san francisco self guided driving tour

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. 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. Since 2012. Explore California Academy of Sciences entrance tickets. Book now from $8! Self-Guided Tours View Floor Plans. San Francisco by car: Pacific Heights building style. It's a totally weird and unique San Francisco thing ( here's a list of a bunch of other weird San Francisco quirks). The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Stop at Eastern Bakery: 720 Grant Avenue. The tour shouldnt take longer than 1 - 1 hours to finish. If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. And as you can imagine, there are a lot of interesting sites to see in the neighborhood. I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. Get your Go City San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass, save up to 50% and take advantage of unlimited access to 25+ top attractions and a downloadable guide. No expiration The tour comes with lifetime validity! Finally, finish your self-guided tour at the beautiful, historic, San Francisco Presidio (ideally with an ice-cream). Are you interested in exploring the city of San Francisco without a large group around you? 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. 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. Zip around on a Segway tour. You can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon north ofthe bay, or to Oakland and Vallejo in the east. There are only really 7 stops on this self-guided tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, and you can expect the whole tour to take around 1 - 1 hours. As we drive, we'll learn all about the impact of Chinese and Asian immigrants on San Francisco. The following health and safety measures are in place, so you can relax and enjoy your experience. Join us for a walk along the streets . Our guide Damien was so very knowledgeable about the area and history of SF. The best of San Francisco isn't found in the typical tourist destinations. English. We include a few details about each tour to give you an idea of what to expect on each outing. Both days were fantastic and the natural beauty of the hilly metropolis surprised us. 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. Changing travel date? Next, travel through the famous 17-Mile Drive and see Pebble Beach Golf Course. 3h. As we drive, we'll learn about another iconic San Francisco feature: the cable car! These pretty Victorian houses together with bay views from the 44 hills make San Francisco what it is. 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. Andrew H 10/26/2019. over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and north into misty coast redwood forests. 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. You can download a (free, printable) up-to-date version of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive Map to follow the whole drive. You can pick a topic that interests you, then find a walking tour that explores it more deeply. We'll learn all about this building's strange history as we pass. It's all up to you! Send us your resume, All Rights Reserved 2023 Real San Francisco Tours | Sitemap. Musement helps you get the best from every destination, by giving you easy access to memorable experiences around the world. Kevin, who was the guide, was great and it was so nice to be outside. However, the people who live in them will surely assist you with the boundaries and the colorful . A main street facade in Chinatown San Francisco. 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. You will also find others that offer either audio or a map to get you from point to point. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Double Bottom Assembly, Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond CA [RORI 1039_b] . 3 Sausalito to Muir Beach. Save up to 55% and visit San Francisco's top attractions. Discover the hidden treasures of Central Park during this 2 hour guided tour. 1. Feeling hungry? In addition to this outing, you can also take our free guided walking tour of The Castro. No need to worry about driving in Central San Francisco. Mooncakes are their specialty, filled with a light melon or rich-tasting lotus-seed paste. San francisco driving tour | Actiontourguide.com San francisco driving tour Actiontourguide support@actiontourguide.com 32 Mallard Cove Barrington Rode Island 02806 1 (508) 506 1844 United States. Its full of shabby-chic vintage stores, tattoo parlors, and beautiful Victorian houses for you to check out. 2 reviews. See an interesting view? This tour covers some of the most interesting sites in the historic Chinatown district of San Francisco. More California posts that might also interest you: Your email address will not be published. At the other end of Market Street is the old Ferry Building. Philadelphia Fisherman's Wharf: Walk around one of our most popular districts. 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. Tour along Highway 1 by the towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola. After that walk through Chinatown, which has some of the best food in the city, making it the perfect spot for lunch. Lombard Street was so steep that it needed eight turns to make it drivable: San Francisco by car: driving down the eight turns of Lombard Street. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. . Starting Point Address (Northbound) - LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Copyright 2009-2023 by SFTourismTips.com. Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle. Haight-Ashbury. Haight-Ashbury was once the favorite hang-out spot of The Grateful Dead, the famous rock band from the 1970s. And very soon we got used to driving up and down San Francisco hills. 17-Mile Drive entrance fee. 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. Check COVID guidelines and opening hours before your visit. This self-guided tour allows you to explore San Franciscos historic wonders with maximum flexibility and value. San Francisco by car: driving down the eight turns of Lombard Street. Britt is a San Francisco Bay Area native, and has spent 25 years in this magical city. 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. 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. This post will show you aSan Francisco sightseeing itinerary by car. SIGN UPFOR OUR EMAIL TO RECEIVE YOUR FREESAN FRANCISCO PLANNING GUIDE. Learn how your comment data is processed. Subscribe to our newsletter belowcoupon code on the next screen. This was the main entry point to the city until two bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, were opened. Expedia, Inc. is not responsible for content on external Web sites. That way youll still get to see the real San Francisco, even if youre not able to join us. And this little car can go where the tour buses can't. Best of all, the sightseeing adventure happens at your pace. Along the way, your guide will share tidbits about SF's history and its landmarks. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San Francisco self guided tour, and start anywhere along the route whenever youre ready! This is based on an audio guide I did . These steps require good data/wifi. For those who like to sit and relax, packages can be customized to include private city tours or even private road . You can get a free, printable, detailed map of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive right here for your trip. Explore all that SF has to offer with this ultimate self-guided experience! The original hands-on paranormal investigation tour. You can buy these together or separately through Amazon. The signs have a seagull featured on the top left corner. Includes. How to Tell if Youre on the Scenic Drive. Be aware of this as you start the drive. Take a deep dive into everything Haight-Ashbury and the Castro District have to offer. My tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Apparently, reservations are required . My Boyfriend and I booked an all Day SF tour with Christofer and had an amazing time! 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. Choose the Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass for maximum flexibility and stress-free sightseeing! The tour departs from Fisherman's Wharf, following the San Francisco waterfront until the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge bike's path. 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. These houses called the Painted Ladies can be seen on San Francisco postcards. This picturesque, winding road has been another Hollywood staple for ages, but experiencing it for yourself is a whole different ball game. Take one of these to learn more about its famous residents, controversial stories and Italian roots. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. Subscribe to new Routes and Trips posts directly to your email: Hi, my name is Liisa. 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. Join us! 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. The onsite gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, as well as permanent work by current and past members. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. 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. Just be aware of this. I had the most amazing time, as a solo traveller doing a small group tour is perfect. 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. With its famous golden doors, beautiful stained glass windows, and gorgeous icons, youll be amazed. What follows is 1 of 17 walks from their book, "Walking San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive", edited and condensed for our website. We designed our self-guided walking tour of San Francisco to include several examples of that quirky San Francisco charm. $ 45 $ 34. After that walk through Chinatown, which has some of the best food in the city, making it the perfect spot . But the whole experience was amazing and well worth the trip from 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. This way, you always know what SF attraction you are visiting next. Powell-Hyde Line: Cable Car Museum and Russian Hill. San Francisco itself has much to offer the first-time visitor. You will then walk from each historical marker to the next as you learn all about the oldest Japantown in the US. Want to work with us? Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. No problem! Online information on parking in San Francisco, Another provider of parking information in San Francisco. After driving down from the freeway we got into a deep gorge with super high skyscrapers on both sides. North Beach: There is a lot of history in the North Beach district. Hit the road whenever youre ready, stop as often as youd like, and just enjoy the journey! Stop and take some photos. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. It's like having a local show you around. As we drive towards Chinatown, we'll pass a strange sight: a huge, glass pyramid. Activated by your GPS location, you'll hear about gold rush founders such as the scandalous Samuel . Call 619-236-1242 for recorded information or to leave a voice message. Travel down the West Side Greenway and over the Brooklyn Bridge. Enjoy an immersive walk with amazing views and riveting stories of San Francisco and visit the notorious Alcatraz prison during this guided tour! 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 Stop to enjoy the view, take pics, eat, walk, etc! San Francisco City Hall, Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, California 94102, U.S. per adult. The story tellers were entertaining and I looked forward to hearing them talk about the next sight. However, you should know what youre getting into before you tackle the task of doing the entire drive. During your walking tour, you will learn more about 20 of San Francisco's top attractions. Be sure to check your email before you begin to download the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. Check out our favorite local recommendations listed in the app and stop for a bite. All tours are valid for a lifetime. Street corner after street corner. However, Nob Hill was rebuilt and today its a place where upper class families and urban professionals like to live. 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. Each stop offers a little information about what happened at that location. On my self-guided walking tour, you will see where history was made for the LGBTQ community. We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. 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. London 2022 Outdoor Activities in San Francisco: Check out reviews and photos of the San Francisco City Self-Guided Audio Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. With TourCentric, youll be completely immersed in the stories, sights, and sounds of San Francisco. Since most of the locations on our self-guided tour of Fishermans Wharf are located alongside the water, you can expect this outing to take around 1 - 1 hours. San Francisco Aquarium of the Bay tickets. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. 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. Learn more about both options on the museum's dedicated Barbary Coast Website. Expand All. 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. At that time the business people were miners that came here to weigh their gold and get a quote on it. This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. On weekdays the Financial District is hectic but on weekends theres simply nobody. 07:40am: Departure from Post Street pickup location Ages 5-90. 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. 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. The Castro District. The best way to go on self guided walking tour of San Francisco is with City Walks. 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. Boston The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. They have a fixed menu that changes daily of 2 nine-course meals. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San . From there, youll hear about the citys unique history and how it became one of the most progressive cities around. Our San Francisco exploration begins at one of the city's most iconic stops: the Painted Ladies! 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. So, if youd rather have some help seeing the best sites in the area, this is an excellent option. 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. 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. 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. Without a doubt, one of the most enchanting things about this magical city is the neighborhoods. As the ground convulses, buildings disintegrate and fires are ignited. Learn More. 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. You will also receive a full color map of the route. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It should say Powell-Hyde (it has a brown sign). Perfect for photographers, the bridge offers stunning views of the city, even if the evening fog has already rolled in. Next, youll head into the citys tech quarter, where youll spot big-name HQs like Uber and Twitter and get a crash course in how Frisco became the go-to spot for the most cutting-edge tech produced anywhere. and areas we would not otherwise have known about. SAVE 50% $59.98. San Francisco sightseeing: Market Street in photos, Cable car turning at the Powell Street cable car turntable. On especially foggy days you may not even be able to see key attractions like Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid. 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. Locals call it the blast from the past, and for good reasons. 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. Then, stop at Pier 39 to see the seal lion colony and the two-level carousel at the end of the pier. Visit its top attractions, see where the Beat Generation spent their days and nights and taste some of the best goodies in the district. Great exercise- best way to see SF. Paris You'll hear historical facts about SF events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. You can start and end anywhere along the way. Our Self Drive Motorcycle Tours provide a route, daily itinerary, motorcycle, and booked or not booked lodging. Blacksmithing Youth Classes. 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). The Mission District. Now we could get back to the hills, to Pacific Heights: From the harbor its an easy drive to our next San Francisco destination. Wil and Erin at Ride Free organised our whole trip along route 66 then the coast road to San Francisco. The cable car ascends, passing Union Square and Nob Hill . From tasting delicious food to feeling the hippy love, to exploring the haunted past of San Francisco, theres something there for everyone. Chicago The old-style Market Street of San Francisco. Hit the road whenever you're ready, stop as often as you'd like, and just enjoy the journey! 3. The trail is marked with gold medallions embedded within the sidewalks. This is where most department stores are, making the San Francisco Market Street one of the main shopping streets of the city. The thing I love about these walks is that all 50 are printed on their own cards. Chinatown Self-Guided Tour. Check availability. Book a self-guided driving tour of San Francisco with route and audio instructions on your smartphone via an app. 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. Discover the iconic locations from Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge to Pier 39. .