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. 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. Many of their idols like Jimi Hendrix were living here at that time and rock music was heard and hippie art seen in all places. 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. Beach Street garages had very reasonable parking rates and they had flat rates for the whole day on a Saturday. . Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins. Dubai 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. Transport by luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi and restroom. 1 Your California: San Francisco to Point Reyes tour begins. Northern California Self Drive Motorcycle Tour . San Francisco has well developed public transport and many connections. My tours are one full day in each district. English. Let California Tours take care of all of your accommodations on a self-guided driving road trip vacation. 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. Oahu; Big Island; Maui; Kauai; Utah. Our drive through San Francisco brings us past a magnificent marble building: the San Francisco City Hall! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You cant visit San Francisco without flashing back to the hippie-dippie days of the 1960s. So, if youd rather have some help seeing the best sites in the area, this is an excellent option. Driving down Lombard Street was great fun and we had to do it twice, and then walk one more time. This one hour and sixteen minute tour can be done at your own pace. Check them out below! This is where you come for some of the most gorgeous views of the city. What all nature lovers come here for is the Pier 39 with colonies of barking Californian sea lions. Buy now, travel whenevercoupon code on the next screen. Send us your resume, All Rights Reserved 2023 Real San Francisco Tours | Sitemap. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. 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. From there, head east along Haight Street . We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. After that walk through Chinatown, which has some of the best food in the city, making it the perfect spot . I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. Learn more about both options on the museum's dedicated Barbary Coast Website. 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. Add to cart. There are options for guided tours at $25 per person, and camping fees vary by campground. Ferry cruises to the bay also start here. Lombard Street twists down past green bushes and flower beds. Book this sunset cruise now for a relaxing and romantic tour of the San Francisco Bay. This is Grant Avenue, the Chinatowns main street. There are apps and websites with up to date information on parking spaces and rates. Currently, we only offer a GPS-enabled audio tour of the Financial District, and as the name implies, it includes a map which uses GPS to help you find each stop. Simply download the free TourCentric app, purchase your San . The audio tour's auto-play feature tells you the stories behind the attractions as you experience them. Save even more - get up to 25% on select hotels when you book on the app. Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. Miami Liked Haight Ashbury the most. Local insider narration and special guest interviews. They are much easier to use than an audio tour if there is more than one person in your group. Our app deals help you to save on trips so you can travel more and manage it all on the go. Good news! 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. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Refund Policy. 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. This is a great time to visit California! For those who like to sit and relax, packages can be customized to include private city tours or even private road . However, in some way we did manage to get up California Street (and all other streets)! Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. After the booking, you will receive an email with a link to the Action Tour Guide app and a unique password to access the tour within the app. This website uses cookies to improve your browsingexperience and analyze the use of the website. A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more. Traffic. GoCar GPS Guided Tours: Best self-guided tour of San Francisco even for locals - See 1,140 traveler reviews, 219 candid photos, and great deals for San This self guided walking tour of NYC The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of San Francisco: we've made a printable map of the self-guided Walking Tour of 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. Along the way, your guide will share tidbits about SF's history and its landmarks. 17-Mile Drive entrance fee. Its super easy, yet its best to visit on a Saturday or Sunday when there is less traffic. 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. The sun heats the air and the seals have their dear friends and neighbors around them :). per adult. You will find there are no definitive lines between these Colonias and Fraccionamientos. And now, the Map If you are craving a burrito, be sure to visit La Taqueria or Papalote. 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. Here you will find some of the best at night from scary ghost walks to night cruises around the bay. Feeling hungry? This district is widely considered the home of the gay rights movement in the United States. As we drive towards Chinatown, we'll pass a strange sight: a huge, glass pyramid. This means you only have to bring along the ones you plan on using that day. From Chinatown we took California Street up to Nob Hill. Subscribe to our newsletter belowcoupon code on the next screen. The onsite gallery hosts monthly exhibitions, as well as permanent work by current and past members. Cable car conductors also sell day passes. At the other end of Market Street is the old Ferry Building. This may very well be one of the last drive-up movie theaters! 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. Drive to the summit of Russian Hill and you will find the street said to be the crookedest street in the world: Lombard Street is the steepest street in San Francisco. 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. $ 65 $ 50. 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. You can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon north ofthe bay, or to Oakland and Vallejo in the east. The Castro District is a great place to visit on a driving tour, as it offers a little bit of everything that makes San Francisco the charming, quirky city that it is. If you want to keep in touch, follow Routes and Trips. The most famous Napa Valley restaurant is The French Laundry in Yountville. Call 619-236-1242 for recorded information or to leave a voice message. SAVE 50% $59.98. We are a program of the San Francisco Public Library. Save up to 55% and visit San Francisco's top attractions. Haight-Ashbury was once the favorite hang-out spot of The Grateful Dead, the famous rock band from the 1970s. Wil and Erin at Ride Free organised our whole trip along route 66 then the coast road to San Francisco. Its like this, and will be. Some of the best hotels near San Francisco City Hall include Hotel Whitcomb, Renoir Hotel, and the Hayes Valley Inn. Stop at Eastern Bakery: 720 Grant Avenue. (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. However, a driving tour may not be for everyone. After youve seen enough of Pacific Heights, turn south to see a totally different neighborhood. Stop to enjoy the view, take pics, eat, walk, etc! Self-Guided Tours View Floor Plans. There was a lot more to see than we had thought, coming from Europe and being fist time visitors. 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. Copyright with All Rights Reserved 1996-2017. 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. But the whole experience was amazing and well worth the trip from San Francisco! Youll have access to the tour for 72 hours and can start and stop as often as you want. New Orleans If youd like to see jpg images of the 49 mile scenic drive map, you can find the downtown San Francisco route map, overview, and places to see at these links. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. Now selling 4-5 bed, 3-4 bath homes starting at $786990. To get the best views of the painted ladies come here in the evening and look at them from the Alamo Square Park. 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. With TourCentric, youll be completely immersed in the stories, sights, and sounds of San Francisco. 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. He gave us lots of fun facts along the way and the whole experience was very interesting. HOLLYWOOD AND VINE TOUR. Get The Map. These beautiful, colorful homes exemplify Friscos funky culture and are a great way to start your journey. We'll exit SF's Chinatown through the Dragon's Gate. 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 . Our Self Drive Motorcycle Tours provide a route, daily itinerary, motorcycle, and booked or not booked lodging. Next we'll see two iconic symbols of San Francisco's Chinatown: the Chinatown Mural and the Old Chinese Telephone Exchange. He took into consideration our interests & made it very enjoyable. 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. Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. This is a self-guided experience and not an entrance ticket. 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! Activated by your GPS location, you'll hear about gold rush founders such as the scandalous Samuel . We'll climb to the top of Coit Tower and get a great look at San Francisco from above. It started when wealthy families started building their houses up on the hill after the cable car line was opened. It still has an appeal and is well worth visiting when you are exploring San Francisco by car. The city has a lot of it and it is not always predictable. Subscribe to our newsletter below. Alcatraz tickets with 2-day hop-on hop-off San Francisco bus pass. Be sure to also check out our free, guided walking tours of San Francisco. English. New York City tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! Recommended by 97% of travelers. Starting Point Address (Northbound) - LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. You can buy these together or separately through Amazon. The San Andreas Fault has unleashed a shockwave felt from Los Angeles to Oregon, with the epicenter just off the coast of San Francisco. You can get a free, printable, detailed map of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive right here for your trip. I found the one in the picture on the left in the North Beach neighborhood. It wasnt just sightseeing it was a fun history lesson too. You can read about San Francisco sights in my previous blog post San Francisco Sightseeing. Visit Tours-USA.com. No worries! This is where most department stores are, making the San Francisco Market Street one of the main shopping streets of the city. San Francisco Aquarium of the Bay tickets. The tour works offline which means you do not need your phone network to enjoy the tour. Pick back up tomorrow when youre refreshed! CONGRATULATIONS!You are about to embark on an adventure filled self-guided tour of the neighborhoods of Mrida. If youre not driving, use the steps for walkers that exist on both sides. 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. Then take Washington Street towards the next park in the west, Alta Plaza. Expedia and the Airplane Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2029030-50. The tourist area of San Franciscos Fishermans Wharf. Your virtual audio guide will share interesting . Its easy to find parking space and have an urban walk in the deep shady canyons protected from all sunshine. Street corner after street corner. However, the people who live in them will surely assist you with the boundaries and the colorful . Start your self-guided tour at San Francisco City Hall. Should You Go on a Driving Tour of San Francisco? 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. Explore all that SF has to offer with this ultimate self-guided experience! And this little car can go where the tour buses can't. Best of all, the sightseeing adventure happens at your pace. Today Haight Ashbury is a vibrant area with second-hand shops, cafes, bars and music shops. 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. Next, youll climb Telegraph Hill to look at the famous Coits Tower and some truly unbeatable city views. . The number of Pier 39 sea lions varies along the year, the record number of seals present at the same time being 1700. 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. 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. London Theres a lot of history behind this area of San Francisco, and many notable buildings and sites to experience. Subscribe to new Routes and Trips posts directly to your email: Hi, my name is Liisa. As we drive, we'll learn about another iconic San Francisco feature: the cable car! On weekdays the Financial District is hectic but on weekends theres simply nobody. In case you get hungry while driving around, The Mission District also has some of the best authentic local restaurants in the city. 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. Want to go back in time to the 1920's and 30's and the Golden Age of Hollywood? 7h. We loved it as it had been our first time visiting. 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 one of San Franciscos oldest neighborhoods, the Mission District is full of rich ethnic history. 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. Fishermans Wharf was and still is a fishing harbor, but its new main focus has changed from fishing industry to tourism industry. From the Powell Street turnaround at Market Street near Union Square, take the Powell-Hyde Line. Philadelphia Enjoy an immersive walk with amazing views and riveting stories of San Francisco and visit the notorious Alcatraz prison during this guided tour! We also offer a new favorite spots map of San Franciscos downtown core. 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. 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. Dont have the time or money to book one of our guided tours? The person I travel with is my husband and photographer Clas: Come and join the trip! These include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the Transamerica Building. Parking, however, may cause problems, but we found good solutions for that which I will share. Learn the history of this great city as you follow a navigated route in the app and listen to commentary. You'll hear historical facts about SF events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. 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. However, Nob Hill was rebuilt and today its a place where upper class families and urban professionals like to live. Despite that they look really cute, social and intelligent. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. This comprehensive self-guided driving tour of San Francisco covers everything from the Painted Ladies to the Embarcadero. $ 45 $ 34. These steps require good data/wifi. This was the main entry point to the city until two bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, were opened. Although we dont have a self-guided tour yet, we do provide a GPS-enabled audio tour of the Castro District. After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. However, if you are planning to start and finish the drive at the traditional spot, near San Francisco City Hall, then youll want to get a hotel close to that point. Book your San Francisco bay cruise service now and discover Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. The painted ladies at the top of San Francisco hills. All rights reserved. Well worth the price and what I also liked about the tour was how easy it was. The best way to go on self guided walking tour of San Francisco is with City Walks. You can experience ourdrivingandwalking tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! 07:40am: Departure from Post Street pickup location Pacific Heights surprised us: all streets are lined with old-style Victorian homes. The monthly rental costs for a parking spot can be anywhere from . Between Carmel and Monterey, 17 Mile Drive affords dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and Del Monte Forest along the Monterey Peninsula. TOURS All Destinations Hawaii. Do you love venturing out on your own? The story tellers were entertaining and I looked forward to hearing them talk about the next sight. So we started with downtown San Francisco. 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. Simply download our app and enter your unique password. 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. This is an excellent alternative if you prefer to interact with a professional guide rather than an app on your phone. Included with your San Francisco tour is a complimentary bonus tour of the Golden Gate Bridge. This picturesque, winding road has been another Hollywood staple for ages, but experiencing it for yourself is a whole different ball game. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. With TourCentric, youll arrive as a tourist and leave as a local. Stop and take some photos. 2. Our Fave Spots, Zero Ads. Read more. Online information on parking in San Francisco, Another provider of parking information in San Francisco. Includes. In-Vehicle GPS and Audio Commentary. Want to work with us? >> Learn more about things to see and do in Japantown. View All . Amsterdam 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. All individual tours come with lifetime validity. Leave San Francisco feeling like a local. So you need to watch up when walking here. San Francisco sightseeing by car: Alamo Square. Tour Types; Tours by Region; Tours by Activity; About; Contact; USA Guide; . So most old harbor buildings have been transformed to restaurants and shopping malls. 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. San Francisco spreads out over 47 miles, so it's best to stick to one area at a time on your self-guided tour. It is the perfect way to learn more about the history of San Francisco at a time and pace that works for you! Apparently, reservations are required . This 3-hour guided tour takes you to bike across GGB and then explore Sausalito's waterfront. As noted below, some companies (such as Skyline Sightseeing . Self-Guided Driving & Walking ToursAn audio guide, map, and tour book all in one! DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. Perfect for photographers, the bridge offers stunning views of the city, even if the evening fog has already rolled in. Berlin This is a self-guided tour; no guide will accompany you. This is a walk through the past and future of San Francisco. Haight Ashbury got its name from the corner of its two major streets, Haight and Ashbury.