Learn more about both options on the museum's dedicated Barbary Coast Website. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. Changing travel date? Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San . 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. During your walking tour, you will learn more about 20 of San Francisco's top attractions. Expedia, Inc. is not responsible for content on external Web sites. See an interesting view? The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. With the bonus tour, youll get up close and personal with that famous landmark and even drive across it for some killer views! But the whole experience was amazing and well worth the trip from San Francisco! It started when wealthy families started building their houses up on the hill after the cable car line was opened. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to be shown around the city. The tour includes 3 hours of media content, so we recommend planning for a minimum of 4 hours. 7 Sites to Visit on a Driving Tour of San Francisco, Alternatives to a San Francisco Driving Tour. 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! Between Carmel and Monterey, 17 Mile Drive affords dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and Del Monte Forest along the Monterey Peninsula. You can read about San Francisco sights in my previous blog post San Francisco Sightseeing. Market Street is the main street that cuts through Downtown San Francisco, running from the Ferry Buildingto thePowell Street Cable Car Turntable. I had the most amazing time, as a solo traveller doing a small group tour is perfect. We learnt tons about SF. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your . After some years the movement faded and the area decayed, but Haight Ashbury still retains much of its hippie atmosphere. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. The start of your scenic drive celebrates San Diego as a seaport city as our massive bay is filled with aircraft carriers, cruise ships, historic sailboats and private yachts. No worries! This one hour and sixteen minute tour can be done at your own pace. Stop at Eastern Bakery: 720 Grant Avenue. Sail around Alcatraz and learn about this infamous island on the Escape the Rock boat tour! With its famous golden doors, beautiful stained glass windows, and gorgeous icons, youll be amazed. This was the main entry point to the city until two bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, were opened. 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. Today Haight Ashbury is a vibrant area with second-hand shops, cafes, bars and music shops. New York City Welcome to the GPS-enabled offline driving tour of San Francisco, California by Action Tour Guide! 3. California sea lions are noisy, they bark and they smell. 2 hours. Lisbon Its like this, and will be. 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. Zion; Bryce; Capitol Reef; Arches . HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL . From here, we can explore the wonders of the nearby Ferry Building or make our way to Fisherman's Wharf for a glimpse of the infamous Alcatraz! We also offer a new favorite spots map of San Franciscos downtown core. Despite that they look really cute, social and intelligent. 7 Sites to Visit on a Driving Tour of San Francisco. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. This comprehensive self-guided driving tour of San Francisco covers everything from the Painted Ladies to the Embarcadero. Buy now, travel whenevercoupon code on the next screen. And this little car can go where the tour buses can't. Best of all, the sightseeing adventure happens at your pace. 1. Park and explore wherever you wish. This San Francisco city tour begins with the Painted Ladies, one of the citys top attractions. Then take Washington Street towards the next park in the west, Alta Plaza. 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. Powell-Hyde Line: Cable Car Museum and Russian Hill. Sturgis Tour "The . Start in San Francisco or LA, and simply follow the GPS guide to explore one of the most beautiful stretches of coastal road in the world. This tour is also available as a PDF that you can download onto your smartphone, allowing you to save some money on data or even avoid using data at all! 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. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. Want to go back in time to the 1920's and 30's and the Golden Age of Hollywood? You can pick a topic that interests you, then find a walking tour that explores it more deeply. per adult. you could eat at a different NYC spot once a day for 22.7 years and .Central Park Bike Tour. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. Our self-guided tour of Chinatown includes a map that you can . 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. This SF self-drive tour route is circular so you can opt to begin wherever is most convenient. Brooklyn Bike Tour. Begin at Haight and Stanyan Street, which is also the westernmost Golden Gate Park entrance. This self-guided tour allows you to explore San Franciscos historic wonders with maximum flexibility and value. Visit its top attractions, see where the Beat Generation spent their days and nights and taste some of the best goodies in the district. DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. These handy tools helped us find where to park. 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. $85.00. With TourCentric, youll be completely immersed in the stories, sights, and sounds of San Francisco. And why not? That post is about driving around Central San Francisco, but now: time for the Golden Gate area . After that, buckle your seatbelts because youre heading down Lombard Street, aka the most crooked street in the world! 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. GPS-activated audio app that plays on your phone. Theres a lot of history behind this area of San Francisco, and many notable buildings and sites to experience. The sun heats the air and the seals have their dear friends and neighbors around them :). To start exploring the Victorian quarters, first drive around Lafayette Park that has rows of pretty Victorians on all four sides. The thing I love about these walks is that all 50 are printed on their own cards. 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. Mission: The Mission is home to our largest concentration of street art and murals. Chinatown: Stroll down the colorful streets of Chinatown and see its historic temples, top dim sum restaurants, and amazing street art. 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. There are apps and websites with up to date information on parking spaces and rates. Alternatively, we also offer a fully guided free walking tour of Fishermans Wharf. You can experience ourdrivingandwalking tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! Discover the highlights of San Francisco at your own pace, on a self-guided driving tour available on your smartphone. Wrap up the tour in Los Angeles at the famous Santa Monica Pier. 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. Read more. 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. In addition to this outing, you can also take our free guided walking tour of The Castro. Go City | San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass. There are a total of 19 stops to visit, and they are all in the same general location, so it shouldn't take longer than 1 - 2 hours to complete. 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. Not bad, both tourists and locals like this. As we drive past, we'll admire these striking buildings and learn about how they came to be painted in such vivid colors. San Francisco Skyline Sightseeing, Gray Line, and Tower Tours lead combination tours that include tours of Sausalito, Sonoma, and/or highlights of San Francisco. Such an interesting deep dive into the Castro and Mission neighborhoods, for which we had an incredibly sunny warm summer day. As the ground convulses, buildings disintegrate and fires are ignited. He took into consideration our interests & made it very enjoyable. You will also receive a full color map of the route. Fog. 29. Its a great place to watch street performers, see some of the citys most intricate vintage murals, and just soak in the atmosphere. Our drive through San Francisco brings us past a magnificent marble building: the San Francisco City Hall! Night Adventures: Do you love seeing a city at night? We spent a sunny Saturday driving around Central San Francisco and on Sunday we explored the Golden Gate area. 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. Hop in your car and enjoy this self-guided audio tour along the Pacific Coast Highway. Download San Francisco Audio Tour Guide and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As we drive towards Chinatown, we'll pass a strange sight: a huge, glass pyramid. So, if youd rather have some help seeing the best sites in the area, this is an excellent option. As the name suggests, the tour uses GPS to provide directions to each stop. You will find there are no definitive lines between these Colonias and Fraccionamientos. 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 . As we drive, we'll learn all about the impact of Chinese and Asian immigrants on San Francisco. Segway Tours Looking for fun things to do with friends? We'll exit SF's Chinatown through the Dragon's Gate. 2023 Routes and Trips. After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. Discover the iconic locations from Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge to Pier 39. . Most San Francisco seals travel south in summer to give birth to their pups and to be back here for winter. 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. My tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Haight-Ashbury was once the favorite hang-out spot of The Grateful Dead, the famous rock band from the 1970s. Liked Haight Ashbury the most. Big Island Tour Bundle. As we make our way to the waterfront, we'll dive into San Francisco's maritime history and it's (literal) gold-digging past. Your tour will conclude here, but that isnt where the fun ends! 2022Outdoor Activities in San Francisco. FREE TOURS BY FOOT IS THE ORIGINAL PAY-WHAT-YOU-LIKE WALKING TOUR. 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. 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! The signs have a seagull featured on the top left corner. Then its on to Chinatown and Manilatown, where youll hear about both historic districts long, embattled history. HOLLYWOOD AND VINE TOUR. From there, youll hear about the citys unique history and how it became one of the most progressive cities around. 5648 Ebbshore St, Sacramento, CA 95835. Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots and learn more about San Francisco Audio Tour Guide. This tour is valid forever - from the moment of booking. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your tour of California. Alcatraz tickets with 2-day hop-on hop-off San Francisco bus pass. Along the way, your guide will share tidbits about SF's history and its landmarks. Lombard Street twists down past green bushes and flower beds. Scenery. Follow a live GPS map down a curated route. San Francisco has well developed public transport and many connections. 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. This is where you come for some of the most gorgeous views of the city. Next, youll climb Telegraph Hill to look at the famous Coits Tower and some truly unbeatable city views. 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 . Zip around on a Segway tour. 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. This app offers a fully-guided experience - just like a local giving you a personalized, turn-by-turn, fully-guided tour. I could start and stop the tour whenever I wanted to break and resume. 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. What follows is 1 of 17 walks from their book, "Walking San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive", edited and condensed for our website. Nob Hill looks like a wealthy area, which it is. Electric Tour Company Guided Walking . The painted ladies at the top of San Francisco hills. 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. 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. Dubai In addition to accommodations, our packages include information on suggested optional itineraries with stops along the way. 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. Got a late start? How to get to Lombard Street if youre not driving: take the Powell-Hyde cable car. 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. Starting Point Address (Northbound) - LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. 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. These houses called the Painted Ladies can be seen on San Francisco postcards. SAN FRANCISCO TO LA SELF DRIVE MOTORCYCLE TOUR. This is where most department stores are, making the San Francisco Market Street one of the main shopping streets of the city. Our app deals help you to save on trips so you can travel more and manage it all on the go. The monthly rental costs for a parking spot can be anywhere from . Yet the Painted Ladies are not the only houses like that in the big city, there are Victorian houses all over San Francisco. All of these leave from San Francisco and ease the burden of trying to get to and from wine country on your own. Amsterdam So we did all our San Francisco sightseeing by car, but you can use public transport as well to get to the same places. On especially foggy days you may not even be able to see key attractions like Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid. Temporary new starting point address: Alamo Square Park, Steiner St, San Francisco. San Francisco sightseeing: Market Street in photos, Cable car turning at the Powell Street cable car turntable. Castro: This colorful district is one you do not want to miss. 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. If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. And very soon we got used to driving up and down San Francisco hills. You can zoom in and out the map and use it as your guidance when driving. Be sure to also check out our free, guided walking tours of San Francisco. More California posts that might also interest you: Your email address will not be published. These beautiful, colorful homes exemplify Friscos funky culture and are a great way to start your journey. The best of San Francisco isn't found in the typical tourist destinations. Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins. This is a great time to visit California! Lowest price guarantee Reserve now & pay laterFree cancellation. San Francisco by car: driving itinerary on the map. Driving down Lombard Street was great fun and we had to do it twice, and then walk one more time. San Francisco by car: the old Ferry Building. How to Tell if Youre on the Scenic Drive. We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. 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. We'll learn all about this building's strange history as we pass. We designed our self-guided walking tour of San Francisco to include several examples of that quirky San Francisco charm. So you need to watch up when walking here. We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. 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. We went to places tourist didnt go. These beautiful, colorful homes exemplify Friscos funky culture and are a great way to start your journey. These signs themselves are part of the history of the scenic drive. Kevin, who was the guide, was great and it was so nice to be outside. 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. This is an excellent alternative if you prefer to interact with a professional guide rather than an app on your phone. While a driving tour is a decent option, if you want to visit as many tourist spots as possible, a walking tour is the best way to really get to know the city. Paris From Lombard Street its a short drive down to the North Shore of San Francisco and to Fishermans Wharf. Email, phone, and chat support are available if needed. This is a self-guided tour; no guide will accompany you. Gold Rush to Golden Gate: Self Guided Tour of San Francisco. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. An audio guide, map, and tour book all in one! Should You Go on a Driving Tour of San Francisco? However, the people who live in them will surely assist you with the boundaries and the colorful . Are you ready to turn your phone into a personal tour guide? San Francisco by car: driving down the eight turns of Lombard Street. 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. Do you love venturing out on your own? Should You Go on a Driving Tour of San Francisco? But the main thing here are the sea lions: Here they are, San Francisco sea lions, basking on the docks. In the 1960s the traditional middle-class residential area suddenly became the hotspot of the Flower Power generation. Haight Ashbury has another kind of history. Travel has always been my passion and work and with this Routes and Trips Travel Guide I want to inspire you to travel the world. Subscribe to new Routes and Trips posts directly to your email: Hi, my name is Liisa. When you book with an account, you will be able to track your payment status, track the confirmation and you can also rate the tour after you finished the tour. Our guide Damien was so very knowledgeable about the area and history of SF. These steps require good data/wifi. 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. 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 curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. The point of a scenic drive is that you get to see a lot of things from the comfortable seat of your car. Market Street rather looks like a European high street. Rome From the Powell Street turnaround at Market Street near Union Square, take the Powell-Hyde Line. For one block, this road turns into the crookedest street in the world! Youll make EIGHT hairpin turns within that one block! I've used these in other cities too and they are great. per adult. Here's just a small sampling of what you'll see when you pilot your rental car around on my best damn driving tour of San Francisco: San Francisco as viewed from the East Bay. Id also done a tour with the sister company in Los Angeles several years ago. This may very well be one of the last drive-up movie theaters! Learn More. The busy street begins at the Dragons Gate and you will find loads of Chinese restaurants on the main street and even more on the side streets: On the nearby Kearny Street the Chinese community of San Francisco gathers for Chinese music and games. You start at the Japan Center Malls where you will find a plaque outlining the walk. This means only a small number of sea lions stay here throughout the year. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San Francisco self guided tour, and start anywhere along the route whenever youre ready! Non-refundable. 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 . 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. As we drive, we'll learn all about how this city was founded and why it grew. Tour purchase is per vehicle (not per person), GPS-connected audio plays as you approach the next location. Our San Francisco exploration begins at one of the city's most iconic stops: the Painted Ladies! You will only notice when walking through its neighborhoods. Fishermans Wharf was and still is a fishing harbor, but its new main focus has changed from fishing industry to tourism industry. Fisherman's Wharf: Walk around one of our most popular districts. London