cable car, stopping each time it stopped and starting uphill again each time it started. Check COVID guidelines and opening hours before your visit. Nob Hill and the next hill, Russian Hill, have splendid views to the city and to the bay area: A San Francisco city tour on Russian Hill. 29. The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. This tour takes you along to visit many of San Francisco's must-see places while you are in control behind the wheel of our own vehicle. Double Bottom Assembly, Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond CA [RORI 1039_b] . Dubai The streets here are so quiet and leafy that you couldnt imagine this is in a huge metropolis. Next, travel through the famous 17-Mile Drive and see Pebble Beach Golf Course. Apparently, reservations are required . Our drive through San Francisco brings us past a magnificent marble building: the San Francisco City Hall! This post presents a driving route in the Golden Gate area on the westside of San Francisco. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. The best of San Francisco isn't found in the typical tourist destinations.