5648 Ebbshore St, Sacramento, CA 95835. My tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. You'll hear historical facts about SF events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. As we drive, we'll learn all about the impact of Chinese and Asian immigrants on San Francisco. CityListen Audio Tours Includes Tours of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco CarTours Self-guided Interpretive Audio Driving Tours Includes Tours of Lewis and Clark Trail, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, The North Cascades Highway, and The Olympic Peninsula Museum of the Open Road (MOTOR) American Highway Tours Below are links to a few that might be helpful, and look for more on Google. San Francisco: D SELF GUIDED AUDIO TOURS HAWAII. Our San Francisco exploration begins at one of the city's most iconic stops: the Painted Ladies! You can read about San Francisco sights in my previous blog post San Francisco Sightseeing. Most tour companies spend between 1.5 to 2 hours in the forest. After that go through vibrant Fisherman's Wharf, pass Fort Mason and the Palace of Fine Arts, before enjoying some of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, in Crissy Field. 29. So we did all our San Francisco sightseeing by car, but you can use public transport as well to get to the same places. It should say Powell-Hyde (it has a brown sign). It's all up to you! The cable car ascends, passing Union Square and Nob Hill . Required fields are marked *. Closed Christmas and Thanksgiving Day. Visit the top attractions, including: the Ferry Building, Coit Tower, Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, Alcatraz, Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Or you could opt to stop frequently and make this a whole day tour of San Francisco. To start exploring the Victorian quarters, first drive around Lafayette Park that has rows of pretty Victorians on all four sides. 3 hours. How to get to Lombard Street if youre not driving: take the Powell-Hyde cable car. The busy season falls around October through May, and entrance fees are $30 for a 7-day vehicle permit or $15 per person on foot. Tour Types; Tours by Region; Tours by Activity; About; Contact; USA Guide; . Theres a lot of history behind this area of San Francisco, and many notable buildings and sites to experience. Please arrange for a vehicle before you take the tour. And as you can imagine, there are a lot of interesting sites to see in the neighborhood. Locals call it the blast from the past, and for good reasons. 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). Self-Guided Driving Tour. Call 619-236-1242 for recorded information or to leave a voice message. So you need to watch up when walking here. You can find new. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your . Andrew H 10/26/2019. Then well guide you all around, making sure you see everything this historic place has to offer! This post will show you aSan Francisco sightseeing itinerary by car. I want them all PLUS general travel tips. Youll have access to the tour for 72 hours and can start and stop as often as you want. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to be shown around the city. You may also want to consider our GPS-enabled audio tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, which includes GPS guidance to help you find each stop. The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of San Francisco: A Local's Guide Classic Car Tours. 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. 3 Sausalito to Muir Beach. You can tell that youre on it because the attractions along the drive are marked with blue and white signs that tell you youre on 49 Mile Scenic Drive. We offer Escorted Motorcoach Tours, Self Drive Tours, Cruises and Vacation Packages in North America. Get The Map. . While youre up there, youll learn to identify some of the most famous structures which make up Friscos skyline. He gave us lots of fun facts along the way and the whole experience was very interesting. He knew a ton of history which we loved and we were able to see a ton. Self Guided Walking Tours of San Francisco - SF Tourism Tips >> Find additional self-guided tours plus some multi-day itineraries. North Beach: This district is also called Little Italy. 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. These beautiful, colorful homes exemplify Friscos funky culture and are a great way to start your journey. Free cancellation. Enjoy an immersive walk with amazing views and riveting stories of San Francisco and visit the notorious Alcatraz prison during this guided tour! In the evening when the sun shines on the painted ladies from the west it makes them shine. The painted ladies at the top of San Francisco hills. Are you ready to turn your phone into a personal tour guide? 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. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. Yet the Painted Ladies are not the only houses like that in the big city, there are Victorian houses all over San Francisco. We also cover this part of the city in a fully guided free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco. Id also done a tour with the sister company in Los Angeles several years ago. The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. Download Hawaii's highest-rated travel apps + now introducing self-guided tours in Utah! This website does not sell any personal information. Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco, Tour of California Self-Guided Driving Bundle. There are also ferries to the historic Alcatraz Island, leaving from another terminal further north. Opened in 1924, Eastern is the United States' oldest Chinese bakery. This is not at all like the typical guided tour. The sun heats the air and the seals have their dear friends and neighbors around them :). For your hotel stay, we also offer a free map of San Franciscos downtown area and central neighborhoods. After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. 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. 2. As noted below, some companies (such as Skyline Sightseeing . 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. All tours are valid for a lifetime. Scenic 49 Mile Drive - San Francisco. Plus, meet Claude the alligator, hang out with the African penguin colony and the 38,000 other live animals. Lisbon You definitely have to include Pier 39 in your San Francisco sightseeing program. Go City | San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass. We also offer a new favorite spots map of San Franciscos downtown core. Stop to enjoy the view, take pics, eat, walk, etc! In case you get hungry while driving around, The Mission District also has some of the best authentic local restaurants in the city. (B) PIER 39 - see giant sea lions snoring on the docks. Big Island Tour Bundle. 49 Miles of 100% San Francisco. As distances are long in San Francisco, driving is by far the best way to explore the city. These steps require good data/wifi. Want to work with us? 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. The price is about $275 per person and does not include wine. Our self-guided tour of Chinatown includes a map that you can . We'll exit SF's Chinatown through the Dragon's Gate. Tour purchase is per vehicle (not per person), GPS-connected audio plays as you approach the next location. Summer of Love in Height Ashbury, San Francisco. The best of San Francisco isn't found in the typical tourist destinations. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. Well worth the price and what I also liked about the tour was how easy it was. San Francisco by car: Pacific Heights building style. Friendly & very informative. You will be taken through parts of the city that arent always all that pretty before you get back on route. Send us your resume, All Rights Reserved 2023 Real San Francisco Tours | Sitemap. Optional Barbary Coast Trail. Fishermans Wharf was and still is a fishing harbor, but its new main focus has changed from fishing industry to tourism industry. English. Free Walking Tour San Francisco Self-Guided - California Travel 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. The Mission District. Self-drive vacations in California | Audley Travel Easy to tell that this is an exclusive neighborhood. . North Beach: There is a lot of history in the North Beach district. Next, travel through the famous 17-Mile Drive and see Pebble Beach Golf Course. Los Angeles Not bad, both tourists and locals like this. HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL . The most famous Napa Valley restaurant is The French Laundry in Yountville. Traffic. Charleston You only need to book one tour per vehicle, not per person. per adult. San Francisco City Hall, Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, California 94102, U.S. Finally, finish your self-guided tour at the beautiful, historic, San Francisco Presidio (ideally with an ice-cream). This one hour and sixteen minute tour can be done at your own pace. 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. This picturesque, winding road has been another Hollywood staple for ages, but experiencing it for yourself is a whole different ball game. Starting Point Address (Northbound) - LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. Prague No extra fees are applied to this booking. Travel down the West Side Greenway and over the Brooklyn Bridge. 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 . Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. Here is the breakdown of the cost involved in this self-guided Muir Woods tour: ADULT Roundtrip Discount Ferry Ticket: $18 Shuttle to . This is where most department stores are, making the San Francisco Market Street one of the main shopping streets of the city. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. To get to the end of the pier where the sea lions are you will need to walk all the way through the tourist zone, souvenir shops and carousels. tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! The place at the end of Pier 39 is just perfect for these water mammals, there is a lot of food in the water and the bay is sheltered from all winds and waves. If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. It will let you visit a wide variety of tourist destinations in a short amount of time and without walking up a single hill! Self-Guided Walking Tours of San Francisco | USA Today 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). After youve seen enough of Pacific Heights, turn south to see a totally different neighborhood. 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. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. My tours are one full day in each district. 4 Muir Beach to Muir Woods and Mill Valley. Despite the bridges theres still a lot of ferry traffic on the bay. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. Activated by your GPS location, you'll hear about gold rush founders such as the scandalous Samuel . All rights reserved. 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. The Financial District of San Francisco has changed a lot since the Gold Rush when this place already was a base for trade functions. Later the 1906 earthquake took much of Nob Hill after which the wealthy house owners moved west to Pacific Heights and built their homes there. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour in English. You can stop for photos, take detours, grab a coffee or break for lunch. This will finally bring us to the Embarcadero. . All rights reserved. Yosemite National Park - Wikipedia We entered San Francisco from the freeway from the downtown exit (Fremont Street). This was the main entry point to the city until two bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, were opened. What all nature lovers come here for is the Pier 39 with colonies of barking Californian sea lions. Mooncakes are their specialty, filled with a light melon or rich-tasting lotus-seed paste. 2 departure locations in San Francisco to choose from: 478 Post St. SF (Union Square Area) - Departs at 7:40 AM. Hit the road whenever youre ready, stop as often as youd like, and just enjoy the journey! Most San Francisco seals travel south in summer to give birth to their pups and to be back here for winter. You cant come to San Francisco and not set foot on the Golden Gate Bridge! Local insider narration and special guest interviews. San francisco self guided walking tour map - United States tutorials I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. Begin at Haight and Stanyan Street, which is also the westernmost Golden Gate Park entrance. Perfect for photographers, the bridge offers stunning views of the city, even if the evening fog has already rolled in. The streets here are so quiet and leafy that you couldnt imagine this is in a huge metropolis. $14.99. Then take Washington Street towards the next park in the west, Alta Plaza. These pretty Victorian houses together with bay views from the 44 hills make San Francisco what it is. Enjoy Santa Barbara's quintessential downtown and then continue down to Ventura and Malibu. Haight-Ashbury: See the spots where the Summer of Love captured the nation, grab some vintage threads and check out some of this districts interesting murals. One of the major highlights in San Franciscos history was the Golden Gate International Exposition held at Treasure Island in 1939 to celebrate the building of both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, which had each only recently been completed at the time. The monthly rental costs for a parking spot can be anywhere from . 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. Haight Ashbury is one of the places that made San Francisco world famous and represents for the people of that time the real old San Francisco Yet its good to know that today Haight Ashbury is an area with severe crime and drug problems. Interested in creating custom self-guided tours for your customers? The tour shouldnt take longer than 1 - 1 hours to finish. So most old harbor buildings have been transformed to restaurants and shopping malls. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco by car: driving itinerary on the map. This is Grant Avenue, the Chinatowns main street. From tasting delicious food to feeling the hippy love, to exploring the haunted past of San Francisco, theres something there for everyone. 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. As we make our way to the waterfront, we'll dive into San Francisco's maritime history and it's (literal) gold-digging past. Take a deep dive into everything Haight-Ashbury and the Castro District have to offer. This tour covers some of the most interesting sites in the historic Chinatown district of San Francisco. We spent a sunny Saturday driving around Central San Francisco and on Sunday we explored the Golden Gate area. Haight Ashbury has another kind of history. 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: Driving down Lombard Street was great fun and we had to do it twice, and then walk one more time. Discover the hidden treasures of Central Park during this 2 hour guided tour. You can spot some of San Franciscos most famous landmarks from here. Email, phone, and chat support are available if needed. Then its on to Chinatown and Manilatown, where youll hear about both historic districts long, embattled history. $85.00. I've created one for each of our most popular districts. 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. The residential area of Pacific Heights is on the next hill in order and offers great views to the city and the bay area. Some of the best hotels near San Francisco City Hall include Hotel Whitcomb, Renoir Hotel, and the Hayes Valley Inn. If you want to travel, simply pay the conductor. 7h. Haight-Ashbury. Its easy to find parking space and have an urban walk in the deep shady canyons protected from all sunshine. You will then walk from each historical marker to the next as you learn all about the oldest Japantown in the US. Be aware of this as you start the drive. This map is interactive. Leave San Francisco feeling like a local. PPT - San francisco driving tour PowerPoint Presentation, free download Got a soft spot for the hippie-dippie days of the 1960s? It is full of bright-colored homes, mosaic glass artwork, sex toy stores, and all the rainbow references you could ever ask for. The best way to go on self guided walking tour of San Francisco is with City Walks. Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about San Francisco Audio Tour Guide. Powell-Hyde Line: Cable Car Museum and Russian Hill. Fisherman's Wharf: Walk around one of our most popular districts. View All . It's a totally weird and unique San Francisco thing ( here's a list of a bunch of other weird San Francisco quirks). Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle. n audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! Alternatively, we also offer a fully guided free walking tour of Fishermans Wharf. That post is about driving around Central San Francisco, but now: time for the Golden Gate area . Damien was the best! Tour along Highway 1 by the towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola. Apparently, reservations are required . Walking Through Women's History In San Francisco The original hands-on paranormal investigation tour. San Francisco sightseeing by car: Alamo Square. Fishermans Wharf is known for its seafood restaurants (that exist in all price classes), cafes, shops, museums and other typical tourist attractions. 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. Just remember to bring a jacket it gets windy up there! As we drive, we'll learn about another iconic San Francisco feature: the cable car! It is the perfect way to learn more about the history of San Francisco at a time and pace that works for you! 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. HOLLYWOOD AND VINE TOUR. Open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. No need to worry about driving in Central San Francisco. We learnt tons about SF. An audio guide, map, and tour book all in one! After that walk through Chinatown, which has some of the best food in the city, making it the perfect spot for lunch. It's a great way to learn all about this important SF District. From the Powell Street turnaround at Market Street near Union Square, take the Powell-Hyde Line. You just need to buy a day ticket at a kiosk (something like USD 20) and having that you are free to use buses, streetcars and old San Francisco cable cars for a day. Kevin, who was the guide, was great and it was so nice to be outside. We are a program of the San Francisco Public Library. Buy now, travel whenevercoupon code on the next screen. You will not need to change the booking if your travel plans change. If youre planning to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, this could be an interesting addition to that activity. All individual tours come with lifetime validity. Britt is a San Francisco Bay Area native, and has spent 25 years in this magical city. For one block, this road turns into the crookedest street in the world! Youll make EIGHT hairpin turns within that one block! At that time the business people were miners that came here to weigh their gold and get a quote on it. Choose the Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass for maximum flexibility and stress-free sightseeing! It's a day of gorgeous art and tasty treats. Our app deals help you to save on trips so you can travel more and manage it all on the go. Read 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 has water on three sides so you can imagine how useful the bridges were and still are. We definitely came away with much more of an appreciation for Castro and the Mission (love Dolores Park!) 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. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. The point of a scenic drive is that you get to see a lot of things from the comfortable seat of your car. This means only a small number of sea lions stay here throughout the year. Sail around Alcatraz and learn about this infamous island on the Escape the Rock boat tour! 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. 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. Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins. So we started with downtown San Francisco. Checkout Lombard Street, claimed to be 'the crookedest street in the world', containing 8 hairpin turns. After driving a long while up and down the incrediblysteep hills (yes, they are steep) we left the car for a few hours in a parking garage (Beach Street close to Pier 39 on the map) and explored the Fishermans Wharf area by foot. 5 Travel to Point Reyes National Seashore. over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and north into misty coast redwood forests. Paris Walking: At Clay Street, turn right, then go left to enter one of San Francisco's original city parks. Discover the iconic locations from Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge to Pier 39. . Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Refund Policy. 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. A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more Andrew H 10/26/2019. This is a walk through the past and future of San Francisco. You start at the Japan Center Malls where you will find a plaque outlining the walk. Self-Guided Tour: Mrida Neighborhoods Now we could get back to the hills, to Pacific Heights: From the harbor its an easy drive to our next San Francisco destination. Fantastic how people keep up their traditions! If your time in San Francisco is limited, taking a driving tour of the city could be a good option for you. Subscribe to our newsletter below. Next, youll climb Telegraph Hill to look at the famous Coits Tower and some truly unbeatable city views. You cant visit San Francisco without flashing back to the hippie-dippie days of the 1960s. 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.