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! There are apps and websites with up to date information on parking spaces and rates. Mission: The Mission is home to our largest concentration of street art and murals. No worries! 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 sea lions settled here after the 1989 earthquake when they had to escape from somewhere else and since that they have increased in number. This will finally bring us to the Embarcadero. (C) Ghirardelli Square - a landmark public . you could eat at a different NYC spot once a day for 22.7 years and .Central Park Bike Tour. 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. As distances are long in San Francisco, driving is by far the best way to explore the city. The tour includes 3 hours of media content, so we recommend planning for a minimum of 4 hours. We have put together a list of 7 must-see sites for San Francisco visitors. Past members include luminaries like Imogen Cunningham and Ruth Asawa. What all nature lovers come here for is the Pier 39 with colonies of barking Californian sea lions. Miami A large part of San Franciscos charm is in the little quirky details. +1 646 4611355. 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. So you need to watch up when walking here. Expedia, Inc. is not responsible for content on external Web sites. Add to cart. Northern California Self Drive Motorcycle Tour . 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. Next, youll climb Telegraph Hill to look at the famous Coits Tower and some truly unbeatable city views. Pick back up tomorrow when youre refreshed! 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. Fishermans Wharf was and still is a fishing harbor, but its new main focus has changed from fishing industry to tourism industry. n audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. Prague 2023 Routes and Trips. These include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Transamerica Building. What follows is 1 of 17 walks from their book, "Walking San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive", edited and condensed for our website. Are you ready to turn your phone into a personal tour guide? 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. The Castro District. Book this sunset cruise now for a relaxing and romantic tour of the San Francisco Bay. Berlin Make Memories & See the city in one of our self-guided San Diego tours! Entrance ticket to San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). You cant come to San Francisco and not set foot on the Golden Gate Bridge! However, a driving tour may not be for everyone. This post presents a driving route in the Golden Gate area on the westside of San Francisco. After driving down from the freeway we got into a deep gorge with super high skyscrapers on both sides. On especially foggy days you may not even be able to see key attractions like Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid. Self-Guided Driving Tour. . Take one of these to learn more about its famous residents, controversial stories and Italian roots. No worries! 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. Our tour of SF brings us to one of the city's most active neighborhoods: Chinatown. 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. Locals call it the blast from the past, and for good reasons. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there. Required fields are marked *. 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. As we make our way to the waterfront, we'll dive into San Francisco's maritime history and it's (literal) gold-digging past. Haight-Ashbury. You will not need to change the booking if your travel plans change. Tour along Highway 1 by the towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola. Its super easy, yet its best to visit on a Saturday or Sunday when there is less traffic. Choose the Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass for maximum flexibility and stress-free sightseeing! That post is about driving around Central San Francisco, but now: time for the Golden Gate area . The point of a scenic drive is that you get to see a lot of things from the comfortable seat of your car. Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page. This trail connects important historical sites throughout the streets of SF. 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. DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. Oahu; Big Island; Maui; Kauai; Utah. Charleston It started when wealthy families started building their houses up on the hill after the cable car line was opened. Optional Barbary Coast Trail. 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. This trail connects important historical sites throughout the streets of SF. This is a great time to visit California! 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 . I want them all PLUS general travel tips. 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 . You can get a free, printable, detailed map of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive right here for your trip. We also offer a new favorite spots map of San Franciscos downtown core. 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! This means you only have to bring along the ones you plan on using that day. (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. The number of Pier 39 sea lions varies along the year, the record number of seals present at the same time being 1700. It's like having a local show you around. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. Want to go back in time to the 1920's and 30's and the Golden Age of Hollywood? I've created one for each of our most popular districts. I wanted to package my love of San Francisco into a Self-Guided Free Walking Tour and this is the result. This tour is valid forever - from the moment of booking. And as you can imagine, there are a lot of interesting sites to see in the neighborhood. All of these leave from San Francisco and ease the burden of trying to get to and from wine country on your own. 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. So most old harbor buildings have been transformed to restaurants and shopping malls. This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. Not far away from Haight Ashbury comes the place where we will end our San Francisco sightseeing tour for today. I could start and stop the tour whenever I wanted to break and resume. You will only notice when walking through its neighborhoods. And this little car can go where the tour buses can't. Best of all, the sightseeing adventure happens at your pace. And even if you do have more time to spend in the city (or even if you live there) its worth it to take the drive at least once to see all that San Francisco is known for, discovering a few of the gems that people sometimes miss like Mission Dolores. English. While a lot of people are happy just to see this beautiful bridge or even cross the historic structure, there is a lot more to see in the area which we cover on our self-guided tour. SIGN UPFOR OUR EMAIL TO RECEIVE YOUR FREESAN FRANCISCO PLANNING GUIDE. Book your Explore California Academy of Sciences entrance tickets to explore its top sites (and hidden ones too): aquarium, rainforest, planetarium, and Natural History Museum all in one day. Chicago You will find there are no definitive lines between these Colonias and Fraccionamientos. Join us! For your hotel stay, we also offer a free map of San Franciscos downtown area and central neighborhoods. TOURS All Destinations Hawaii. Our next San Francisco sight: the hippie suburb Haight Ashbury. Be sure to check your email before you begin to download the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. This is Grant Avenue, the Chinatowns main street. That way it will only take more time and you will have to examine San Francisco bus and cable car maps and timetables. Our self-guided tour of Chinatown includes a map that you can use to pinpoint the location of each individual stop, making it easy to explore at your own leisure without getting lost. 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. 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. Start your self-guided tour at San Francisco City Hall. San Francisco sightseeing: Market Street in photos, Cable car turning at the Powell Street cable car turntable. This SF self-drive tour route is circular so you can opt to begin wherever is most convenient. It's a great way to learn all about this important SF District. Kevin, who was the guide, was great and it was so nice to be outside. You can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon north ofthe bay, or to Oakland and Vallejo in the east. The back of each card offers the address and a little information about each point of interest on the route. Stop and take some photos. For those who like to sit and relax, packages can be customized to include private city tours or even private road . Simply put, Action Tour Guide is an audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! For first-time visitors discovering the lay of the land or those who can't leave until they've seen it all, the 49-Mile scenic drive is a fantastic way to get acquainted with all of San Francisco. Beach Street garages had very reasonable parking rates and they had flat rates for the whole day on a Saturday. San Francisco by car: Pacific Heights building style. From Chinatown we took California Street up to Nob Hill. 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. 2 San Francisco to Sausalito. Amsterdam Electric Tour Company Guided Walking . Book your Alcatraz tickets to explore the infamous prison and enjoy two days of hop-on hop-off access to all of San Francisco. You only need to book one tour per vehicle, not per person. 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! Lombard Street twists down past green bushes and flower beds. Ive been on tours where I was just bored listening to the guide. San Francisco is a technology hub without rival, and the upcoming Uber and Twitter headquarters prove it! Please arrange for a vehicle before you take the tour. It is full of bright-colored homes, mosaic glass artwork, sex toy stores, and all the rainbow references you could ever ask for. 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Let California Tours take care of all of your accommodations on a self-guided driving road trip vacation. Boston Segway Tours Looking for fun things to do with friends? He gave us lots of fun facts along the way and the whole experience was very interesting. This is not at all like the typical guided tour. After that walk through Chinatown, which has some of the best food in the city, making it the perfect spot . Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins. 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. Zion; Bryce; Capitol Reef; Arches . Good news! Walking: At Clay Street, turn right, then go left to enter one of San Francisco's original city parks. The app was super easy to use, and the content was really fun! Included with your San Francisco tour is a complimentary bonus tour of the Golden Gate Bridge. Finish your self-guided tour at the beautiful Ferry Building, ideally with an ice-cream, or beer, as you take in the city skyline and Bay. Don't worry about other people - With the app, you can pause the tour, and check out the locations as long as you want. And why not? . And I like the pretty flower beds in between. Lowest price guarantee Reserve now & pay laterFree cancellation. Book your Aquarium of the Bay Tickets now and learn about the 200 species and over 28,000 animals native to the San Francisco Bay and California coast. Travel down the West Side Greenway and over the Brooklyn Bridge. Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. The price is about $275 per person and does not include wine. Welcome to the GPS-enabled offline driving tour of San Francisco, California by Action Tour Guide! Learn the history of this great city as you follow a navigated route in the app and listen to commentary. If youre planning to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, this could be an interesting addition to that activity. Alcatraz, the historic prison island of San Francisco. Discover the highlights of San Francisco at your own pace, on a self-guided driving tour available on your smartphone. Did a wonderful tour with these guys while I was in San Francisco on business. Some of the best hotels near San Francisco City Hall include Hotel Whitcomb, Renoir Hotel, and the Hayes Valley Inn. Founded as a "sketch club" for female artists in 1887, San Francisco Women Artists (SFWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and expanding women in the arts. You will also find some of the best Mexican, Cuban and other cuisines from both South and Central America. Learn more about both options on the museum's dedicated Barbary Coast Website. As the name suggests, the tour uses GPS to provide directions to each stop. With the bonus tour, youll get up close and personal with that famous landmark and even drive across it for some killer views! See reviews and photos of the San Francisco City Self-Guided Audio Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Brooklyn Bike Tour. This means only a small number of sea lions stay here throughout the year. It is approximately 17 miles from the city of San Francisco, California. 1 Your California: San Francisco to Point Reyes tour begins. It still has an appeal and is well worth visiting when you are exploring San Francisco by car. Read more. Most stops along the tour have animated videos allowing you to visualize what you cannot see, such as snapshots from different centuries or interior rooms. San Francisco itself has much to offer the first-time visitor. 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. en,it,fr,es,ar,+5 de, pt, ru, ja, ko. Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. Sturgis Tour "The . Andrew H 10/26/2019. $ 45 $ 34. from. Nob Hill looks like a wealthy area, which it is. 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. The city has a lot of it and it is not always predictable. Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about San Francisco Audio Tour Guide. Although we dont have a self-guided tour yet, we do provide a GPS-enabled audio tour of the Castro District. 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. 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. Definitely recommended! Take a deep dive into everything Haight-Ashbury and the Castro District have to offer. This comprehensive self-guided San Francisco City Tour covers everything from the Painted Ladies to the Golden Gate Bridge. 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. 7 Sites to Visit on a Driving Tour of San Francisco, Alternatives to a San Francisco Driving Tour. Its a great place to watch street performers, see some of the citys most intricate vintage murals, and just soak in the atmosphere. Taking a self-guided walking tour around San Francisco is a great way to get to know our amazing city. Enjoy an immersive walk with amazing views and riveting stories of San Francisco and visit the notorious Alcatraz prison during this guided tour! This is one of the self guided audio walking tours of San Francisco. If you decide to add a few stops along the way, these cards will help you easily get back to your original route. Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco, Tour of California Self-Guided Driving Bundle. Yosemite National Park (/ j o s m t i / yoh-SEM-ih-tee) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest.The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an area of 759,620 acres (1,187 sq mi; 3,074 km 2) in four counties - centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending . We provide customizable self guided driving vacations throughout United States, including car rentals, GPS, and hotel accommodations. Haight-Ashbury was once the favorite hang-out spot of The Grateful Dead, the famous rock band from the 1970s. However, you should know what youre getting into before you tackle the task of doing the entire drive. He has traveled to over 30 countries, and has never found a place he loves as much as this one! Frommer's also has a second audio tour that covers the San Francisco Waterfront. That way youll still get to see the real San Francisco, even if youre not able to join us. You'll also stop by many places that were frequented by famous locals from San Francisco's past. You can also cycle this route very easily (there are numerous bike rental shops in the area). 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. Your tour will conclude here, but that isnt where the fun ends! San Francisco has well developed public transport and many connections. 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. Youll get to know their history and why these quirky little cars are still used today. With 12 tours across the state, our value-for-money California bundle (priced at just $39.99) gives you the flexibility to see all the top sights in the state at your own pace. It's a day of gorgeous art and tasty treats. Go City | San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass. Your virtual audio guide will share interesting . Choose to skip a stop and have all the best information about each stop at your fingertips. You can zoom in and out the map and use it as your guidance when driving. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your tour of California. Opened in 1924, Eastern is the United States' oldest Chinese bakery. All of these self-guided tours are designed to be easy to do using the San Francisco Metroor BART (for more information on navigating this sometimes confusing city read our articleHow to Use Transit in San Francisco). Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. Want to work with us? That is why these two adjoining neighborhoods are another must-see for your driving tour. On weekdays the Financial District is hectic but on weekends theres simply nobody. Visit the fascinating San Francisco Modern Museum of Art, including seven floors of galleries and exhibits, three dining options, two museum stores, and more! This tour covers some of the most interesting sites in the historic Chinatown district of San Francisco. An audio guide, map, and tour book all in one! The app knew exactly where I was each time. Wrap up the tour in Los Angeles at the famous Santa Monica Pier. Washington DC. per adult. The residential area of Pacific Heights is on the next hill in order and offers great views to the city and the bay area. Our guide Damien was so very knowledgeable about the area and history of SF. 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. Looking at them you could imagine being in China. You dont want to miss out on seeing the Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill. Recommended by 97% of travelers. Ferry cruises to the bay also start here. In the evening when the sun shines on the painted ladies from the west it makes them shine. More California posts that might also interest you: Your email address will not be published. Wine Tasting in Napa or Sonoma: If you love trying different wines, then a trip to either Napa or Sonoma is only an hour away. As we get back to the tour and continue driving, we'll learn all about the city's rapid real estate growth and the housing crisis it currently faces. 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. He knew a ton of history which we loved and we were able to see a ton. >> Find additional self-guided tours plus some multi-day itineraries. Our post on walking the Golden Gate Bridge also includes several additional details about where to enjoy the best views of this landmark and things to do in the area. . 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. The thing I love about these walks is that all 50 are printed on their own cards. 3h. Our Fave Spots, Zero Ads. Next, we'll head up one of SF's famous hills: Theres a phenomenal view of the bay and of the city skyline once youre up there. Book now from $8! Nashville The SF self-drive tour follows a circular route through the city, so you can start at any point along the way. From there, youll hear about the citys unique history and how it became one of the most progressive cities around. The onsite gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, as well as permanent work by current and past members. Do you love venturing out on your own? Youll turn next onto Stockton Street and get a good look at something else you wont see every day: cable cars. My tours are one full day in each district. CONGRATULATIONS!You are about to embark on an adventure filled self-guided tour of the neighborhoods of Mrida. It's also where Pebble Beach Golf Club is located, a legendary course that has attracted the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill. Plus, meet Claude the alligator, hang out with the African penguin colony and the 38,000 other live animals. How to Tell if Youre on the Scenic Drive. This map is interactive. In the 1960s the traditional middle-class residential area suddenly became the hotspot of the Flower Power generation. 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. English. Alamo Square is the home of the Painted Ladies: the beautiful Victorian-era homes of the 1870s. We also cover this part of the city in a fully guided free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco. Wil and Erin at Ride Free organised our whole trip along route 66 then the coast road to San Francisco.