Or you could opt to stop frequently and make this a whole day tour of San Francisco. 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. Some of the best hotels near San Francisco City Hall include Hotel Whitcomb, Renoir Hotel, and the Hayes Valley Inn. After some years the movement faded and the area decayed, but Haight Ashbury still retains much of its hippie atmosphere. San Francisco Skyline Sightseeing, Gray Line, and Tower Tours lead combination tours that include tours of Sausalito, Sonoma, and/or highlights of San Francisco. Note, this is a self-guided driving tour : You will need to arrange your own means of transportation; 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. New York City Without a doubt, one of the most enchanting things about this magical city is the neighborhoods. 2023 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. Youll have access to the tour for 72 hours and can start and stop as often as you want. These steps require good data/wifi. We include a few details about each tour to give you an idea of what to expect on each outing. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society offers two self guided walks of the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. About Us. Includes. 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. Stop to enjoy the view, take pics, eat, walk, etc! 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. Friendly & very informative. Some of the key attractions on the drive that can easily be enjoyed without getting out of the car include: Here are some of the attractions that the 49-Mile scenic drive will take you past but which may be worth getting out of the car and exploring in more depth: The 49-Mile scenic drive is a great experience and a terrific way to see a lot of what the city has to offer. Simplify your planning process to this neighborhood by taking a guided tour. Check availability. Chinatown is like a piece of China on the steep slopes of San Francisco. Recommended by 97% of travelers. What follows is 1 of 17 walks from their book, "Walking San Francisco's 49 Mile Scenic Drive", edited and condensed for our website. By the way, the carousel below has two levels: Pier 39 is always packed with people and unlike elsewhere in the city, has a good choice of restaurants where to have lunch. The GoCar takes you to spectacular places few visitors get to see. If you are craving a burrito, be sure to visit La Taqueria or Papalote. The cable car ascends, passing Union Square and Nob Hill . Required fields are marked *. A large part of San Franciscos charm is in the little quirky details. 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 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. San Francisco Aquarium of the Bay tickets. you could eat at a different NYC spot once a day for 22.7 years and .Central Park Bike Tour. You'll hear historical facts about SF events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Segway Tours Looking for fun things to do with friends? 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! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Starting Point Address (Northbound) - LA to SF: 81-99 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. 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. 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. Stop at Eastern Bakery: 720 Grant Avenue. Not all of the scenic drive is actually very scenic. You can experience ourdrivingandwalking tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! 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. However, if you don't plan to spend much time at each attraction or stop, you can cut the time down significantly. It wasnt just sightseeing it was a fun history lesson too. Everyone can listen at the same time! If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. Copyright with All Rights Reserved 1996-2017. Explore California Academy of Sciences entrance tickets. 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. Non-refundable. 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. Fishermans Wharf was and still is a fishing harbor, but its new main focus has changed from fishing industry to tourism industry. It has three Michelin stars (the highest rating) and the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant. DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. Discover the highlights of San Francisco at your own pace, on a self-guided driving tour available on your smartphone. 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 . Stop and take some photos. . (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. Zip around on a Segway tour. We'll learn all about this building's strange history as we pass. Review of: Golden Gate Bridge Bike Rental - Near the Golden Gate Bridge! Save even more - get up to 25% on select hotels when you book on the app. All individual tours come with lifetime validity. It's a totally weird and unique San Francisco thing ( here's a list of a bunch of other weird San Francisco quirks). And I like the pretty flower beds in between. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. 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. You can take a ferry to Sausalito and Tiburon north ofthe bay, or to Oakland and Vallejo in the east. This is based on an audio guide I did . 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. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. SAVE 50% $59.98. POIPU AND KOLOA DRIVING TOUR $29.99. This tour has been developed by local guides, curated by creative writers, and narrated by professional voice artists. 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. Lined with low historic buildings this leafy alley is very different from the deep canyons all around it. Then take Washington Street towards the next park in the west, Alta Plaza. If youre planning to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, this could be an interesting addition to that activity. Each stop offers a little information about what happened at that location. You can choose from either a self guided audio download or a printed map. The number of Pier 39 sea lions varies along the year, the record number of seals present at the same time being 1700. 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. They are much easier to use than an audio tour if there is more than one person in your group. 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. Changing travel date? Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. from. The back of each card offers the address and a little information about each point of interest on the route. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your . Our guide Damien was so very knowledgeable about the area and history of SF. 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. Haight Ashbury has another kind of history. Andrew H 10/26/2019. 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. Ages 5-90. 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. A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more. SAN FRANCISCO TO LA SELF DRIVE MOTORCYCLE TOUR. 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. Check them out below! Be sure to also check out our free, guided walking tours of San Francisco. Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins. How to get to Lombard Street if youre not driving: take the Powell-Hyde cable car. This is Grant Avenue, the Chinatowns main street. San Francisco City Self-Guided Driving Tour in English. This is a walk through the past and future of San Francisco. This means only a small number of sea lions stay here throughout the year. The streets here are so quiet and leafy that you couldnt imagine this is in a huge metropolis. This 3-hour guided tour takes you to bike across GGB and then explore Sausalito's waterfront. Know about new tour launches, get exclusive access to sales and much more. Opening hours: Fri 12:00am-11:59pm. Between Carmel and Monterey, 17 Mile Drive affords dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and Del Monte Forest along the Monterey Peninsula. There was a lot more to see than we had thought, coming from Europe and being fist time visitors. Lombard Street twists down past green bushes and flower beds. From there, youll hear about the citys unique history and how it became one of the most progressive cities around. Wrap up the tour in Los Angeles at the famous Santa Monica Pier. $14.99. We also offer a new favorite spots map of San Franciscos downtown core. These beautiful, colorful homes exemplify Friscos funky culture and are a great way to start your journey. FREE TOURS BY FOOT IS THE ORIGINAL PAY-WHAT-YOU-LIKE WALKING TOUR. In-Vehicle GPS and Audio Commentary. Feeling hungry? 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. 7h. Blacksmithing Youth Classes. 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. Check out our favorite local recommendations listed in the app and stop for a bite. This was the main entry point to the city until two bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, were opened. 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. 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. Visit its top attractions, see where the Beat Generation spent their days and nights and taste some of the best goodies in the district. Go City | San Francisco All-Inclusive Pass. However, even if you dont intend it, you will sometimes find yourself on this drive when youre in the city without even realizing it. For your hotel stay, we also offer a free map of San Franciscos downtown area and central neighborhoods. Spend more time at Twin Peaks, visit the Coit Tower, and take time to explore all the hilly, historical neighborhoods of SF. Begin at Haight and Stanyan Street, which is also the westernmost Golden Gate Park entrance. Sturgis Tour "The . You definitely have to include Pier 39 in your San Francisco sightseeing program. 3 hours. San Francisco sightseeing: driving down Lombard Street. And this little car can go where the tour buses can't. Best of all, the sightseeing adventure happens at your pace. DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO TOUR. Take in the open space - and famous St Francis Hotel - before heading down Maiden Lane, SF's old red-light district (now full of designer boutiques). It stops at the top of the curved block and you can walk down the stairs and see the cars. You can read about San Francisco sights in my previous blog post San Francisco Sightseeing. 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. 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! I've created one for each of our most popular districts. San Francisco sightseeing: Market Street in photos, Cable car turning at the Powell Street cable car turntable. Drive carefully! The tour departs from Fisherman's Wharf, following the San Francisco waterfront until the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge bike's path. Yet the Painted Ladies are not the only houses like that in the big city, there are Victorian houses all over San Francisco. We'll exit SF's Chinatown through the Dragon's Gate. Download Hawaii's highest-rated travel apps + now introducing self-guided tours in Utah! Big Island Tour Bundle. and areas we would not otherwise have known about. North Beach: There is a lot of history in the North Beach district. 2 San Francisco to Sausalito. We also cover this part of the city in a fully guided free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco. 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. Stop off wherever you want for as long as you want, and then get started again at your leisure! 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. 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. Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page. The San Andreas Fault has unleashed a shockwave felt from Los Angeles to Oregon, with the epicenter just off the coast of San Francisco. The original hands-on paranormal investigation tour. So you need to watch up when walking here. Hit the road whenever youre ready, stop as often as youd like, and just enjoy the journey! As we drive, we'll learn all about the impact of Chinese and Asian immigrants on San Francisco. So we started with downtown San Francisco. 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. Lying in the sun side by side and diving into the waters when they get hungry.