On weekdays the Financial District is hectic but on weekends theres simply nobody. 29. Parking, however, may cause problems, but we found good solutions for that which I will share. Should You Go on a Driving Tour of San Francisco? Fantastic how people keep up their traditions! 49 Miles of 100% San Francisco. Of course fog can obscure the views youre seeking from the drive. Hit the road whenever you're ready, stop as often as you'd like, and just enjoy the journey! 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! Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. You will find there are no definitive lines between these Colonias and Fraccionamientos. Streets like this would never work in Europe where a lot of cars still have manual gears. Choose to skip a stop and have all the best information about each stop at your fingertips. Past members include luminaries like Imogen Cunningham and Ruth Asawa. 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. 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. 1. You'll hear historical facts about SF events such as the California Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Today Haight Ashbury is a vibrant area with second-hand shops, cafes, bars and music shops. And now, the Map Just be aware of this. 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. You will only notice when walking through its neighborhoods. This is a great time to visit California! This post presents a driving route in the Golden Gate area on the westside of San Francisco. Interested in creating custom self-guided tours for your customers? As one of San Franciscos oldest neighborhoods, the Mission District is full of rich ethnic history. This self-guided tour allows you to explore San Franciscos historic wonders with maximum flexibility and value. This one hour and sixteen minute tour can be done at your own pace. But the main thing here are the sea lions: Here they are, San Francisco sea lions, basking on the docks. 3h. Expand All. Wil and Erin at Ride Free organised our whole trip along route 66 then the coast road to San Francisco. Segway Tours Looking for fun things to do with friends? 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. Know about new tour launches, get exclusive access to sales and much more. Cable car conductors also sell day passes. Explore California Academy of Sciences entrance tickets. 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. Shaka Guide - Self-Guided GPS Audio Tours Lying in the sun side by side and diving into the waters when they get hungry. We'll climb to the top of Coit Tower and get a great look at San Francisco from above. The city has a lot of it and it is not always predictable. 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 . In particular there are certain areas of the city that are not very car-friendly, such as pedestrian-rich. 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 Sightseeing: A Driving Tour, Coastal Drive from San Francisco to Monterey, Drive in Central Bali: Batuan, Goa Gajah, Mount Batur, Yarra River Walk through Central Melbourne, How to Make a Bus Trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, Sightseeing in Melbourne on Foot and Circle Tram, Italy by Train and Car: Rome, Florence and Tuscany, Wicklow Mountains Scenic Drive from Dublin, Madeira by Car: Santana Day Trip from Funchal, Las Palmas Mountain Trip: Gran Canarias Scenic North. We'll exit SF's Chinatown through the Dragon's Gate. Call 619-236-1242 for recorded information or to leave a voice message. San Francisco highlights self-guided 3-hour driving tour, Sorry, we couldn't find any reviews based on your filters. Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle. Nob Hill looks like a wealthy area, which it is. They have a fixed menu that changes daily of 2 nine-course meals. 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. In addition to this outing, you can also take our free guided walking tour of The Castro. You will also see where some of the most famous people of the 60s lived including the Grateful Dead and Charles Manson. Along the way, your guide will share tidbits about SF's history and its landmarks. 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. San Francisco sightseeing: driving down Lombard Street. 2022 Outdoor Activities in San Francisco: Check out reviews and photos of the San Francisco City Self-Guided Audio Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. The best of San Francisco isn't found in the typical tourist destinations. This is the end stop where two cable car lines, the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines turn back, so just set yourself in the queue and wait for the next cable car to come. This means only a small number of sea lions stay here throughout the year. San Francisco Audio Tour Guide on the App Store Our San Francisco self drive tour offers you complete flexibility and convenience. 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. 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. Miami Book a self-guided driving tour of San Francisco with route and audio instructions on your smartphone via an app. (A) Caltrain Station - aka, the OG San Francisco Station. Then, stop at Pier 39 to see the seal lion colony and the two-level carousel at the end of the pier. The SF self-drive tour follows a circular route through the city, so you can start at any point along the way. After youve seen enough of Pacific Heights, turn south to see a totally different neighborhood. Required fields are marked *. 59-Mile Scenic Drive in San Diego, CA Do you love venturing out on your own? 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. AAA Travel Guides - San Francisco, CA - American Automobile Association Frommer's also has a second audio tour that covers the San Francisco Waterfront. San Francisco has well developed public transport and many connections. 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 . Next, travel through the famous 17-Mile Drive and see Pebble Beach Golf Course. The tour works offline which means you do not need your phone network to enjoy the tour. I could start and stop the tour whenever I wanted to break and resume. If you come to San Francisco, you might join one of Britt's tours of the city. Traffic. 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. The exclusive neighborhood on Pacific Heights. 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. GoCar Tours of San Francisco: GoCars & Electric Mopeds Haight-Ashbury: See the spots where the Summer of Love captured the nation, grab some vintage threads and check out some of this districts interesting murals. Nashville So we did all our San Francisco sightseeing by car, but you can use public transport as well to get to the same places. Mooncakes are their specialty, filled with a light melon or rich-tasting lotus-seed paste. The person I travel with is my husband and photographer Clas: Come and join the trip! Our Fave Spots, Zero Ads. The Castro District. How to Tell if Youre on the Scenic Drive. Cheap New York City Parking At MNN. We know, the price looks to good to If youre planning to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, this could be an interesting addition to that activity. HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL . Enjoy an immersive walk with amazing views and riveting stories of San Francisco and visit the notorious Alcatraz prison during this guided tour! The curves enable driving down but the turns are too sharp for any longer cars and buses. Classic Car Tours. 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. All individual tours come with lifetime validity. A main street facade in Chinatown San Francisco. Apparently, reservations are required . As we drive, we'll learn about another iconic San Francisco feature: the cable car! Recommended by 97% of travelers. Tour Types; Tours by Region; Tours by Activity; About; Contact; USA Guide; . 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. From Lombard Street its a short drive down to the North Shore of San Francisco and to Fishermans Wharf. 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. We also cover this part of the city in a fully guided free walking tour of Downtown San Francisco. San Francisco City Hall, Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, California 94102, U.S. This tour has been developed by local guides, curated by creative writers, and narrated by professional voice artists. Lisbon Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page. On the front, you will see the full walking route. Spend more time at Twin Peaks, visit the Coit Tower, and take time to explore all the hilly, historical neighborhoods of SF. Chinatown: This is one of the most visited neighborhoods in SF, since there is so much to see and do. Washington DC. Musement helps you get the best from every destination, by giving you easy access to memorable experiences around the world. You can download a (free, printable) up-to-date version of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive Map to follow the whole drive. Berlin 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! Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. English. Our San Francisco exploration begins at one of the city's most iconic stops: the Painted Ladies! Subscribe to our newsletter below. To get the best views of the painted ladies come here in the evening and look at them from the Alamo Square Park. You definitely have to include Pier 39 in your San Francisco sightseeing program. 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. For one block, this road turns into the crookedest street in the world! Youll make EIGHT hairpin turns within that one block! You will also find some of the best Mexican, Cuban and other cuisines from both South and Central America. Your tour will conclude here, but that isnt where the fun ends! Subscribe to our newsletter belowcoupon code on the next screen. San Francisco spreads out over 47 miles, so it's best to stick to one area at a time on your self-guided tour. We designed our self-guided walking tour of San Francisco to include several examples of that quirky San Francisco charm. There are options for guided tours at $25 per person, and camping fees vary by campground. 2022Outdoor Activities in San Francisco. On especially foggy days you may not even be able to see key attractions like Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid. All rights reserved. This app offers a fully-guided experience - just like a local giving you a personalized, turn-by-turn, fully-guided tour. 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. Monterey, Carmel & The 17-Mile Drive - San Francisco With TourCentric, youll arrive as a tourist and leave as a local. All of these tours take you on a specific walking route through the city. These handy tools helped us find where to park. If so, then these self-guided walking tours of San Francisco are just for you! Scenery. However, the people who live in them will surely assist you with the boundaries and the colorful . These signs themselves are part of the history of the scenic drive. If you want to travel, simply pay the conductor. Now selling 4-5 bed, 3-4 bath homes starting at $786990. Without a doubt, one of the most enchanting things about this magical city is the neighborhoods. Its full of shabby-chic vintage stores, tattoo parlors, and beautiful Victorian houses for you to check out. It's a great way to learn all about this important SF District. 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. From tasting delicious food to feeling the hippy love, to exploring the haunted past of San Francisco, theres something there for everyone. Chinatown: Stroll down the colorful streets of Chinatown and see its historic temples, top dim sum restaurants, and amazing street art. It's a totally weird and unique San Francisco thing ( here's a list of a bunch of other weird San Francisco quirks). 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. 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. San Francisco itself has much to offer the first-time visitor. 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. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there. 2. Haight Ashbury got its name from the corner of its two major streets, Haight and Ashbury. From the Powell Street turnaround at Market Street near Union Square, take the Powell-Hyde Line. $ 45 $ 34. 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. 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. San Francisco | Self-Guided Driving Tour - YouTube The Japantown District also offers a free self-guided walking tour. 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. Charleston About Us. As we drive towards Chinatown, we'll pass a strange sight: a huge, glass pyramid. Finally something like 100 000 hippies from all over the States and abroad gathered in Haight and the nearby parks of Panhandle and Golden Gate. Got a late start? And very soon we got used to driving up and down San Francisco hills. It also has a map showing you where your next stop will be. Alamo Square is the home of the Painted Ladies: the beautiful Victorian-era homes of the 1870s. Plan your shuttle time back to Sausalito carefully so you can catch your ferry back to San Francisco. And this little car can go where the tour buses can't. Best of all, the sightseeing adventure happens at your pace. The app was super easy to use, and the content was really fun! Your email address will not be published. Begin this self-guided tour in the heart of San Francisco. 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). Choose the Go City San Francisco Explorer Pass for maximum flexibility and stress-free sightseeing! Stop off wherever you want for as long as you want, and then get started again at your leisure! So we started with downtown San Francisco. Thanks! No worries! However, if you don't plan to spend much time at each attraction or stop, you can cut the time down significantly. You can pick a topic that interests you, then find a walking tour that explores it more deeply. For example, you could easily drive past Tessie Walls infamous brothel without knowing about it! Our next San Francisco sight: the hippie suburb Haight Ashbury. Muir Woods Tours from San Francisco | Which Are Best? 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. Join us for a walk along the streets . 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. This trail connects important historical sites throughout the streets of SF. per adult. per adult. Fisherman's Wharf: Walk around one of our most popular districts. This 3-hour guided tour takes you to bike across GGB and then explore Sausalito's waterfront. 3. You will then walk from each historical marker to the next as you learn all about the oldest Japantown in the US. Probably the most comprehensive tour of San Francisco is the 49-mile Scenic Drive . See an interesting view? . You can also cycle this route very easily (there are numerous bike rental shops in the area). Hop in your car and enjoy this self-guided audio tour along the Pacific Coast Highway. Or, if you are in the mood for ice cream, the Bi-Rite Creamery salted caramelice cream is worth waiting in line for. Let California Tours take care of all of your accommodations on a self-guided driving road trip vacation. Self Drive Road Trips - Auto Tours USA We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. San Francisco highlights self-guided 3-hour driving tour Benefits Over Live Guides and Group Tours: Pick up right where you left off and continue your search for things to do, This information is provided by our partners. Or you could opt to stop frequently and make this a whole day tour of San Francisco. Liked Haight Ashbury the most. SAN FRANCISCO TO LA SELF DRIVE MOTORCYCLE TOUR. With TourCentric, youll be completely immersed in the stories, sights, and sounds of San Francisco. Start your self-guided tour at San Francisco City Hall. I want them all PLUS general travel tips. California sea lions are noisy, they bark and they smell. This is based on an audio guide I did . Andrew H 10/26/2019. From there, youll hear about the citys unique history and how it became one of the most progressive cities around. I wanted to package my love of San Francisco into a Self-Guided Free Walking Tour and this is the result. Theres a lot of history behind this area of San Francisco, and many notable buildings and sites to experience. Brooklyn Bike Tour. The most famous Napa Valley restaurant is The French Laundry in Yountville. SAVE 50% $59.98. Then youll swing by the City Hall, which you might feel like you recognize because you probably do! 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). A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your tour of California. Just remember to bring a jacket it gets windy up there! My tours are one full day in each district. See the top attractions such as Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and the Hyde Street Pier. From there, head east along Haight Street . At the other end of Market Street is the old Ferry Building. A San Francisco self-guided tour is a must-do on your . You only need to book one tour per vehicle, not per person. A self guided driving tour we did with our friends.. read more. Expedia, Inc. is not responsible for content on external Web sites. If you have ever watched Full House, you will know what we are talking about. San Francisco Skyline Sightseeing, Gray Line, and Tower Tours lead combination tours that include tours of Sausalito, Sonoma, and/or highlights of San Francisco. Be sure to check your email before you begin to download the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. 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. That way it will only take more time and you will have to examine San Francisco bus and cable car maps and timetables. 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. From Chinatown we took California Street up to Nob Hill. The price is about $275 per person and does not include wine. 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. Great exercise- best way to see SF. Here is the breakdown of the cost involved in this self-guided Muir Woods tour: ADULT Roundtrip Discount Ferry Ticket: $18 Shuttle to . Choose from driving one of our GoCars, Arcimotos, Scooters, or Vanderhalls. He knew a ton of history which we loved and we were able to see a ton. See reviews and photos of the San Francisco City Self-Guided Audio Tour Through Golden Gate Bridge. How to Plan Your Own Cable Car Tour of San Francisco - TripSavvy As noted below, some companies (such as Skyline Sightseeing . Alcatraz tickets with 2-day hop-on hop-off San Francisco bus pass. What all nature lovers come here for is the Pier 39 with colonies of barking Californian sea lions. 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. It stops at the top of the curved block and you can walk down the stairs and see the cars. At last, youll reach the beautiful waterfront, home to some of the best food and drink in Frisco, not to mention astonishing views of the bay! There are apps and websites with up to date information on parking spaces and rates. 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. And as you can imagine, there are a lot of interesting sites to see in the neighborhood. Double Bottom Assembly, Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond CA [RORI 1039_b] . If you are only going to be in the area for a day or two, then an unique way to fit them all in is to take San Franciscos 49-Mile scenic drive. Tour along Highway 1 by the towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola. On my self-guided walking tour, you will see where history was made for the LGBTQ community. From San Francisco: Highway 1 Self-Drive Audio Tour - Expedia Between Carmel and Monterey, 17 Mile Drive affords dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and Del Monte Forest along the Monterey Peninsula. Not far away from Haight Ashbury comes the place where we will end our San Francisco sightseeing tour for today. You will be taken through parts of the city that arent always all that pretty before you get back on route. You can find new. 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. DIY Muir Woods Tour Cost. Two lines leave from this same spot, so you need to check the name at the end of the car. These pretty Victorian houses together with bay views from the 44 hills make San Francisco what it is. You can get a free, printable, detailed map of the San Francisco 49 Mile Drive right here for your trip. Optional Barbary Coast Trail. With an automatic car its easier. This will finally bring us to the Embarcadero. We offer Escorted Motorcoach Tours, Self Drive Tours, Cruises and Vacation Packages in North America. Simply put, Action Tour Guide is an audio guide, map, and tour book all in one app! Pacific Heights surprised us: all streets are lined with old-style Victorian homes. The thing I love about these walks is that all 50 are printed on their own cards. 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.